Off the tourist trail

Museu del Perfum Barcelona

This tiny museum in the centre of the city manages to travel a long and fascinating journey across the globe and through history from Prehistoric times to the Renaissance and on to the emergence of commercial perfume. With around 5,000 beautiful and fascinating perfume bottles detailing the evolution that scents have undertaken, it makes for a great way to spend an hour or two

Museu del Perfum Barcelona

Monday to Friday: 10.30am - 1.30pm & 4.30pm - 8pmSaturday: 11am - 2pmClosed on Sundays and Spanish public holidaysEntry: €5; reduced price €3Museu del Perfum, Passeig de Gràcia, 39, Tel. 93 216 0121, www.museudelperfum.com

Rajoles, Barcelona, 18th century

Housed in the impressive Palau de Pedralbes, this museum was founded in 1966 and is renowned as a leading centre in the world of ceramics, both ancient and contemporary. With a huge collection of pieces from the great ceramic producing areas of Spain such as Aragón, Catalunya and Valencia, it's also a great place to see work being done today as they routinely exhibit work by leading artists in the field.

Fish bowl by Paterna

Tuesday to Sunday: 10am - 6pmHolidays: 10am - 3pmClosed on MondaysEntry: €4.20; reduced €2.40Museu de Ceràmica, Palau Reial de Pedralbes, Av. Diagonal, 686, Tel. 93 256 3465, www.museuceramica.bcn.es

Museu de Carrosses Fúnebres

For those with a curious and vaguely morbid interest in death and all things funereal, this tiny and well-hidden museum of hearses, housed in the basement of the municipal funeral services building, is the perfect place to spend a sobering afternoon. Boasting the world's biggest collection of elaborate carriages, cars, photographs and artefacts, complete with scary model horses and pallbearers, it really is strictly for those of a more melancholy nature.

Museu de Carrosses Fúnebres

Monday to Friday: 10am - 2pm & 4pm - 6pm Saturday: 10am - 2pm Museu de Carrosses FúnebresSancho de Avila, 2, Tel. 93 484 1700

Postcard

The only museum of its kind in Spain, the centre aims to be a place of reference regarding the development of eroticism. With more than 800 pieces of literature, archaeology, anthropology and antiques, it covers ancient civilisations and the Far East, and includes sadomasochism, erotic cinema and erotic illustration.

Image from India

October-May, Monday to Sunday: 10am - 8pmJune-September, Monday to Sunday: 10am - 9pmMuseu de l'EròticaLa Rambla 96 bis, Tel. 93 318 9865, www.erotica-museum.com