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June 17, 2008

A family daytrip to Illa Fantasia Aquatic Park

illa-fantasia_logo.JPG If you are on holiday in Barcelona hotels with your family, a great place to visit is the Illa Fantasia Aquatic Park on the outskirts of Barcelona. This park is the ideal location to combine leisure and fun. You can easily reach the water attraction park from Barcelona as it is just a short way up the coast. If you want to go by train just take the RENFE from Plaza Catalunya o Sants Estacio to the direction Mataró, Calella or Blanes. The stop you have to get off is called Premiá de Mar. If you want to visit Illa Fantasia by car you have to drive approximately 25 km on the road C-32 (direction Mataró - Exit 92). This daytrip will be loved by all family members. It is also a welcome change from the busy city life of Barcelona even if you are staying in a comfortable Barcelona apartment. This year the Illa Fantasia Aquatic Park is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Facilities of the water and fun park include over 20 water slides, three swimming pools, changing facilities with lockers distributed over the whole park area, a children´s play park. You can even have a nice family picnic inside the park. There are also restaurants on the grounds that will welcome you kindly. To get more information on this amazing water park, please consult the virtual map of Illa Fantasia. Don´t miss this fun experience and cosset your children with a visit to one of the greatest Aquatic Parks in Europe.

Address: Finca Mas Brassó s/n, 08339 VILASSAR DE DALT (BCN)
Tel. 93 751 45 53

Opening Dates and Hours: 24th /25th May and 31st May to 14th September (from 10 to 19 h)

Posted by Anja H at 10:51 AM |

June 3, 2008

Montjuic won´t sleep on 5th of July!

Montjuic_Olympic.jpg Have you ever tried baseball, athletics or competetive swimming? In just one months you might try those sports and participate in the night of Montjuic in Barcelona. On 5 July the main cultural and sporting facilities on the Montjuic will be holding free activities well into the early hours of the morning. The whole are of the ‚magic mountain' won´t sleep at that night. Sports enthusiasts shouldn´t miss this event where they could have work outs together with athlets from Barcelona. There will be a great variety of sports events during the night. You might watch a baseball match, take a refreshing bath in the swimming pools or visit the athletics stadium that will offer many fun activities to ist visitors. This sporty night at the Montjuic mountain will suit all tastes. If you are currently planning to come to Barcelona during the summer time, you might consult the accommodation offers of BarcelonaPoint.com. Many Barcelona apartments throughout the city are still available for rent. To get a 24 hours service you might also opt for a hotel. From the Hotel Parallel Barcelona you can easily access the Park of Montjuic and are close to the venues of the vibrant sporty night at Montjuic. Don´t forget to add it to your calendar.

Posted by Anja H at 8:56 AM |

March 31, 2008

Barcelona Bicing - 1 Year of Service

BCN_Bicing.jpgBarcelona Bicing has attracted more than 130 000 users since its introduction one year ago. Currently there are 286 Bicing stations spread over Barcelona, with 4300 bikes for the public. The majority, i.e. almost 50% of the people using this service is between 21 and 40 years old. The battle of the sexes is balanced, with 51% of men versus 49% of women as Bicing fans. Eixample and Sant Marti are the districts with the most density of Bicing users. The huge advantage of Bicing is the physical exercise, yet at the same time you can avoid annoying traffic jams and crowded metro stations before and after work. The average time of usage is at 20 minutes, which is the least costly time and also the average time to get from home to work or the site of interest in the center. The reason why Eixample and Sant Marti have the highest density of users is also because they are well connected with Bicing stations. Districts like Sants for example, are not yet well connected. However, the Barcelona Ajuntamiento has plans on further connecting and establishing 400 Bicing stations in the catalan sunshine capital. So, for your Barcelona vacation, you might also reserve an authentic Barcelona holiday apartment and use the service as the locals do. Also, Barcelona Hotels, especially those in the center, are well connected to Bicing stations if you wish to take the bike to ride along the habor or to work.

Posted by Verena at 9:30 AM |

March 19, 2008

BV - How do you see Barcelona?

