Official Language:
Spanish
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Currency:
EUR
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Population:
Approximately 1.5 million call Barcelona home
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Barcelona Spain: Barcelona beign a coastal town keeps it cool! Moderate Mediterranean temperatures keep Barcelona from getting too cool or from becoming too hot during the summer. The best weather for those cruising in is during May, June and September. July and August are extremely warm. There is really no best time to visit Barcelona, nor a worst. The average temperature rarely falls below 50°F/10°C and is often considerably higher. Really cold spells are few and far between and last only a few days. The average high in July and August is 78°F/25°C.Rain is infrequent, but can be heavy when it occurs. It's most common in November and in March and April.
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Barcelona is the capital of Catalunya as well as Spain’s second largest city. Dominated by Montjuic, Vallvidrera and the Tibidabo Hills, sophisticated Barcelona is rich in ancient and modern architectural and artistic treasures. Many talented artists, sculptors and architects lived here, including Picasso, Miró, Mares and Barcelona’s best-known architect, Antonio Gaudí.Barcelona’s beginnings as a major port can be found already in Roman times. However, the most significant period was during the Middle Ages when the city's wealth equaled that of the whole Catalunya province. Splendid buildings from the Middle Ages and a unique ambiance still make Barcelona one of the most attractive cities in Europe, drawing scores of visitors to see and enjoy the sights. In addition to its medieval setting and narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter, there are magnificent avenues through the modern part of the city, which are particularly noted for their landmark buildings of Gaudí’s design.No visit to Barcelona would be complete without seeing its most popular tourist attraction, the Church of the Holy Family – La Sagrada Familia. Every year some 1.5 million visitors come to see a building without equivalent elsewhere. Gaudí’s most ingenious design is a mixture of art, sculpture and architecture, blending in some religion. Only a small part of the building was finished in his lifetime. It’s a work in progress, still waiting to serve its intended purpose as a house of prayer. Gaudí began this fantastic creation in 1883; when he died in 1926, work was suspended until 1940. Today, even as work continues, La Sagrada Familia keeps attracting scores of visitors year round.Barcelona offers endless sights and many things to do – too many for a short stay. It needs careful planning to make the most of your visit to this gracious city.
Large cruise ships dock at the largely industrial area of the waterfront, a doable (albeit healthy) walk to Las Ramblas, Barcelona's most famous and vibrant street. Cruise ships typically offer shuttles to the base of Las Ramblas as well. Once you arrived at the modern cruise terminal you will need a taxi or shore excursion to see the beauty of this uniquely artistic destination. Barcelona is an eminently walkable city, particularly in the older quarters, such as Barrio Gothic, with its winding streets. There's an excellent (and fairly clean) subway system, and buses operate to all the major attractions. Renting a car for simple in-city touring is not recommended nor is it necessary. Taxis are plentiful. For daytrips outside of city limits, Auto Europe (800-223-5555, www.autoeurope.com), Hertz, and Avis are among those agencies that have outposts in Barcelona.
This is a great city for either a pre or post cruise package to experience one of Spain’s most captivating cities. The talents of Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, Antonio Gaudi, Jose Clara as well as many others make Barcelona what it is today. Barcelona is home of the fiercely proud Catalonians. Barcelona mixes the very old and very modern, from the ancient ruins of a Roman Temple in the Gothic Quarter to the modern structures built for the 1992 Summer Olympics on Montjuďc.
Please Note:In 2005, Barcelona is the site of a special event, Forum of Cultures, that takes place from May 9 to September 26 with a wide range of activities scheduled throughout the city.For your protection! Barcelona is notorious for pickpockets! Leave valuables in your hotel or cruise stateroom safe. Carry credit cards and small amounts of cash in a very safe place.
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Attractions |
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Arc de Triomf:
This triumphal arch was built for the 1888 Universal Exposition, which took place at the Parc de la Ciutadella. The Arc de Triomf, situated at the end of a wide promenade, served as the exposition's main entrance.The design by Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas stands out from other well-known arches - in particular the Arc de Triomphe in Paris - by its colorful brickwork in mudéjar style, a style which has its origins in Moorish architecture. The arch is decorated with stone carvings. The front frieze by Josep Reynés shows the city of Barcelona welcoming visitors. The other side, designed by Josep Llimona shows a prize-giving ceremony. The crown of the arch is adorned with a stone carving of the Coat of Arms of Barcelona. All the other Spanish provinces are represented as well on either side of the crown. The arc is also adorned with twelve statues of women, symbolizing fame. The Arc de Triomf, located at the Passeig Lluis Companys, can be easily reached via the metro stop 'Arc de Triomf'. It is also just a short walk from the Parc de la Ciutadella.
