One of the wonderful elements of travel is to immerse ourselves in the local culture – to find the area that locals frequent and to find an area off the beaten track. March 2020 saw me in Barcelona – a wonderful city to linger, and just as delightful in winter as summer.

In some ways, Barcelona is a collection of small towns netted together in the nineteenth century after the construction of the Eixample, a half kilometre-wide grid of streets radiating from the medieval Old City.

To the north, there’s La Vila de Gràcia (the village of Gràcia), with its narrow streets, squares that double as playgrounds, and small specialty shops selling everything from dried beans to vintage handbags. Mass tourism has wrought a substantial change on parts of Barcelona over the past decade, but remarkably, Gràcia has managed to retain its distinct identity, strong Catalan pride, and small-town atmosphere.

Gràcia’s balance of feeling global and decisively local is what keeps locals coming back week after week. Shoppers stock their larders with goods from the 131-year-old Llibertat food market, while families gather at the marble counters in the Quimet and Lo Pinyol bodegas for pre-lunch vermouth on Saturdays.

For all its tradition, Gràcia is a little new wave too: It’s home to Cines Verdi and Verdi Park, the city’s best “original version” cinemas; restaurants such as Somodó, which offers a Japanese chef’s creative take on Mediterranean cuisine; and the gorgeous café SlowMov that roasts its own coffee beans.

Often overlooked are the ancient Roman Ruins – spend a few hours roaming through the historic Gothic Quarter. Find the 2000-year-old Temple of Augustus; most of the temple was ransacked and the stones used for other buildings; however, three columns remained, and another has been reconstructed – all of this juxtaposed with the surrounding buildings.

Spend an afternoon in the beautiful Horta Labyrinth – these centuries-old gardens are home to a fascinating hedge maze laid out in the 18th century. If you make it to the centre, there is an exquisite sculpture of Eros the Greek God of Love. Discover the hidden gems of this extensive park as you meander.

During the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939), Barcelona was under fierce attack; glimpses of battle scars can be seen on buildings, particularly the Church of Saint Philip Neri. Locals took refuge in hidden underground bunkers and tunnels and although most of these are now blocked, you can visit Refugi 307 in the El Poble-sec neighbourhood where up to 2000 people would hide.

Barcelona is world-renowned as one of THE cities in the world to discover and rightly so. Famous for the extraordinary Sagrada Familia and the other amazing Gaudi buildings. Fabulous restaurants are found all over the city including the lunch bars in Las Ramblas. Take the train up to Montserrat and marvel at the centuries-old monastery clinging to the mountainside. Make sure to allow several days to connect with this fascinating Spanish city, a centre for Catalan culture.