Barcelona was founded as a Roman city and, after merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, continued to be an important city in the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre.

Main sights:

• The Barri Gòtic - the centre of the old city: the church of Sagrada Família (Gaudí).
• Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion
• Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia
• Park Güell (designed by Gaudí);
• Palau de la Música Catalana
• Hospital de Sant Pau

Images by Moyan Brenn (thumb from Flickr) and Jesus Solana (large).