WELCOME TO BARCELONA
The City of Barcelona is the capital of the province known as Catalunya
(Castilian Spanish as Cataluña, whilst in English as Cátalunia). It has its own
distinct character standing apart from being the “heavy and austere” image that
tends to be associated generally with Spain. It is in this city that culture
literally “bubbles” on the surface with its extremes of expression matched only
by its ambitious, imaginative and hard-working population.
The history of the region shows us that they are people with a tendency to be
very capably and creative as individualists which they pursue with emotional
tenacity. At the same time their strong loyalty and pride to their regional
origins binds them together with equal passion
For the purposes of the traveller it is easier to divide the city into the
following districts and when possible each item of interest indicates the
district in which it will be found
Barri Gòtic & La Ribeira
These are basically the “downtown” heart of the old part of the city around the
Cathedral and the tourist attraction of the walking street, La Rambla
El Raval
The El Raval district boarders to the west of the Barri Gòtic and has been in the
past traditionally the workers persons district. It is now being slowly upgraded
and is now a cosmopolitan area for living besides its commerce.
Montjuïc
Named after the Jewish cemetery the Montjuïc lies to the west of the El Raval and
includes a pleasant large Park with several attractions and several other
buildings left over from the 1992 Olympics.
Port Vell, Barceloneta & Port Olímpic
These three districts are linked together and cover the port area stretching from
below El Raval and Barri Gòtic to the south west edge of Sant Martí district.
This was once a scruffy area which underwent transformation with advent of the
Olympics.
Eixample
This district is a more recent part of Barcelona and lies directly to the north
of El Raval and Barri Gòtic. Through it runs the greater part of the wide
Avinguda Diagonal. When in the middle 1800 the city expanded beyond its city
walls, Eixample was used to expound the architecture chosen by rich merchants
and it is here the famous Sagrada Família is to be found.
Gràcia, Tibidabo & Zona Alta
These districts are on the northern limits of Barcelona in the hilly area with 15
parks which included the most well known, Parc Güell. From a tourists point of
view there are so many attractions that they have been listed separately in this
site under each category. However, as a brief guide we have short listed below
the most popular and major cultural locations for the visitor. Barcelona has
many other attractions and this can be seen by just checking the number and
variety of the many museums within the city.
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La Rambla – Barri Gótic
Barcelona Cathedral – Barri Gòtic
Parc de la Ciutadella – Barceloneta
Sagrada Família – Eixample
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya – Montjuïc
Palau de la Música Catalana – La Ribeira
La Pedrera – Eixample
Fundació Joan Miro – Montjuïc
Museu Picasso – La Ribeira
Museu d’Art Contemporani Contemporània – El Raval
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BARCELONA – ATRACTIONS
This city is probably one of the most praised of all cities in Europe and there
are countless written accounts of its fascinating cultural attractions. Below we
have just skimmed over its surface – a city that has held two international
World Fairs in 1888 and 1929, and recently the host for the 1992 Olympic Summer
Games.
The heart of old Barcelona is the section known as the “Barri Gòtic”, a warren of
narrow streets and medieval gothic palaces as a reminder to the past that have
been built on ruins of pre-Roman times. In the turbulent middle 1850s, the city
elders decided to change the face of the rest of the town by removing the old
city walls and creating grand boulevards designed to impress and at the same
time allowing for future functional expansion. The winning architect was
Ildefons Cerdá whose design remains today as a testimony to his excellent
layout. Happily for the city, it also coincided with the emergence of their
internationally famous architect Antoni Gaudí whose creations still to this day
amaze and inspire all those who view his works. Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926), has
left his signature in the form of sculptured buildings and objects in such an
impressive manner that there are “Guided Gaudí Tours” which come highly
recommended.
Another area to explore must be the famous “Ramblas” which have been built over
what were once river beds. It is on a promenade down these vibrant arteries of
the city that diversity and glamour meet. The city also has its own version of
the Paris “Left and Right Bank” with the Rambla de Catalunya marking its
division.
