Barcelona is neatly framed by the Mediterranean to the east and the hills of Montjuïc and Tibidabo on two of its other flanks. The central section of the city, where most tourists spend their time, is even more conveniently divided by La Rambla, the main artery of Barcelona life, which tumbles from Plaça de Catalunya southeast towards the Mediterranean and the recently reborn districts of Port Vell (Old Port), and trendy La Ribera (The Waterfront).

The atmospheric Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter), the area to the right of La Rambla, heading in the direction of Plaça de Catalunya, is the charming heart of the old city, embracing the Catedral de la Seu and Museu Picasso amid narrow streets and hidden squares. Plaça de Catalunya divides the old town from the Eixample (a grid of streets laid out in the 19th century) in which much of the city's finest Modernist architecture is to be found, including the celebrated Sagrada Família, a marvel of design by Antoní Gaudi.

An eccentric recluse, Gaudí was the most celebrated practitioner of the modernist style, whose innovative work threw all design rulebooks out of the window in his quest to get architecture to mirror the curves and intricacies of nature. In addition to those sights described in Key Attractions, further architectural highlights include Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau and the Palau de la Música Catalana, both designed by Gaudí's contemporary, Domènech i Montaner. Passeig de Gràcia, the most stylish street in the city, is at the heart of the Eixample and intersects with the Diagonal - the city's main thoroughfare, at its northern end.

The Montjuïc mountainside has successfully managed the transition from being the site of the 1992 Olympic Games to become a permanent tourist attraction, boasting the remaining Olympic installations, such noteworthy museums as Fundació Joan Miró and the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, as well as great views of the city.

Centre d'Informació Turisme de Barcelona
Plaça de Catalunya 17-S
Tel: 807 117 222, within Spain only or (93) 285 3834.
Website: www.barcelonaturisme.com  
Opening hours: Daily 0900-2100.

Other information desks can be found at the airport, at Central-Sants station and in Plaça Sant Jaume.

The Barcelona Card offers discounts of up to 50% at many of the most interesting tourist attractions, including museums, entertainment and leisure venues, shops and restaurants, as well as free public transport and assistance insurance. Attractions include Museu Picasso, Casa-Museu Gaudí and Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona. The card is available for one, two, three, four or five days, from the main tourist offices at Plaça de Catalunya, Plaça Sant Jaume and Central-Sants station.

The ArticketBCN gives half-price admission to seven of the city's main art galleries and museums - Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC), Fundació Joan Miró, Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), Centre Cultural Caixa de Catalunya, Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) and the Museu Picasso. It is available from any of the respective box offices and branches of Caixa Catalunya.