Barcelona, Spain
This Spanish city has the vitality of New York, coupled with the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
Check into the Hotel Claris, a postmodern place about a ten-minute walk from Barcelona’s main drag, La Rambla. Stroll through the architecturally rich city, exploring Antoni Gaudí’s bizarre designs in Park Güell. The Spanish take a siesta during the day, and start their evenings long after sunset, so make late dinner plans at Quatre Gats, a restaurant known as much for being a haven for local artists and writers as for its Catalan food and beer. After midnight, break it down at one of Barcelona’s hottest dance clubs, Otto Zutz. Later in the week, take a side trip to breathtaking Montserrat, a village where pilgrims pay homage to its statue of the Virgin Mary. (Montserrat is also a destination for climbers seeking a dramatic rock face). Venture a few hours north, and you’ll hit the rugged Pyrenees bordering France.
amy braunschweiger, a new-york based freelance writer, has been known to selfishly travel exactly where she wants to go—by herself.