More about Barcelona
Sprawled between the beaches of the Mediterranean and the hills of Montjuïc, Barcelona is a city whose personality bursts at every natural seam. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities, and is on the north-eastern coast of the Iberian peninsula. Barcelona is also known as the country’s most progressive city, always on the cutting-edge of European art, fashion and cuisine. The city has a population of nearly 2 million inhabitants, but this number spirals to more than 4 million if the outlying areas are also included.
If there ever were a city to be defined as “cosmopolitan,” it would be Barcelona. The city has been a vital Mediterranean port for centuries. Just spend a sunny afternoon hanging your feet off the docks of Port Vell and you’ll immediately notice the diversity of nationalities, cultures, ethnicities and languages that Barcelona encompasses.
The Catalan people speak two official tongues –Catalan and Spanish. Aesthetically speaking, Barcelona is quite innovative and intriguing. Its beautifully preserved Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic) contains an impressive concentration of medieval buildings within the former confines of 4th century Roman walls. While this neighbourhood signals the height of Barcelona's prosperity in the 13th to 15th centuries, the Art Nouveau structures of the Eixample area manifest the city’s 19th century affluence and industrial success. Here, the masters of Catalan modernism – most notably and prolifically Antoni Gaudí - constructed houses, parks and churches characterized by undulating, colourful, experimental forms that rejected the rigid neoclassicism so popular in the earlier half of the century.
To tie it all together, Barcelona has its beloved Ramblas, a bustling street with a plethora of restaurants, cafes and shops that diagonally traverses the old part of town. Strolling up this avenue will lead you away from the sea and winding cobblestone streets of the old part of town to the wide boulevards of L'Eixample. The Ramblas is the heart of Barcelona, its most populated area at any given hour and the first stop for every visitor.
As if Barcelona’s exterior facades and buildings weren’t fascinating enough, visitors can also head indoors and see some of the finest museums that Europe has to offer. There are specific ones dedicated to the works of Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró, along with the more general Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, which boasts amazing examples of Romanesque and Gothic painting. Add to these monthly film festivals, special exhibits and concerts and you’ll soon realize that it’s impossible to be bored in this city, especially since you will be working in lab most of the time!
If there ever were a city to be defined as “cosmopolitan,” it would be Barcelona. The city has been a vital Mediterranean port for centuries. Just spend a sunny afternoon hanging your feet off the docks of Port Vell and you’ll immediately notice the diversity of nationalities, cultures, ethnicities and languages that Barcelona encompasses.
The Catalan people speak two official tongues –Catalan and Spanish. Aesthetically speaking, Barcelona is quite innovative and intriguing. Its beautifully preserved Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic) contains an impressive concentration of medieval buildings within the former confines of 4th century Roman walls. While this neighbourhood signals the height of Barcelona's prosperity in the 13th to 15th centuries, the Art Nouveau structures of the Eixample area manifest the city’s 19th century affluence and industrial success. Here, the masters of Catalan modernism – most notably and prolifically Antoni Gaudí - constructed houses, parks and churches characterized by undulating, colourful, experimental forms that rejected the rigid neoclassicism so popular in the earlier half of the century.
To tie it all together, Barcelona has its beloved Ramblas, a bustling street with a plethora of restaurants, cafes and shops that diagonally traverses the old part of town. Strolling up this avenue will lead you away from the sea and winding cobblestone streets of the old part of town to the wide boulevards of L'Eixample. The Ramblas is the heart of Barcelona, its most populated area at any given hour and the first stop for every visitor.
As if Barcelona’s exterior facades and buildings weren’t fascinating enough, visitors can also head indoors and see some of the finest museums that Europe has to offer. There are specific ones dedicated to the works of Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró, along with the more general Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, which boasts amazing examples of Romanesque and Gothic painting. Add to these monthly film festivals, special exhibits and concerts and you’ll soon realize that it’s impossible to be bored in this city, especially since you will be working in lab most of the time!
Useful links
The city
Barcelona City Council
Barcelona Tourist Office
Transport
Metropolitan Transport of Barcelona
Tram
Trains of the Government of Catalonia
Renfe (Spanish Railway Company)
Taxis