The town council of Barcelona has pulled out all stops this year to prepare the city for a splendid Christmas 2009 and New Year.
According to a market study conducted with executives of Fortune 500 companies, Barcelona has been voted the European city with the best quality of life for the eigth year in a row, and the fourth preferred European city for business negotiations.
The cagatio of Catalonia
These accolades are well deserved by the present Town Council, as following are some of the 350 finished projects that contributed to these distinctions: Half of the total and large number of proposed public works, all aimed at improving public spaces and amenities, have been finished in time for Christmas.
These include improvements to public spaces; modernisation of public facilities, for example public libraries, squares, new surfaces on streets and pavements; renovation of building façades; an improved and upgraded public spaces cleaning and waste disposal service using only vehicles that run on gas, biodiesel or electricity; amongst many more.
Another important addition to the safety and security of all inhabitants of Barcelona was the completion of a two year program and introduction last month, November 2009, of 750 new policemen and women into the Guàrdia Urbana unit, the urban police. The objective is prevention through a bigger number and presence of police on the streets of the city, with the aid of the latest technological equipment to detect and prevent any conflict at an early stage.
All that is left to do now is enjoy the festive atmosphere of life on and off the streets of Barcelona: the colourful Christmas lights on the streets and avenues and particularly this year see the giant lit up pasta shells in various places in the city, Christmas festivities, Nativity scenes, street theatre, markets, concerts and much more.
Upon landing in Barcelona it is likely that your eyes will be instantly drawn to the array of Antony Gaudi designed buildings, with their spindly towers, colourful mosaics and chimera animals. Indeed, Gaudi’s architecture is instantly recognizable and sits beautifully against the hub of city life and the crystal clear blue skies.
Furthermore, there are many great – and world renowned – art galleries, making Barcelona a bit of a one-stop-shop for famous artistic culture. The Picasso Museum houses the largest array of the artists work anywhere in the world, and the Joan Miro gallery has an eclectic collection of Miro’s work, including paintings, tapestries, sculptures and some early sketches.
However, it is actually when you begin to delve beneath the surface that you get a better taste of what Barcelona culture is really all about. Start peeking behind the curtains of Barcelona life and behind them you will find lots of interesting art fairs and cultural conventions that you otherwise may have completely missed.
Rather than viewing artwork that simply hangs on gallery walls, why not view it in a more unique form at the yearly Tattoo Convention. The exhibition has a vast section showcasing the work of many renowned international tattoo artists. You’ll likely find yourself marvelling at the mind-boggling intricacy of the patterns and hopefully learn a little of the skill and patience that goes into this often underrated art-form.
There are also many popular festivals that celebrate the best of Barcelona culture. It is a flamboyant and expressive city, and both the GEST and ULLS festivals rejoice in this, with their schedules of dance, theatre and music. The GEST festival is particularly interesting for its focus on communication through physical movement and is an example of the interesting and colourful ways Barcelona likes to express itself.
It’s easy to see why Barcelona has quickly becomes a bit of a favourite with holidaymakers looking to expand their cultural knowledge and wanting to go home with some interesting tales to impress their friends with. Each year, many people book flights to Barcelona to explore – or often re-explore – this little cultural haven.
There is also a number of quizzical old historic book markets, where you can pick up rare books, comics and prints or just spend the day browsing the stalls and meeting the locals. And let’s not forget the quaint little ceramic museum that showcases both modern and traditional works, often by local sculptors.
Year after year it just seems to grow into an even more colourful and cultural and city, festivals turn into even bigger spectacles and a number of new festivals emerge. Barcelona is constantly evolving, yet it retains its unique charm and remains one of the Mediterranean’s true gems.
Author: Victoria Cochrane
The information contained within this article is the opinion of the author and is intended purely for information and interest purposes only. It should not be used to make any decisions or take any actions. Any links are included for information purposes only.
Barcelona is one of the most emblematic cities of Europe. Located on the Mediterranean coast, the city of Gaudi offers wonderful sightseeings. You should take a ride on the orange double deckers called “Barcelona Tour” that allow you to go down every time you want and then go up when you want to continue with the rest of your trip.
But for others there is another way to know this Mediterranean city: simply hire a taxi for the day and take you sightseeing Barcelona is much comfortable and personalized service. One thing you should remember if you are a taxi fan: negociate the price before hand. They normally have credit card terminals and GPS and most of them render a very good and serious service.
