Barcelona: Spain

“How easy it is to make friends in Spain!”
-George Orwell

Barcelona is a city obsessed with design. And in style. And architecture. And food. And wine. And with the enjoyment of life.

From the meticulous plating of the most straightforward dish to the delicate ornamentation of the humblest facade, everything in Barcelona is a feast for the eyes.

Barcelona’s visual richness has inspired geniuses like Gaudi, Domenech i Montaner, Picasso, Miro, Tapies, and Dali.

It remains a magnet for creative types as well as travelers seeking sensual riches. Inspiration is found in every doorframe and on every street corner. In Barcelona, even the hospitals are masterpieces, and blocks hold hidden gardens.

Barcelona has been astonishingly well-preserved. And it is a city that is sparkling anew, thanks to sensitive restorations, an abundant artistic life, designer stores, and one of the most sought-after restaurant scenes in the world.

Its foundation is unquestionably the evocative Barri Gotic (the Gothic Quarter), the highest concentration of medieval architecture in Europe, built over ancient Roman structures.

Yet it was the Art Nouveau movement known as “Modernisme” that completely swept Barcelona off its feet in the early 20th century. Its most famous figure was Antonio Gaudi, whose lyrical, flowing buildings are the image of Barcelona to millions. The movement also included poets and novelists, sculptors, painters, furniture-makers, tile-makers, and artisans of all sorts.

Art lovers from all over the world come to see these works for themselves – famous works such as the Cathedral of Sagrada Familia and the playful Parc Guell, as well as hundreds of lesser-known buildings.

We can arrange for you to spend an afternoon in-residence designed by a leading architect of the Modernisme movement, Jaume Torres i Grau. Your host will share his knowledge of and passion for Barcelona and its unique architecture.

If the soul of Barcelona is Modernisme, the heart is Las Ramblas: the broad, tree-lined spine of Barcelona, filled with flower kiosks, restaurants, and colorful street performers. Take a seat in an outdoor café in the evening, and you will see all of Barcelona promenading in front of you: young couples courting, parents with baby strollers, and grandparents with their grandchildren.

Barcelona’s pleasures extend to senses beyond sight; it is among the top gastronomy destinations in Europe. We can arrange for a private cooking lesson with a Michelin-starred chef, a multi-day immersive cooking experience with a well-known cookbook author, or a walking gastronomy tour through some of Barcelona’s most exciting neighborhoods.

From Barcelona, you’re ideally located to explore the rest of Catalunya. This landscape offers quaint medieval towns, a series of important sites related to Salvador Dali, more great food, intact Moorish baths, attractive Mediterranean shoreline, and scenic areas for hiking or biking. If you love Moorish architecture, Zaragoza is worth a day trip.

Yes, Barcelona is a city obsessed with the senses. And we are obsessed with Barcelona. We want you to be as well.