Feel the Adrenalin Pumping Up Your Veins!

If you are a holiday-maker and looking for fun and exciting things to do in Barcelona, it is time for you to indulge in the most exciting experience of your life through go karting in Barcelona. Helping you assess your driving skills as you race yourself to victory, this highly invigorating activity is not for the faint of heart.

Helping you experience new heights of excitement, it leaves you breathless as you make those sharp turns at breakneck speeds. There are a few things that are as delighting as go karting in Barcelona. Featuring about 600 venues for the activity in the city and surroundings, you can perfect your technique with practice. The most ideal activity to enjoy with friends or colleagues, this is one thing that the speed demons are bound to love.

And if you are looking for good accommodation deals in Barcelona, I recommend you to click here.

Some of the go karting venues offered in and near Barcelona are as follows:

Gene Karting

Gene karting allows you to go kart with two very promising circuits. The first one is in Badalona named after the city, giving everyone a chance to enjoy the racing world safely. Aimed at ensuring utmost fun, at Badalona circuit, you experience speed and fun like never before.

 Another go karting in Barcelona province track that Gene Karting offers is Terrassa. A new circuit started a while back, Terrassa promises to give you flexibility with a huge assortment of curves and speeds you can enjoy here. Come squeeze your kart, flaunt your finesse and enjoy the new facilities that the Terrassa circuit has to offer. Moreover, Gene Karting also offers simulation making use of the latest simulation technology.

Kartodrom Catalunya

Another place where you can enjoy karting in Barcelona is Kartodrom Catalunya. An impressive outdoor track that is just a short distance away from the city of Barcelona, here you can enjoy seven different car tracks to meet all your demands and desires. Located in an area called Poligin Industrial El Pla, here you experience novelty at its best.

IK Indoor Karting

The track offered by IK Indoor Karting is located in Saint Feliu De Llobregat. Allowing you to get a good grip of the sudden twists and turns, this track is the perfect combination of friction and glide. Considered as Spain's premier karting track, it is not only close to Barcelona but also offers some of the most mind-boggling turns.

With the huge plethora of tracks offered to go karting in Barcelona and its surroundings, vacationing in the area is a dream come true for excitement seeking souls.

You might already know the Port Aventura Park  in Salou for your holidays or your Christmas Easter holidays, but it is something quite different that I present today:

Celebrating Halloween in Port Aventura! 

Halloween in Port Aventura is a real event: the park is transformed, the characters are disguised, the shows are changed, the decor, too, always to keep the theme of horror!

To give you an idea of the magnitude of the resources in place, and the importance of the event in the park just a number: 12000.

12,000 pumpkins installed throughout the park Port Aventura!
As far as prices you can find deals up to 50 € for two days. In this case, you can choose to stay in a hotel in Port Aventura inside the park, but if you prefer to isolate from the "halloweenian" tumult prefer a hotel outside the park, even close to it, pick a hotel in Salou with tickets included.

For your holidays in family, couple or group, everything has been planned at the park Port Aventura Port halloweenAventura. With your little angels, you can enjoy the atmosphere of Halloween in the park for toddlers: SésamoAventura. The different shows designed specifically for Halloween, some of which are new, will delight young and old.

From the 5th July until the 6th of August the 9^th edition of Barcelona´s open air film festival will take place. The ones who want to experience a different kind of evening should head to the ground of the castle of Montjuic from his Barcelona hotel  or Barcelona apartment in order to take the most of this spectacular open air cinema. Besides, concerts and short films are also displayed.

All films start at 22:15 o´clock, but it is worth to be there a little earlier in any case, since there will be shown pre-selected short films before 22 o´clock. The films will be shown in their original language with Spanish subtitles,so that even tourists can enjoy the film.

Feel free to bring a blanket and a picnic basket and enjoy a great movie under the stars. The price for this pleasure is 5 € and for only 3 € more you can even rent a bed.

The mixture of the films is colorful. All these films are from different decades and countries. Also listed are films from France, Japan, Italy and many other countries. If you want to have a look what films are shown at what date, please have a look at the official webpage.

How to get there?

There are TMB buses which drive from Plaza Espanya to the top of the Montjuic. Buses go back down after film is finished.

Have you thought about spending your summer holidays in Costa Daurada? If you prefer spending your holidays at one of the most popular beaches, I recommend you to book an accommodation in Sitges . In this town with 26.000 habitants and only 35 kilometers from Barcelona, you can go to 17 different clean and sandy beaches.