Barri Gňtic:
Barri Gňtic, the enchanting centre of old Barcelona, is a maze of dark streets crammed with cafes, bars and the cheapest accommodation in town. Spend a day wandering among wonderful, medieval buildings and some of the most awe-inspiring architecture ever to leave a draughtsman's desk.
Most of the buildings date from the 14th and 15th centuries, when Barcelona was at the height of its commercial prosperity and before it had been absorbed into Castilla. A masterpiece of its medieval heritage, the Barri Gňtic's catedral, is one of Spain's greatest Gothic buildings.
The quarter is centred on the Plaça de Sant Jaume, a spacious square, the site of a busy market and one of the venues for the weekly dancing of the sardana. Two of the city's most significant buildings are here, the Ajuntament and the Palau de la Generalitat.
Barcelona Cathedral:
Barcelona, home to many churches, yet this one is a must see. Started in 1298 it was finished in the late 19th Century. Be amazed by the craftsmanship of the stained glass. You will find this located in the heart of the Gothic Quarter.
Casa Milŕ:
commonly known as La Pedrera is the largest civil building designed by Antoni Gaudi. The apartment block was constructed between 1906 and 1910. It was Gaudi's last work before devoting himself to the construction of the Sagrada Familia.Pedro Milŕ i Camps, a rich businessman was impressed by the Casa Battló, an expressionist building designed by Gaudi. He commissioned Gaudi to construct an apartment building on a corner site at the Passeig de Gracia, in the Eixample district.The result is a less colorful but nevertheless an even more unconventional building than the Casa Batlló. It breaks with traditional architecture by using not a single straight line. The building does not use load-bearing walls, but rest on pillars and arches. Together with the use of steel this allowed the architect to create completely irregular floor plans. Even the height of the pillars and ceilings differ from one to another. In order to allow light in all the rooms, the apartments are arranged around two central courtyards, one circular and the other oval shaped.On the outside, the undulating balconies look like a series of waves. The iron-wrought balconies were designed by Josep Maria Jujol, who improvised on the spot. Some people see the facade as a cliff-like rock with caves. During construction, people dubbed it a quarry, or 'Pedrera'. To date, people still call the building 'La Pedrera' rather than 'Casa Milŕ'. The top floor, attic and the extraordinary roof are open to visitors. The apartment on the top floor gives an idea of how the interior must have looked at the beginning of the 20th century. Just like on the outside, the interior has virtually no straight lines. The attractive rooms have a lot of character, with a mixture of expressionist and Art Nouveau styles.
The attic houses an exposition of Gaudi'sworks, with photos and scale models of his buildings.
The roof is probably the most extraordinary of the building. It features a number of surrealistic colorful chimneys. Many of them look like warriors in a science fiction movie, others look more frivolous. The roof also features a bench similar to the one in Park Guell. From the top of Casa Milŕ, you have a nice view over the Eixample district.
Grŕcia:
A fully fledged suburb since the end of the 19th century, Grŕcia is home to a combination of artists, students and intelligentsia mixed with average Joseps, who lend it a down-to-earth atmosphere. There are lovely parks to enjoy during the day and at night the square becomes a popular and vivacious meeting place. Once a separate village north of L’Eixample, and then in the 19th century an industrial district famous for its Republican and liberal ideas, Grŕcia was incorporated into the city of Barcelona in 1897. In those days it had some catching up to do, as the town had poor roads, schools and clinics, and no street lighting or sewers. In the 1960s and '70s the area became fashionable among radical and bohemian types, and today it retains some of that flavour – plenty of hip local luminaries make sure they are regularly seen around the bars and cafés of Grŕcia.
Plaça del Sol is a pleasant place to sit during the day, surrounded by cafes and serene 19th-century architecture.
La Pedrera:
La Pedrera was designed by Gaudí and built between 1905 and 1910 as an apartment/office block. Formerly called the Casa Milŕ, 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. 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.
