The Barcelona Travel Guide

Barcelona is one of the most popular visited cities in Europe with its own unique character and culture. The city is very much alive and offers an array of entertainment from cultured museums, dining in the night, quality beaches, and the Catalan interests.

Traveling to Barcelona
Flying there is easy as the large international airport is only 14kms to the west of the city. Taxis, train and buses are other less popular options.

Brief History of Barcelona
The city of Barcelona came to existence during the Phoenician and Roman periods. History states that the Romans were eventually driven away from the city by the Visigoths. This gave the city the name it holds today making it the focal point of the Catalan Kingdom. The most prestigious moment to come to the city to date was when it hosted the 1992 Olympic Games.

Accommodation
Barcelona is a tourist city and so accommodation options are vast and diverse. Las Ramblas is the main area of the town where many fancy hotels can be found. However, accommodation can be found in the city or closer to the sea in the forms of hotels, guest houses, self-catering apartments, villas and so on.

Shopping
Barcelona has plenty of shopping opportunity. The main area is a set designed retail area that is five kilometres long, starting at Las Ramblas. You will find all you need along that stretch especially if you are into designer clothing. If you are more into shopping malls then head into El Corte Ingles. This is a massive department store located on Placa de Catalunya.

Dining and Drinking
Barcelona is famous for its nightlife and social events. Las Ramblas is the area you should be heading for. It is a late night city where the main bars remain quiet until around midnight when the city really livens up. Food wise, the most popular dish served in restaurants is Paella and Rioja is the tasty special local wine.

City Attractions and Sightseeing
A must see in Barcelona is to head for the Port Vell marina complex at the waterfront. Then stand beneath the statue of Columbus and walk up the world famous street of Las Ramblas. Here you will find yourself in the middle of the cities culture amongst artists, street buskers and many quaint restaurants and cafes. Don’t forget to venture to the Cathedral de la Santa Creu and the grand Placa de Catalunya. Everybody who visits Barcelona must go and see the Sagrada Familia. This is the unfinished beautiful cathedral by the legend Gaudi. As well as the attractions mentioned there are also many museums scattere about the city. Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Salvadore Dali Museum and Joan Miro Exhibition are well worth a check.