Barcelona

Barcelona is a city unlike any other in Europe — and arguably the world. No other metropolis so effortlessly combines fine sandy beaches a ten-minute walk from the centre with some of the boldest architecture of the twentieth century, a food scene that spans working-class tradition and avant-garde innovation, and a nightlife that doesn't seriously slow down until sunrise.

The city owes a defining share of its personality to Antoni Gaudí, seven of whose works are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Sagrada Família — still under construction since 1882 and partially consecrated in 2010 — is one of the most photographed buildings on earth. Park Güell, Casa Batlló and Casa Milà (La Pedrera) complete a Modernista trail without parallel anywhere. But Barcelona is far more than Gaudí: the Barri Gòtic, one of the best-preserved medieval centres in Europe, the boutiques and wine bars of El Born, the Boqueria market and the Barceloneta beach strip together form a city to live in, not merely to visit.

Gastronomically, Barcelona ranks among the richest destinations on the Iberian peninsula. Catalan cuisine — genuinely distinct from Spanish cooking — blends popular tradition (pa amb tomàquet, escalivada, fideuà) with an avant-garde creativity that traces back directly to El Bulli's influence. The tapas tradition here takes the form of pintxos in the bars of El Born and the Gothic Quarter, washed down with cava (Catalan traditional-method sparkling wine) or house vermouth. Two hours from Paris by plane, no visa required, with the euro in your pocket, Barcelona is one of Europe's most accessible and rewarding short breaks.