Once you had your general tour of the “ciutat condal”, Barcelona denomination originated in the Count Of Barcelona, you should definitely visit Las Ramblas, the boulevard that ends into the old port, by the sea where Columbus statue awaits with the finger pointed to the “Americas”, though not quite giving the orientation as in fact he is pointing to Africa. Let’s forget that one to the City Hall clerks in charged with the placement of Christopher Columbus monument. But anyhow, the symbolistic of his gesture is there. In the same square the naval museum is worth visit, they have impressive ships from Medieval period “caravelas” as well as an interesting and ancient map collection.
Then, there are the masterpieces of Gaudi and I must tell you they are impressive as if they were alive, somehow, especially the one called “La Pedrera” but I particularly like Batll House and one of his earlier works: Vicens House that is not located in the centre of Barcelona. And of course, Sagrada Familia that should not be missed.
The Catholic Cathedral in Barcelona is gorgeous though they are in the middle of restauration process but even so, it is worth visit. It has a pleasant interior patio, with a beautiful garden and from there you can lose yourself on the narrow streets of the Medieval barrio of Barcelona, which is absolutely amazing. The architecture is well-preserved and you can admire the bolts and passages suspended in the air from one building to another, near the Cathedral’s wright wing. And if you follow the street, eventually, on your wright, you’ll find the beautiful Sant Jaume Square where you can see the “Palau de la Generalitat”, which is the Government of Catalonia, very distinguished and elegant building.
For those of you who are in mood for the new Barcelona, don’t miss the Barrio Olmpic or with the new sea port built for the ‘92 Olympics where you can admire the modern skyscrapers of the financial area of Barcelona. Near the port you will have a wide variety of restaurants to ease your hungry after such a marathon. Their specialities are fish and meat dishes but not only. My advice is to try and avoid paella if it’s not a rice-specialized restaurant because otherwise you would be very disappointed of this dish. It’a a great food, but only few restaurants will cook it properly outside Valencia, which is the original region for paella.
You shoud visit also the Gardens near the Catalonian Regional Parliament and check with any Tourist Information Office (you can find them in every important square or monument) the days when you can actually go and visit the inside of the Parliament because it is definitely worth it.
Not to try in Barcelona: Jamn. The famous Spanish ham is not something one can taste so up north of the country, it will be expensive and not good, so stay away. If you really insist on eating jamon, though, it’s best you go the “El Corte Ingls Supermarket” and buy it there. Take into account that in order to be a decent ham, it should cost an average of 80-90 euros per kilogram. Anything under, is pure raw meat and I would not recommend it to anyone. Gazpacho. Again this cold soup is not from this part of the country. The original gazpacho is a cold soup made of tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, fresh green pepper, salt and water, nothing less. They sometimes add a piece of onion too. Anything that hasn’t all these ingredients, is something else, but not Gazpacho.
What your should try: Fish, cooked in many ways, from grilled to steamed or cooked in the oven with fresh vegetable, rices or covered in a garlic mouseline (a fine cover of garlic mayonnaise) it’s delicious. Can Mauri: is a place which I call the Gourmet Cathedral of Barcelona. You can have, breakfast and lunch and take away many exquisite both traditional and innovative dishes and never leave this place. The pastry and the desserts are also a piece of art at Can Mauri and they have a very curious and ancient way of serving customers which is based on trust. Don’t forget the adress is Rambla de Catalunya 102!
There are many other things to say but I plan on doing it on further articles dedicated to this superb city. If you haven’t planned your voyage yet, check the hotels there and book it in advance because in Barcelona things can get quite difficult when it comes to accommodation and not only in summer time.
Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter or Barri Gotic is a wonderful part of the city. It is the true ancient heart of Barcelona and parts of it date back to Roman times – with the ancient Roman streets still to be seen in an underground museum.
The Gothic Quarter of Barcelona – known to the locals as the Barri Gotic is the true center of old Barcelona. The site was chosen by invading Roman armies about two thousand years ago to found a new town or colony. It has been the administrative center of Barcelona ever since. It remains a popular part of this bustling city – both with locals and tourists alike.
Barcelona’s old Roman forum was on the same site that was later occupied by the ancient parliament of Catalonia and – later still – by the modern town hall. Not far away stand the amazing Gothic cathedral and the royal palace – the scene of the welcome home party for Christopher Columbus as he returned from the new world in 1492. You can find the monument erected to mark his success at the other end of Las Ramblas – down by the beach.
