Introducing Barcelona

After a makeover lasting more than two decades, Barcelona has transformed itself into one of the most dynamic and stylish cities in the world. Summer is serious party time, but year-round the city sizzles - it's always on the biting edge of architecture, food, fashion, style, music and good times.

The buildings, especially the work of the eccentric genius Gaudí, will blow you away. The art, with significant collections by Picasso and Miró, will make you clammy all over. The people, with their exuberance, their creative spirit, their persistent egalitarianism, will fascinate you.

Barcelona's coastline runs roughly northeast to southwest and many streets are parallel or perpendicular to this. Two major hills - Montjuïc and Tibidabo - provide good landmarks for orientation. The focal point of town is La Rambla, a 1.25km (0.75mi) boulevard running northwest and slightly uphill from Port Vell (Old Harbour) to Plaça de Catalunya. This "plaça" is the boundary between Ciutat Vella (Old Town) and the more recent additions further inland. L'Eixample, the city's 19th-century answer to overcrowding, stretches 1.5km (1mi) north, east and west of Plaça de Catalunya. Montjuïc begins about 700m (763yd) southwest of the southeastern end of La Rambla, and Tibidabo, with a landmark television tower and golden Christ statue, is 6km (4mi) northwest of the city. The Ciutat Vella, a warren of narrow streets, centuries-old buildings and budget accommodation, spreads on both sides of La Rambla. Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) is at its heart, on the lower half of the eastern section of the boulevard. West is El Raval, where travellers need to be alert; this vibrant, ethnically diverse neighbourhood is a great place to find quirky cafés and unique shops, but it's also an easy place to get mugged, especially at night. Port Vell has an excellent modern aquarium and two marinas, and at its northeastern end is La Barceloneta, the old sailors' quarter. Beaches and a pedestrian promenade stretch northeast from there to Port Olímpic, a harbour built for the 1992 Olympics and now home to lively bars and restaurants.

There are plenty of opportunities for exercise in this healthy, sports-keen city. If you're a golfer, you'll be itching to play in Spain, one of the capitals of the game. The seafront is the best spot for jogging, walking, skating and blading.

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Holidays & Events:

Barcelona is perhaps less chronically addicted to partying than cities in the south of Spain, but it puts in a fair effort, with some wild occasions dotting the calendar year-round. There's plenty of dancing and a few fancy-dress parades during the 10-day Carnaval in February/March. Barcelona celebrates 15 official holidays a year, including all the major Catholic festivals, as well as New Year's Day (1 January), Labour Day (1 May) and Spanish National Day (12 October). On 23 April, the Dia de Sant Jordi, also the Day of the Book, is a local festival celebrating Catalonia's patron saint. The Berbena de Sant Joan (also known as La Nit del Foc, or Fire Night) kicks off midsummer celebrations on 23 June with drinking, dancing and fireworks. Barcelona brims with music, dance and theatre during Festival del Grec, held from late June to August, and around 15 August the Festa Major de Gràcia sees the streets of Gràcia decorated and full of dancing and music. The last huge hoorah of the summer is the Festes de la Mercè, celebrated around 24 September, which includes concerts, dancing, a swimming race across the harbour, and a "correfoc" (fire race). During the International Jazz Festival from late October through to the end of November, the city finally cools with some jazz and blues.

Photos:

Getting Here & Around:

getting around

The metro is probably the swiftest and easiest way to get around inner areas, and buses or suburban trains to get a little further out. Buses service the airport and can get you into town pretty efficiently. Obviously, in a town like Barcelona your boots are made for walking but hiring a bike can be handy too, despite the sometimes hair-raising traffic. Speaking of which, driving in Barcelona is a frustrating business, so utilise the public transport or snag one of the many taxis available if you really need private wheels.

getting there and away

If you're flying to Barcelona, the airport is 12km (7.5mi) southwest of the city centre. It's a fairly busy airport and receives many direct flights from North America and Europe. Alternatively you can catch an international train to Barcelona. Buses are a cheaper, less comfortable way of getting there or for something a little different, you can get to Barcelona via ferry from the Balearic Islands and Italy.

Weather:

Barcelona enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with cool winters and hot summers. If it's sun you're after, the best months to go are May, June and September. The heat is at its harshest in July and August, with highs sometimes reaching the mid-30°s C (90°F).

