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| About Barcelona |
Barcelona Airport
Transfers |
| Barcelona's El Prat
airport lies some 12km south-west of the city. There are plenty
of options for transferring between the airport and the city centre
as well as to all other destinations.
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Airport Bus |
The A1 Aerobús
service runs every 15 minutes from the airport to Plaça
de Catalunya via Plaça d'Espanya. The trip is about 40
minutes and costs €3.30. Suburban buses EA and EN leave every
90 minutes for Plaça d'Espanya; they take about 50 minutes
and cost €1. |
Local Trains |
Rodalies (Cercanías)
train line 1 runs between the airport (zone 4) and centre of town
(zone 1). The trip costs about € 2.15. Trains run daily every
30 minutes from 6:13am to 11:15pm. It takes about 17 minutes to
reach Estació Sants and 23 minutes to Catalunya station
which both connect to the Metro. Plaza Catalunya station is much
more central than Sants. |
Taxis |
There is never a shortage
of taxis available to/from the centre. It's a half-hour ride and
should cost about € 20. Make sure the meter is on at the
start of the journey but be prepared for an airport levy which
is usually about 5 euro and they will charge you for luggage.
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Barcelona |
In its fantastic position
on the northeastern coast of the Iberian peninsula and the shores
of the Mediterranean, Barcelona is the second largest city in
Spain in both size and population. It is also the capital of Catalonia,
1 of the 17 Autonomous Communities that make up Spain.
Barcelona offers a unique opportunity for the tourist to explore
on foot. Easily walk from the Roman remains to the medieval city,
and then to the modern city with its open thoroughfares and grid-iron
street pattern. The historic city center is fairly flat, while
the modern city fans out towards the surrounding hills, bordered
by steep streets.
A notable feature is Les Rambles, a boulevard that
runs from the city center to the waterfront, thronged with crowds
until late at night and lined by florists, bird sellers in the
higher part, craft sellers in the lowest, street entertainers,
cafeterias, and restaurants. Walking along Les Rambles one can
see the world-famous opera house El Liceu, the food market of
La Boqueria and the Plaça Reial (literally Royal square),
with its arches and palm trees, amongst other interesting buildings.
There's also a Wax Museum near the end. It is also worth keeping
an eye out for pickpockets, for whom the boulevard is a favourite
haunt and the unsuspecting tourist is the usual victim.
Les Rambles ends at the old harbour, where a statue of Christopher
Columbus points eastwards across the Mediterranean Sea to his
birth place of Genoa.
Next to it is the Museu Marítim (naval museum),
which chronicles the history of life on the Mediterranean, including
a full-scale model of a galley. The buildings of the museum are
the medieval Drassanes (shipyards), where the ships which sailed
the Mediterranean were built.
The old harbour offers all kinds of other amenities, including
the second largest aquarium in the Mediterranean area and an IMAX
cinema.
To the north of downtown is the Parc de la Ciutadella, which includes
both the Parlament de Catalunya (Catalan Parliament) and the Parc
Zoològic de Barcelona (zoo). One of Barcelona's most famous
residents, the late albino gorilla Copito de Nieve ("Snowflake"),
lived and died recently at the zoo. The park also contains science
museums, like the zoology museum, housed in a modernist building. |
Modernist architecture |
The Sagrada Família church |
Outstanding is
the legacy of architect Antoni Gaudí, who lived and
worked in Barcelona, and who left several famous works like
the Palau Güell in the city's old center, the Parc
Güell at the northern tip of Gràcia, and the
immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família,
which has been under construction since 1882, financed by
popular donations like the cathedrals in the Middle Ages
(However, it is not a cathedral: the cathedral of Barcelona
is the Cathedral of Santa Eulàlia, a Gothic building
of the late Middle Ages). The Sagrada Família is
billed for completion in 2020.
Another very notable modernist building in the older part
of the city is the Palau de la Música Catalana, designed
by Lluís Domènech i Montaner and built in
1908.
In the modern districts of the city are several avenues
on which most of the international merchants offering clothing,
jewelry, leather goods and other items have their stores.
The most elegant avenue is the Passeig de Gràcia,
where two Gaudí buildings are situated, the Casa
Milà (La Pedrera) and the Casa Batlló, along
with buildings by other famous modernista architects: Casa
Ametller by Josep Puig i Cadafalch and Casa Lleó
Morera by Domènech i Montaner. Several of these buildings
and indeed the Sagrada Familia church itself are threatened
by Mayor Clos' plans to build a large railway tunnel for
high-speed trains under the city's shaky 19th century foundations.