Another of the many landmarks is the 350 foot towers crowning Gaudí’s unfinished
masterpiece of “Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Família”. Among the many
creations by Gaudí we wish to single out for visit both the “Convento Del Santa
Teresa” in Sarrià, and the “Palace del Pederalbes”
There is so much more to be seen! We hope that the above will “vet your appetite”
to the vast wealth of architectural and historic structures and their many
fascinating interiors that await every visitor to the unforgettable Barcelona.
La Rambla
Five separate streets strung end to end, La Rambla (also called Las Ramblas) is a
tree-lined pedestrian boulevard packed with buskers, living statues, mimes and
itinerant salespeople selling everything from lottery tickets to jewellery. 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 La Rambla's most colourful market, the Mercat de la Boqueria. Just
south of the Boqueria the Mosaic 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 the Plaça Reial, La Rambla
becomes decidedly seedy, with strip clubs and peep shows. La Rambla 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.
Barri Gotic
The Barri Gotic contains a concentration of medieval Gothic buildings only a few
blocks northeast of La Rambla, and is the nucleus of old Barcelona. It's a maze
of interconnecting dark streets linking with squares, and there are plenty of
cafes and bars, as well as the cheapest accommodation in town. Most of the
buildings date from the 14th and 15th century, when Barcelona was at the height
of its commercial prosperity and before it had been absorbed into Castile.
Around the Catedral, one of Spain's greatest Gothic buildings, you can still see
part of the ancient walls incorporated into later structures. The quarter is
situated around 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.
Museu Picasso
The Museu Picasso is Barcelona's most visited museum. It's housed in three
strikingly beautiful stone mansions on the Carrer de Montcada, which was, in
medieval times, an approach to the port. The museum shows numerous works that
trace the artist's early years, and is especially strong on his Blue Period with
canvases like The Defenceless, ceramics and his early works from the 1890s. The
second floor shows works from Barcelona and Paris from 1900-1904, with many of
his impressionist-influenced works. The haunting Portrait of Senyora Canals
(1905), from his Pink Period is also on display. Among the later works, all
executed in Cannes in 1957, are a complex technical series (Las Meninas), which
consists mostly of studies on Diego Velazquez's masterpiece of the same name.
La Sagrada Família
La Sagrada Família is truly awe-inspiring - even if you don't have much time,
don't miss it. The life's work of Barcelona's favourite son, Antoni Gaudí, the
magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against
the sky with swelling outlines inspired by the holy mountain Montserrat. They
are encrusted with a tangle of sculptures that seem to breathe life into the
stone. Gaudí died in 1926 before his masterwork was completed, and since then,
controversy has continually dogged the building program. Nevertheless, the
South-western (Passion) facade, with four more towers, is almost done, and the
nave, begun in 1978, is progressing. Some say the shell should have been left as
a monument to the architect, but today's chief architect, Jordi Bonet, argues
that the task is a sacred one, as it's a church intended to atone for sin and
appeal to God's mercy on Catalunya.
La Pedrera
Another Gaudí masterpiece, La Pedrera was built between 1905 and 1910 as a
combined apartment and office block. Formerly called the Casa Milà, it's better
known now as La Pedrera (the quarry) because of its uneven grey stone facade
that ripples around a street corner - it creates a wave effect that's further
emphasized by elaborate wrought-iron balconies. Visitors can tour the building
and go up to the roof, where giant multicoloured chimney pots juts 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.
Montjuïc
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. Approach the area from Plaça d'Espanya and on the north side
you'll see Plaça de Braus Les Arenes, a former bullring where the Beatles played
in 1966. Behind it lies Parc Joan Miró, where stands Mir'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 Màgica, which comes alive with a free
lights and music show on summer evenings. In the northwest of Montjuïc 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 Fundacio Joan Miro, Barcelona's gallery for the greatest Catalan
artists of the 20th century. This is the largest single collection of his work.