Did you knew that Sitges is also called the St. Tropez of Spain? This is due to the property prices which are similar to the most expensive European cities. Another reason for this is the setting of the sea and the surrounding of the Parc Natural de Garraf.The seaside village Garraf is located between Sitges and Castellfels.Compared to the other beaches of Barcelona, it is the most quiet one and there for an ideal place for families, as it is already famous among local families. You will also find there nice restaurants with a view on the bay.

In general, the beaches of Sitges are lively, clean and busy. You are likely to feel relaxed on all of Sitges's beaches. With an apartment in Sitges you can easily bring a parasol and make sure that you bring your sun cream. The beaches provide very little natural shade and in the summer months the sun is very strong.

If you are looking for particular beaches, you may also be able to find what you want. Besides to the family beaches, sitges has gay-friendly and nudist beaches. Below I listed all of the beaches in Sitges, providing more detailed information.

List of all beaches in Sitges:

Platja Sant Sebastiá

This beach is popular amongst all groups of people. It stands more on its own than the beaches at the other side of the church.

Platja de la Fragata

Most popular beach with families and overlooked by the town's whitewashed church. For the children there are volleyball nets and pedalo to hire.

Platja de la Ribera  

One of the large beaches, which is busy as it is close to the town. It is for any kind of group.

Platja d'Aiguadolç

Sitges' most eastern beach. it is popular with both nudists and those in swimwear.

Platja dels Balmains  

One of the three beaches that is to the east of the Sitges Church. It is mostly nudist and offers a great view with mountains.

Platja de la Rodona

The town's main gay beach which is always very busy.

Platja de l'Estanyol

 Another long and busy beach, popular with all groups of people.

Platja de la Riera Xica   

A rather narrow and long beach. It is popular with all groups.

Platja de la Barra

This beach is slightly more of a cove and is towards the edge of town so it can often be less crowded than the more central beaches. It is popular with all groups.

Platja de Terramar

Another slightly less bust beach due to its location and due to the distance from the city centre. It is popular with all groups.

Platja de les Anquines

A beach, which is small and in a cove. A good option if you are looking for some peace and quiet. It is popular with all groups.

How to get to Sitges

Sitges is very close to the Barcelona International Airport. During the high season, you can catch a train from the Barcelona Sants station. You don´t need to buy tickets in advance, since as many as 4 trains leave every hour. Catch the train at the Passeig de Gràcia metro station towards "Vilanova / St Vicenç." It will take you approximately 25 minutes to reach Sitges beaches by train.

  The Chocolate museum Barcelona has at one's disposal 600 m² in the city center of Barcelona which will delight the gourmands for their Barcelona holidays in Barcelona apartment.

The gourmands visitors will taste the sweetness of the chocolate for their Barcelona holidays.

The chocolate museum Barcelona also called Museu de la Xocolatain catalán or Museo del Chocolate in spanish is the first in Catalunya. It was open in 2000 and can reach until 92 000 visitors by yeat like in 2007. He was created by the regional pastry corporation of Barcelona which wanted to propose something new, an innovative museum.

The chocolate museum Barcelona that you can visit for a walk in the gothic district, the Barrio Gotico tries to become international thanks to its expositions and the high number of activities proposed.

If you like chocolate, it is the place for you for your Barcelona holidays. The chocolate museum Barcelona proposes workshops for children.

The workshops of the chocolate museum are the following:

The chocolate artists: This activity is proposed for children from 4 to 12 years old. It costs 6.85 euro for one hour activity. The aim of the animation is to create a figurine in chocolate helped by chocolate professionals.

The discover way of the cacao: The children from 6 to 12 will discover for 7.5 euros through games the evolution and history of the chocolate for one hour.

The Fabulous history of the deesse Xispeta of the Cacao : For the children from 3 to 6 years, a visit through theater and stories enable to enter in the chocolate world for 6.85 euros.

Do not miss the chocolate sculptures for your holidays in Barcelona apartment: you will find fictive personage, monuments from Lucky Luck, the Camp Nou, Asterix, Bob the sponge to the salamander fountain of the Park Guell.

You can also do the guided tour of the chocolate museum Barcelona to discover the origine of the museum, the fabrication of the chocolate and to taste the best chocolates of Barcelona for your holidays in Barcelona apartment.

