2 Best Sights in La Ciutadella and Barceloneta, Barcelona

A defunct Poblenou movie theater rescued and reimagined for the digital age, the IDEAL space combines 360-degree projections with virtual reality and cutting-edge light and sound effects for an immersive experience. Recent shows have brought to life the story of Tutankhamun and the works of Monet, Gustav Klimt, and Frida Kahlo.

This eye-catching center for design is home to six permanent collections covering textiles, historical clothing and haute couture, ceramics (with pieces by Miró and Picasso), decorative arts, and graphic design. The product design and modern and contemporary furniture collections are particularly outstanding. Temporary exhibits run the gamut, with recent shows devoted to the graffiti art of Banksy, Balenciaga's exquisite hats, and women in design. The building itself, by MBM Arquitectes (Oriol Bohigas, doyen of the firm, was the prime mover in much of Barcelona's makeover for the 1992 Olympics), juts out like a multistoried wedge into the Plaça de les Glòries.