It's a warm welcome to Barcelona today. To make life simple we'll have a friendly face ready to take you to your boutique hotel by the leafy Montjuic hill. We love the feeling of retreat as you leave the noise of the city behind each night, yet it's just five minutes from a well-connected Metro stop and a 15-minute walk to the centre.

One of the great things about your hotel is that within two minutes of your front door, you can be up on a little-known balcony with views across the city to the Sagrada Familia, the cathedral, the forested mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Straight away you have your bearings and the views get bigger and better as you go.

From here you can stretch your legs as you explore the Montjuic hill. Highlights include beautiful gardens, a hidden Greek theatre and a café serving tapas and coffee overlooking the 1992 Olympic diving pool, with the city's landmarks spread out below. Montjuic is also the place for world-class art galleries, traditional and contemporary. If that's your thing, take the time to visit at least one.

The walk ends at Plaça d'Espanya and the installations for the 'Magic Fountain' light show, which you should definitely catch if it's on whilst you're in town.