Barcelona spain travel
The second largest city in Spain and the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world today. It is located on the Mediterranean coast and is famous for its museums, theatres, art galleries and nightlife. It is one of Europe's most stylish and beautiful cities and has a rich cultural heritage. Perhaps the biggest attractions of the city are the architectural works of the eccentric genius Antoni Gaudi and Lluis Doemench i Montaner which are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Though the city covers an area of over 100 square kms, the parts that are most thronged by tourists are Ciutat Vella - the old town, Eixample - known for its modernist architecture, Barceloneta and Gracia.
The best time to visit the city is spring and early summer when the weather is pleasant and the city is at its liveliest. Tourists can also plan to visit Barcelona during one of the festivals - the biggest of which are Festes de la Merce (around the 24th of September) when there are celebrations through out the main city and Festes de Gracia (around the 15th of August) when there are celebrations in the Gracia quarter. Though Catalan is the most commonly spoken language in the city, most of the people speak Spanish as well. Tourists speaking Spanish, English or French should not have much trouble getting along with the locals people.
Barcelona is easily reached by air, sea and rail. The Barcelona International Airport called the El Prat is only ten kms from the city centre and is connected by numerous flights to cities all over the world. European tourists can also choose to travel by trains which ply to and from all major European cities via France. The more adventurous tourists can make use of the ferry service from Rome, Genoa and the Balearic islands. For intra-city travel, tourists can choose between the local bus service, the metro and the tram or even rent motorcycles. The public transports services allow easy access to all the major tourist attractions of the city and even offer special combos and discounts for the tourists.
The city has a plethora of tourist attractions. Architecture is one of the biggest attractions of the city. There are The Roman Walls, 4 columns of the Temple at Centre Excursionista and Museu d Historia de la Ciutat which are remnants from the Roman age. The Gothic period is characterized in the Santa Maria del Mar which is the best Gothic church around. For those interested in Gaudi's architecture there is the Familia, Casa Batll, Casa Mil, Parc Gell, Palau Gell and Casa Vicens. There are also other modern masterpieces like the Pabell d Alemanya, Pabell de la Republica (GATPAC), Torre Agbar and Escola Tecnica Superior d Arquitectura.
Those with an interest in art and museums should put Museu Picasso on their must-see list. The museum has more than 3,500 works of Pablo Picasso, most of which are from his early years before he got into cubism. Some of his brilliant masterpieces which can be seen there are "Man in a Baret", "The Divan", "Margot or the Period of Waiting" and "Blanquita Suarez". There is also the Museu Nacional d Art de Catalunya (MNAC) which houses some of the best Romanesque paintings in the world and the Joan Mir Musueum where one find a large number of Joan Mir's works.
To enjoy a truly spectacular view of the city of Barcelona, one must go to Tibidabo which is an old-fashioned attraction park, but has been rated among the top 5 in the world by Lonely Planet. According to a legend, it was in Tibidabo that the Devil tried to seduce Jesus Christ by offering him the entire world in return for his service. You can also enjoy a beautiful sunset view of the city from MNAC at Montjuic Mountain. And if you are lucky you might be able to see the Magic Fountain Show after the sunset especially on weekends. Park Gell, situated on a hill overlooking the city also offers a panaromic view of the city. Park Guell also has a sculpture area where a lot of works of Gaudi are exhibited including the famous entrance.
Sports enthusiasts should not forgo an oportunity to visit FC Bacelona's stadium - the Nou Camp which with a capacity of 98,600 is the largest stadium in the whole of Europe. The Olympic Stadium and Motjuic Castle on Montjuic Hill make for good sightseeing as well. Animal lovers might be interesed in the thousands of fishes, penguins and sharks in L'Aquarium which is the second largest aquarium in Europe. Those with a sligthly more erotic bent of mind should visit t he Museum de l'Ertica de Barcelona. And if you just want to relax and enoy the sun then simply hit any one of the numerous beaches in Barcelona.
Tourists may find walking along some of the famous streets like Las Ramblas, La Plaa Catalunya and El Portal de l'Angel to be an excellent option to discover the rich culture of Barcelona and to intercat with the loacl people. Shops in the Barri Gothic and the Carrer Bisbe areas are best for those interested in souvenier shopping. Apart from the usual tourist items one can also buy miniature versions of dragons and giants that are featured in Catalan processions and fiestas. Chocolate lovers can make a trip to Cacao Sampaka, Xocoa or The Chocolate Factory.
Food is not a problem when visiting Barcelona. The numerous cafes, restaurants and canteens serve just about any cuisine in the wolrd and tourists can find enough places to eat irrespective of their budgets being big or small. Most small bars have a 'menu del dia' in which one can choose a snack, a main dish and a drink for only about 10 euros. Tourists must try some of the local Catalan cusuine like pa amb tom quet which is toasted bread smeared with tomato and seasoned with olive oil and tapas which are a wide variety of appetizers - the most famous of which is battered, fried baby squid.
Amatxu is a typical tapas bar which is very popular with tourists while the various El Gop restaurants offer delcious Catalan meals at reasonable prices. Vegetarians and vegans need not be disappointed as places like Organic and Juicy Jones offer excellent and affordable vegan and vegetarian food. The night life in the city is also very enticing especially for the younger tourists. Barcelona has more than 200 night clubs with the more popular ones being Catwalk, Shoko and La Paloma. The city also offers interesting drinking options like L'Arquer which is an archery bar where people can rent a bow and arrow and drink local tap beer.
Like food, tourists in Barcelona, can find an accomodation too as per their budgets. For the luxurious ones, there are hotels like Abba Sans Hotel, HCC Covadonga and Hotel Barcelona Catedral all of which are centrally located. Cheaper accomodation can be found at various hostals and pensions like Hostal Levante, Pesion Norma and Pension Alamar. It is advisable for tourists to book their accomodations well in advance as Barcelona is crowded with tourists and business travelllers throught out the year. For those who are planning a slightly longer holiday or even a full vacation it may be a good option to book an apartment for themselves.
Apart from viewing the attactions inside the city, tourists on a long visit can plan several day tips from Barcelona as well. Some of the more exciting options for a day trip are Figueres where the Salvador Dali museum is located, Pyrenees which is a mountain range about 150 kms from the city and Montserrat where there is the monastery which houses the Black Madonna.
So next time if you are planning to go on a holiday, seriously consider Barcelona as an option.
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