Parc_Guell.jpgHave you spent your holidays in Barcelona? Whether you spend your stay in a Barcelona Hotel outskirts, or in a Barcelona apartment in the center, this initiative of the Barcelona Ajuntament calls out to everyone to submit their video to Barcelona Visio. The topic being: "How do you see Barcelona". So if you are going to take your camera along - use it! And if you already did, submit your clip to the Barcelona Visio. Also, if you are about to plan your trip to Barcelona, you might want to take a look at some of the videos, especially if you don't know yet, which sights you want to visit and which to leave out, which bars to go to, etc. In case you do not have a Barcelona accommodation yet, Barcelona Point offers Barcelona apartments in every district of the city, the same is true for Barcelona Hotels. Enjoy watching, filming and submitting!

Posted by Verena at 9:37 AM |

March 5, 2008

A trip to Salou? No problem!

PortAventura.jpgAre you staying or planning on staying in Barcelona for a bit? If you have a weekend or a couple of days off and already done the Barcelona sightseeing tour, you should definitely consider going to Salou at Costa Dorada. You can stay at a Salou Hotel and either relax on the golden, sandy beach all day and enjoy the nightlife, or visit the town. If you are traveling with friends and family also consider booking Port Aventura tickets, the rollercoasters and rides guarantee fun for all ages. You can book "pay for 1 day, get 2 day tickets" with Barcelona Point, together with your Salou Hotel. Quick, online and safe. It has never been easier to plan a couple of days get-away!

Posted by Verena at 3:58 PM |

February 20, 2008

IceBarcelona - The Trend goes on

icebarcelona.jpgOpening snow and ice hotels and bars has long been a trend in the Northern countries and has then spread to the south, where no ice and snow are to be found. Now, since November 2007, you can be sure, no matter how hot it is, you can find a place with negative temperature besides freezers in Barcelona. The IceBarcelona Bar in Vila Olímpica. Here the exact address: Ramon Trias i Fargas, 2 - 08005 Barcelona (Vila Olímpica) Metro L4 Vila Olímpica Now if you go there from your Barcelona Hotel or Barcelona Apartment, you do not even have to bring a jacket, since they offer them to you upon entry. So if you decide to make a short detour before going home to your Barcelona Hotel or Barcelona apartment, you can stop by any day for a drink - the bar is opened 7 days a week from 12 - 2:30. With the entrance fee of €15.- you already get a cocktail of your choice and you can stay 45 minutes. Enjoy your visit!

Posted by Verena at 12:53 PM |

January 30, 2008

Grand Prix Formula I Spain - In need for Speed?

GP Spain.jpgAt the end of April 2008 it is time to come to Barcelona for all Grand Prix Fans! You can already get hold of your Grand Prix Spain ticket for the race on the 27 April 2008. It is advisable to do so, because tickets are sold out quite rapidly. Since Montmelo, the venue of the GP Spain 2008 is only located 30 minutes outside of Barcelona, you should consider prolonging your stay and pay the vibrant nightlife of the Catalonian capital a visit too. Get your friends together, rent a Barcelona apartment get your perfect guys-only weekend in Barcelona - leaving the girls at home. Rent yourself a nice and centrally located hotel in Barcelona or a group holiday apartment in the heart of Barcelona and escape the ordinary!

Posted by Verena at 4:42 PM |

June 26, 2007

Summer in the city

parc_guell.jpg
The best time of the year has arrived to Barcelona. Instead of staying in your apartment you can make use of lots of outdoors activities now, like going to the beach and swimming, going to the cinema, to the zoo or just for a walk.
Visit Montjüic Park by coming over by cable car from the waterfront or by taking the Funicular from Paral-lel metro. There you can can enjoy a nice view over the city, as well as the Olympic stadium, a castle, museums and a cactus garden.
If you are a fan of Gaudí you should seriously visit Park Güell. There you will have a nice view over Barcelona again and inside of the Park you will find the Museu Gaudí and lots of masterpieces of Gaudí.
Throughout the summer months small street festivals are held in different areas across the city. These events always involve markets, live music, dressing up and dancing. It is very nice to stay in a Barcelona beach apartment, but a good alternative to staying at
Barcelona´s crowded beaches is to get to calmer beaches near to Barcelona at the Costa Dorada or Costa Blanca.
You could easily use the train (Renfe).
Have a nice time in Barcelona!

