Barcelona Travel Guide

General

Barcelona is a charming, cosmopolitan port on the shores of the Mediterranean sea. This prosperous and bilingual (Spanish and Catalan) metropolis measures up to a city such as Madrid: its museums, theaters, art galleries and nightlife area of an impressive high standard. Besides that, this art and design centre has a lot of interesting sights to offer to its visitors. The best place to watch people go by, to stroll or simply relax, is 'Las Ramblas', a pedestrian street with dozens of outdoor cafes. Here, you’ll find flower-stands, book kiosks and small market stalls where they sell birds and small animals. You’ll also find an endlessly fascinating flowing receptacle of pageant-jugglers, singers, dancers, puppeteers, sidewalk artists, living statues and assorted oddballs on parade. Nearby is 'Plaça Real', with plenty of bars and restaurants, and 'Palau Guell', built by the Catalan architectural genius Antoni Gaudí in his undulating art-nouveau style.

After having seen these sights, stroll the narrow winding streets of the 'Barri Gotic', the medieval Gothic quarter full of interesting tapas bars and cafes. Check out Picasso’s old hangout, 'Els Quatre Gats', which has been renovated without losing its bohemian charm. Or head for the old Barceloneta section on the waterfront. This working-class area, which was always slightly rundown and scruffy-looking, is now packed with paella restaurants. The new beach area, which runs from Barceloneta to the Olympic village, is much cleaner than the old beach area. Although some people believe that it has been cleaned up considerably, it might be a wise idea to stay out of the water. Fortunately, the beach itself is already a feast for the eyes (and ears), with its huge and roaring waves.

Catalans are known for their independent spirit and their sense of humour —Salvador Dali was a Catalan and his bizarre sense of humour is just one example of the region’s endearing weirdness. Spring is the best time to visit Barcelona, you can expect a temperature of round and about 20 degrees. During summer, it can get very hot (about 35 degrees) and crowded (because of the cultural events). Barcelona will be as expensive as you want it to be. Attention: Barcelona is pretty rich and so prices are much higher than somewhere else in Spain. Still, restaurants are relatively cheap and for a hotel, three meals and a night out, count on some 145 Euro for two persons.

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Accomodation

It was not until the Olympic Games in 1992 that a real explosion in accommodation facilities took place. The cheapest way to spend the night is bring your tent and stay at one of the campsites. However, most of them are locates at some distance from Barcelona. For more comfortable accommodation you can go to one of the youth hostels, pensions or hotels. It might be a wise idea to book a bed or room in advance to save you the hassle of finding an appropriate room at the end of the day.

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Shopping

When you want to go shopping in Barcelona you have to bear in mind that most shops are not open during lunchtime/siesta. In general, they're opened during weekdays from 9-1.30 and from 5-8. On Sundays, most shops don't open their doors in the afternoon. There are various shopping areas. The most elegant shopping places can be traced at the Passeig de Gracia, the Rambla de Catalunya, Avingunda Diagonal and at the Eixample. For small boutiques and souvenirs, try Carrer Tuset.

If you're looking for some real Spanish-style shops, don't forget to explore the area between the Ramblas and Via Laietana, especially around Carrer de Ferran. Looking for some real big shopping malls? Then you're at the right place at the harbor, where you can find the shopping centre Maremagnum. They sell everything that is new, modern and fashionable. A must-see is also the megastore of El Corte Ingles that has one establishment at Plaça de Catalunya and another one at Diagonal.

If you are more interested in markets, you shouldn't miss out on the Boqueria at the Ramblas which starts early in the morning. A very popular place for youngsters and yups is Boulevard Rosa. It has, besides many cafes and bars, over 100 stores that contribute to the lively character of the boulevard and make it into a popular place to visit. For those who have a rather chic taste, Sogo has an impressive number of design fashion (Dior, Sonia Rykiel, Prada etc). The last main shopping area in Barcelona is the Barri Gothic for trendy streetwear, secondhand clothes, interesting junk and antiques.

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Sights

Where to start in Barcelona? What most people do is starting at the Rambles, the lovely promenade that runs from the port to Plaça de Catalunya. If you head for the port, you can stroll down de Paseo de Colon boulevard, visit the beach, the harbour and the aquarium and climb de San Sebastia tower to have some good views off the city. This tower in the area that is better known as Barceloneta (little Barcelona) is also the place where the cablecar for Montjuic leaves.

The hill Montjuic has a nice park, an impressive fortress and some good museums, such as the Miro museum which has, besides a good collection of Miro paintings, also a fairly extensive modern art collection. The Spanish village, which remained fairly intact, is also located in this area.

Plaza de Catalunya is the heart of the modern centre. This is also the area where there is a high concentration of houses designed by Gaudí. Pick up one of the walking tour guides and follow the traces of this remarkable architect all throughout town. Of course, the tour isn’t finished without a visit to the unfinished Sagrad Familia, the Parc Guell and the Gaudí Museum.

The old city centre, better known as the Gothic Quarter, offers a good view of medieval times and all sorts of architectural styles that left their mark on this part of the city afterwards. The Santa Maria del Mar Cathedral and its plaza are only a few of the interesting places in this are. There are several palaces, either still in use by the government (or foundations) or left on their own to be explored by visitors. The Picasso museum is located in one of these palaces and this is only one of the many interesting museums that Barcelona has to offer. This is the perfect area to get lost and explore the winding streets, the little shops and the tapas bars.

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