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Barcelona

Originally founded as a Roman city, Barcelona is the capital city of Catalunya and also the second largest city in Spain, after the capital city of Madrid. The city enjoys an enviable location on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea between the rivers Besòs and Llobregat. The unique location of Barcelona allows you to have the best of both worlds when on holiday, as you can enjoy all the activities associated with the bustling metropolitan city as well as those usually associated with a seaside resort.

Barcelona has one of the richest cultural heritages of all European cities, which undoubtedly also contributes to the number of visitors who flock to the area every year. Barcelona is the fourth most visited city in Europe, and after you have spent a few days in this culturally-rich capital you will soon understand why.

Things to do and places to visit in Barcelona

Rather than thinking of Barcelona as one large city, it is somewhat more accurate to consider it more as a collection of diverse smaller cities grouped into one. Barcelona is a curious mix of historical buildings combined with extremely modern state of the art structures. Just walking around the maze of narrow streets or the grid layout of areas like the Diagonal and Eixample, is enough to keep you interested and occupied for your entire holiday regardless of how long you are staying in the city.

A good place to start your tour of Barcelona is in the Plaza Catalunya, a large open area that is bordered by prestigious shops and restaurants such as a El Corte Ingles, a huge FNAC that sells all types of computer equipment and other electronics, and the Barcelona Hard Rock Café. The Plaza Catalunya is situated at the top of Las Ramblas, possibly Barcelona's most famous street, where you will find many unique shops, bars and restaurants. You will also be greatly entertained by the innovative human statues that are lined along the length of Las Ramblas.

At the lower end of Las Ramblas is Barcelona harbour, and a bridge that crosses the sea to link an area known as Maremagnum with the Ramblas. The harbour is easy to spot due to a 60 metre, or 197 ft tall monument to Christopher Columbus that towers above the surrounding buildings.

A walk over the bridge will take you to Maremagnum, a fantastic harbourside shopping area that has hundreds of shops, food outlets and several top-class restaurants selling freshly caught seafood from the harbour. The centre also has 12 cinemas and is a popular spot at night among young people, due to an inordinately diverse selection of pubs and discotheques to suit all musical tastes.

The Barcelona aquarium is conveniently situated next to the Maremagnum. This is the largest aquarium in Europe, and home to many species of Mediterranean fish, water flowers, and invertabrates that are typically found along this stretch of coast.

Gaudi was an architect and figurehead of Catalan Modernism, and many of the beautiful buildings of Barcelona are Gaudi's work. Perhaps his most famous work was the Sagrada Familia, a huge Basilica that is one of Barcelona's most visited tourist attractions although it is not yet finished.

The Gaudi Casa is located in the Parc Güell, a resplendent city park not far from Barcelona harbour. The house almost looks like something out of a fairy tale with its rounded pink and white facade. Gaudi lived in this house for around 20 years, but it is now a museum dedicated to this architectural genius and his work. The museum is open to the public every day for around eight hours during the winter months and 10 hours in the summer.

Picasso is another famous artist who spent many of his formative years in Barcelona. The Museu Picasso can be found in the Carrer de la Princesa, a fascinating street that features many mediaeval buildings. The Picasso Museum in Barcelona has many of his early pieces of work on display and should not be missed if you are at all interested in art.

For nightlife you are spoilt for choice in Barcelona as apart from numerous bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs all over the city, Barcelona is also a choice destination for many world-class musical artists of all genres. Concerts are held in various locations across the city, and tickets can be bought online, or from designated outlets such as the FNAC in the Plaza Catalunya.

How to get to Barcelona from the Airport

The city of Barcelona is located just 20 minutes from Barcelona airport. You have the choice of catching a shuttle bus, regular city transport, a train, or a taxi into the centre of town. Regardless what time you arrive in Barcelona airport you will find there is available transport.

Barcelona Weather

Barcelona temperatures typically reach around 28°C to 30°C during the hottest months of July and August. Because the city is located on the coast with many kilometres of beautiful beaches, it is not as difficult to cool down during the warmer months as it is in inland cities. Winters in this part of Spain can be relatively cool compared to more southern parts of Spain such as the Costa Del Sol, and daytime temperatures are generally around 13°C during the colder months of December to February. Rain in the summer is unusual, but if you're travelling to Barcelona in the winter you are advised to be prepared for cool nights and possible rainy weather