In recent years, office developments along Passeig de Gràcia
have been allowed to break up the architectural unity of
the 19th and early 20th century buildings lining the avenue
- a process which shows no signs of slackening. |
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Museums |
Art visits include the
museum of the Fundació Joan Miró,hi where several
paintings and sculptures of this artist are shown, together with
guest exhibitions from other museums around the world. There is
also a unique museum featuring the lesser known works of Pablo
Picasso from his earlier period. The National Museum of Art of
Catalonia (in the Palau Nacional left behind by the 1929 Ibero-American
Exposition) possesses a well-known collection of Romanesque art,
including wall-paintings of Romanesque churches and chapels around
Catalonia that have been transferred to the museum. The Contemporary
Art Museum is also worth a visit, not only because of its paintings
and sculptures, but because of its architecture. The building
was designed by the American architect Richard Meier. The Fundació
Antoni Tàpies holds a collection of Tàpies works.
Visitors should note that the opening times of Barcelona's museums
vary considerably and are often highly inconvenient; careful planning
is recommended to avoid wasted trips. |
Montjuic and Tibidabo |
For spectacular views
over the city and the coast line there are two hills. One, Montjuïc
hill, is next to the harbour and perched above a large container
terminal. On its top is an old fortress which used to guard the
entrance to the port. Around the hill are a group of installations
known as the "olympic ring" and that were the heart
of the 1992 summer olympics: the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium
(originally built in 1929 but completely refurbished for the 1992
olympics), the Palau Sant Jordi (a multi-purpose installation
designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, used primarily for
all kinds of indoor sport events but also for concerts and other
cultural activities) and the Bernat Picornell Pools. On the way
down, there could be found the Botanical Gardens and the Costa
i Llobera gardens, with an unique cactus collection.
Uptown is the hill of the Tibidabo, 512 meters high, with an amusement
park (which, after a long economic struggle, now belongs to the
city council) and a monumental church on its summit. The church
mosaics provide a curious example of the religious art style much
in vogue during the dictatorship. There's also the Torre de Collserola,
a telecommunications tower designed by Norman Foster which also
has a windowed balcony with a great view over the city. |
Sports |
Barcelona is the home
city of two internationally-known football teams: FC Barcelona,
also known as Barça, who play at the 100,000 capacity Camp
Nou stadium, and RCD Espanyol, who play at the 56,000 capacity
Olympic Stadium. FC Barcelona has also internationally known basketball
and handball teams that play at the Palau Blaugrana, situated
in the same complex as the Camp Nou.
Near Barcelona, in Montmeló, the Circuit de Catalunya racetrack
hosts the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix. |
Academia |
In addition to the University
of Barcelona, the city is home to the Universitat Pompeu Fabra,
the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the Technical University
of Catalonia, the Ramon Llull University and the International
University of Catalonia. |
World Heritage Sites
in Barcelona |
UNESCO World Heritage
Sites in Barcelona: |
- Casa Milà (La Pedrera)
- Hospital de Sant Pau
- Palau Güell
- Palau de la Música Catalana
- Parc Güell
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Transportation |
In addition to its port,
of great historical and contemporary commercial importance, Barcelona
is served by El Prat International Airport ('El Prat') in the
town of El Prat de Llobregat.
Barcelona is a hub for RENFE, the Spanish state railway network,
and its main suburban train station is Sants-Estació (which
is under renovation and enlargement at present in order to prepare
for the arrival of the AVE system). The AVE high-speed rail system
was recently extended from Madrid to Lleida in western Catalonia,
and is expected to reach Barcelona by 2007. Renfe and the Ferrocarrils
de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) run Barcelona's widespread
commuter train service. Barcelona's transit company, Transports
Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), runs the Barcelona Metro system
and city bus. Barcelona has recently adopted another transport
option with two new tram lines known as Trambaix and Trambesòs. |
Parks |
Plaça d'Espanya with fountains in front |
Barcelona, with its mild
weather and dense medieval centre, is renowned for its parks and
open spaces. Besides the beaches, the Rambles and Parc Güell
are the most famous of these. See above for a description of the
Rambles. See separate article on Parc Güell (1914), the large
fantastical park designed by Antoni Gaudí for a housing
estate and opened to the public in 1922.
