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Barcelona - culture and travel guide

Page history last edited by Brian D Butler 13 years ago

see also:

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Table of Contents:


 

Barcelona

 

What are the essentials that a tourist with 3-5 days in the city should know?

 

 

Brief history:

 

 

 

Top Attractions:

 

some of my favorite places in Barcelona (in awesome 360' photos)...

 

 

10-15 top attractions:

 

Attraction #1- Las Ramblas

  

One of, if not THE, most popular street in Barcelona!  Many people feel you cannot say you have been to Barcelona unless you have been to this place and famous Spanish poet Federico Lorca has been quoted saying it is 'the only street in the world which I wish would never end'.  Las Ramblas is a tourist-heavy 1.2km promanade in the heart of the city filled with shops, entertainment, restaurants, and the amazing culture of the city.  At night, the stretch is filled with tourists experiencing the best in Barcelona nightlife with a variety of Clubs, Bars, and Pubs playing everything from Techno to Salsa! DEFINITELY a place to include in your stay!

 

 

  

Attraction # 2- The Magic Fountain of Montjuic

One of the most beautiful displays of water, light, music, and ingenuity in the world!  The Magic Fountain was first created in 1929 by Carles Buigas as a means to add a special touch to the 1929 Barcelona Universal Exhibition and to use light in it's newly discovered creative art form at the time.  The Magic Fountain is a cost-effective (FREE) magnet for tourist attention attracting over 2.5 million visitors per year! Do not miss out on this beautiful display of design! 

  

Attraction #3- Maremagnum- Waterside Mall

 

The popular seaside tourist commercial shopping destination.  With tons of elite shops, bars, and restaurants, Maremagnum also offers a multiplex cinema, IMAX Theater, and Europe's largest aquarium!  At night, this place, located where Las Ramblas meets the sea, is bustling with tourists and locals enjoying the most exciting dance music by the sea.  

  

   In the heat of the sun people just wading by the w 

  

  

Attraction # 4-La Sagrada Familia- The Church of the Holy Family

  

Unfinished Roman Catholic Church designed in  by Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi, famous for his unique style that stood out during the Modernisme (Art Nouveau) Catalan cultural movement period.  The church is scheduled to be completed in 2026, the centennial mark of Gaudi's death.  The church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI as of November 2010.  One of Barcelona's most popular tourist destination sites. 

 Attraction #5- L'Aquarium Barcelona

One of the biggest aqauriums in Europe and one of the most important leisure and education centers in the world concerning the Mediterranean Sea and it's life.  As stated on the website, the Aquairum has ";a series of 35 tanks, 11,000 animals and 450 different species, an underwater tunnel 80 metres long, six million litres of water and an immense Oceanarium, the only one in Europe, turn this centre into a unique, reference leisure show that has already been visited by more than 14 million people."; (Cite: http://www.aquariumbcn.com/AQUARIUM/index.php)

 

 

Attraction #6- Placia Reial (Plaza Real)

Designed by Gaudi, this place is an essential stop during your tourist rounds. With beautiful palm trees lining the area, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, and many people to socialize with, The Placia Reial is nice place to go to enjoy the city.



 

Attraction #7- Picasso Musem

Housing a plethora of Picasso's paintings from the beginning of his careeer to the very end, this stop is an essential stop for any art lover or anyone interested in beautiful things.

 

Attraction #8- Barcelona Zoo

With a wide range of beautiful and exotic animals to display, the Barcelona Zoo is a lovely attraction to visit while in Barcelona.

 

 

Attraction #9- Park Guell

Situated on the Hill of el Camel in the Garcia district, this attraction is a Guadi -designed garden complex builte between 1900-1914.  Honored by the UNESCO World Heritage Site as "Works of Antoni Gaudi."

 

Attraction #10- Tablao de Carmen

Located in the Poble Espanyol, this place offers an insight into the spicy and passionate Flamenco dance! If you are looking to splurge a bit (31 Euros) you will be rewarded with a 1.5 - 2.0 Hour show, free drinks, and a wonderful display of dance and culture.

 

 

 

Attraction #11- The National Art Museum of Catalonia

Built for the 1929 World Fair, this attraction is housed in the Palau Nacional on Montjuic Hill, and hosts some of the most beautiful pieces representative of Catalonia. A MUST-SEE on your tourist stop.

 

 

Attraction #12

 

Attraction #13

 

Attraction #14

 

Attraction #15

 

 

 

If you only see 1 thing... what should it be?

 

 

Language :

Tip: Learn to say ";please";, ";thank you";, and ";can we speak english please"; in each language. It helps with everything. (tip from Patrick W, of FN Summer '10)

 

Barcelona is the capital of Catalunya, therefore, the two languages widely spoken in Barcelona are Spanish and Catalan.  While English is heavily spoken in the tourist-heavy parts of the city, outside of those areas mostly only Spanish and Catalan are spoken exclusively.  Below are useful phrases translated from English into both Spanish and Catalan that will be useful to you as you travel in the city:

 

English: Hello -->; Spanish: Hola -->; Catalan: Hola

 

English: Good Bye -->; Spanish: Adios -->; Catalan: Fins Ara!

