Beautiful city of Barcelona, capital of Catalonia (a Spain's province), is situated on on the shore of the Mediterranean sea and bordered at either end by 2 river deltas. Today Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after its capital city Madrid. Barcelona has a population of 1.5 million, over 4 million including suburbs. The varied, eventful history of the city dates back 4,000 years to the first settlements by ancient farmers. Later it became a Roman colony, the Visigoth's capital city, then it came under Moorish rule. Barcelona, Spain went through sieges, destructions and occupations, finally to become an autonomous democracy 1975. Barcelona has always played an important role in political and cultural life of Spain and it is well reflected in the variety and quality of historical buildings, museums, many other tourist attractions. Today Barcelona is one of the most diverse european cities with unique culture and rich traditions. You can find here a formidable balance of the traditional things and the avant-garde. A cosmopolitan metropolis, Barcelona, Spain affords visitors a warm and sincere welcome, being aknowledged worldwide as one of the best tourist-friendly cities in Europe. Barcelona's organisation of the 1992 Olympics provided regeneration of this dynamic city, gave a fresh start to its infrastructure development.

BARCELONA ATTRACTIONS

La Rambla. We will start our Barcelona, Spain trip in the very heart of it. La Rambla is a 1.2 km long stroll down Barcelona's famous thoroughfare is a must for both tourists and locals alike. Originally it was just a river bed separating the outer limits of Barcelona in the 13th century. Gradually, by the 18th century the area became covered with houses, hospitals and colleges, planted trees and installed benches forming the splendid promenade we see today. 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. Pavement cafes and stands selling craftwork, street performers surrounded by curious onlookers, a noisy bird market, Palau de la Virreina, a grand 18th-century rococo mansion, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the famous 19th-century opera house- these are all colourful parts of La Rambla's mosaic. Here you can also find Barcelona, Spain's most colourful market, the Mercat de la Boqueria. This cavernous iron and glass market in the city centre, filled with fresh produce and colourful characters, is the perfect place to get picnic provisions. La Rambla ends at the lofty Monument a Colom (Monument to Columbus) and the harbour.
Barri Gotic - also known as Gothic Quarter, it is the old part of Barcelona, Spain. Picasso lived and worked in Barri Gotic from 1895 to 1904 and Joan Miro was born and lived here during his youth. Gothic Quarter is situated on the right hand side of the La Rambla, it contains a concentration of medieval tall Gothic buildings (14-15th century) on narrow cobbled streets and now is home to much of the city's nightlife. Around this Barcelona Catedral, one of Spain's greatest Gothic buildings, you can still see part of the ancient walls incorporated into later structures. The quarter is centred around the Placa de Sant Jaume, a spacious square, the site of a busy market and one of the venues for the weekly dancing of the sardana.
La Sagrada Familia - La Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous and magnificent among Barcelona, Spain's landmarks. The life's work of Barcelona's famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, the magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against the sky with swelling outlines inspired by the holy mountain Montserrat. Above each facade there are four towers, 12 in total, which are dedicated to the Apostles. The tower in the center, the tallest of all at 170 m., is dedicated to Jesus Christ. Around these there are the towers of the four Evangelists, and the tower over the apse is dedicated to the Virgin. They are encrusted with a tangle of sculptures that seem to breathe life into the stone. Gaudi died in 1926 before his masterwork was completed, and since then, controversy has continually dogged the building program. Nevertheless, the southwestern (Passion) facade, is almost done, and the nave, begun in 1978, is progressing. Do not forget to plan a visit to La Sagrada during your trip to Barcelona, Spain.
La Pedrera - Casa Mila (Mila House) is an apartment building situated at Passeig de Gracia No. 92 was built between 1906 and 1910 for the Mila family. The last example of Gaudi's civil architecture, it is one of his finest and most ambitious creations, extraordinarily innovative in its functional, constructive, and ornamental aspects. Barcelona, Spain visitors can tour the building and go up to the roof, where they can see spectacular views of Barcelona. One floor below the roof is a modest museum dedicated to Gaudi's work.
Montjuic Spanish Village and the hilltop fortress. Montjuic, the hill overlooking the city centre from the southwest, is - the largest open space in Barcelona, Spain, its main attractions are the Olympic installations, the home to some fine art galleries, leisure attractions, soothing parks and the main group of 1992 Olympic sites. Montjuic is covered in ornamental gardens with water features and is the most popular destination in Barcelona on Sundays.
Tibidabo - is the highest hill 542m (1778ft) in the wooded range that forms the backdrop to Barcelona. It has amazing views of the whole of Barcelona, Spain, a stunning cathedral, and a family fun park Parc d'Atraccions with old-style rides offering breathtaking views. A glass lift at the park goes 115m (383 ft) up to a visitors'observation area at Torre de Collserola telecommunications tower.
Modernisme - spectacular modernista architectural creations dotted around the city by famous Antoni Gaudi and his contemporaries.
Camp Nou - home of F.C. Barcelona, Spain, one of Europe's leading soccer teams, with capacity of almost 100,000 spectators.
The Seu Cathedral - Built in medieval times on the site of a Roman temple, La Seu is one of the great Gothic buildings in Spain.
Parc de la Ciutadella - Barcelona's favourite park and a Sunday afternoon rendezvous for families, friends and ducks.
The Sardana - traditional Catalan dance, performed outside the cathedral and at national festivals, with everyone encouraged to join in.
Find and book Barcelona city tours and activities online on VIATOR.com.

