Yesterday the DK “Real City Barcelona” guidebook showed up at the office, allowing us to get our first look at the publishing house’s new Real City series.

To cut to the chase: We dig. ”Real City Barcelona” has all the visual detail and thoroughness of the DK Eyewitness guides, though the target demographic is younger and more fashion-forward. The range of information contained in the guide made us want to rush to the airport and grab the next Iberia flight to the Catalan capital.

We especially like the Havens chapter—which lists parks, gardens, and off-the-beaten-path plaças—and the Streetlife chapter. The Shopping chapter is nicely detailed as well, giving readers an immediate sense of retail in Barcelona.

The initial Real City guides will be released this spring. Barcelona, Berlin, Chicago, London, Paris, New York, Rome, and San Francisco are all first batch Real City releases. In the fall, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, and Prague will follow.

We don’t think it’s too early to suggest that a new stable of hip city bibles has arrived.

Related posts :

1. NYTimes Escapes: Barcelona
2. Barcelona Q&A: Is it safe to stay in the Gothic Quarter?
3. Barcelona: Woody Allen Troubles and City Bikes!
4. Barcelona Crush: Hotel Sant Agusti
5. Monarch’s Confidence