You will find fiercely independent local inhabitants with a long and bloody history under Moor, Goth, Bourbon and soveriegn Spanish invaders.

The turbulent past is everywhere you look whether you are exploring the mysterious alleyways of the Gothic centre, taking in the views from the castle on Montjuic or passing beneath the marvellous (still under construction) spires of Antoni Gaudi's Sagrada Familia.

The architecture consists of complex layers of Roman, Gothic, Bourbon, utopian and art nouveau constructions, all interwined around each other everywhere you may walk (or ride).

In recent years, as the city undergoes a boom, many important works have been restored to their former glory- from Gaudi's painstaking and sacrosant buildings to the minimalism of Mies van der Rohe's 1929 World Fair pavillion.

Barcelona is a city which loves to celebrate- there are major festivals on a regular basis: highlights include the pyromaniac San Joan, for the summer solstice in June, and La Merce, in September, which takes over the whole city with live music and street parties.

You can scratch a little deeper to find some of the world's best keep culinary secrets, such as the infamous El Bulli or the Mercat de Boqueria, where you can find the best ingredients from the Iberian peninsula, northern Africa and the Atlantic in one location. Barcelona is one of the few cities in Europe to be blessed with kilometers of unpolluted beaches within walking distance of the city centre. Add to that long summers and mild mediterranian winters, and its a very easy city to relax and enjoy.

From Barcelona there are many more locations to explore, you can sail the Balearic islands, dive along the Costa Brava, party past sunrise in Ibiza, or maybe explore the stunning wine regions such as Priorat and Sotomanto.