Advantages: Multicultural, pleasant and warm
Disadvantages: None

...checked and noted they beat relegation rivals Sociedad 1-0 at home to finish above them and stay in the league, which was last night. Thus, I have just duly text my mate Ramzi in Barcelona (I love modern technology!); Me ~ "Congratulations Amigo… U stayed up … Espanyol! Espanyol!" Ramzi ~ "Miracle scored in 92 min !" … Goodness, high drama there then I thought! … Me ~ "Muy Bien Amigo!" (Means, "Very Good Friend") Ramzi ~ "Gracias amigo for support" Love it !! I've done my bit for Anglo-Spanish relations there!! hehe As I mentioned above, Espanyol currently play at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, but they are currently having a new stadium built not to far from the "Nou Camp", which the locals reverse "Camp Nou" because "Nou Camp" is the English way of stating it in Spanish if you follow?! Translated, it means "New... Read review

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Advantages: Everything you want on a city break
Disadvantages: Too many things to do

...of space. Set high on a hill the park has splendid views of the city and Gaudi built a vast terrace to maximise this. Although incomplete there is plenty to see with two Hansel and Gretel cottages and several sweeping avenues. Guidebooks recommend a half day to do the park justice and this is about right, although the entrance with the famous sculptures can get very busy you don’t have to walk far into the park to find some peace and quiet. Shopping~ If you like shopping you won’t be disappointed by Barcelona as there are several areas full of good quality shops. Passeig de Gracia and Rambla de Catalunya running north from Placa de Catalunya have a large selection of designer shops, El Corte Ingles is a massive department store also on Placa de Catalunya and there is a wide choice of places in the Gothic Quarter. In Port Vell is a modern... Read review

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Advantages: great cultural diversity and cosmopolitan
Disadvantages: none

.... 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... Read review

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Advantages: Too may to name! Great nighlife, food, people, architecture, the list goes on!
Disadvantages: None that I can think of

...be found for as little as 1500 pesetas a night per person, though if you want style and pampering, Barcelona has some of the most luxurious hotels in Spain. The same goes for eating out, all price ranges are catered for, and finding vegetarian food isn’t too much of a problem either. The city is well known for it’s nightlife. The bars around the Plaça Reial are worth taking in, though try the Gracia district further north (metro Fontana) for a more Bohemian atmosphere (there’s also an excellent cinema here, on Carrer Verdi, which shows films in their original language). If you’v e sampled the delights of Barcelona and want more then the rest of the region is also full of places to see and things to do and is accesible using either buses or trains. The Dalí museum in Figueres is wondefully interesting and entertaining, the mountain... Read review

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Advantages: The luxury
Disadvantages: None that I could see

...mix of cultures, sounds and fragrances. Also take a walk around the Gothic Quarter and down Paseo de Gracia. Also I would recommend you see the Sagrada Familia cathedral and Güell Park. I really enjoyed this hotel and all that Barcelona had to offer. I hope you do too. Thanks for taking the time to read my review and I really hope you enjoyed it. I would appreciate your rating and any comments you have. Thanks again.... Read review

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Advantages: Great location, nice rooms
Disadvantages: The grumpiest staff in Spain

...to stop and look in all the windows of the fancy shops on the Passeig de Gracia which is a nice way to get a feel for the area. The Gallery is apparently slap bang on top of a metro station although I'm ashamed to confess I've never really got the hang of the B'lona metro and I tend to walk everywhere. Some rooms will vibrate when the trains go under - I hadn't actually noticed it until this last visit which probably suggests I'd drunk too much on previous occasions. However, I quite like the vibro-room effect and it doesn't happen during the night once the trains stop running. Getting there from the Airport ********************************** Cabs are still pretty good value in Barcelona but it's worth being aware that there are several surcharges applied for journeys from the airport. So don't freak when the driver keeps pushing his... Read review

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Advantages: One of the best examples of Catalan Modernism
Disadvantages: Very expensive

...My husband has a job, which more often than not requires him to work on Christmas day and through most of the Christmas period. Whilst this is the perfect reason to turn down all invitations to spend Christmas with family, it's not the greatest way to celebrate the big day with a 14 hour shift. So last Christmas I decided that we'd have our very own Christmas but just a few days before the rest of the world. And so I booked a long weekend in Barcelona. Our hotel - The Gallery (review already posted many moons ago) was just off the Passeig de Gracia, one of Barcelona's key boulevards where you can find my favourite of the buildings designed by Antonio Gaudi - the almost impossible to pronounce, Casa Batllo. Earlier in the year I had attended a big industry conference in Barcelona and we'd had the conference 'gala' dinner in the Casa... Read review

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Advantages: laid back, off the tourist track
Disadvantages: there really aren't any....

...Think of Barcelona and what comes to mind…probably Gaudi buildings, the Ramblas, the Olympic Port, the Parque Guell…I’d hazard a guess that Placa de la Virreina wouldn’t be high on your list of priorities. Understandably so, there’s really nothing of note to be found here, no towering cathedral, no great works of art. It is precisely this lack of attractions that makes Placa de la Virreina worth a visit, watch the world go by for a change instead of heading for the sights. Located in the district of Gracia, Placa de la Virreina, is not on the regular tourist beat. That’s not to say you won’t find tourists here, you will, but alongside them you’ll see plenty of Barcelona residents. Gracia was originally a separate village from Barcelona and only became part of the city in the late 1800s, yet it still retains its distinctive... Read review

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Advantages: Great compact city with excellent public transport
Disadvantages: No one truly stand out monument that is world famous.

...unfinished gothic cathedral. Even further to the North West is Gracia which was highly recommended to us but due to the weather and lack of time we did not manage to visit the area. To the south is the hill of Montjuic which houses the castle as well as the Miro Museum and the Olympic stadium as well s some other attractions. For those staying longer it is also possible to visit Montserrat, Girona and the beach resort of Stiges which can all be done in a day. Getting Around One of the great things I liked about Barcelona is that much of it can be covered by walking and most of the old town, Eixample, beach front and harbour is pretty flat and not too hard on the feet. It is also served by an excellent public transport system which is fully integrated. The metro is very clean and easy to follow with six lines it is a lot less complicated... Read review

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Advantages: See Opinion
Disadvantages: See Opinion

...Barcelona’s three and a half million inhabitants make it Spain’s second largest city. It is the capital of Catalonia since medieval times; it possesses one of the Mediterranean’s best harbours and is also an important industrial and commercial centre. It is a city I know very well seeing my brother and his wife moved there five years ago. The more I visit Barcelona the more I like it. What is particularly striking about Barcelona is its beauty. It occupies an impressive site, dominated by the hills of Montjuich close to the harbour and the old centre. There is a place called Tibidabo, it is well worth making an excursion to the top of Tibidabo to see the view. It stands at about 1750 feet above sea level and there you will get a magnificent view of the whole town. Barcelona’s old town contains beautiful buildings going back... Read review

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