Whether your travel choices are guided by shopping, dining, history, the arts or just a general good time, Barcelona fits the bill.  As a business hub in the northeast of Spain with nearly two million inhabitants, the city presents dozens of unusual opportunities to delve into any interests. And while other Spaniards consider the Catalan temperament to be more business-like and northern European than their own, in fact, most Europeans favor BCN, as it's fondly known, for its laid-back Mediterranean lifestyle and artistic flair.

Doing the City & Loving the Sights

For first-time visitors, the heart of the city will be Placa de Catalunya. This huge traffic circle has the main office of Barcelona Tourist Information (34/807/117 222) at Plaza de Catalunya,17, 08007 Barcelona Spain, and many attractions radiate from it. These include La Rambla (a pedestrian walk leading to the port, thick with shops, street vendors, hotels and markets), Passeig de Gracia (an architecturally rich area for Barcelona's Modernisme style) and av. Portal del Angel (a narrow lane descending into the labyrinthine Barri Gotic old quarter.)

Taking La Rambla will lead from the heart of the contemporary commercial city to the old port, bisecting several interesting neighborhoods. Endless unexpected attractions include a museum devoted to erotica and near the plaza, the Palau de la Musica, a breathtaking jewel of Catalan art nouveau architecture. As in all areas of Barcelona (and any city, in fact), keep your eyes on your valuables as pickpockets and backpack thieves are common.

No one should leave Barcelona without touring a few of the architect Antoni Gaudi's masterpieces. It's important to go inside and admire the structures inspired by Gaudi's affection for nature and the curvilinear designs of the art nouveau movement; his engineering ingenuity and enormous imagination will leave children and adults slack-jawed. The Barcelona Tourist Office can provide a complete list of Gaudi monuments in the city, and the best known are the unfinished cathedral, Temple de la Sagrada Familia, the private residences of La Pedrera, Casa Batllo and the celebrated public park, Parc Guell.

Among our family's favorite museums are the Fundacio Joan Miro highlighting the contemporary art of the Catalan master, Joan Miro, and the stunning Museu Picasso featuring the early works of the Spanish artist who, in his early 20s, moved from Barcelona to Paris to establish a career.  The Miro museum is in Montjuic Park and can be combined with a half day in the park or an outdoor evening performance, as they occur regularly in summer. The Picasso Museum is in the heart of the enchanting Barri Gotic, the so-called Gothic Quarter whose labyrinthine lanes shelter the city's cathedral, palaces of the wealthy, museums, hip boutiques and more. The museum's collection of Picasso's early works is so large and rich that our family chose to return to the neighborhood another day and take our time there.

Barcelona is a surprisingly large city, so it's best to organize your sightseeing geographically.  The Metro subway system and public buses run frequently and efficiently, but the station locations can be frustrating for visitors. If you only have a few days in BCN, buy a pass on the Bus Turistic, the city's best hop-on, hop-off double-decker tour bus.  The bus company provides good maps, discount coupon booklets and ear buds with your tickets, and the guided narration comes in several languages. Bus Turistic has the city handily divided into three routes, each with their own narration, so a multi-day pass may be your best value.

Other options for sightseeing include the Ciclobus, a bike rental service, or Fat Tire Bike Tours, a bicycle tour operator. With Ciclobus, families can rent bicycles from the Placa de Catalunya and return them at any of the other Ciclobus hire points. Fat Tire (34/93 301 3612) runs one or more guided tours daily from March to December from Placa Sant Jaume; these last up to 4 hours and are suitable for school age kids and older. Additionally, Fat Tire rents bikes with locks, bikes with child seats and kid-size bikes by the hour for a self-guided tour. Teens will love a chance to try Barcelona Segway Glides, who take out groups on human-powered transporters for two-hour, two-wheel tours.

Again, this is one of the few cities of the world that can satisfy anyone's interests, no matter what they are. Several more of the city's attractions are profiled in the Barcelona Family Guide.

Shopping for the Fun of It

During our July visit, Spain was in the midst of its annual sale period, which occurs during the months of January, July and August each year. The government regulated system ensures that all shops, whether it's Zara, the chain of stylish young men's and women's fashions; el Corte Ingles, the revered Spanish department store; Nike or Levi's, discount their merchandise at this time each year. 

