A Barcelona day walking the Gothic and the Eixample

A medieval square ringed by 13th-century houses and one Gothic church. On Thursdays and weekends a small artisanal market sets up along the railings. Order a café amb llet at Bar del Pi and sit at the outside tables — the square wakes up slowly.

The city's real Gothic cathedral, quieter than the Sagrada Família. Enter from the cloister side — you'll find thirteen white geese in the courtyard, one for each year of St. Eulàlia's martyrdom. The roof terrace costs a few euros and covers the full Gothic rooftop line.

A neighbourhood food market under an undulating coloured roof — Miralles' last project before he died in 2000. Less touristy than the Boqueria. Buy bread, a wedge of manchego, a ripe tomato; sit in the square outside and make yourself a sandwich.

An old tapas bar that's been pouring cava since 1929. The counter is impossible to reach in peak hours — this early window, just as the Spaniards are starting to drift in for lunch, is when you can actually get a spot. Anchovies, bread-and-tomato, a glass of the house fizz.

Book the 15:00 entry slot online a few days before you arrive. The interior is the point — stone columns branch like trees, and the stained glass paints the nave orange on the east side and blue on the west depending where you stand. An hour is enough, but you'll want to return.

Gaudí's mosaic-tiled hillside park. The Monumental Zone (the part with the famous mosaic benches) needs a timed ticket booked ahead; the free zone surrounding it gives you the viewpoints and the stone colonnades without the queue. Walk up to the stone cross at the summit for the widest view of the city.

The Magic Fountain show runs Thursday through Saturday evenings. Synchronised music, water jets, and floodlights on the MNAC palace behind. Arrive ten minutes early for a spot on the stone steps. The crowd gets dense but the effect is theatrical.