BARCELONA MUSEUMS

Your trip to Barcelona, Spain can not be considered complete without visiting famous local museums. The Barbier-Mueller Museum of Pre-Columbian Art - the only museum in Europe devoted exclusively to Pre-Columbian cultures. Housed in a gothic palace, its collection is one of the finest of its kind and gives visitors an insight into the rich world of the earliest cultures on the American continent. This tiny museum contains one hundred pieces, including wood and stone sculptures, ceramics, tapestries, jade, often found in international exhibitions and prestige publications. The exhibits represented the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Chavin, Mochica and Inca civilisations. Palau de la Musica Catalana - one of the world's most extraordinary music halls, it is a Barcelona, Spain landmark. From its polychrome ceramic ticket windows on the Carrer de Sant Pere Mes Alt side to its overhead busts of Palestrina, Bach, Beethoven, and Wagner, the Palau is the flagship of Barcelona's Moderniste architecture. If you can't attend a concert, take a tour of the hall, offered daily at 10:30, 2, and 3 (in English). Museu Picasso - is Barcelona's most visited museum. 3,500 exhibits make up the permanent collection. Picasso spent several years (1901-06) in Barcelona, Spain and this collection, is particularly strong on his early work. Displays include childhood sketches, pictures from the beautiful Rose and Blue periods, and the famous 1950s Cubist variations on Velazquez's Las Meninas (Ladies-in-Waiting). Free entrance every 1st Sun. of month. Tues.-Sat. 10-8, Sun. 10-3. Gaudi Casa-Museu - Gaudi lived in this pink, Alice-in-Wonderland house from 1906 to 1926, which now houses a museum of Gaudi-designed furniture, decorations, drawings, and portraits and busts of the architect. May-Sept. daily 10-8; Oct.-Feb. daily 10-6; Mar.-Apr. daily 10-7. Fundacio Miro - it was a gift from the famous artist Joan Miro to his native city. The museum opened in 1975, and now it is one of Barcelon, Spain's most exciting showcases of contemporary art. Tues.-Wed. and Fri.-Sat. 10-7, Thurs. 10-9:30, Sun. 10-2:30.

