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Beautiful BARCELONA - Easy Travel Guide
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Beautiful city of Barcelona, capital of Catalonia (a Spain's province),
is situated on on the shore of the Mediterranean sea and bordered at
either end by 2 river deltas. Barcelona is the second largest city in
Spain after its capital city Madrid. Barcelona has a population of 1.5
million, over 4 million including suburbs. The varied, eventful history
of the city dates back 4,000 years to the first settlements by ancient
farmers. Later it became a Roman colony, the Visigoth's capital city,
then it came under Moorish rule. It went through sieges, destructions
and occupations, finally to become an autonomous democracy 1975. The
city has always played an important role in political and cultural life
of Spain and it is well reflected in the variety and quality of
historical buildings, museums, many other tourist attractions. Today
Barcelona is one of the most diverse european cities with unique
culture and rich traditions. You can find here a formidable balance of
the traditional things and the avant-garde. A cosmopolitan metropolis,
Barcelona affords visitors a warm and sincere welcome, being
aknowledged worldwide as one of the best tourist-friendly cities in
Europe.Barcelona's organisation of the 1992 Olympics provided
regeneration of this dynamic city, gave a fresh start to its
infrastructure development.
WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE: POINTS OF INTEREST - La Rambla is a tree-lined
pedestrian boulevard packed with buskers, living statues, mimes and
itinerant salespeople selling everything from lottery tickets to
jewellery. Pavement cafes and stands selling craftwork, street
performers surrounded by curious onlookers, a noisy bird market, Palau
de la Virreina, a grand 18th-century rococo mansion, the Gran Teatre
del Liceu, the famous 19th-century opera house- these are all colourful
parts of La Rambla's mosaic. La Rambla ends at the lofty Monument a
Colom (Monument to Columbus) and the harbour.
Barri Gotic - also known as Gothic Quarter, it is the old part of the
city. Picasso lived and worked in Barri Gotic from 1895 to 1904 and
Joan Miro was born and lived here during his youth. Gothic Quarter is
situated on the right hand side of the La Rambla, it contains a
concentration of medieval tall Gothic buildings (14-15th century) on
narrow cobbled streets and now is home to much of the city's nightlife.
La Sagrada Familia - La Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous and
magnificent among Barcelona's landmarks. The life's work of Barcelona's
famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, the magnificent spires of the
unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against the sky with
swelling outlines inspired by the holy mountain Montserrat. Above each
facade there are four towers, 12 in total, which are dedicated to the
Apostles. The tower in the center, the tallest of all at 170 m., is
dedicated to Jesus Christ. Around these there are the towers of the
four Evangelists, and the tower over the apse is dedicated to the
Virgin. They are encrusted with a tangle of sculptures that seem to
breathe life into the stone. Gaudi died in 1926 before his masterwork
was completed, and since then, controversy has continually dogged the
building program. Nevertheless, the southwestern (Passion) facade, is
almost done, and the nave, begun in 1978, is progressing.
La Pedrera - Casa Mila (Mila House) is an apartment building, the last
example of Gaudi's civil architecture.It is one of his finest and most
ambitious creations, extraordinarily innovative in its functional,
constructive, and ornamental aspects. Visitors can tour the building
and go up to the roof, where they can see spectacular views of
Barcelona. One floor below the roof is a modest museum dedicated to
Gaudi's work.
Montjuic - the largest open space in the city, its main attractions are
the Olympic installations, the Spanish Village and the hilltop
fortress. Montjuic, the hill overlooking the city centre from the
southwest, is home to some fine art galleries, leisure attractions,
soothing parks and the main group of 1992 Olympic sites. Montjuic is
covered in ornamental gardens with water features and is the most
popular destination in Barcelona on Sundays.
