"A Playfully Artistic City With a Young Soul" Barcelona by Inna_S

Matchsticks

Barcelona presents you with colorful, imaginative touches in all kinds of unexpected places. Many buildings—not just the famous Gaudi ones— have decorated exterior walls. There are sculptures, fountains, mosaics, hidden courtyards, and much, much color. Barcelona is not built in one single style. It embraces modern art and architecture, but also has plenty of narrow medieval streets and old churches. Things here don't adhere to classical rules of beauty, giving the city a very irreverent feel.
Of course, what Barcelona is famous for is Antoni Gaudi's architecture. Gaudi's architectural style was heavily influenced by the Art Nouveau movement and its focus on natural, curved forms and avoidance of straight lines. Many of Gaudi's works have elements that are reminiscent of sea creatures and plant life. You will see this style not just in Gaudi's work, but also, to a lesser extent, in many other buildings.
Barcelona is also a party city that doesn't sleep. Take a walk on La Rambla at 3 in the morning and you will think it's only 8 in the evening. Many young tourists come here, and if you're a light sleeper you might find yourself woken up numerous times throughout the night by the melodies of drunken choirs.
To see the major tourist sites I'd say you need about four days. However, you could stay here for months exploring the city's many nooks and crannies and interacting with the friendly locals.

• Pros:art, youth, party
• Cons:pollution
• In a nutshell:artistic inspiraton on every corner