The first thing that a visitor should do when visiting this marvelous city is forget all the preconceptions that they have about Spain - Barcelona is another world!
As you might know Barcelona is situated in Catalunya (Spain is divided in many regions and Catalunya is one of them). Each region has their own cultural background, customs, traditions and some speak other languages. Catalunya is very different from the rest of the regions in Spain and Barcelona is its capital.
If you went to Barcelona and were expecting to see some bullfighting or flamenco dancing, you are in the wrong place!! Barcelona is a city well known for its cultural diversity and for being very cosmopolitan.
I am not going to give you an extensive description of areas to visit, just some guidelines, I believe the best way of discovering a city is by getting a map and just follow your instincts.
Olympic Route
Barcelona held the Olympics in 1992 (who doesn't remember the song sang by Freddy Mercury and Montserrat Caballe), this was a great honor for Spain and for Catalunya and whole a new infrastructure was constructed in the city.
A must see is the Olympic stadium, at the top of Monjuic mountain. In this mountain you will also find "The Fundacio Joan Miro" museum and the "Military Museum". The view from Monjuic is breathtaking.
Gaudi Route
Gaudi was a very famous architect at the beginning of the 20th century. His work falls in an artistic movement called Modernism. He was a pioneer in his era, his buildings break with all the standard constructions around Barcelona. One of his trade marks is the use coloured tiles to create great mosaics that cover the facades of his buildings.
One shouldn"t leave Barcelona without visiting "La Sagrada Familia" a splendorous Cathedral that Gaudi started building around 1904 and has not been finished yet.
Other major buildings designed and constructed by Gaudi are "La Pedrera" in Passeig de Gracia street and "Parc Guell" one of the biggest parks in Barcelona.
Shopping
There are many shops in Barcelona but luckily they are all concentrated in a small area. The best places are around Plaza de Catalunya, Les Rambles and Portal de l’Angel. These three areas are packed with shoe shops, leather goods, perfume shops, books, fashion, etc. The goods sold there are excellent value for money.
Eating out
As any big city, Barcelona has a wide variety of places to eat that suit everyone’s taste. However you should try the typical "tapas" (snacks) and "sangria" (red wine based cocktail). There are many small restaurants along "Les Rambles" where you can taste all sorts of "tapas" and drink "sangria". Another good area to find restaurants is the "Barri Gotic", one of the oldest and romantic areas in Barcelona, a must see too.
Night Life
Bars, discotheques, casino, restaurants, salsa clubs, etc are a few options when you want to go out in the evening. Bear in mind that bars are open until 3 a.m and some discotheques are open until 7 a.m. Plenty of time to dance and drink!
There are many things to do during your visit to Barcelona, just get there and find out for yourself.
I lived in Portugal for a couple of years and they have a similar culture. Never did get to Barcelona, but may do soon with all the cheap flights knocking about!
jefferson 05.02.2001 22:26
Can't wait to go this Easter! Your opinion has influenced me far more than Hollyoaks of course
kimbowa 19.01.2001 14:09
Love the city myself - first time I went was in the six months leading up to the Olympics - just about anything of interest was shut. It seems though that you've forgotten to mention the Fundacion de Joan Miro - an important artist who came from Bar"th"elona... the Foundation is a great way to spend a day!!
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Advantages: gorgeous climate, quick and easy to get too and has something to offfer everyone Disadvantages: language barrier could be an issue and isn't ideal for a beach holiday
kayleigh07 18.01.2006 ·
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Review of Barcelona in general
Nov 23rd, 2000
(Jan 19th, 2001)
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