Tibidabo - is the highest hill in the wooded range that forms the
backdrop to Barcelona. It has amazing views of the whole of Barcelona,
a stunning cathedral, and a family fun park Parc d'Atraccions with
old-style rides offering breathtaking views. A glass lift at the park
goes 115m (383 ft) up to a visitors' observation area at Torre de
Collserola telecommunications tower.
Modernisme - spectacular modernista architectural creations dotted
around the city by famous Antoni Gaudi and his contemporaries.
Camp Nou - home of F.C. Barcelona, one of Europe's leading soccer
teams, with capacity of almost 100,000 spectators.
The Seu Cathedral - Built in medieval times on the site of a Roman
temple, La Seu is one of the great Gothic buildings in Spain.
Parc de la Ciutadella - Barcelona's favourite park and a Sunday
afternoon rendezvous for families, friends and ducks
The Sardana - traditional Catalan dance, performed outside the
cathedral and at national festivals, with everyone encouraged to join
in.
MUSEUMS - The Barbier-Mueller Museum of Pre-Columbian Art -the only
museum in Europe devoted exclusively to Pre-Columbian cultures. Housed
in a gothic palace, its collection is one of the finest of its kind and
gives visitors an insight into the rich world of the earliest cultures
on the American continent. This tiny museum contains one hundred
pieces, including wood and stone sculptures, ceramics, tapestries,
jade, often found in international exhibitions and prestige
publications. The exhibits represented the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Chavin,
Mochica and Inca civilisations. Palau de la Musica Catalana - one of
the world's most extraordinary music halls, it is a Barcelona landmark.
From its polychrome ceramic ticket windows on the Carrer de Sant Pere
Mes Alt side to its overhead busts of Palestrina, Bach, Beethoven, and
Wagner, the Palau is the flagship of Barcelona's Moderniste
architecture. Museu Picasso - is Barcelona's most visited museum. 3,500
exhibits make up the permanent collection. Picasso spent several years
(1901-06) in Barcelona, and this collection, is particularly strong on
his early work. Displays include childhood sketches, pictures from the
beautiful Rose and Blue periods, and the famous 1950s Cubist variations
on Velazquez's Las Meninas (Ladies-in-Waiting). Gaudi Casa-Museu -
Gaudi lived in this pink, Alice-in-Wonderland house from 1906 to 1926,
which now houses a museum of Gaudi-designed furniture, decorations,
drawings, and portraits and busts of the architect. Fundacio Miro - it
was a gift from the famous artist Joan Miro to his native city. The
museum opened in 1975, and now it is one of Barcelona's most exciting
showcases of contemporary art.
BEACHES - One of Barcelona's greatest draws is undeniably its beautiful
beaches. Beside world-famous Costa Brava and Costa Dorada which are
within 1-hr drive time from Barcelona, there are also several nice
beaches over 4 km long within the city boundaries, we will list just
several of them here: Nova Icaria- Closest to the Olympic marina,
always crowded, this wide swathe of rough golden sand is great for food
goers. There are three perfect beach bars and two very popular
restaurants on the promenade (Mango and Chiringuito de Moncho) and
countless bars and restaurants are just a short stroll away. Bogatell-
This beach is twice the length of adjoining Nova Icaria and fringed by
a stretch of stone walkway perfect for jogging, roller blading and
cycling. Three large informal restaurants on the promenade. Mar Bella
(Metro Ciutadella Vila Olimpica, plus 20-minute walk)- Barcelona's only
naturist beach close to a peaceful park - good for a picnic or siesta
under the trees. Barceloneta- wide and long, a traditional and popular
stretch with locals, crowded, noisy and very jolly.
WHEN TO GO, WEATHER: The best times to visit Barcelona are late spring
and early autumn, when the weather is still comfortably warm, around
21-25°C. Summers are usually hot and humid, with temperatures
averaging +30 (+ 86 Fahrenheit). Especially avoid the "dead" month of
August, when many shops, bars and restaurants close for the month as
many local inhabitants head out of the city. Winters are cool with
average daytime temperatures around +12 C (+59 Fahrenheit),
occasionally rainy.
