If you are looking for a change of scenery, then why not take a break in Barcelona. With direct flights just an hour from Nice, this bustling city has a wide range of sights and attractions to keep you entertained over a long weekend. Tucked away in the north east corner of Spain, Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia - a fiercely proud and independent region whose vibrant undercurrent makes it an exciting place to visit. The city had a complete facelift prior to the 1992 Olympic Games and has since reinvented itself into a cosmopolitan metropolis that simply must be visited.

Barcelona had a big creative pull on the likes of Picasso, Dali, Miro and Cocteau, but it's most famous for the crazy architecture. Antoni Gaudí was the visionary behind many of the other-worldly buildings and facades that are dotted around the city: the Sagrada Familia church (pictured above) is a stunningly detailed work-in-progress that began at the end of the 19th century; Park Güell is straight from Alice in Wonderland; and the Manzana de la Discordia buildings would not be out of place in a Tim Burton movie! The list goes on and you will find yourself drawn, wide-eyed, from one building to the next to see if you can capture just one more wonder moment.

For those less enamoured by architecture, there are plenty of other distractions: the city is buzzing with markets and shopping districts, most famously Las Ramblas which are built on a dried up river bed that runs straight through the middle of the city from the port. If you want to get a bit more off the well trodden tourist track, head down to the Barceloneta district where beach lovers can top up their tans or take an evening stroll along the beach to Port Olympíc to find a fabulous selection of bars or restaurants; alternatively, seek out the dark narrow streets and strange little shops of the Gothic quarter or the Born with its eerie 19th century street lighting and tiny little bars where they serve wine in tumblers.

There is plenty here to tempt the foodies; paella and a bottle of Cava should be at the top of anyone's list. A good lunch option is tapas or Pintxos - bite-sized sandwiches and delicatessen that are served on wooden skewers. It's a delightfully simple system: you help yourself to whatever you like and the bill is calculated based on the number of skewers you have left at the end.

The events calendar in Barcelona is packed all year round, so why not plan a trip to coincide with a football match (Barca fans are fervently loyal - you won't fail to get swept up in the atmosphere), or perhaps the Sonar Music Festival or one of the other 140 festivals held throughout the year. Flights from Nice are available with Iberia.

Photo credits: Photographs courtesy Lorraine Davidson and FR2DAY.

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