But this is a great place to shop at any time of year, for any age family member. Pick up any local magazine and leaf through the ads for a visual treat that rivals Milan and Paris. Barcelona's outlets of all the major Spanish shops, plus special furniture and design retailers like Vincon, or the small artisan boutiques for folk arts like Farafina La Botiga Africana, art jewelry at Konfusion, or the eclectic Lobby (all in Barri Gotic), are a major attraction.

Adults will find the best clothing and shoe shops along the Passeig de Gracia just above the Placa de Catalunya, and along Ramblas Catalunya just east of it. Teens and kids will have fun in the Boulevard de Rosa mall off of Paseig de Gracia, along the south side of Placa de Catalunya (where the largest Zara and El Corte Ingles stores are).  Don't forget to pause at Farggi, one of the country's most popular chain cafes for coffee, teas, bocadillo sandwiches and ice cream concoctions. Stop into the BCN Original gift shop, located under the plaza in the Barcelona Tourist Office, for souvenirs. For youthful styles, head to the boutiques of Mango, Pull and Bear, Atalanta Manufactura and the sporting goods stores tucked into the narrow alleys of Born, the more gentrified eastern side of the Barri Gotic. Ivo & Co is a fun thrift shop, MTX features a local designer's boho chic clothes, and Onogior is famous for its handcrafted silver jewelry. If you have something special in mind, check with your hotel concierge for suggestions and remember, families living outside the European Union can claim back 16% VAT taxes when purchasing more than € 91 in merchandise. 

Dining Is A Delight

As any Spanish speakers in the family will notice immediately, Catalunya is a province where the Catalan language – not Castillian -- is spoken. Along with the language influenced by its proximity to the French frontier, sea trade with Portugal, immigrant labor from Italy and, of course, the Spaniards of Castille and elsewhere in Spain, the cuisine of Catalunya is a delightfully light concoction of seafood, olives, tomatoes, rice dishes like paella, cheeses such as brie, Roquefort and manchego, baguette sandwiches, and the myriad tapas or small appetizer plates served all over the country. For traditional Spanish fare near Gaudi's Sagrada Familia, try Restaurant Diagonal (34/457 49 39; Passeig Sant Joan 97-99 at Av. Diagonal 327). Tuxedoed waiters who circle tables separated by Art Nouveau railings and stained glass panes serve paella, fried sardines, albondigas and osso bucco; the great value lunch will plunge the whole family into the siesta mood.

More contemporary culinary adventures can be found at El Tunel, Bailen 91 at Arago in the Eixemple neighborhood, where chef Marc Palou interprets traditional cuisine by serving his grilled hake fish with a brie and cream sauce and his meats simmered in wine and garlic.  Born, the hip quarter of Barri Gotic, has dozens of popular eateries, including the Basque inspired Sagardi (34/902 520 522) tapas bar at Argenteria, 62, or the gourmet Catalan Comerc24. At Compte Condal, a very popular tapas bar, everyone in the family can choose a small plate of roast peppers, shrimp on a skewer, a mini hamburguesa, croqueta of potato and chicken, toast square with smoked salmon, roast steak, grilled manchego cheese, or other meat or poultry dish.  Along the tourist routes there are herbal tea shops, busy outdoor cafes serving croissants and even vegetarian restaurants.  Prepare the kids for a brand new dining regimen; typically in Spain, an early breakfast of coffee or warm milk and breads will be the smallest meal, a late lunch (after 2pm) of several courses will be the day's largest meal, and a light dinner (after 9pm) of tapas or a sandwich with a cava sparkling wine will be the nightcap.  Keep snacks handy as it's common for restaurants to close between lunch and dinner when kids may be starving.

Beaching It & Daytrips Around Catalunya

Because Barcelona is on Spain's Mediterranean coast, visiting families may be tempted to allot some time to a beach vacation. Wrong!  As wonderful as this city is, families familiar with Santa Monica or even the Jersey Shore at not going to be satisfied with the pebbly and very crowded Mediterranean beaches. However, summer can be stifling, so it's good to be aware that there are several commercial waterparks within a day's excursion from the city center. Most are open from May to September, for example: Aqua Brava in Roses; Aquadiver in Castell-Platja d'Aro; Aqualeon in Albinyana; Aquopolis in Pineda (Vila-Seca) and Marineland with its dolphin shows (Palafolls).