Jan
6º - 13º Rainfall: 31		 Feb
7º - 14º Rainfall: 39		 Mar
9º - 16º Rainfall: 48		 Apr
11º - 18º Rainfall: 43		 May
14º - 21º Rainfall: 54		 Jun
18º - 25º Rainfall: 37		 Jul
21º - 28º Rainfall: 27		 Aug
21º - 28º Rainfall: 49		 Sep
19º - 25º Rainfall: 76		 Oct
15º - 21º Rainfall: 86		 Nov
11º - 16º Rainfall: 52		 Dec
8º - 13º Rainfall: 45

Average temperature (ºC); Average total precipitation ( mm )

Places to go:

Palau Güell

Address: Carrer Nou de la Rambla 3-5, El Raval
Hours:
Phone: 93 317 39 74
Price:
Website:

Just a hop and a skip from La Rambla, this mansion is one of the few Modernista buildings in the Ciutat Vella. It was built in the late 1880s for Gaudí's patron, Eusebi Güell. The compulsory guided tour starts grimly, in the subterranean stables where police tortured political prisoners after the Civil War. Dark grey marble stairs lead to a series of 1st-floor vestibules with columned galleries overhanging the street, designed to maximise space and natural light. The next floor contains the building's most sumptuous room, where the family used to entertain undaunted by the mammoth domed ceiling reaching three stories above them. Carry on up to the roof for a uniquely Gaudí-style flight of fancy.

With this commission for wealthy patron Eusebi Güell, Antoni Gaudí first showed what he was capable of. Sombre compared with his later whims, it is still a characteristic riot of styles (Gothic, Islamic, Art Nouveau) and materials. After the civil war, the police tortured political prisoners in the basement. Up two floors you reach the main hall and its annexes. The hall is a parabolic pyramid - each wall an arch stretching up three floors and coming together to form a dome. The roof is a Gaudian riot of ceramic colour and fanciful design in the chimney pots.

Fundació Joan Miró

Address: Plaça de Neptu, Montjuïc
Hours:
Phone: 93 443 94 70
Price:
Website: www.bcn.fjmiro.es

The gallery is home to the largest single collection of Miró's work in the world, including paintings, sculptures, engravings, lithographs and ceramics. Only a small amount of the collection is displayed at one time and there is far too much to take in during just one visit. While the permanent exhibition concentrates on Miró's more settled final years, it also gives captivating insights into the evolution of his work, tracing his stylistic changes from rebelliousness to conventional painting. Many of the works reflect his trademark style - a delicacy coupled with an aggressive use of primary colours and symbols - while others convey his wit and sense of the absurd. There are also many wonderful sculptures in and around the building, by Miró and others, and one room contains paintings donated by other artists after Miró's death in 1983.

A wonderfully captivating gallery showcasing the delights of Miró. Miró's friend Josep Lluís Sert designed the gallery and its amazing use of white and light makes it an unforgettable experience. The gallery was Miró's gift to his beloved city. It also houses exhibitions by contemporary artists.

La Sagrada Família

Address: Carrer de Mallorca 401, L'Eixample
Hours:
Phone: 93 207 30 31
Price: adult/student 8 EUR/ 5 EUR, combined with Casa-Museu Gaudí in Park Güell 9 EUR
Website: www.sagradafamilia.org

The spires are encrusted with a tangle of sculptures that seem to breathe life into the stone. Gaudí died in 1926 before his masterwork was completed and, since then, controversy has continually dogged the building programme. Nevertheless, the southwestern (Passion) facade, with four new towers, is complete, with only decorative detail to be added, and the nave, begun in 1978, is progressing. Some say the shell should have been left as a monument to Gaudí, but today's chief architect, Jordi Bonet, argues that the completion of La Sagrada Família must progress, as the building is intended to atone for sin and appeal to God's mercy on Catalonia.

La Sagrada Família is truly awe-inspiring. Even if you don't have much time, don't miss it. The most ambitious work of Barcelona's favourite son, Antoni Gaudí, the magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against the sky with swelling outlines inspired by the holy Montserrat.

La Pedrera

Address: Carrer de Provença 261-265, L'Eixample
Hours:
Phone: 90 240 09 73
Price: adult/student & EU senior 8 EUR/ 4.50 EUR
Website: www.fundaciocaixacatalunya.es

Visitors can tour the building and go up to the roof, where giant multicoloured chimney pots jut up like medieval knights. On summer weekend nights, the roof is eerily lit and open for spectacular views of Barcelona. One floor below the roof is a modest museum dedicated to Gaudí's work.

This hallucinatory, undulating beast is yet another madcap Gaudí masterpiece, built between 1905 and 1910 as a combined apartment and office block. Formerly called the Casa Milà, it's better known as La Pedrera (the quarry) because of its uneven grey stone facade that creates a wave effect, which is further emphasized by elaborate wrought-iron balconies.

Museu Picasso

Address: Carrer de Montcada 15-23, La Ribera
Hours:
Phone: 93 319 63 10
Price: adult/child under 12/student 6 EUR/free/3, free 1st Sun of month
Website: www.museupicasso.bcn.es

The stunning stone mansions that house the museum are situated on the Carrer de Montcada, which was, in medieval times, an approach to the port. The 1st floor is devoted to Picasso's Blue Period. The 2nd floor displays his impressionist-influenced works, produced in Barcelona and Paris between 1900 and 1904. The haunting "Portrait of Señora Canals" (1905), from his Rose Period, is also on display. Among the later works, all painted in Cannes in 1957, is a complex technical series entitled "Las Meninas", which consists mostly of studies on Diego Velázquez's eponymous masterpiece.

