BARCELONA

Barcelona: Gaudi´s Sacred Family
Gaudi´s Sacred Family

Barcelona is the capital of the homonymous Cataluña Spanish province and is also the second city in Spain for its number of inhabitants. It is also the centre of an agricultural and industrial/manufacturing region. From the Tibidabo to Montjuic it is observed that the city is made up by three very characteristic nucleus: the Ancient Town Centre, wich comprises the Gothic District/, reminiscence of the Medieval Barcelona; the Ensanche (meaning enlargement), that extends from the Rondas to the suburbs; and the cluster towns. Barcelona`s history can be reconstructed through the numerous relics of the past that are zealously preserved: Roman city walls, the Visigothic Basilica on which the Gothic Catedral rises, etc.

Mechanization made barcelona become the first industrial centre in Spain: among its main industries figure the textile factories, chemical products, regasification of natural gas, colourings, perfumes, automotives and machinery. In addition to all this Barcelona has one of the most important and active ports in Spain.

Places of interest

Barcelona offers many possibilities to its visitors. It became worldwide known in 1992 when the Olympic games of that year were held in the city but the Catalan capital is also noteworthy for its rich cultural and artistic heritage. The centre of Barcelona is constituted by the Plaza de Cataluña (Cataluña Square) but there are other important nucleus as the Puerta de la Paz (Door of Peace), key point located in the port that links with Las Ramblas, one of the most walked boulevards of the city; the Paseo de Colón (Colón Promenade) and the Paralelo; el Paseo de Gracia (Gracia Promenade); the Avenida Diagonal (Diagonal Avenue), the Gran Vía de las Cortes Catalanas and the widespread Jardines de Montjuic (Montjuic Gardens), the Palacio Nacional (National Palace) and the Feria de Muestras (Exhibition Fair). The Zoo and its Acuarama, and the parks and gardens of the Ciudadela, Tibidabo, Cervantes, Verdaguer, Maragall, Güell (of the famous architect Gaudí) and Turó also stand out. Among the many temples that should be visited figure the churches of San Pablo del Campo, that of Santa María del Mar, Nuestra Señora de la Merced, Nuestra Señora de los Reyes and the temple in construction the Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family), one of the symbolic elements of the city also of the architect Gaudí (who is also the creator of the Batlló and Pedrera houses, both of them located in the Paseo de Gracia). On the other hand Barcelona is also a city very rich in museums with 20 important ones amog, which stand out the Museo de Arte Moderno (Modern Art Museum), el Museo Picasso (Picasso Museum), el Museo Militar (Military Museum) and the Museo Etnológico (Ethnologic Museum). Other trasures found in the city are the Liceo Theatre, recently restored and reopened after being totally devastated by the fire, the Palace of Music and three universities.

Tours around

Sitges is a town in the vicinity of Barcelona that thaks to its beach, excellent hotels, golf courses and swimming pools has become a Spanish tourism centre of first order. This territory, characterized by its liquor producing, cardboard and footwear factories also owns a noteworthy Romanesque Museum and the Museum of Cau Ferrat, which contains magnificent paintings and pottery and ironwork pieces. Another must in Sitges are the majestic mansions that surround the Maritime Promenade, the Maricel Palace and the Maricel Museum of the Sea without forgetting the annual carnation exhibition.

Sabadell is a municipality of the Barcelona province located in the region of the Vallés, at the bank of the Ripio. A ring of mountains with wide valleys that allow very nice hiking trips surrounds it. It is a modern and industrial city where the textile industry and its kindred as bleaching, dyes and embossing stand out, even though there is no lack of other industries like metallurgy, alcohol, soap, machinery, etc. In addition to the industry the town posseses a palaentology museum of great value with samples of the popular art, pottery, bronze pieces and numismatic series. There are also other museums: the Museum of the City`s History and the Art Museum located in the Turull House.

Castelldefels is a great residential and summer centre of the province of Barcelona. Its economy is based on the construction materials factories. The town has a Castle that is being restored with a Church that has already been restored and various fortified towers and the Watch Towers, located at the outskirts of the city that date back to the XVIIIth century.