BARCELONA BEACHES

One of the greatest draws of Barcelona, Spain is undeniably its beautiful beaches. On the Costa ("wild coast"), to the north from Barcelona, the string of coves between Palamos and Begur In the south, the best beach is Casteldefells - five kilometers of wide unbroken sand within 15 minutes' train ride from town. It is within 50 meters from the nearest train station of Platja de Casteldefells. Even better are the myriad beaches a bit further down the tracks around Sitges, which is only half an hour away from Barcelona, Spain offers over 10 beaches complete with ice-cream parlors, rent able sun-loungers and jet-skis. Costa Dorada ("golden coast"), 1 hour trip by car from Barcelona, Spain (to the south), is the color of gold and luminous sand. Perfect long sandy beaches, a modern promenade closeby, busy shopping street and rich nightlife with pubs, bars and nightclubs. There are also several nice beaches over 4 km long within Barcelona, Spain boundaries, we will list just several of them here: Nova Icaria- Closest to the Olympic marina, always crowded, this wide swathe of rough golden sand is great for food goers. There are three perfect beach bars and two very popular restaurants on the promenade (Mango and Chiringuito de Moncho) and countless bars and restaurants are just a short stroll away. Bogatell- This beach is twice the length of adjoining Nova Icaria and fringed by a stretch of stone walkway perfect for jogging, roller blading and cycling. Three large informal restaurants on the promenade. Mar Bella (Metro Ciutadella Vila Olimpica, plus 20-minute walk)- Barcelona, Spain's only naturist beach close to a peaceful park - good for a picnic or siesta under the trees. Barceloneta- wide and long, a traditional and popular stretch with locals, crowded, noisy and very jolly.

WHEN TO GO, BARCELONA CLIMATE

The best times to trip to Barcelona are late spring and early autumn, when the weather is still comfortably warm, around 21-25°C. Summers are usually hot and humid, with temperatures averaging +30 (+ 86 Fahrenheit). Especially avoid the "dead" month of August, when many shops, bars and restaurants close for the month as many local inhabitants head out of the Barcelona city. Winters are cool with average daytime temperatures around +12 C (+59 Fahrenheit), occasionally rainy.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND

By a direct flight to Barcelona, Spain or through Madrid or via another large European city from almost any major airports in the world. You can save up to 30% by buying a Barcelona vacation package (airfare+hotel+rental car). The highest fares are from May to September, the lowest in March-April, October-November and December to February (excluding Christmas and New Year when prices are hiked up). Note also that flying on weekends may increase your ticket cost. If making a trip to Barcelona, Spain from within Europe you can also chose train, bus or car, though these take much longer than a plane and often work out no cheaper. Many Western Mediterranean cruises include Barcelona, Spain as a port of call. Use Eurail - high speed trains - to get to Barcelona from other European cities. Read more on Eurail on our Transportation Tips page. We recommend you to visit RAILPASS.com web site to book your eurail tickets online at great rates. CITY TRANSPORT: Barcelona has excellent transport system comprising the metro (subway), buses, trains and a network of funiculars and cable cars. You can find a link to transport maps at the end of our guide. On all the city's public transport you can buy a single ticket every time you ride, but even over only a couple of days it's cheaper to buy a targeta - a discount ticket strip. The T-10 targeta is valid for ten separate trips on the Barcelona city metro, buses and trains. These tickets can be used by more than one person at a time.The metro (subway) is the quickest way of getting around Barcelona. For black-and-yellow taxis there is a minimum charge of $ 2 euro. You'll obviously have a great deal more freedom if you rent a car. Major roads throughout the city are generally good, and traffic is generally well behaved, though Spain does have one of the highest incidences of traffic accidents in Europe. It also has some of the lowest fuel prices on the continent. Most foreign driver's licences are honoured in Spain. Speed limits are posted - maximum on urban roads is 50kp/h, on other roads 90kp/h or 100kp/h, on motorways is 120 kp/h. Traffic regulations are rigorously enforced, fines are high.