Posted by Anja at 12:59 PM |

January 31, 2007

Visit MACBA

The luminous Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona is located in Plaça dels Angels. Once inside, you go from the ground to the fourth floor up to a serie of swooping ramps which afford continous views of the plaça below and the sixteenth-century Convent dels Angels. The collection represents the main movements in contemporary art since 1945, mainly in Catalunya and Spain but with a good smattering of foreign artists as well. The pieces are shown in rotating exhibitions so you may catch works by Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies..However, hotel rooms in Barcelona are among the most expensive in Spain and finding a vacancy can be very difficult out there, especially at Easter, in summer and around the time of any festivals or trade fairs. You are advised to biik in advance. You can also book on line your Barcelona apartment and find an accomodation in Barcelona in the city centre. You can also prefer to book a Barcelona hotel. While you are in the vicinity, it is worth looking around the small private galleries or having a drink in one of the fashionable new bars that have sprung up in the wake of MACBA. Adjoining it you have the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona or CCCB, which hosts temporary art and city-related exhibitions.
MACBA
Plaça dels Angels, 1
08001 Barcelona
Tel +34 93 412 08 10
Fax +34 93 412 46 02
Winter Hours: September 25th to June 23th
Weekdays: 11 am to 7.30 pm
Saturdays: 10 am to 8 pm
Sundays and holidays: 10 am to 3 pm
Closed: Tuesdays (except holidays), December 25th and January 1st

Summer Hours: June 24th to September 24th
Weekdays: 11 am to 8 pm
Thursdays: 11 am to midnight
Saturdays: 10 am to 8 pm
Sundays and holidays: 10 am to 3 pm
Closed Tuesdays (except holidays)

Admission fees
Normal 4 ?
Reduced 3 ?
All tickets are valid to visit the chosen exhibition as many times as you want

Capella-MACBA
Free admission

Seasonal Ticket (valid for 3 months)
Admission 10 ?
With this ticket you can visit the MACBA as many times as you want. You get discounts in the purchase of some catalogues
Wednesday: Admission for everyone 3,50 ?

Reduced Admission
Students, Carnet Jove and groups of 20 or more

Free Admission
Senior citizens (65 and over), the unemployed and children younger than 14

Posted by Morgane at 3:40 PM |

December 7, 2006

Art Gallery in barcelona

Style city, architectural wonderland and one-time creative base for some of the most innovative visual artists of the last century artistically, Barcelona has a fine international reputation. Barcelona has a unique artistic allure: a steady flow of inspired internationals has brought new ideas and artistic techniques, fusing them with the distinctive humour and style of local innovators Everything can be found here, from figurative painting and sculpture, to high-tech audio-visual installation, digital photography and performance art.
Gallery listing appear in the weekly magazine , sold in most kiosks.

If you intend to spend some days in Barcelona, you will have the opportunity to choose among many differnet possibilities of Barcelona accommodation: from Barcelona hotels to Barcelona apartments, there are many online booking agencies which offer Barcelona apartments in different categories: economical apartments or Barcelona group apartments.

Posted by Hélène at 11:17 AM |

November 16, 2006

Dutch in Barcelona

Europe's most exciting team is again at full tilt thanks to a revival secretly masterminded by the man responsible for the two most legendary sides in Barça's history: Johan Cruyff. The mercurial dutchman, in any fan's list of all-time best players, never won a World cup but his move to Barcelona changed the Catalan club forever bringing it victory from the ashes of the franco dictatorship when Real Madrid was a political favourite. FC Barcelona is unique. Formed of 100.000 members, it is the biggest football club in the world. These members elect the club president, who is then assured of considerable political influence in booming Catalonia.
Barcelona which is the capital of Catalonia is a cosmopolit city and is an emblematic city concerning the architecture thanks to the works of architects Antoni Gaudí and Luis Doménech i Montaner.
Barcelona has been declared world heritage sites by UNESCO. The culture in Barcelona is very strong, during the whole year there are many festivals, processions, something is always going on in Barcelona: exhibitions, concerts, the nightllife is very intensive, thanks to all the students who decided to come to Barcelona to study.

If you intend to spend some days in this beautiful city, you have the choice among many Barcelona hotels, from different categories, or you decide to rent a Barcelona apartment. From Barcelona group apartments to holiday apartments, you have a lot of choice! Make your life easier and enjoy Barcelona for a few days!

Posted by Hélène at 12:00 PM |

August 24, 2006

Picasso and Barcelona.

