Brooke Vaughan

You might notice there’s quite a sense of community in Barcelona. This is a city where family and friends value time spent together, especially if that means relaxing outdoors. And, yes, kids are part of the culture, too. One of the best ways to do as the locals do is visit a park, little ones in tow. So here are some of the best parks with playgrounds in Barcelona – let ’em run wild and free, kick a ball, lay down a picnic mat, and take in some of the city’s most iconic architecture while you’re at it. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in Barcelona

Barcelona is an artist's paradise. Down each slender alleyway, behind trees and bursting from the most unexpected places, you can find a snippet of art, whether it's been created by professionals or amateurs, built into the architecture or displayed in museums. But stay alert and you'll see that plenty of Barcelona's art is alive in the streets – graffiti and street art grace nearly every other doorway, surface or wall. In the '70s, graffiti was booming on the east coast of the United States. Since then, cities all around the world have experienced a contradiction between appreciating this illustrative art and wanting to keep the city clean. However, as much as graffiti is a way for artists to communicate with the public, it's also a way for artists to express emotion and passion, and to establish a community with others who value their work. Freelance muralist Jeff McCreight says, 'As an individual, you're trying to make the biggest possible sound, the biggest possible mark that you can make with graffiti.' That's just what the artists of these works you can find around Barcelona are doing. (Note that the art and artists change regularly, so some of these works you will encounter at a later date, and other spots will have fresh art by other artists when you go exploring.)