Barcelona's most visited museum shows numerous works tracing the artist's early years and is especially strong on his Blue Period, with canvasses like "The Defenceless", as well as ceramics and early works from the 1890s. The rest of the museum traces Picasso's life and travels.

Terrrazza

Address: Avinguda del Marquès de Comillas, Montjuïc
Hours:
Phone: 93 423 12 85
Price: admission 18 EUR
Website: www.laterrrazza.com

Some of the biggest international names play at this summertime must, which can be relied on for some of the meatiest dance tunes on vinyl (including house, techno-trance and pop-rock) and a clientele comprising extremely high-quality eye candy. Move to 'the terrace' for rejuvenation when you run out of steam. In winter the club moves indoors and becomes Discothèque.

Bikini

Address: Carrer de Déu i Mata 105, L'Eixample
Hours:
Phone: 93 322 08 00
Price:
Website: www.bikinibcn.com

This multi-hall dance space has been keeping the beat in Barcelona since the darkest days of Franco. It frequently stages quality acts, local and foreign, ranging from funk guitar to rock most nights of the week. There are also all sorts of themed club nights to keep the party people sweet, such as 'Hospital Emergency'... nurse, fix me a cocktail!

Boadas

Address: Carrer dels Tallers 1, El Raval
Hours: Mon-Thu 12:00-02:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-03:00
Phone: 93 318 88 26
Price:
Website:

Inside the unprepossessing entrance is one of the city's oldest cocktail bars (famed for its divine daiquiris). The bow-tied waiters have been serving up their poison since 1933. Joan Miró and - surprise surprise - Hemingway tippled here.

Cal Pep

Address: Plaça de les Olles 8, La Ribera
Hours:
Phone: 93 310 79 61
Price:
Website: www.calpep.com

This boisterous tapas bar brims with energy and personality thanks to Pep, the owner and chef. Get here early for squeezing space at the bar and gourmet bar snacks, such as "cloïsses amb pernil" (clams and ham - seriously! - at around 12 EUR.70). For one of the handful of tables out back, book a long way ahead.

7 Portes

Address: Pg d'Isabel II 14, La Ribera
Hours: 13:00-01:00
Phone: 93 319 30 33
Price:
Website: www.7puertas.com

Gilt-framed mirrors and black-and-white tiled floors reinforce the old-world atmosphere of this Barcelona classic, founded in 1836 and renowned for its paella, seafood platters and enormous portions. You might sit in a chair previously warmed by the bum of Einstein, Orson Welles, Picasso or Ava Gardner.

Jean-Luc Figueras

Address: Carrer de Santa Teresa 10, Gràcia
Hours: Mon-Sat 13:30-15:30, 20:30-23:00
Phone: 93 415 28 77
Price:
Website:

Jean-Luc Figueras is an internationally renowned chef and this restaurant is his most amazing accomplishment. He's overseen every detail down to the crayon-drawn individual menus. Each dish is bewitching - the sum of wonderful ingredients, skill and passion. One of Barcelona's most incredible foodie experiences.

Useful Info:

Language Spoken: Catalan, Spanish, Gallegan

Currency Used: Euro, EUR

Cuisine: No matter what your budget or belly size, you'll find something to suit in Barcelona. It teems with establishments dishing up everything from tiny tapas to gargantuan feasts. Catalunya produces a variety of fresh seafood, meat, game, and fruit and vegetables, which are combined in unusual and delicious ways.

Time Zone: +1

Area Code: 93

Country Dialing Code:

Electricity Voltage: 220V

Electrical Plugs Used:

European plug with two circular metal pins

Books:

  1. Homage to Catalonia
    By: George Orwell
    This is Orwell's story of his involvement in the Civil War, moving from the euphoric early days in Barcelona to disillusionment with the disastrous infighting in the Republican movement.
  2. Barcelona
    By: Robert Hughes
    Hughes takes an in-depth approach to the city's past and art with his customary mordant wit and keen eye.
  3. Homage to Barcelona
    By: Colm Tóibin
    This book is an excellent introduction to the city's modern life and artistic and political history.
  4. The New Spaniards
    By: John Hooper
    An introduction to modern Spain by the man who was once Madrid correspondent for the "Guardian".
  5. Fire in the Blood
    By: Ian Gibson
    Based on a British TV series, this is a controversial and personal look at contemporary Spain.
  6. Catalan Cuisine
    By: Colman Andrews
    This book is a helpful introduction to Catalan food, which has subtle yet marked differences to that of the rest of Spain.
  7. Barcelona - A Thousand Years of the City's Past
    By: Felipe Fernández Armesto
    A fascinating history of the city from medieval days to the 20th century. Organised by theme.