A trip to Barcelona would not be complete without visiting the work of Antoni Gaudi. His Gothic door knockers, colourful tiled mosaics and architectural influences pepper the city's buildings, temples and parkland. In fact, stay at one of the best hotels in the Barcelona, and it is impossible to miss him.

Gaudi was born in southern Catalonia and graduated from the Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura in Barcelona. He is responsible for some of the greatest buildings in the city still standing today and was commissioned by many of its wealthiest people. Gaudi died crossing the road in Barcelona in 1926 and was buried in one of the most famous buildings he worked on, the Sagrada Familia.

Sagrada Familia

According to Barcelona Tourist Guide, the Sagrada Familia is the most popular tourist attraction in the city, drawing in more than two million visitors a year. Controversy has surrounded current construction after some critics said it was far from what Gaudi would have initially had in mind. The architect was commissioned to oversee part of the construction, which started in 1882 and is still ongoing. Admission to the temple on Calle Mallorca is €10 (£7.92).

La PedreraGaudi's wavy brickwork and colourful tiles are signatures on La Pedrera or Casa Mila. According to the Tourist Guide, it is the fourth most popular attraction in Barcelona with just over one million visitors a year. The Espai Gaudi, which makes up the most elevated part of the building, hosts permanent and temporary exhibitions dedicated to the city's favourite designer. Find La Pedrera on Passeig de Gracia for €9.50 entry.

Casa Batllo

Also on the Passeig de Gracia in Barcelona is Gaudi's other great work, the skull and bone-lined Casa Batllo. The skulls are curvaceous balconies while the bones are supporting pillars. The building is one of the most striking in the city and was designed for wealthy aristocrat Josep Batllo. He lived on two floors of the structure while the others were rented. The colour of the building is coral and Gaudi paid immense attention to detail for those that look closely - watch the window frames!

Park Guell

Sit where Gaudi once did by visiting his former residence. The building has now been turned into a museum containing some of the furniture designed by the architect. He is also responsible for the famous tiled lizard/dragon in the park grounds.

Eusebi Guell commissioned the park to be designed for the city's aristocracy so take refreshments for sunset (you'll need some after the 200-metre walk to the park up hill). Make sure you leave at least half a day to properly explore the park. You will be able to see your way back to one of the best hotels in Barcelona from here.

Gaudi helicopter tour

For a bird's-eye view of Barcelona buildings designed by Gaudi, there's a chopper flight. The ten-minute tour will take you by the spires of the Sagrada Familia and over the tiled artwork that breaks up the green space of the Park Guell as well as past the port and Agbar Tower. Up to five people can join the flight, which costs €80.

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A film about two mums who were dads, a twin's gender transformation and a father who finds his gay identity through his son were aired at last year's International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, so what's in store this year?

Organisers of the programme, which will take place in Barcelona and surrounding towns between October 16th and 25th, are keeping everything under wraps.

Fresh new talent will be shown on the city's screens with awards for best documentary, short film and feature voted for by judges and audiences.

The Festival also supports films from countries which have more difficulty with freedom of expression, from South America, for example.

Last year several gay campaigns were highlighted in movies at this event, such as the gay right to marriage, India banning hustlers on the street and homeless gay and lesbian people in New York.

Festival director for 2007 Xavier-Daniel said: "We are glad to say that every year we have more producers who want to participate in world and European premieres."

For the best hotels in Barcelona that cater for the gay community go to Gayxample, an area that stretches around the university from Villadomat to Passeig de Gracia.

Bars like Dietrich, Quizas, SM55 and Sweet Cafe are recommended for people who are not straight.

There's a wide range of restaurants, nightclubs and bars that are gay-friendly listed on the internet, why not take a peek!

Barcelona becomes a feast for bookworms in October with guest literati from all over the world.

More than a hundred international artists will perform at venues all round this city from October 22nd to 26th.

The Kosmopolis festival is presented by the Contemporary Culture Centre once every two years.

Readings are planned for the literary café remove accent , discussions for the patio, experiments for a new television channel and workshops for those who want to rehearse their talents.

The oral, printed and electronic word are all celebrated in this mish-mash meeting of cultures.

Global problems make up this year's theme. Participants will be told that art and culture are weapons in this changing world.

Entry to Kosmopolis is from €5 (£3.94) a day, which is 11:00 to 23:00, local time.