There are many other interesting daytrips in this region. Families without a rental car should contact the tourist office for bus and train schedules as many of  the nearby attractions can be reached by public transportation. A different type of water theme park and disco mix can be found at Illa Fantasia in Vilassar de Dalt. In Bergueda, at the foot of the Pyrennees, Quads Olvan (34/97 779 090) rents ATVs for personal exploration, leads tours with guides, and provides a closed track for young drivers to practice. Another unusual daytrip is to Catalunya en Miniatura  (34/93 496 36 00; Can Balasch de Baix, 08629 Torrelles de Llobregat), Spain's version of Legoland where buildings and monuments in a miniature scale give families an overview of Spain's cultural patrimony. 

If your family enjoys that outing, visit the Poble Espanyol de Montjuic (34/97 278 84 94) at Av Marques de Camillas 13, Barcelona; it's a replica Spanish village in the city's major park, featuring many types of architecture from different regions of Spain.

Details, Details

We had a very good stay at the Hotel Apsis, Apsis Atrium Palace  (34/ 933 428 000; Gran Vía de les Corts Catalanes 656, 08010 Barcelona, Spain), one of five Apsis brand hotels in the city. It's conveniently located about a 10 minute walk from Placa de Catalunya in a quieter business neighborhood that is fun to explore. For a very reasonable internet special rate of Euros 150, our spacious and stylish room slept three (one double bed and a daybed), and the rate included a good breakfast served in a lounge off the lobby. (One child's breakfast is always free if dining with two adults.) Additional amenities include WiFi internet and access to the hotel's small, but clean, swimming pool in the basement. Apsis will provide one rollaway for a child under 12 or a baby cot free with any double room, and rents connecting rooms as well as family suites. The suites have one bedroom with a queen or two twin beds, a terrace with Jacuzzi tub, one bathroom and a double sofabed in the living room.  Babysitting is arranged by the front desk. While not luxurious, the Apsis was spotless, friendly, and a refreshing destination after a day in the hot summertime city.

Another very popular choice is the Hotel Inglaterra (34/ 935 051 100; Calle Pelai 14, 08001 Barcelona, Spain) where friends stayed with their teen. It has a great location, just off Las Ramblas and Plaza Universitat. The lobby's marble floors and airy glass walls give the interior and sunny rooms a more contemporary appearance than the pretty stone building's distinguished facade. All 60 guestrooms are attractively furnished and comfortable, and breakfast (included in rates) is served in a second floor breakfast lounge. Families will appreciate the spacious triple rooms with three large beds; these come with a VIP pass allowing guests to use the fitness center and pool at the Inglaterra's sister hotel nearby, the 5-star Grand Luxe Hotel Majestic.

In a recent account of her family's visit in the New York Times, Anne Glusker noted the Grand Hotel Central (34/ 93 295 79 00; Via Layetana 30, 08003 Barcelona, Spain) as a family-welcoming design hotel with a rooftop infinity pool. This chic hotel is on the edge of Born, the hip section of the Barri Gotic, and offers a two-night ‘family with toddler' package: suite with crib, a night at their Restaurant Actual, four hours of babysitting for two including room service for the children, buffet breakfast for all, and transfers to and from the airport. 2008 summer rates start at Euros 685 for the two nights, though room rates drop as low as Euros 175 per night at other times.
 
What didn't prove to be a good value for families is the IYH Ideal Hostel, where family rooms or dorms sleeping four cost so much per bed that it's cheaper to find a hotel than to put the whole family in a dorm with shared bath.  Instead, check out some of the high style fashionista hangouts, like the 5 Rooms B&B, or websites that list apartment rentals for short-stay guests.  Recommended are http://rentals.loquo.com/english (all over Spain), www.apartmentinbarcelona.net and www.citysiesta.com (Barcelona and Sevilla).

There are better hotel values along the Mediterranean outside the city, and this is a popular choice in summer. Be forewarned that the beaches are crowded and not as spectacular as many American beaches, and taking the train back to town for sightseeing can become annoying.  Other than that, the seaside hotel's pools and sun-worshipping space provide a nice alternative to inner-city sightseeing when the often hot and humid weather becomes too much.