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The surreal has often ruled over the practical in Barcelona. Just think of all the artists the city has harbored and inspired over the years: Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró and the eccentric genius Antoni Gaudí, whose colorful and organic architecture lures millions of visitors each year.

World-class architecture and creative city planning have always been the city’s strengths. In the mid-19th century, when the city’s Gothic Old Town outgrew its medieval walls, Catalan urban planner Ildefons Cerdà designed the elegant and orderly Eixample neighborhood, with the Passeig de Gràcia (reminscent of the Champs-Élysées). Throughout Eixample, vigilant eyes will be rewarded with original modernist details—Spain’s take on Art Nouveau architecture—from the iron street lamps to its carved benches.

Barcelona’s recent revival started with its successful bid for the 1992 Olympics. The event brought international attention to the city and gave Barcelona the funds and opportunity to redevelop its poorer and ignored neighborhoods and seaside areas. The crime-ridden El Raval district became home to Richard Meier’s Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), and the Olympic Port debuted, complete with its now-iconic abstract fish sculpture by Frank Gehry. Since then the city has been booming with modern design, culinary talents and more cutting-edge architecture, like Jean Nouvel’s color-changing Torre Agbar.