Barcelona enjoys a wonderful climate with hot summers and cool winters. The ideal months to visit the city, the Costa Brava, and the nearby resorts of Sitiges and Vilanova are May, June and September, when visitors can expect good weather. In August, despite the shade in the tree-lined boulevards, locals desert Barcelona for the coastal resorts to escape the heat. January is the coldest month, with top temperatures averaging 55°F (13°C), while August is the hottest, with an average high of 82°F (29°C).

In 2002 Barcelona was awarded the title of most gourmandcity in Europe by the prestigious Le Guide des Gourmands, the first non-French city so named in the then 15 years of the publication's run.

Being the capital city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, Barcelona's restaurants specialise in Catalan cuisine, typically flaunting the extensive use of garlic, olive oil and fish for many kinds of meals. It is not uncommon, for example, to find fish mixed with red meat in a stew. The pa amb tomàquet(bread smeared in tomato and seasoned with olive oil and salt) is a signature Catalonian delicacy served with every meal in most restaurants. Tapas, now popular worldwide, originated in Spain and is a firm favourite in the city of Barcelona.

Catalonia is a premier wine region for Spain and the birthplace of Cava sparkling wine. Dark red grapes in the region make for the darker 'black' wine, or vi negre, a stronger red concoction. Dry white wines come second to the Cava in popularity among tourists and locals alike.

Barcelona restaurants open around 8am and typically remain open until midnight. Supper hours are very late, with most residents opting to dine between 9pm and 10pm.

Barcelona's excellent transport system includes the metro, buses, trains, funiculars and cablecars; tickets for all (except night buses) are transferable across the system. There are a number of more economical multi-ride tickets available, including the targetavalid for 10 journeys, as well as three to five-day passes, or the Barcelona Cardthat combines transport tickets with discounts on selected tourist sights, shops, entertainment and restaurants. The Metro is the fastest and most efficient way to get around the city, except during the rush hour when it becomes very crowded. The bus network is extensive and is easy to master with a transport map. Night buses take over from about 10pm to 4am. During summer the hop-on hop-off Bus Turisticlinks all main sights and tourist destinations. Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive and are a good option especially late at night, but charge extra for a number of things - ask for a receipt. Hiring a car is unnecessary and frustrating within the city, but can be essential if planning day trips outside the city.

The historic city of Barcelona offers more to its younger visitors than meets the eye. Children travelling in Barcelona will have a grand time discovering all that this exciting city has to offer and the waterfront is a great place to start where old and new ships still dock and children can enjoy a sightseeing cruise to view Barcelona from a different angle. Children will also love the cross-harbour cable car, which offers an exhilarating ride over the harbour and spectacular panoramic views.

Taking the children shopping while travelling in Barcelona is usually not a favourite pastime for parents or the children being hauled around, but stop off at one of the city's famous bomboneria(chocolate shops) and pick up an imaginatively shaped treat for the kids, such as a chocolate sailing ship, mushroom house or ferris wheel, and you've got yourself a deal.

With beautiful warm weather for most of the year, and very mild winters, Barcelona is one of those cities blessed with plenty of outdoor attractions and activities. Take the kids to the beach to splash around in the turquoise Mediterranean, cycle round the neighbourhoods of this bicycle friendly city, or jump on the city's hop on hop off tourist bus. Children will love the constantly changing scenery and exciting attractions to be seen along the way.

When the weather cools down, why not head to one of the many museums dotted around the city, or the Barcelona Aquarium or Zoo where fun new learning opportunities abound and children can be captivated by the wonders of science and nature.

Spanish is the official language, but English is widely understood in areas frequented by tourists. Catalan, Galician and Basque are spoken in the relevant areas.

Spain's official currency is the Euro (EUR). One Euro is divided into 100 cents. Money can be exchanged at bureaux de change and major hotels, but banks give the best rates. All major credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted at most hotels, restaurants, and shops. ATMs are widespread and are generally the cheapest and most convenient method of obtaining money.