The site of the Barcelona International Exhibition in 1929 and
1930, the Parc de Montjuïc was laid out by engineer Jean
C. N. Forestier and architect Nicolas M. Rubio Tuduri. It is chiefly
notable now for the cultural institutions that use the former
palaces and exposition buildings. The German Pavilion, a landmark
of modern architecture designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for
this Exhibition was exhaustively reconstructed on its original
site in 1986. Montjuïc Stadium was renovated and expanded
by Vittorio Gregotti for the 1992 Olympic Games.
In 1983 the Plaça dels Països Catalans in front of
the Sants railway station was redesigned by Helio Piñon
Pallares and Albert Vaiplana Vea in pink granite paving with an
undulating metal pergola and various hard furnishings that have
become popular with skateboarders. At the same time, the neighboring
Vapor Nou factory, was converted into the Parc de la Espanya Industrial
for public recreation. This park, designed by Luis Peña
Ganchegui and Francesc Rius Camps and completed in 1985 integrated
the industrial shapes of the site with a dominant water feature
and displays of sculpture.
Since 1983 a formal program of park creation has been carried
out by the Mancomunitat de Municipis de l'Àrea Metropolitana
de Barcelona. The purpose of this program has been to reclaim
space for the public which is threatened either by neglect or
overdevelopment. Typically these new parks are carefully designed
by architects, planners and landscape architects concerned not
just with functional elements, but also with the unique characteristics
of the site and its position in a layered understanding of the
city. Though the budgets may be small, the level of ingenuity
and care in design and implementation is often very high. |
Some examples (note that
many are not in Barcelona per se but on its metro area): |
- Carrer Brasil, 1996, Olga Tarraso and Jordi Hernrich. A
ramble built over parking spaces.
- Parc del Torrent Ballesters (Viladecans), 1997, Arturo
Frediani/SOB Associates. The design recaptures the pattern
of agricultural use using beds of flowering plants. Trees
and a pool strengthen the sensual escape from the surrounding
city.
- Parc de Canserra (Barberà del Vallès), 1996,
Studio BCQ
- Parc de Torrent Congost (Granollers), 1996, Enric Battle
and Joan Roig. A narrow linear park defined by hedge walls
and a grid of trees on the bank of the Congost River.
- Upgrading of Parc de Torreblanca, the historical site of
an urban farm.
- Fontsana, Sant Joan Despí on the site of a former
refuse dump.
- Parc del Besós, La Mina housing estate
- Parc de les Planes, located at the boundary of three districts.
- Parc del Litoral, at the mouth of the River Besos
- Parc de la Creueta del Coll, 1987, Oriol Bohigas, Josep
Martorell, David Mackay, architects. Once a quarry, now boasts
an artificial lake that converts to public swimming pool in
summer, and magnificent statue by Basque artist Eduardo Chillida.
- Parc Nou del Prat, on the Llobregat delta, adjoining Sant
Cosme and the airport
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This program of planned
parks is often among the civic improvements for which the city
actively seeks international events as spurs for redevelopment.
For example, the upgrades to Montjuïc and the seaside industrial
areas for the 1992 Olympic Games were accompanied by the building
of recreational facilities in other parts of the city lacking
development. One notable site is the Vall d'Hebron, a deep ravine
in the foothills of the Collserola range north of the city. The
urban design by Eduard Bru created a terraced sequence of belvedere-like
platforms with views of the city. |
Crime |
Barcelona, like other
big cities, has a large number of criminals who mainly prey on
tourists. They usually work in groups whereby the victim is distracted
by one party while being robbed by another party. Many pickpockets
are known to the police and some have been arrested hundreds of
times only to be released once the police have filled in a report.
Stealing money or goods worth less than about $360 without the
use or threat of violence is classified as hurto or petty theft
under Spanish law and is treated as a minor misdemeanor no matter
how many times it is repeated. The problem is compounded by the
few policemen "walking the beat" in Barcelona, even
though the city has one of the highest police to citizen ratios
in Europe. Areas where one should be particularly careful are
the Barri Gòtic, El Raval, and the Ramblas. Internet cafes
are a popular target in general. It is not uncommon for thieves
to cut bags and backpack straps. Mobile phone theft is also a
popular petty theft crime when tourists leave their phones on
tabletops. |
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