In addition to the beach location, the other Barcelona attribute that makes it unique is its version of Art Nouveau architecture. Actually it's a blend of a bunch of different art trends including surrealism, with a heavy dash of Catalan independence movement thrown in, but whatever the sources, the end result is certainly unlike any other architecture in the world. So we spent the day exploring these wild buildings, starting first with Barcelona's concert hall, the Palau de la Musica Catalana. You have to see the building on a guided tour, which is extremely popular, but well worth it. The building's exterior is all undulating walls, intense decoration and strangely colored ceramic bits, all hallmarks of the new architecture. But the interior takes these features to an even greater extreme. The color scheme is intense, and every square inch of the entire facility is decorated. Unfortunately the end result has famously terrible acoustics, which is the whole point of a concert hall, but everyone seems to prefer the building this way, even if it wrecks the music.