Barcelona apartments, Barcelona Hotels,

You probably know Gaudi's famous cathedral in Barcelona: La Sagrada Familia. The construction of this amazing monument started in 1882 and is still going on today. However, this year, the Sagrada familia will be able to celebrate the end of the construction of its central nave that will be inaugurated by the Pope Benedict XVI himself on November 7th. This could be a good time to book a Barcelona apartment or a Barcelona hotel to kill two birds with one stone: discover the city and be present at the inauguration!

The 7th of November at 10:00 am, the Pope Benedict will celebrate Mass in Gaudi's Cathedral. More than 7500 persons will be able to attend it inside the Sagrada Familia. (like the king Don Juan Carlos and Doña Sofia) However, more than 500 000 persons are expected to wait in the streets at the same time.

During his visit in Barcelona, the pope will also visit the Institut Nen Deu which helps disabled person's families. He will bless the first stone of the construction.

The Pope is only expected to stay one day in the city after his trip to Santiago de Compostela on November the 6th.

On the 11th of September, and since 1980, the Catalans celebrate their National Day. This is a moment for all the inhabitants to celebrate with parades, concerts, and demonstrations. If you are in a Barcelona Hotel or in a Barcelona Apartment during this week end, you will be able to enjoy the shows taking place in the whole city: the balconies will be decorated and you will see the Catalan flag floating everywhere.

Why the 11th of September? It refers to the 11th of September of 1714 when Barcelona was forced to admit its defeat to French and Castillan after more than a year of siege. Since then, Catalonia began and never stopped fighting for its independence. The national day of Catalonia or "La Diada Catalunya" in Catalan was first celebrated in 1980, just after the Spanish government recognized the right of autonomy of Catalonia as a community and the Catalan as an official language.

 During the 11th of September, a tribute is paid to the national heroes: floral offering are laid by the Rafael Casanova and Josep Moragues monuments in Ciutadella Park. However, the major place of celebration during the National Day Of Catalonia is Fossar de les Moreres square near from the cemetery of Barcelona's defenders who died during the siege of the city.

And of course don't miss the concerts and shows all over the city. This is a good occasion to see the amazing and famous "castells" or human pyramids!

If you are staying in a Barcelona Hotel or in a Barcelona apartment you probably want to discover more of the city everyday but you don't know where to go exactly or how to do it in a fun way. Here is a nice vehicle to discover the sightseeings of the city in an original way: Segway Barcelona.

The Segway is a two wheels electric vehicle invented by Dean Kamen. It was first produced in 2002 and is now used all around the world for city tours or even by the police. It is possible to use it in major cities and you will be able to try it in Barcelona.

Segway Barcelona offers you different tours and packages so that you can discover most of the city. You must be at least two to create a group for visits and activities. It can be ideal if you are a couple or with friends. Segway is also a nice way for companies to entertain their employees or clients in Barcelona for business, during their free time.

From the 16th to the 19th of September, the 99th international jumping competition (CSIO) will take place in Barcelona. The event is organized by the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona and gather the best riders in the in the world who will compete on an imposed program of twelve classes. If you are a fan of the equestrian world or just if you are spending your holidays in a nice Barcelona hotel or Barcelona apartment in September, you shouldn't miss this event!

 
The program will start at 11:00 am on the 16th and will include various events like shows, diners or cocktails, and of course different competitions to win different prices. To be sure not to miss anything you can even eat at the panoramic restaurant, a gourmet restaurant situated on the principal stand. And if you planned to go with your children, this is not a problem: they will be able to discover the equestrian world at the pony park, a small park located near from the competition.

The competition will take place at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona situated in the Parc de Berrida , Palau Reial. This place is easy to access from Barcelona Center: you can even go by metro.

Real Club de Polo de Barcelona

Apart from all the sightseeing and the beaches, Barcelona is also well known to go shopping. If you're staying for a few days in a Barcelona Hotel or in a Barcelona apartment and you are crazy about shopping, don't miss La Roca Village.

Located at 40minutes from Barcelona by car, La Roca Village gathers all the biggest brands outlets in only one place. Indeed, you will be able to shop at about a 100 different shops with some discounts going until - 60%. You will find famous brands such as Hugo Boss, Swarovski, Levis or Pepe Jeans. It's definitely worth it!

To go to La Roca Village, you can take a bus directly from Barcelona, The "La Roca Village Shopping Express" bus. It runs from Monday to Saturday, 3 times a day and leaves from Plaça Catalunya (12 Euros round trip).

Don't miss this opportunity!

There is a lot to see in Barcelona, and of course, a day is not enough to see all the sightseeing of the city! That's why, the Barcelona city tour buses offer you tours by night : instead of staying in your Barcelona hotel or Barcelona apartment after a good restaurant, jump in the night bus to see the amazing views of Barcelona by night!

Be on time for the departure at 9:30pm at Plaça Catalunya in front of the Corte Ingles since there is only one bus and it is "first come first served"! You even have to be there 20 minutes before to buy your tickets. You also have to remember that the touristic night bus only runs during the weekends (Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays).

The tour lasts 2 hours and a half, just the time to see the major monuments like Plaça Catalunya, la Sagrada Familia, La Casa Mila, La Casa Batllo, Plaça Espanya but you will also do a special stop to admire the Montjuic fountain and its lights.