 | Barcelona today Today, Barcelona is one of the most dynamic cities of the European continent and is one of the most attractive places to visit. The second largest city of Spain, it is a major economic center and is home to one of the continent's principal Mediterranean ports. Barcelona today is an important cultural center due to its rich history and the architecture of Antoni Gaudi and Lluis Domenech i Montaner have been designated World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. It is one of the liveliest cities and tourist destinations in the world with some festival always peeking around the corner and one ca |
 | Barcelona Back Then The city has a spotted yet deep history dating back to the 4th century BC. With effects being discovered from several ages and empires, the city has been host to the Visigoths, Romans, Muslim conquerors, and the French. The city is a mixed blend of several cultures which highlights its history. The number of Roman ruins that can be seen in the Museu d'Historia de la Ciutat and the layout of the Barri Gotic, highlight the presence of the Romans somewhere around the early 3rd century. The Cathedral, also known as the Basilica La Seu, is said to have been founded in 343AD, and also highlights tha |
 | Hotel Arts The marriage of New York design with Barcelona money has produced an enormous success called Hotel |  | Hotel Palace (Ritz) Dripping with opulence, style and elegance, the Ritz has maintained the aura of glamour that s |
 | Avenida Palace Nestled among elegant shops and apartment buildings, this hotel is located in the central city |  | Barcelona Hilton The Hilton is located in the middle of one of Barcelona's main financial districts, close to t |
 | Gran Hotel La Florida If exclusivity were to be given a name, this would be it. Set in a fairy tale setting on a hilltop, |  | Constanza Conveniently located within easy walking distance of the shopping, cultural and culinary area of L |
 | El Corte Ingls It is possibly the most famous shop in Barcelona, it is located on Plasa de Catalunya and is a part |  | Habitat A leading furniture store in the city and is great for decorative items designed by British designer | ||||
 | Ritual Ritual is a leading trendy urban/chic oriented fashion store for both men and women.  Jean Pierre Bua | If designer labels are your thing then check out Jean Pierre Bua. Address: Avenida Diagonal, No. 469  Avinguda Diagonal | This stretch is filled with international designer labels such as Calvin Klein (No. 484, Telep  Max Mara | Max Mara has several branches dotted around the city, one of the best is on the Passeig de Gracia |
 | Pasqua Granada The Pasqua Granada is a local religious holiday cum musical procession that is celebrated thro |  | 24th June, Verbena de Sant Joan (St. John's Day) The Saint John's Day brings concerts, dances and fireworks! People gather in the streets and celebra |
 | Holy Week Festivities There are several festivals throughout the week at various venues throughout the city, with singing |  | 24th September, Fiesta de La Merce This event consists of parades, dancing and sporting events at various venues throughout the c |
 | 15th August, Festes de Gracia A religious festival from the Gracia quarter; the residents decorate the streets and party all night |  | Barcelona Marathon The Barcelona Marathon runs throughout the city and passes several of Antoni Gaudi's designs. This |
 | Arc Cafe Arc Cafe is a great little cafe in the Gothic Quarter which is the best place to have some gastronom |  | La Fonda La Fonda offers some of the best traditional Catalan cuisine in the city! La Fonda has a super |
 | Fil Manila The only Filipino restaurant in the city, it's a simple looking restaurant that serves excelle |  | Mama Cafe One of the more stylish restaurants, it has an open kitchen and excellent service! The food is |
 | Jean-Luc Figueras Set up inside a villa, the chef Jean-Luc treats you to a traditional Catalan menu with some customiz |  | Cantina Machito One of the best Mexican restaurants in the city, it is very, very hard to find an empty table |
 | Fast Facts Location Catalunya (Catalonia), Northeast Spain Dialing code Country: 34 City: 93 Emergency numbers General emergencies Telephone: 112 Medical emergencies Telephone: 061 Fire service Telephone: 080 Guardia Urbana (local police) Telephone: 092 Mossos d'Esquadra - Emergencies and traffic accidents Telephone: 088 Policia Nacional Telephone: 091 Guardia Civil police force Telephone: 062 Duty Magistrates Courts (24-hours) Telephone: (93) 567 3140 Population Over 1.6 million Languages Catalan is the native language of the Province and 95% of the population understands it while 75% can speak it, however, Castilian Spanish is the national language of the country. Many people do understand English but natives ‘suddenly’ cease to understand English at cash registers at some shops and establishments. Time zone GMT + 1 Daylight Savings: GMT + 2 (From last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October) Average January temp: 10°C (50°F). |
