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Pablo Picasso was the most famous and -- OK, I'll say it -- greatest artist of the 20th century. Before he was 30, Picasso had revolutionized the art world. And that was just the beginning.

A Spanish expatriate, co-creator of cubism, and devoted womanizer, Picasso left an amazing legacy in his wake. In the course of his long life (he died in 1973 at 91), Picasso moved from Spain to Paris to the south of France. Every locale that he called home has claimed him as a native son, with museums big and small devoted to his masterpieces.

You don't have to admire Picasso's lifestyle or like his modern painting style to appreciate the sheer vitality and boundless imagination of this hardworking man. While you can see his artwork in museums around the world, it's especially meaningful to view them in the European cities where he lived, loved, and created. Here are my picks.

Museu Picasso, Barcelona, Spain

The years Picasso spent in Barcelona -- from age 14 to 23 -- were formative. Wide-eyed and inexperienced, the young Pablo fell in with a bohemian crowd that mixed wine, women, and art. Previously, he had trained at a conventional art school, where he painted by-the-numbers reality. But in vibrant Barcelona he felt the freedom to give in to his creative, experimental urges.

The excellent Museu Picasso is rich in the artwork from this time, when Pablo was finding his artistic voice. It is the top collection of Picassos in his native country, and the best anywhere of his early years. Drawings, paintings, and even some late ceramics are presented in five interconnected medieval townhouses in the funky-chic El Born neighborhood.

Because the museum is one of Barcelona's top sights, there's almost always a line. To avoid the queue, buy tickets online in advance (www.museupicasso.bcn.cat) or get the sightseeing pass called Articket BCN (www.articketbcn.org).

For extra credit, drop by the nearby El Quatre Gats restaurant. Picasso, who often caroused here with friends, designed the cover art still used on the menu and had his first one-man show at the restaurant in 1900.

Musee National Picasso, Paris

Picasso moved to the City of Light in the early 1900s. At his studio in Montmartre, he and his neighbor artist-friends lived in poverty so dire they often didn't know where their next bottle of wine was coming from.

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