Where's the best place to go out on a Saturday night in Barcelona? What off-beat museums can be discovered after Sunday brunch (and where to have that)? Which locations offer the best viewpoints of the Catalan capital? What Gaudí buildings are essential? Where does Barcelona's modernism reach its zenith? Where to take the children? What's the best place to buy wine? And where do the locals hang out?
The 500 Hidden Secrets of Barcelona reveals hundreds of good-to-know addresses (where to go for tapas, or vegetarian food, or cocktails?), avoiding the touristy places and pointing out the urban details you are likely to miss. Barcelona is an incredibly rich city. Just the amount of restaurants is overwhelming: this is the home of the universally praised "Mediterranean" diet , after all.
It would be a shame to just hang around Plaza Catalunya, where the airport bus drops off the visitors. Mark Cloostermans, a Belgian journalist living in Barcelona, unlocks the various districts, pointing out historical details in the sinewy streets of the old town, taking you from green Montjuïc hill to the beach and back up. The best bars in Paris-like Gracia neighbourhood, all Barça-related places and the various festivals you can plan your visit around The 500 Hidden Secrets of Barcelona has it all.
AUTHOR: Mark Cloostermans (1977) studied English and Dutch literature before becoming a journalist and book critic for Flemish broadsheet De Standaard. In 2008 he visited Barcelona for the first time (falling in love instantly with the city's vibe and colours), coming back one year later and moving there in 2010.