The cathedral is a largely medieval building with a nineteenth century facade and spire. Its treasures include ancient Catalan paintings and dramatic carved Gothic cloisters and choir stalls. The martyred Saint Eulalia lies beneath the main altar and the whole building is full of drama and color.
Barcelona’s town hall was first built in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The famous statue of The Three Gypsy Boys stands in the entrance hall and the building has retained many of its historic features – both internally and externally.
Nearby stands the Palau de la Generalitat – the Catalan parliament building. This building has superb Gothic features including an ancient chapel and a stone staircase that rises to a high arcaded gallery.
You can still see parts of the old Roman city wall and the cities historical archives are to be found in the Archdeacons house or Casa de L’Ardiaca – an ancient building standing right on the roman wall.
Other Gothic Quarter highlights are the museum dedicated to Frederic Mares and the Museu d’Historia de la Ciutat. The latter houses the most extensive – and most impressive – underground Roman ruins in the world. If you visit then you can see and walk the streets of Roman Barcelona – and visit an exhibition dedicated to how the city grew in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter is also popular for its restaurants and bars – and there are a number of apartments to rent for tourists and locals alike.
The Barri Gotic lies just off Las Ramblas – one of the world’s most famous streets. A stroll down it with its tree shaded central area lets you walk all the way to the seafront beach area – taking in the shops, cafes and mansions as you go. The name Las Ramblas or Les Rambles in Catalan comes from the Arab word Ramla – which means the dried up bed of a seasonal river.
The Gothic Quarter of Barcelona is a great place to spend a day – just enjoy the atmosphere and feel the mingle of modern and ancient history before settling down for Tapas and wine in one of the many small bistro style restaurants nearby.
Gothic Quarter Apartment in Barcelona
The Barri Gotic or Gothic Quarter of Barcelona is the perfect place to rent an apartment for either a short or a longer stay.
High spirits and vitality govern in abundance when in Barcelona. This infectious capital of Catalonia, and second largest city in Spain, exudes soul and energy, living life to the full. Barcelona’s verve is matched by its magnificent architecture, characterised by one man’s signature, Antonio Gaudi.
1. Las Ramblas
Running from seafront through to Placa de Catalunya, Las Ramblas is a fusion of market stalls and street entertainment. Watch out for the mime artists, though keep a hand on your wallet.
2. Sagrada Familia Church
In progress since 1882, La Sagrada Familia is perhaps Antonio Gaudi’s most magnificent achievement. As yet unfinished, the ongoing construction of this gothic masterpiece is financed through tourism.
3. Picasso Museum
Born in Malaga, Pablo Picasso moved to Barcelona during his teen years. Though many of his greatest works are in private hands, the Picasso Museum on the Carrer Moncada is well worth a visit.
4. Casa-Museu Gaudi
A pink, Alice-in-Wonderland house is the setting for the Gaudi museum. Gaudi lived in this surreal location between 1906 and 1926 with his niece. Exhibits in the museum include furniture, drawings and portraits designed by the great man himself.
5. The Poble Espanyol
Completed in 1929, the ‘Spanish Village’ is a compilation of buildings representing the collective architectural characteristics of Spain. A celebration of all things Spanish, the village has become a gathering place to dine and be entertained.
6. Bishop’s Palace
After being destroyed by fire, Bishop Juan Bautista Grau i Vallespins commissioned Antonio Gaudi to design a new, more magnificent palace in 1887. Upon the bishop’s death, and consequent interference from the diocese, Gaudi abandoned the project. It was not inhabited until 1961.
7. Gothic Quarter
On the site of an ancient Roman village, the Gothic Quarter is a contrast of contemporary and medieval architecture, incorporating the magnificent 14th century cathedral.
8. Olympic Stadium
During 1992, the eyes of the world focused on the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona as they hosted the Olympic Games. Today a popular athletics facility, the stadium was a redesigned version of the original built in 1929.
9. Passeig de Gracia
As one of the major shopping areas of Barcelona, Passeig de Gracia caters for the modest, and also those who prefer the more sophisticated boutiques. Bars and restaurants also line the thoroughfare.
10. Lover’s Day
On behalf of those looking for romance, Barcelona obliges with its own version of St Valentines, known as Lover’s Day, celebrated every April 23rd.
About The Author
Steven Cronin owns the City Breaks website featuring city break special offers from luxury hotels to budget accommodations. For more information please visit http://www.sargas.co.uk.
New Year.
