Travel guide: 'I went to Barcelona during a tourism protest, but everyone I met was welcoming and friendly'

Through a gap in the trees, the city of Barcelona unfurls below me, with the bright blue Mediterranean sparkling in the distance.

The iconic boulevard of Las Ramblas slices through the apartment blocks, while Antoni Gaudí’s Sagrada Família stands high above every other building.

I’m sitting in another creation of the architect, Park Güell - a mazy and surrealist array of gardens and buildings which looks out over the rest of the city.

Gaudí was influenced by the English garden city movement, which led to using the name “Park”, however his creation could not be further from places like Welwyn.

To visit Park Güell people now have to book in advance, and places like Gaudí’s house require additional tickets.

On the world famous Dragon Steps, tourists throng and crowd to take photos, however after walking up the slopes I find a quiet spot to myself, where the only noise is the birds.

With complaints from locals of overtourism, it’s lovely to know you can still find a peaceful place to enjoy the stunning views of Barcelona by yourself.

There are certainly many reasons to book a trip to the Catalan city at the moment.

The Sagrada Família is due to be finally finished in the next few years, while the city’s footballing church, FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou, will have its renovations completed in time for the coming season.

EasyJet is set to introduce direct flights from Leeds Bradford Airport later this year, while Ryanair is increasing its options across the country.

Despite the reports of tourism protests, I found all Catalans incredibly welcoming.

However, it’s important to travel respectfully, and a good starting point is to stay at a hotel instead of an AirBnB - which locals say are bumping up housing prices.

We’re staying at the four-star Hotel Pulitzer, an easy ride on the A1 bus from the airport, which is a stone’s throw from Plaça de Catalunya and Las Ramblas.

It’s a modernised version of a historic art deco building, renovated by celebrated painter and interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán.

However, the new design still holds onto the building’s heritage, with the retro lobby bar and cast iron railings from the balconies overlooking the street.

The rooms are spacious, sharp and modern, and there are nice touches towards sustainability - with guests able to fill up their glass water bottles at taps located on each floor.

Its central location, straddling between the historic Gothic Quarter and the neighbourhood of Eixample that was designed by Barcelona’s legendary urban planner Ildefons Cerdà, meant we hardly had to use public transport at all.

It’s a short 10-minute stroll to Barcelona Cathedral and Palau del Lloctinent, and in the latter you can still see Hebrew inscriptions in the stones as the building was constructed with gravestones from the Jewish cemetery upon Montjuïc.

Grab a vermouth from one of the many bars in the Plaza De la Torre Romana, where you can see some of the walls from the original Roman settlement of Barcino.

Then head into the trendy barrio of El Born for some shopping and tapas. The labyrinth of alleys is filled with independent shops, restaurants and bars.

Bar del Pla is an old fashioned tapas joint, while El Disnet does a modern take on Spanish classics. Keep an eye out of bodegas, which translates to an old fashioned wine bar.

El Born is also home to the Museu Picasso, which is a fascinating look into the artist’s early life and his relationship with the Catalan city.

In the evening we head to Casa Mila, the last private residence designed by Gaudí in the early 20th century, which is a surrealist, curved apartment block on the famous Passeig de Gràcia.

Known as La Pedrera (www.lapedrera.com), which translates to “the Quarry” for its stony appearance, it’s an absolute must see.

You have to book ahead and can visit during the day, but I would advise attending at night when you get a spectacular light display from the rooftop, which is finished off with a glass of cava.

On Fridays, they also hold jazz concerts on the roof.

In the morning, after a delicious breakfast of pan con tomate and iberico ham at the Pulitzer we head to some of Barcelona’s famous markets.

Mercat de la Boqueria is the most famous, but for a cheaper and more authentic experience head to Mercat de Sant Antoni, which is about a 15 minute walk west. In the narrow streets on the way take a look in some of the independent shops.

Sant Antoni is also a great, non-touristy neighbourhood for a drink or some food, and Can Vilaro is the perfect spot to try Barcelona’s famous hearty workman’s breakfast known as esmorzar de forquilla.

Obviously no trip to Barcelona is complete without a visit to Gaudí’s incredible church, the Sagrada Família.

You must book at least two weeks in advance to be safe, and give yourself a couple of hours to explore this mesmerising building. The architect, a devout catholic, started designing the basilica in 1883, combining the city’s traditional gothic style with some art nouveau forms.

By the time Gaudí died in 1926 only a quarter of the building was completed, which included the majority of the nativity facade.

It’s due to be finished in the next few years, however is still a must visit - and if you think the exterior looks spectacular, it’s even more beautiful on the inside with the dazzling multi-coloured stained glass windows.

For our final dinner we venture up to Terrassa Martinez on Montjuïc, the Jewish mountain, for a delicious paella, looking out over the city.

The next day, before departing, there’s time to fit in the set lunch in the Pulitzer Hotel’s Greenhouse Restaurant.

This is very reasonable at €26 for three courses and nice and fresh, compared with some of the heavy meals we have had over the last few days.

A wonderful end to a stunning city break.

Hotel Pulitzer Barcelona is close to Plaça de Catalunya and Las Ramblas, housed in a restored 19th-century building and renovated by celebrated painter and interior designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán. Reservations are available at booking.com.