GETTING THERE AND AROUND: By a direct flight to Barcelona, or through
Madrid or via another large European city from almost any major
airports in the world. The highest fares are from May to September, the
lowest in March-April, October-November and December to February
(excluding Christmas and New Year when prices are hiked up). Note also
that flying on weekends may increase your ticket cost. If traveling to
Barcelona from within Europe you can also chose train, bus or car,
though these take much longer than a plane and often work out no
cheaper. Many Mediterranean cruises include Barcelona as a port of call.
ACCOMODATIONS: We can offer you a range of choices. You can choose
vacation rentals in Barcelona starting from $ 125 USD for a double room
in a 4-star apartment hotel. Or you can opt for hotels from $ 65 USD
for a double room in a 3-star hotel. Accomodation prices do not change
much throughout the year due to the steady all-season flow of visitors
to this extremely popular tourist city and surrounding resorts.
DINING: Besides restaurants you can eat at bars where you would have a
succession of tapas (small snacks- three or four chunks of fish, meat
or vegetables, or salad, which traditionally used to be served up free
with a drink) or raciones (larger ones). The bar option can be a lot
more interesting, allowing you to do the rounds and sample local
specialities. Generally, the average cost for a meal consisting of two
dishes and dessert would come to about 25 Euros. Travellers on an
extremely limited budget can do well for themselves by using the
excellent markets, bakeries and delis and filling up on sandwiches and
snacks. Decent restaurants and cafes are easily found all over the
city, though you'll probably do most of your eating where you do most
of your sightseeing, in the old town, particularly around La Rambla and
in the Barri Gotic. Look for the best and most authentic seafood
restaurants in Barceloneta, a seaside neighbourhood. Gothic Quarter
neighbourhood is home to some of the oldest and most traditional
restaurants in the city. Gracia is a very popular area among young
people during the weekend, it leads the way in terms of exotic
restaurants (Lebanese, Egyptian, Thai etc.).
TRANSPORT: Barcelona has excellent transport system comprising the
metro (subway), buses, trains and a network of funiculars and cable
cars. You can find a link to transport maps at the end of our guide. On
all the city's public transport you can buy a single ticket every time
you ride, but even over only a couple of days it's cheaper to buy a
targeta - a discount ticket strip. The T-10 targeta is valid for ten
separate journeys on the metro, buses and trains. These tickets can be
used by more than one person at a time. The metro is the quickest way
of getting around Barcelona. For black-and-yellow taxis there is a
minimum charge of $ 2 euro. You'll obviously have a great deal more
freedom if you rent a car . Major roads throughout the city are
generally good, and traffic is generally well behaved, though Spain
does have one of the highest incidences of traffic accidents in Europe.
It also has some of the lowest fuel prices on the continent.
SHOPPING: Barcelona, one of the most stylish cities in Europe offers
great shopping, from designer clothes and accessories to household
items. You will find the city to be quite cheap for a lot of items,
especially if you coincide with the annual sales ( rebaixes in Spanish)
lasting from mid-January until the end of February, and throughout July
and August. The best shopping areas in Barcelona are the old streets
off the upper part of the Ramblas. Souvenirs include ceramics, which
are widely sold in the streets around the cathedral; leather goods;
city's delicatessens, particularly cooked Catalan meats and sausages; a
porron (the long-spouted glass drinking jar); CDs and tapes of Catalan
rock and pop, sardana music, Spanish rock or flamenco. If you're
looking for original gift ideas, some of the best hunting can be found
in the shops of any of the city's museums, where you'll find reasonably
priced and unique examples of Catalan disseny (graphic), and other
original items ranging from postcards to replica works of art.
We wish you a nice and safe trip!
For more information on Barcelona, travel tips, useful Barcelona travel
links, maps, other destination guides visit us: TravelMake.com
About the Author
Travel
Make.com - one of leading online discount travel agencies, a
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