Picasso is a symbol of the city and this for many reasons:
He spent much of his youth, from the age of 14 to 23, in Barcelona and is said to have always thought of himself as Catalan, rather than andaluz. The time Picasso spent in Barcelona spanned the whole of his blue period and many of the formative influences on his art.
Apart from the Barceloona museum Picasso, you can still see many of the buildings in which Picasso lived and worked, notably the Escola de Belles arts de Llotja, the apartments where the family lived when they first arrived in Barcelona. Near to Calle de Ferran and to Calle Ample, you can see larges houses along here were converted into brothels at the turn of the twentieth century, and Picasso used to haunt the street sketching what he saw; women at one of the brothels inspired his seminal Cubist work, les demaoiselles d'Avignon.
The museum is located in El Borne, a very centric district of Barcelona. If you are looking for a lodging in Barcelona, have a look to the Barcelona apartments in El Borne.

Posted by Hélène at 5:28 PM |

August 21, 2006

shopping in Barcelona

Barcelona is for sure not as Paris for the shopping, but still there is a long tradition of innovative design, which is perharps expressed best in the city?s fabulous architecture but which is also revealed in a series of shops and malls selling the very latest in designer clothes and household accoutrements.The shop opening hours are from Monday to Friday, from 10.00 am until 2.00pm and from 4.00 to 8.00pm. Do not forget that the shops are closed during the hottest hours of the day to do the ?siesta?.The main departments stores and shopping malls stay open until 10 pm.For clothes, shoes and accessories:The classical shops such as Zara, H&M can be found in the Passeig de Gracia, Plaça Catalunya and Diagonal (metro: Passeig de Gracia, Catalunya). This district is one of the best of Barcelona, with really good Barcelona apartments and Barcelona hotels. Concerning new designers, they are located in the streets of la Ribera, around Passeig del Born where recently a series of funky shops has opened up.For secondhand and clothing, stores line the whole of Calle de la Riera Baixa (metro El Raval), calle del Carme, calle de l?Hospital and on Saturday there?s a street market here.
Antiques, arts and crafts: There are a lot of antiques stores in the old town, the best area for browsing is around calle de Palla, between the cathedral and Plaça del Pi.
Food Markets: Barcelona?s daily food markets all in covered halls,are open Monday-Saturday (closed between 3 and 5pm), though the most famous, la boqueria on the ramblas, opens right through the day.

Posted by Hélène at 5:18 PM |

July 4, 2006

Barcelona nightlife

Barcelona nightlife is really famous. Indeed, Barcelona is the city which never sleeps : it's night life is vibrant, exciting and very diversified. Spanish people live quite late compared to the northern European countries. Thus, the nightlife starts late as well and ends on the small hours. As the clubs are opening quite late, party-men bridge the time gap with the Bar-Hopping concept or ?Ir de copas? ; it means going from one bar to another and staying for one or two drinks. Barcelona bars are plethora. In each district you'll find some nice bars.
Aroud 2 or 3 o'clock, it's time to go clubbing. Entrance price depends on where you go but your ticket always contains a free drink. Barcelona clubs are mainly located in the Barrio Gotico, l'Eixample and Vila Olimpica. From Thursday to Saturday evening, it's common to see hundreds of people strolling up and down the Ramblas until 3 o'clock.
Having a Barcelona apartment in the center of the city enables to be two steps away from the heart of Barcelona nightlife.

Posted by Audrey at 11:08 AM |

June 15, 2006

Parrots and animals in Barcelona

Have you ever seen this colourful birds during your stay in a Barcelona apartment? Except the pigeons, it's common to see those green parrots in the trees of the city. They are called the Quaker parrots and arrived first as pets in the 1970s.
But the owners, soon tired of the chirpings, released them and they have reproduced fast. The population has grown from 50 to over 2000, which causes now some problems in the city because those birds are sometimes aggressive, eat everything green they find, and threaten the local bird species.
These parrots on the loose are a real distraction for the inhabitants and tourists of Barcelona. Their high-pitched chirpings catch the attention.
If you want to see some other wild animals, I recommend you to go to Barcelona's Zoo or Barcelona's Aquarium.
The zoo exists since 1892! Located in the Parc de la Ciutadella, it's not that big but you can find all kinds of wild beasts : from primates, to big cats, dolphins, reptiles... It's perfect for kids with organized activities. From some Barcelona apartments located near the zoo, you can hear some strange noises which make you feel like you are in the jungle!
The aquarium is located on the moll d?Espanya del Port Vell. Here you'll find thousands of species, from tropical fishes to the terrific sharks. During July and August, the Aquarium is open until 11 pm.

Posted by Audrey at 12:42 PM |