Barcelona Guide
The northern suburbs
Until the Eixample stretched out across the plain to meet them, small towns and villages ringed Barcelona to the north. Today, they're firmly entrenched as suburbs, but most still retain an individual identity worth investigating even on a short visit to the city.
Gràcia – the closest neighbourhood to the Eixample – is still very much the liberal, almost bohemian stronghold it was in the nineteenth century. Visits tend to revolve around browsing in the neighbourhood market or sipping a drink in one of the quiet squares, though Gràcia also has an active cultural scene and nightlife of its own. Antoni Gaudí's surreal Parc Güell, on its northeastern fringes, is the single biggest draw, while in neighbouring Horta a couple more distinctive parks attract the curious with an hour or two to spare, notably the Parc del Laberint and its renowned maze.
Northwest of the city centre, what was once the village of Les Corts is now indistinguishable from the rest of the modern city, save for the hallowed precincts of Camp Nou, FC Barcelona's stupendous football stadium and museum. North of here, past the university and across Avinguda Diagonal, the Palau Reial de Pedralbes combines three applied art museums, while a half-day's excursion can be made of the trip by walking from the palace, past the Gaudí dragon gate at Pavellons Güell to the Gothic Monestir de Pedralbes.
Perhaps the only rival to Parc Güell as a single-destination visit out of the centre is the city's science museum, CosmoCaixa. This lies just below the ring road (the Ronda de Dalt), beyond which extend the Collserola hills whose highest peak – Tibidabo, reached by tram and funicular – should really be saved for a clear day. The views are the draw here, from the amusement park, peak-top church or nearby Torre de Collserola.