Parc d'Atraccions Tibidabo

This hilltop fairground, dating from 1889, has invested millions in getting itself bang up to date, with the terrifying freefall Pendulum and a hot-air-balloon–style ride for smaller children. Adrenalin freaks are delighted with the 80km-per-hour rollercoaster, and the many other attractions include a house of horrors, bumper cars and the emblematic Avió, the world's first popular flight simulator when it was built in 1928. Don't miss the antique mechanical puppets and contraptions at the Museu d'Autòmats, and there are hourly puppet shows at the Marionetàrium (from 1pm). At the weekends, there are circus parades at the end of the day and, in summer, correfocs (fire runs – parades where participants let off fireworks) and street theatre.

The opening hours are fiendishly complex and vary from week to week (check the website), but roughly speaking what's now known as the Camí del Cel ('Sky Walk', where you'll find the more traditional rides, such as the carousel, the Avió, and so on) is open daily most of the year, while the Parc d'Atraccions (including the rollercoaster) is open at weekends.