BARCELONA ACCOMMODATIONS

We can offer you a range of cheap Barcelona, Spain accommodation choices. You can choose vacation rentals in Barcelona starting from $ 125 USD for a double room in a 4-star apartment hotel. Or you can opt for Barcelona hotels from $ 65 USD for a double room in a 3-star hotel. Accommodation prices do not change much throughout the year due to the steady all-season flow of visitors to this extremely popular tourist city and surrounding resorts. 

DINING OPTIONS

One can't talk about a trip to Barcelona, Spain and avoid the dining topic. Besides restaurants you can eat at bars where you would have a succession of tapas (small snacks- three or four chunks of fish, meat or vegetables, or salad, which traditionally used to be served up free with a drink) or raciones (larger ones). The bar option can be a lot more interesting, allowing you to do the rounds and sample local specialities. Generally, the average cost for a meal consisting of two dishes and dessert would come to about 25 Euros. Travellers on an extremely limited budget can do well for themselves by using the excellent markets, bakeries and delis and filling up on sandwiches and snacks. Decent restaurants and cafes are easily found all over Barcelona, Spain, though you'll probably do most of your eating where you do most of your sightseeing, in the old town, particularly around La Rambla and in the Barri Gotic. Look for the best and most authentic seafood restaurants in Barceloneta, a seaside neighbourhood. Gothic Quarter neighbourhood is home to some of the oldest and most traditional restaurants in the city. Gracia is a very popular area among young people during the weekend, it leads the way in terms of exotic restaurants (Lebanese, Egyptian, Thai etc.). Another good sourse: best Barcelona, Spain restaurant reviews.

TRAVEL TIPS

Citizens of the US, Canada, New Zealand, EU countries, including Britain and Ireland, need only a valid passport to enter Spain for up to ninety days. Australians do not need a visa for stays of up to thirty days; for a longer visit (up to ninety days), a visa should be obtained in advance. To stay longer, you need to apply for a permiso de residencia (residence permit) once in Spain. Various youth/student ID cards can save their bearers some money by providing access to special air, rail and bus fares and discounts at museums and other attractions. Almost all the problems tourists in Barcelona, Spain encounter are to do with petty crime - pickpocketing and bag-snatching, so watch your possessions. Working hours for most public services in Catalonia are Monday-Saturday (many shops close on Saturday) from 9:30 pm till 7:30 pm with a siesta (daytime break) from 1:30 pm till 4:30 pm. SHOPPING: Barcelona,Spain, one of the most stylish cities in Europe offers great shopping, from designer clothes and accessories to household items. You will find that a trip to Barcelona, Spain is ideal for buying lot of items, especially if you coincide with the annual sales ("rebaixes" in Spanish) lasting from mid-January until the end of February, and throughout July and August. The best shopping areas in Barcelona, Spain are the old streets off the upper part of the Ramblas. Souvenirs include ceramics, which are widely sold in the streets around the cathedral; leather goods; city's delicatessens, particularly cooked Catalan meats and sausages; a porron (the long-spouted glass drinking jar); CDs and tapes of Catalan rock and pop, sardana music, Spanish rock or flamenco. If you're looking for original gift ideas, some of the best hunting can be found in the shops of any of the city's museums, where you'll find reasonably priced and unique examples of Catalan disseny  (graphic), and other original items ranging from  postcards to replica works of art. 
TravelMake.com offers you a wide selection of travel books, destination guides, information booklets and  atlases available at our online travel store. 

USEFUL LINKS

Transportation Maps - metro (subway), bus, train, taxi and airport information.
Barcelona.com - Online city guide, accomodations in Barcelona, Spain. How to get around, dining places, history, activities, tours,
Barcelona Tourist Guide - Tourist information, restaurants, travel and transportation tips.
Barcelona Travel Guide - Barcelona, Spain city trip tips, advise, travel guides to other major cities of Spain, recommended!
Barcelona Travel Forum - to meet new friends, to find trip companions or accomodation, to read trip reviews.


Detailed map of Barcelona (509 kB, be patient!)