96-hours in Barcelona

Barcelona is an excellent choice for a long weekend from the Gulf States, particularly in the spring or autumn months. The capital of Catalonia combines world-class shopping, night-life and cultural attractions with the delights of watching Barcelona FC in their home stadium.

As the second largest city in Spain and the largest on the Mediterranean coast Barcelona has an unusual mixture of urban and beach life. Ever since the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 this has been a playground for the rich and young from all over the world.

Ramblas

Stay on the Rambla, a traditional wide pedestrianized street in the heart of Barcelona for easy access to the shopping districts and the gothic quarter for the excellent Picasso museum featuring his early works that show the skill of an Old Master before the descent into 20th century abstraction. The Hotel MonteCarlo is top-rated on TripAdvisor.com and a good base for exploring the downtown.

Jump on the hop-on-hop-off tourist bus for a ride around the famous buildings created by the art-deco architect Gaudi. His fabulous cathedral is still under construction over a hundred years after it started and there are marvellous views from the top. Its light-filled interior is an uncannily beautiful experience.

Gaudi also completed an apartment bloc, Casa Mila that you can inspect and a park to the rear of the city where his own former home is a museum. The curious style of construction from natural form is ecclectic and yet apparently structurally sound too.

Serious shoppers will love Barcelona. Every top brand is represented and Spanish designers that you may never have heard of before are also good value-for-money. You can take a coach from the Plaza Catalonia to the Roca Village factory outlet to get some even better designer label bargains.

For more art you should head up the hill towards the Barcelona Castle for the national gallery with some first-rate collections from early medieval to the most modern art. The restaurant looking back over the city is also sensational.

Joan Miro

Moving up the hill and you will find the Joan Miro Foundation dedicated to the second most famous artist of the city, and a bubble-car lift system will take you right to the top for the best views from the castle.

Then of course there is the long beachfront with the 43-storey Ritz-Carlton hotel dominating the skyline (click here). Locals and tourists like this walk and there are huge yacht marinas both in front and behind.

Really if you are after an entertaining city on the Mediterranean with great cafes and restaurants Barcelona has a lot going for it.