Barcelona

Barcelona is fantastic for a family holiday or trip, with a sunny climate, moderate winters, busy beaches, lovely parks, mind-blowing ancient and modern architecture, and excellent, family-friendly gastronomy. And, while its popular with teenagers, it's also surprisingly popular with toddlers, assuming you do your research on where to stay and what to see and do.

Spend the day in Parc de la Ciutadella, which features a boating lake, a lavish fountain with gilded statues, including water-spouting dragons, a mammoth monument, free-flying green parrots, and two natural history museums. It is also the location of the Zoo de Barcelona. Parc Güell, created by Spanish Catalan architect Antoni Gaud, is full of mesmerizing stone constructions such as a seat shaped like a sea snake and vivid tiled mosaics, one of which is shaped like a salamander. Admire Gaud's spectacular Sagrada Familia, which is finally approaching completion over a century after the architect's death. For children aged 6 to 12, an audio tour gives it to life, while children over the age of five can climb its spindly towers. To avoid long lines, plan ahead of time.

Don't miss another Gaud masterpiece, La Pedrera or Casa Milà, with its dizzying array of chimneys that children adore to sprint around. Inside, there are exhibits on the natural influences for the building's architecture (including snakes and sea sponges), a mock-up of a period flat, and occasional activities such as workshops and puppet performances (some in English by request). Don't miss the wonderful old-fashioned toys at the giftshop or the superb ground-level bookshop.

Take the funicular or cable car up Montjuic hill for incredible views of the city from the 18th-century castle, a swim in the outdoor pool built for the 1992 Olympics (open to the public in July and August), child-friendly cultural venues such as the Catalan National Art Museum and the Fundació Joan Mro, and several remnants of the Modernist building experiment. Montjuc also offers a famous Magic Fountain sound-and-light performance on some evenings. Enjoy the wonderfully old-fashioned Tibidabo amusement park, which is located next to the neo-Gothic hilltop Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor. The carnival attractions, rollercoaster, and bizarre automaton exhibit offer 360-degree views of the city.

Location: Spain