Barcelona City Guide - Tourism - Tourist Attractions
Barcelona is an old city, first
built by the Romans, whose accommodations and workshops lie directly
underneath the Plaça del Rei. But it is also a young
city that constantly reinvents itself, a modern, progressive and
forward-looking city that is always up-to-date or even one step
ahead. Barcelona is one of the fastest booming tourist cities in
Europe and certainly in Spain.
Catalonians capital city, Barcelona has lost its status as secret
vacation tip for Spain and as bargain European city break some time
ago. With its eye-catching monuments and buildings the city is a
hot spot for all lovers of extravagant architecture. The visitor
will find avant-garde Designs and high-class museums and a shopping
paradise par excellence. Barcelona shines with its historical old
part of town, innovative restaurants including seafood specialties
and a glamorous night life. Tourists often don’t believe it until
they have arrived in Barcelona how close the beach is. The cities
Mediterranean seaside is situated a 10 minute Metro ride from the
city/metropolis centre.
Manuel Vázquez Montalbán once described Barcelona as “the
most southern city of all capitals of the north and the most northern
city of all capitals of the south“. The mixture of northern efficiency
and southern Mediterranean lifestyle actually describes the character
of Barcelona perfectly. At last the Catalans themselves proudly
point out the cleavage between their national character and the
rest of Spain. Barcelona as the place in Spain where Seny i
Rauxa unite, reason and intoxication.
With this combination of Pragmatisms and passion the Mediterranean
metropolis succeeded in to retain their inheritance of the past
but at the same time consciously maintain creativity and modernity.
Thereby old quarters awake suddenly to completely new life. Only
a few steps of the medieval Palaces of the Barri Gňtic
a multicoloured, international scene of people cavorting in trendy
music bars around the fashionable Passeig del Born. Just next to
the Ramblas lies the el Raval barrio (barrio =
distrinct of Barcelona) which used to have a bad reputation for
thieves and pickpockets but that is a reality that is quickly changing.
With Port Vell, Barcelona has also the
third largest port of the Mediterranean sea and is about to double
its size. In recent years the Port Vell (the old port), has been
reshaped and turned into a 5 Kilometre long promenade with new hotels,
parks, cinemas, leisure centres and beaches. Vacation planners have
again a hard choice to make when selecting their hotel or holiday
apartment.
Special Discounted Barcelona Hotels in Spain this
week!