Guests will also be encouraged to visit other nearby literary installations, including photography depicting the isolation of JG Ballard, who penned Crash and Empire of the Sun.

Bookworms will be invited to discuss his work and that of Catalan poet Aguisti Bartra, who would have been 100 this year.

This city is also known for its architectural wonders, so why not take time out from one of the cheap hotels in Barcelona to wander round some of Gaudi's work?

The Catalan architect is best known for creating the church La Sagrada Familia, which remains unfinished in the city.

An exhibition of the life and work of Empire of the Sun author JG Ballard is in Barcelona until November.

Ballard was born in Shanghai and drew on his experiences in a prison camp for his famous novel.

However, it's the scenes conjured up by Crash, a book about the sexual exploitation of car crashes that make this expo.

Ballard suffered a car crash soon after finishing the novel, which was later made into a film by David Cronenberg.

This exhibition at the Centre de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona explores Ballard's penchant for abandonment.

Empty swimming pools and deserted motels make up some of the images of JG Ballard the Autopsy of the new Millennium, alongside some of his written work, which is accompanied by postings from fans.

Tourists can stay in affordable accommodation near the Centre to explore other sights Barcelona has to offer.

The work of Antoni Gaudi makes this city an architectural hot spot and helped Barcelona win designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

His best known work, the Sagrada Familia church in the city's gothic quarter, was started in 1882 and is scheduled for completion in 2026.

Barcelona has seven beaches for visitors to explore making for a happy mix of city and sea to become abandoned in.

Travel News brought to you by Eurobookings, the experts in cheap hotel bookings for all major European cities including Barcelona.

World cinema comes to the Barcelona in October.

The Contemporary Culture Centre hosts the Docupolis Film Festival from October 1st to 5th.

It focuses on the world's best documentaries with prizes that include best first documentary, best short documentary and two special Docupolis awards.

Each year the festival focuses on film from a particular country and 2008 is Mexico's turn. Six documentaries will be screened as a portrait of Mexican life.

This year's portrait of an artist will touch on the work of Peruvian film maker Javier Corcuera. There will be a complete review of his work and the screening of two European premieres.

The festival will also feature a seminar from celebrated young film maker Isaki Lacuesta who has taught in Barcelona and Malaga.He received numerous awards for debut Cravan vs Cravan and The Legend of Time.

Documentaries from France will also be featured alongside film from Catalonia and Quebec.

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A number of dance music's biggest stars have already confirmed for Spain's Weekend Dance festival this September.

Acts like Fatboy Slim, who played the Rio Carnival this year, Groove Armada, Tiga and The Prodigy party in Madrid on the 12th before heading to Barcelona the following day.

So slip on those dancing shoes and head to the Parc del Forum in Barcelona - tickets are on sale now for €45 or £35.

After dancing the night away in Catalonia's capital, why not take a day to recover on a tour of the city.

Barcelona has some perfect examples of Gaudi architecture, characterised by colourful, swirling mosaics. You might have even danced on some too!

The artist crafted many of the sculptures in Park Guell, where Gaudi's old home has been opened as a museum, and created the unusual skull-and-bone shaped facade of Casa Batllo.

Of course, another place to visit is the home of Barcelona Football Club, affectionately known as Barca, Camp Nou.

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Treat yourself to one of the best hotels in Barcelona. Because you deserve a break.

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People staying in cosmopolitan Barcelona who want to sample Spanish culture at its rawest may want to try a trip to Cordona in September.

The Corre del Bou is a twist on bullfighting, which involves 100 men jumping into a bull pit.

Over the course of three days, these men risk their lives in the middle of Cordona's marketplace with only their hands, ropes and wits to survive.

By the time the last man gets in the arena in Plaza de Fira in the centre of Catalan town, the young bulls will have been held for three days.

The highlight of the four-day event requires a hapless volunteer to follow a tradition, which dates back to the 16th century.

This gent must allow himself to be lowered into the bulls' den in a bucket, leaving only his arms and legs exposed. He has to escape by rolling himself out of the wicker cylinder and away from the rampaging beasts.

The Corre del Bou opens on September 12th, with the encierro, when the bulls are paraded through the streets to their makeshift pen, and closes on the 16th.

It is part of the Festa Major, which goes on in villages and towns all over Spain in September.

Be warned, before taking part - the last man to die in the running of the bulls festival in Pamplona was 63-year-old Fermin Etxeberria in 2003.

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