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 (126yd) 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.
Barcelona is a mine of gold, as a horn of plenty. One have to feel it, from
moment to moment, feel it on your own skin - discovering the perls of Barcelona.
Platja d'Aro
Platja d'Aro, also called Playa de Aro, is a coastal town in the Gerona province
of Catalonia and is very close to Gerona Airport.
The Pla de Palol archaeological site show traces of settlements here from
the Roman times, and historical sites to visit include the 11th century Santa
Maria Church and the remains of the fortress of Castell d'Aro.
Platja d'Aro has a great climate and is a favourite with tourists and locals
almost the whole year around. You can take a tour along the mountains around
this town, stopping at the Font del Ferro and Font de la Boixa springs.
Mas Daussa, a farm house built between the 16th and 17th centuries, and Rocas
Martinas, a centre from which you can have a great view of the Costa Brava
coastline are also places not to be missed in the area.
The very famous-theatre museum of the painter Dali in Figueres, the collection of
pottery and ceramics in La Bisbal, the fishing port of Palamos, and a "living"
museum of fishing are added attractions to visit.
Cadaqués a whitewashed village around a rocky bay, it and the surrounding area
have a really special magic – a fusion of wind, sea, light and rock – that isn´t
dissipated even by the throngs of mildly fashionable summer visitors. A portion
of that magic owes itself to Salvador Dalí, who spent family holidays in
Cadaqués during his youth, and lived much of his later life nearby Port Llgat.
The empty moonscapes, odd-shaped rocks and barren shorelines that litter Dali´s
paintings weren´t just a product of his fertile imagination, they´re strewn all
around the Cadaqués area in what Dali termed a´grandiose geological delirium.
Take the coastal walkway along the two-mile beach from Platja d´Aro to Palamós
and visit some of the scores of little coves - discover these either on foot or
on wheels - to just relax, or try some of the water sports on offer.
The Emporda area offers good golf courses; within a radius of 20 miles there are
five courses to choose from. In town the main shopping street has markets and
shops offering everything, including your souvenirs to take home.
In Palamos Port, you can buy fresh fish. The pavement cafes and restaurants are
good to visit for a break and there is even a modern bowling alley.
Platja d´Aro is one of the most attractive places at la Costa Brava with
flourishing atmosphere day and night. In the old quarter there are comfortable
atmosphere and ideal to sit down after a walking tour around for having a nice
time, consume a cup of café or finding a restaurant to have some refreshment or
a dinner.
To stay there up to sometime could be similar as a “paradise on earth”.
Attractions to visit in-and-around Sant Feliu de Guixols
Playa Gran de Platja d´Aro
This is a large cove with fine sand - lifeguard and Red Cross post. Ideal for
sports, this cove also offers showers, sun lounger hire and restaurants.
Catedral de Girona Plaza de la Catedral, 17004
Open: Daily, 10am-8pm.
Closed: 1 and 6 Jan, 27 Mar and 25 and 26 Dec
Tel: +34 972215814
Playa de SA Conca
Sa Conca Cove is a blue flag beach situated at Sant Feliu de Guixols. Granite
rocks on both sides of the beach are excursion points. A path leads along the
water’s edge to San Pol beach.
Cala SA Cova
A small cove sheltered under a cliff with fine sand. Pine and cactus surrounds
the sandy cove.
Cala Rovira.
This cove is a wide stretch of sand. Various sports available Lifeguards, Bars,
open-air refreshment stands, and stalls are found near the cove.
Cala del Pino o del Pi (Vilaret).
The locals call this pretty cove Del Pi. It is shell shaped with crystal clear
water and green surroundings.
Ruins of a stone bridge are found by the cove. And a lot of other wonders to
enjoy and give the life a fistful of bright sunlight and happy hours
Tourist guide map and info of Barcelona
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