La Rambla:
La Rambla is a tree-lined pedestrian boulevard packed with buskers, mimes and itinerant salespeople selling everything from lottery tickets to jewellery. It's actually five separate streets strung end to end and covers the entire sightseeing gamut from sublime to seedy. The noisy bird market on the second block of La Rambla is worth a stop, as is the nearby Palau de la Virreina, a grand 18th-century rococo mansion with arts and entertainment information and a ticket office. Next door is the Mercat de la Boqueria, which has been voted Europe's best produce market. Just south of the market, the Mosaďc de Miró punctuates the pavement, with one tile signed by the artist.
The next section of La Rambla boasts the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the famous 19th-century opera house. Below Plaça Reial, La Rambla becomes decidedly seedy, with strip clubs and peep shows. It terminates at the lofty Monument a Colom (Monument to Columbus) and the harbour. You can ascend the monument by lift.
Just west of the monument, on Avinguda de les Drassanes, stand the Reials Drassanes (Royal Shipyards), which house the fascinating Museu Marítim. It has more seafaring paraphernalia than you'd care to wag a sextant at - boats, models, maps, paintings, ships' figureheads and 16th-century galleys.
La Sagrada Familia:
Barcelona's funkiest church was designed by Gaudi. The most unusual thing about it? It's not finished yet! He began working on it in 1883 and designed intriguing features such as the bell towers, covered in Venetian mosaics, and the nativity-themed facade, with doorways representing faith, hope and charity. Services are held in the crypt where Gaudi is buried. The best way to experience Sagrada Familia is to take the elevator to the top of one of the towers (though on my visit the elevator was out of order and we hiked up the stairs instead); there's an awesome view from that height. Also spend some time in the church museum. Sagrada Familia (Calle Mallorca 401, daily 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.)
Montjuďc (Magic fountain):
The Font Mŕgica or Magic fountain was part of a project built for the 1929 Universal Exhibition.Montjuďc, the hill overlooking the city centre from the southwest, is home to some fine art galleries, leisure attractions, soothing parks and the main group of 1992 Olympic sites.The project, designed by the engineer Carles Buigas consisted of a series of cascades and fountains between the Palau National, the main exhibition center on the Montjuďc, and the Plaça d'Espanya at the foot of the hill. It took one year to complete the project. The most spectacular part was the monumental Magic fountain. It was originally intended to show people what could be achieved with filtered electrical light. Approach the area from Plaça d'Espanya and on the north side you'll see Plaça de Braus Monumental, a former bullring where the Beatles played in 1966. Behind it lies Parc Joan Miró, where stands Miró's highly phallic sculpture Dona i Ocell (Woman and Bird). Nearby, the Palau Nacional houses the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, which has an impressive collection of Romanesque art. Stretching up a series of terraces below the Palau Nacional are fountains, including the biggest, La Font Mŕgica, which comes alive with a free light and music show on summer evenings. In the northwest of Montjuďc is the 'Spanish Village', Poble Espanyol. At first glance it's a tacky tourist trap, but it also proves to be an intriguing scrapbook of Spanish architecture, with very convincing copies of buildings from all of Spain's regions. The Anella Olímpica (Olympic Ring) is the group of sports installations where the main events of the 1992 games were held. Down the hill, visit masterpieces of another kind in the Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona's gallery for the greatest Catalan artist of the 20th century. This is the largest single collection of his work.
Museu Picasso:
Barcelona's most visited museum shows numerous works tracing the artist's early years and is especially strong on his Blue Period, with canvases like The Defenceless, as well as ceramics and early works from the 1890s. The rest of the museum traces Picasso's life and travels. 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 Seńora 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.
Monestir de Montserrat:
Montserrat, 50km (31mi) northwest of Barcelona, has weird rocky crags, ruined hermitage caves, a monastery and hordes of tourists taking a break from their holidays on the Costa Brava. The Monestir de Montserrat was founded in 1025 to commemorate visions of the Virgin Mary. Today it houses a community of about 80 monks, and pilgrims come to venerate La Moreneta (the Black Virgin), a 12th-century Romanesque wooden sculpture of Mary with the baby Jesus; La Moreneta has been Catalonia's official patron since 1881. The most dramatic approach to Montserrat is by cable car, which arrives just below the monastery after a thrilling whoop up the sheer mountainside.