With a lunchtime siesta, there's no excuse for not having enough energy to make it through a long night of partying up a storm on the streets of Barcelona. Alfresco dining is a good way to start an evening of revelry and has become a way of life in many of the city's squares. Good spots to sip on a glass of wine and people-watch are the Plaça del Sol in Gràcia and Passeig del Born, Plaça del Pi and Plaça Reial in the Old Town.

Barcelona is a trendy city with a fickle club scene that changes just about as often as its locals change their minds on what they'd like to drink. During the summertime, chiringuitos(beach bars) open along the white sands of Barcelona's urban beaches, each with its own vibe and music, and are popular with both locals and tourists alike.

Key spots are Barri Gòtic and Las Ramblas which, despite its medieval atmosphere, boasts a great selection of bars and clubs to choose from, though keep your possessions close to your body as pickpockets operate in these areas. This is where you'll find some of Barcelona's most popular and trendiest nightclubs and bars. L'Eixample, north of the city, is the place to go for Barcelona's gay scene. Port Olimpic is great for night owls with plenty of bars, clubs and great seafood restaurants, while the yacht marina is a great place to enjoy sundowners on a warm summer's evening.

With the rest of Europe right on its doorstep, Barcelona is dripping with culture and there are plenty of regular performances of ballet, music, dance and opera at various venues such as the Joan Miro Foundation and the Greek Theatre, or the Liceu Opera House. And for a more relaxed evening, visitors can enjoy Flamenco at various venues throughout the city such as Tablao de Carmen and Travel Bar Flamenco Guide, which are both located in the old quarter's centre.

Non-EU visitors to Spain have a little extra incentive to bring souvenirs home: tax free shopping. So long as the goods bought are items that could be taken back to you country with you and the bill exceeds EUR90.15, you will make a saving of 16 percent on purchases.

In Barcelona, the city is a shopper's playground. A three mile (5km) shopping line tracks from Las Ramblas, through Placa de Catalunya along Passeig de Gràcia and up Avenue Diagonal. Most of it is pedestrianised and pleasant to navigate on foot. The Tomb bus is a service specifically tailored for shoppers in the city, covering all the major retail centres, it departs every seven minutes from Catalonia Square and makes 28 stops up until Placa Pius XII.

Barcelona is a very fashion conscious city and several big names such as Giorgio Armani, Burberry and Bally are represented in exclusive stores here while there are also local Spanish mega-fashion stores like Zara, Mango and Adolfo Dominguez. Travellers on a budget might want to take advantage of seasonal sales. Winter sales officially start around 10 January and summer sales around 5 July, savings are generally high, between 50 to 70 percent, during these times.

Shops open at about 9am and close between 8pm and 9pm daily. Some shops close for a lunchtime siesta between 2pm and 4pm.

Legendary rocker Freddie Mercury once described Barcelona's beautiful horizon as 'a jewel in the sun', a prudent observation made evident when gazing upon the city's magnificent miles. Barcelona can best be described as a visual city. It is a sightseer's paradise from its seven beaches to the 10 hectares (25 acres) of municipal park land allotted throughout the city. From the hills of Montjuic and Tibidabo, one can take in the scope of Barcelona and look down on the scenic tree-lined La Ramblas boulevard, the iconic pedestrian mall running from the city centre to the Port Vella, the city's oldest harbour.

Barcelona also carries with it a rich history. Founded over 2, 000 years ago, the city's architecture reflects its Roman heritage, and carries the mark of various influences since. Particularly notable are the Catalan modernismearchitecture movement founded in Barcelona, and Gaudi's distinctive creations are among many of the city's buildings declared as World Heritage Sites.

Local time is GMT +1 (GMT +2 between the last Sunday in March and the Saturday before the last Sunday in October). The Canary Islands: GMT (GMT +1 in summer).