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Barcelona City Information - |
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Barcelona
is a city with charming streets, busy with people and full of
life. There is nowhere better to make Barcelona's acquaintance
than La Rambla, the bustling avenue, famous for the vivid colours
of its flower stalls. Barcelona is the city of marvels. The
old town, comprising the Gothic Quarter, the Ribera and Raval
districts, and famed for its historical monuments, narrow streets
and bohemian atmosphere, is a perfect place for a stroll.
A wander through the maze of streets is essential in order to
understand the different periods in the history of Barcelona
and to admire its finest monuments: traces of the Roman wall
glimpsed between well-preserved Gothic buildings, the remains
of the Jewish Quarter, witnesses to the industrial expansion
of the 19th century and the design of the 20th. Musicians in
the medieval streets provide the ideal accompaniment.
The city also has the biggest selection of modernist architecture:
a genuine open-air museum. Most of the buildings, built in this
unique style, are in the Eixample, a district planned in 1860
by the engineer Ildefons Cerd' which constitutes a unique model
of European urban planning. The Sagrada Famalia, the Casa Batll',
the Casa Amatller and the Casa Mila are some examples of this.
Barcelona is the only European capital with over four kilometres
of beaches where you can enjoy the most modern amenities, the
beaches are not far form Barcelona's historical and cultural
landmarks, and they have opened up our modern and cosmopolitan
city to the sea.
Today, the Olympic Harbour and the old port, the Port Vell,
are some of the main meeting places, with many bars, restaurants,
shops and recreational areas. Barcelona is, without a doubt,
a city of marvels: on foot, by bicycle or bus, it is a magnificent
spectacle which you should not miss. |
| When
to Visit - Arts and Events
Like many other Mediterranean cities, Barcelona is festive;
from the cobbles of its ancient streets, to the spires of Gaudi's
extraordinary buildings. The agreeable climate brings people
out to celebrate, with very little excuse, the cycle of life
and seek the blessing of good spirits. All year there are holidays
and holy days each backed by centuries of tradition. For instance,
being the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona honors the region's
patron saint St. Jordi (St. George) with a massive winter festival,
while summer brings the city out again to celebrate both St.
John and St. Peter.
The other tradition which perhaps sets Spain apart from other
European countries is the serving and eating of tapa: important
as much for the conversation and company as for the delicious
food. Every Spaniard has his favorite tasca, as the tapa bars
are called, where he goes regularly to meet his friends or business
acquaintances.
Barcelona Dining
Barcelona is rich in bars and restaurants and the greatest concentration
is within walking distance of La Rambla. Spanish food, at its
best, has been adapted from the country's excellent family cooking
and nowadays enjoys an international reputation. Besides meat,
poultry, game and fish there are a wealth of dishes featuring
beans, rice, eggs, vegetables and savoury pies that can all
be used to make a classic meal from the region. Tapas, a range
of appetizers, play an important and delicious role in meals
throughout the day. Paella, gazpacho and chorizo may be familiar
to visitors, but the range of meals is much more extensive with
a fascinating variety of rich stews, soups, beans, seafood and
meats. You may have to reset your gastric clocks when travelling
in Spain because lunch is usually the main meal of the day and
is eaten between 1:30 pm and 4:00 pm. The evening meal is lighter
and is traditionally eaten late in the evening. |
Barcelona's
range of shops makes it a Shopping City of international standing.
In Barcelona, traditional establishments, which date back hundreds
of years and are housed in beautiful buildings in the Gothic
Quarter of modernist Eixample, coexist with recently built shopping
arcades, where you can buy the latest fashions; long-established
department stores, which sell the most characteristic design
products made in Barcelona; specialised shops; franchise chains;
leading international names; and shopping centres. Wandering
around Barcelona's streets and browsing in its shops is, without
a doubt, an unforgettable experience. The wide pavements and
pedestrianised areas are perfect for a quiet stroll. As you
turn a corner you might come across a modernist chemis't shop
or an innovative window display. There is always a surprise
in store.
The city has plotted out a route for this wealth of shops: the
remarkable, five-kilometre-long Shopping Line. The route makes
it possible to visit Barcelona's main shops, which are a integral
part of its urban fabric, and, at the same time, walk around
places of reat interest ot tourists. The Shopping Line links
up the city's different shopping areas which have evolved naturally
during its history, and enables people to get from one to another
on foot: the Port Vell, La Rambla, the historical centre, The
Gothic Quarter, the Pl. de Catalunya, the Eixample (Rbla. de
Catalunya and Pg. de Gracia), the main thoroughfare of the Diagonal
and the new business and shopping district of the Diagonal.
Visitors to Barcelona can also use the buses on the special
Tombbus service, which can be identified by the sticker Barcelona
Shopping Line. They operate along the Shopping Line from Pl.
de Catalunya to El Corte Ingl's -Diagonal and back again.
To sum up, we can say that Barcelona has a range of shops which
can be gauged in terms of quantity and quality. They provide
a high level of service and customer attention of very competitive
prices, making Barcelona an extremely attractive shopping city
which is ready to deal with the most stringent demands. |
Barcelona
Transportation
Barcelona not only has an international airport but
is also well served by the Sanish road and rail networks. As
would be expected from such a popular city, Barcelona is accessible
from all directions.
Arriving by Air
Barcelona, Spain is served by Barcelona Airport.
Getting Around Barcelona
There are multiple subway
systems in Barcelona and they are operated by FCM (Ferrocarril
Metropolita de Barcelona) and FCG (Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat
de Catalunya). The Red Line is municipally owned as are Lines
3, 4, and 5 (Green, Yellow, and Blue), while the third one,
the Sarria line, is privately operated. Some 120 kilometers
of new extensions are planned for the near future. The lines
operate daily from 5:00 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. or midnight.
Trains run in four to nine minute intervals.
Barcelona - Barcelona International Airport
Barcelona Airport
(BCN) is located seven and a half miles (twelve kilometres)
southwest of Barcelona city centre. An increasingly popular
city break and business destination, Barcelona Airport handles
a large number of domestic and international flights.
There are three terminals at Barcelona, all with the essential
passenger features. Banks and bureaux de change can be found
in Terminals A and B, the two terminals that house the excellent
shops and duty-free stores. All three BCN terminals offer a
good selection of bars, cafes and restaurants. In addition,
if on business, there is a meeting and conference room situated
in Terminal B that is available for hire.
If renting a car in Barcelona, the airport complex has representation
from all the main rental car companies as well as some local
competitors.
There are a number of car parking options at Barcelona Airport.
There is long-term car parking, short-term car parking, disabled
passenger parking and other specialist options. The total number
of parking spaces available is over 7000. |
The above material
are taken from All Travel Spain Tourism
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