Season Guide - Spain - Hilton Racing

Even its best-known attraction - Gaudí’s vast, unfinished, cathedral, La Sagrada Familia - has many critics. George Orwell called it one of the most hideous buildings in the world. But love it or loathe it, its sheer audacity and indulgence is emblematic of Barcelona itself - open-minded, free-spirited with a huge sense of fun. When Barça play at the Nou Camp, the huge stadium that General Franco tried to turn into a parking lot for his tanks, virtually half the city is transformed into a carnival. And you'd be hard-pushed to find a modern-day coliseum as vast as this anywhere else in Europe.

There's no avoiding Gaudí in Barcelona - and, for me, his brilliant Parc Güell wins hands-down every time. It’s like stepping back into the fairytale dreams of your childhood. There are surprises in every direction - picture-book houses, a twisting ceramic bench and a huge mosaic lizard that glistens in the sun. And, being atop a hill north of the Gracia district, there’s fabulous views of Barcelona.

Afterwards, I head to the Ramblas and follow other tourists along the wide pedestrian boulevard running from the Plaza de Catalunya down to the sea. It’s not just a tourist preserve, many locals also like to stroll this promenade of performers, mime artists and buskers.

The best part is always halfway down - La Boquería - Barcelona's busiest and bountiful market. Some of the superb fresh produce here - a treasure-trove of fruit, fish and meats - ends up on the tables of some of Europe’s hippest restaurants, where wealthy people are known to fly in just for lunch. Barcelona is just about the hottest place to eat in Europe right now, but don’t despair that you can’t get a table at El Bulli, one of the world’s best restaurants, - you don’t have to travel far to find somewhere else decent.
As city nights go, Barcelona's nightlife is pretty difficult to beat. Instead of the pavement bars on the Ramblas serving stag and hen parties sangria at £3 a pint, I dive off into the narrow streets of the Barrio Gótico - the medieval Gothic Quarter. Dark alleys teem with a surprising number of bars, restaurants, clubs and cutting-edge fashion boutiques. Unlike some other European cities, this ancient part of the Catalan capital retains a soulful vitality - artists, students and bohemians live cheek-by-jowl with the elderly.

Around 11pm, we walk past tapas bars with ripples of laughter pouring out of the doors. A quick glance into one sees four generations of the same family gathered around the same table.
Behave as the locals do and eat late, after midnight even. I end up in the arcaded Plaça Real at midnight, munching on a bocadillo with manchego cheese, washed down with several bottles of San Miguel.

The next time I look at my watch it's already 2am and I realise I’ve missed the Barcelona game on TV. And still no-one, anywhere shows any signs of calling it a night.