Links:

Services Directory

Hotels:

HOTEL HESPERIA SARRIÁ ****
Los Vergos 20
Barcelona
+34932045551
www.hoteles-hesperia.es
145 rooms

HOTEL NH PEDRALBES ***
Vía Augusta 127
Barcelona
+34932037112
www.nh-hoteles.com
32 rooms

HOTEL HILTON BARCELONA *****
Avenida Diagonal 589-591
Barcelona
+34934957777
286 rooms

HOTEL ARTS BARCELONA *****
De la Marina 19-21
Barcelona
+34932211000
455 rooms

HOTEL COLON ****
Avenida Catedral 7
Barcelona
+34933011404
www.hotelcolon.es
145 rooms

HOTEL CONDES DE BARCELONA ****
Paseo de Gracia 73-75
Barcelona
+34934674786
www.hotelcondesdebarcelona.com
183 rooms

Museums:

MODERN ART MUSEUM
(MUSEO DE ARTE MODERNO)
Parc De la Ciutadella s/n
Barcelona
933195728
Visiting Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10-19 h.
Sundays and public holidays: 10-14.30 h.
Admission Fee: 3 €
Free the first Thursday of each month.


ETHNOLOGIC MUSEUM
(MUSEO ETNOLÓGICO)
Paseo Santa Madrona s/n
Montjuic, Barcelona
934246807
Visiting Hours: Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: 10-14 h.
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 10-19 h.
Admission Fee: 3 €

PICASSO MUSEUM
(MUSEO PICASSO)
Motcada 15-19
Barcelona
933196310
Visiting Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10-20 h.
Sundays and public holidays: 10-15 h.
Admission Fee: 4.8 €
Free the first Sunday of each month.
www.museupicasso.bcn.es

MILITARY HISTORY MUSEUM
(MUSEO HISTÓRICO MILITAR)
Castillo de Montjuic
Barcelona
933298613
Visiting Hours: November to March: 9.30-16.30 h.
April to October: 9.30-19.30 h.
Admission Fee: 2.5 €

JOAN MIRÓ FOUNDATION
(FUNDACIÓN JOAN MIRÓ)
Parc Montjuic s/n
Barcelona
933291908
Visiting Hours: Tuesday to Saturday: 10-19 h. (October to June)
10-20 h. (July to September)
Sundays and public holidays: 10-14.30 h.
Admission Fee: Adults: 4.8 €
Reduced: 2.4 €
www.bcn.es.fjmiro.es

Restaurants:

Agua
Adress: Paseo Marítimo 30, Marina Village (Puerto Olímpic, Barcelona)
Telephone: 932251272
Price: 18-30 €

La Provença
Adress: Provença 242, Barcelona
Telephone: 933232367
Price: 18-30 €

Can Travi Nou
Adress: Jorge Manrique s/n, Barcelona
Telephone: 934280301
Price: 18-30 €

El Asador de Aranda
Adress: Avenida Tibidabo, Barcelona
Telephone: 934170115
Price: 18-30 €

Saint Rémy
Adress: Iradier 12, Barcelona
Telephone: 934187504
Price: 18-30 €

Transports:

Buses
Sants Station Nord Statin
Virita s/n Alí-Bei 80
934904000 932656508

Main destinations from Barcelona: León, Oviedo, Madrid, Zaragoza, Cuenca, Andalucía, Extremadura, Valencia, Galicia, Soria, Salamanca, Vitoria, Bilbao, San Sebastián, Pamplona, Logroño, Burgos, Valladolid, Zamora.

Trains
RENFE
Sants Station
Virita s/n
Barcelona
934900202/ 934901122

Main destinations from Barcelona: Coruña, Alicante, Albacete, Almería, Badajoz, Bilbao, Burgos, Cáceres, Cádiz, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, Gijón, Guadalajara, León, Logroño, Lugo, Madrid, Málaga, Orense, Oviedo, Palencia, Pamplona, Salamanca, San Sebastián, Sevilla, Valladolid, Valencia, Vigo, Vitoria, Zamora and Zaragoza.

TAXIS:

RADIO TAXI S.A 934902222
SERVI TAXI 933300300

Emergency:

Emergency 112
Cruz Roja 933006565
Servicio de urgencias 061
Hospital de la Cruz Roja 934331551
Hospital Sant Joan de Déu 932804000