Gothic Barrio:
Stroll through the Bari Gótic and send yourself back into time. Tour the ornate Gothic monuments such as the massive 14th Century cathedral, fountains, and the ancient Roman remnant columns of the Emperor Augustus’ temple.
The Park Guëll:
The Guëllis one of the most intriguing parks in the world. The pavilions and main staircase designed by Antoni Gaudí look like they belong in some fairy tale.This popular park started out as a development project. Eusebi Guëll, a well known Catalan industrialist, acquired a 17ha/42acre large hilly plot in the Grŕcia district, north of Barcelona. He wanted to turn the area into a residential garden village based on English models. 60 Housing units as well as several public buildings were planned. In 1900 Guëll commissioned his friend and protégé Antoni Gaudí with the development of the project. With the support from other architects including Josep M. Jujol and his disciple Francesc Berenguer, Gaudí worked on the garden village until 1914 when it was clear the project was a commercial failure: Guëll failed to sell a single house. In 1918 the city acquired the property and in 1922 it was opened to the public as a park.Two houses were completed as well as pavilions for visitors and park keepers. The pavilions, designed by Gaudí, seem to be taken out of Hansel and Gretel, with curved roofs covered with brightly colored tiles and ornamented spires. The staircase at the entrance of the park is also designed by Gaudí. The dragon-like lizard at the center of the with trencadis-ceramics decorated staircase is the best known symbol of the park.A connecting flight of stairs leads to another famous feature of the park: the Gran Placa Circular. Originally intended as a market place for the residents, this plaza is bordered by what is known as the largest bench in the world. The colorful ceramic serpentine bench, designed by Jujol, twists snakelike around the plaza. The view from the plaza is spectacular, you can see as far as the Mediterranean Sea. The whole platform is supported by 86 huge columns, creating a hall beneath the plaza, known as the Sala Hipňstila. Between 1906 and 1926, Gaudí lived in one of the two houses that were completed. The house, known as the Casa Museu Gaudí, was designed by Francesc Berenguer. It serves as a museum and displays some of Gaudí's furniture (including some from the Casa Batlló) and drawings. The park also includes the Casa Trias (not open for visitors) and winding roads with paths supported by tree-like columns. The Parc Guëll was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1984.
Tibidabo:
At 542m (1778ft), Tibidabo is the highest hill in the wooded range that forms the backdrop to Barcelona. If the air's clear, it's a great place for views over the city. The locals come up here for some thrills at the amusement park Parc d'Atraccions, which has rides and a house of horrors. As hair-raising as anything at the Parc, however, is the glass lift that goes 115m (377ft) up to a visitors' observation area at Torre de Collserola telecommunications tower. The more sedate can find solace in Temple del Sagrat Cor, Barcelona's answer to Paris' Sacré Coeur; it's even more vilified by aesthetes than its Paris equivalent. Looming above Tibidabo's funicular station, it is actually two churches, one on top of the other. The top one is surmounted by a giant Christ and has a lift to the roof.
Picasso Museum & Gothic Quarter tour:
You'll walk through the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter, and see St. James' Square (Plaza San Jaume) and Santa Maria dei Mar Church before heading to the Picasso Museum. The museum contains many of Picasso's works, particularly from his early period. A large part of the collection was donated by Picasso himself.
See the city on a Barcelona bike tour:
This fairly new tour takes cyclers on a guided ride through the streets, passing highlights such as Arc de Triomf and Parc de Ciutedell.
Best Choice for History Buffs:
Take a motorcoach past the Montserrat Mountain Ridge to the Benedictine Montserrat Monestary, which was founded in the 11th century.
Shopping - asseig de Grŕcia:
High fashion and the latest in international chic wear! Boutiques and stores make up this famous street in the Quadrat d’Or.
Barcelona is a very walkable city. More so in the older quarters, such as the Barrio Gothic. Taxis are plentiful. Speaking spanish is helpful as taxi drivers tend to insist on speaking only spanish. If you plan to take a taxi, be sure you know your currency conversion.
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More Information |
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Useful Links About Barcelona:
Barcelona Travel Information
www.barcelonaturisme.com
http://www.innsidebarcelona.com
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