This comes close to being the perfect art museum. Even if you don’t care about the work of Catalan artist Joan Miró (1893–1983), the hilltop location of the Foundation has an inspiring panoramic view, with whimsical painted metal sculptures on its easily accessible roof, and the gleaming white building (by architect Josep Lluís Sert) is a marvel in itself. The Barcelona native (there is a small plaque on his birthplace in the Passatge de Crédit in the Gothic Quarter) achieved fame as part of the surrealist movement in Paris in the early 20th century, but his boldly abstracted graphic style and vibrant palette are rigorously Spanish/Catalan. The rich permanent collection of paintings and drawings from all periods of Miró’s life can be embraced in an hour or so, a satisfying visit that doesn’t exhaust the visitor. And then there’s still time to take in one of the always-enticing traveling exhibitions in the temporary galleries. There are few dining options up on Montjuïc, but the museum itself offers a pleasant indoor-outdoor café, as well as a well-stocked gift shop of Miró-related merchandise.