 

English: What Is Your Name? -->; Spanish: Como te llamas?  Catalan: Com es diu?

 

English: My Name is... -->; Spanish: Me llamo -->; Catalan: Em dic

 

English: Where Is...? -->; Spanish: ¿Donde esta...? -->; Catalan: On és...?

 

English: Yes/ No/ Please/ Thank You -->; Spanish: Si/no, por favor/gracias -->; Catalan: Sí/no, si us plau/gràcies

 

English: I Dont Understand -->; Spanish: No entiendo -->; Catalan: No ho entenc

 

English: Do You Speak English? -->; Spanish: ¿Hablas inglés? -->; Catalan: Parles anglès?

 

English: I Dont Speak -->; Spanish: no hablo español -->; Catalan: No Parlo el catala

 

English: How Much Is This? -->; Spanish: ¿Cuanto cuesta esto? -->; Catalan: Quant costa això?

 

English: Excuse Me -->; Spanish: Discuple -->; Catalan: Dispensi

 

English: I Need Help -->; Spanish: Yo necesito ayuda -->;   Catalan: Necessito la teva ajuda

 

English: What Time Is It? -->; Spanish: Que hora es -->; Catalan:  moment en què es

 

English: Where Am I? -->; Spanish: ¿Dónde están yo?  -->; Catalan: On soc

 

English: Nice to Meet You -->; Spanish: Mucho Gusto -->; Catalan: Molt de gust

 

English: I'm Sorry -->; Spanish: lo siento -->; Catalan: Ho sento

 

English: How Are You? -->; Spanish: ¿Cómo estás? -->; Catalan: Com esta?

 

English: I Need a Doctor -->;  Spanish: Necesito a un doctor-->; Catalan:  Necessito un metge

 

English: Where is the Toilet? -->; Spanish: ¿Dónde está el baño? --> Catalan:  On és el lavabo?

 

English: Good Luck! -->; Spanish: Buena suerte  Catalan: Bona sort! Molta sort!

 

I hope this helps you in your communications in Barcelona! Have a GREAT Trip! :-)

 

 

 

Foods & Drinks:

 

see link with GREAT PHOTOS:  http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/11-03/eat-your-way-around-barcelona.html

 

Recommended:

  1. Pa amb tomàquet

  2. Tortilla de Patatas

  3. Patatas Bravas

  4. Botifarra 

  5. Jamón

  6. Cava

  7. Crema Catalana

 

 

Eat Your Way Around Barcelona

www.bootsnall.com

Planning a sojourn to Barcelona? Nellie Huang brings you on a culinary tour through Barcelona and shows you traditional fare and typical eats.

 

 

 

 5-10 foods you should try while here:

 

 

 

** see blog post - on foods across Europe: ";I’ll tell you about it"; - by Alina Kidanova intern

 

 

 

Curiosities:

 curious facts about this place:

 

 

Practical Info:

 how to get around, save money, find stuff

 

 

Nearby our hotel:

What is our hotel address?  what is nearby? (internet cafes, laundry, cheap eats, etc...) 

 

Our Hotel is the:  Gran Hotel Catalonia  (Notice the FOUR STARS ;-)

The Hotel Is Located at:

 

Balmes, 142
08008 Barcelona
Spain
Tel: +34 93 415 9090
Fax: +34 93 415 2209

 

5 Places To Eat At By Our Hotel:

 

 

 

 

 

Mariscco Restaurant

 

Type of Food: International, Mediterranean, Seafood, Tapas

Distance from Hotel: 0.1 km

Price Range:$20 - $80

Address:Carrer de Corsega, 272, 08008 Barcelona (Eixample District)

Hours: 

  • monday to sunday
    [13,00h a 17,00 h ]-1:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.
  • tuesday to sunday
    [20,00h a 00,30h ]- 8:00 P.M. - 12:30 A.M.

Average Rating:#3 out of 2749 Restaurants (Via. TripAdvisor.com)

Phone # for Reservations: 932922816

Website: http://www.mariscco.com

Brief Description:  This popular restaurant serves fresh fish and seafood.  You choose the fish you would like to have from the display and it is prepared before you and served to your table.  Highly recommended for a nice casual atmosphere or business dinner.  The Paella is also highly recommended.

 

Pictures:

 

 

 

Nightlife:

 

 

Off the beaten track:

places to get away from crowds, discover local attractions

 

 

Contributors:

put your name

, with link to facebook ( optional)

*Chevon Hines- Facebook Page:  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=735370609

 

 

 

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See related pages from our upcoming trip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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