A first-timer staying in the Barri Gòtic, the web of medieval alleyways stretching out from the cathedral, does not have to stray far to fetch up in Gràcia, a barrio of low-slung apartment blocks and rambunctious plazas, beloved of families, students and lovers of spoken word poetry. Every visit is a gateway to a deeper exploration, another layer revealed, a glimpse of new experiences promised by a different season or a less frequented neighbourhood. “We’ve done Barcelona,” is not a thing people say. The Catalan capital is not a box to be ticked. It might not have the dance chops of Berlin, but Barcelona effortlessly attracts international artists of a calibre normally found in cities twice the size. A showcase for architecture from every century, Barcelona has the perfect climate, miles of beach and a daring arts scene. A progressive mayor has doubled the number of cycle lanes, given over dozens of streets to pedestrians and introduced low emission zones. It scored highly across every category, from museums to LGBTQ-friendliness from green spaces to Unesco World Heritage Sites. And Barcelona has routed stalwarts such as Paris, London and Rome to secure its position as the greatest city on Earth according to a comprehensive study by the Telegraph. There are some places, however, that will weather every storm. A bestselling novel, a celebrity endorsement or an alarming crime statistic can change the fortunes of a place overnight. Cities fall in and out of vogue on the most haphazard of public whims.
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