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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Travel
Vicky Jessop

Barcelona: how to spend 48 hours in Catalonia's thriving capital

Spend one day in Barcelona and you’ll quickly realise why it’s one of Spain’s most-visited cities. A heady mix of old, new and somewhere in between, it’s a place where ancient alleyways bump up against the modernist buildings of Gaudí and Cadalfach, where the Sagrada Familia stands tall over the other buildings, and where tiny cafes sit alongside cutting-edge restaurants.

For those who love the city — or are yet to fall in love with it — 2026 also happens to be the perfect time to book a flight.

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