If you come to the chocolate museum Barcelona, walk in the small streets of the Barrio Gotico. To enjoy both the chocolate museum and the Si vous venez au musee du chocolat, balladez-vous dans les petites ruelles du Barrio Gotico, we our advice is to book now a Barcelona apartment in the Barrio Gotico.

Opening hours

Monday - Saturday:10am to 7 pm

Sunday: 10am to 3pm

Price of the chocolate museum Barcelona:

ticket: 4,30 €

group ticket : 3,50 €

Adress of the chocolate museum Barcelona - Museu de la Xocolata

Adresse :

Plaça Pons I Clerch, S/N

08003 Barcelona

Phone number Chocolate museum Barcelona:

              932 687 878       

The Maraton Barcelona 2011 will take place the 6th of March at 8.30 a.m. Avenue Maria Cristina. The first runner will do the course of 42 km in less than 3 hours and will arrive approximately at 10.40 a.m.  The course is urban. The maraton Barcelona 2011 is open to people from 18 years old and without limit of age.

For those who want to participate or encourage runners for the Maraton Barcelona 2011, book an apartment Barcelona is advised. Indeed for the Maraton Barcelona 2011, people come from all around the world. If you want to stay close to the course and have a confortable place to sleep, think to book early your apartment Barcelona. You can book easily with BarcelonaPoint. You can even find a selection of apartments for the Maraton Barcelona 2011 to facilitate your choice of apartment Barcelona.

The Maraton Barcelona 2011 is green this year. Several actions will be organized to manage the impact of the marathon Barcelona 2011 on the city. A selective collection of garbage and clothes will be done and conferences on sustainable development will take place for the Marathon Barcelona 2011.

You can registrer to the Maraton Barcelona 2011 for 70 euros until the 20th of February if it is not done yet. With 12 211 participants last year, the Maraton Barcelona 2011 becomes really famous in Europe. The number of participants and spectators increases each year. The winner of the Maraton Barcelona 2010 was Jackson Kotut from Kenya.

The course goes in all the most popular and beautiful places of Barcelona: the famous Camp Nou stadium, the Ramblas, the Passeig de Gracia, the place Catalunya, the place Espanya, the Sagrada Familia and all the other famous monuments of the city of Barcelona. Thus, you need an apartment Barcelona in the centre to enjoy your week end in Spain. For the runners, an apartment Barcelona in the city centre will be more convenient, the runners will be able to practice the course in real and even for spectators, an apartment Barcelona in the centre is still very convenient.

For spectators, there will be animations and events all the day for the Maraton Barcelona 2011. Twelve points of animations will propose different activities to encourage the participants of the Maraton Barcelona 2011.

So hurry up to book your apartment Barcelona and come to encourage your favorite athletes.

If you want to see the Spain and its architecture but in one shot, el Poble Espanyol is a place where you have to go. You don't have time to visit the all Spain, come to spend your holiday in Barcelona because El Poble Espanyol, the Spanish village is in Barcelona. Book now your accommodation Barcelona to visit a synthesis of all the Spanish architecture.

To save more time, you can book your apartment Barcelona close to the Poble Espanyol. An apartment Barcelona close to the Poble Espanyol is a convenient location because it is close to the center and it is a good area to stay in Barcelona.

First built for the international exhibition of 1929, the Spanish village in the city of Barcelona of 49,000 square meters had to represent all the architecture of the Iberian Peninsula. It had to serve as an artisanal show window of Spain with its 117 buildings, cities and squares reproduce at the scale. But the village weirdly had an expiration date, the date of the end of the universal exposition.

The four architects Ramon Reventós, Francesc Folguera, Xavier Nogués et Miquel Utrillo did several trips and collected a lot of pictures from more than 1600 cities and villages of Spain to be able to do the synthesis of the Spanish architecture.

The Poble Espanyol Barcelona was so successful that people protested against the destruction of the spanish village. Thus, el Poble Espanyol is still alive. It represents the architecture of all the diferent regions of Spain, it is the opportunity to see all the Spanish architecture for your spanish holiday in Barcelona.

What you can do in the Poble Espanyol:

The spanish village built on the collines of Montjuïc offers an incredible experience. Many artisans are there to show you their arts, pottery, textil, leather, jewellery. It is a great place of shopping. The fondation Fran Daurel which is in the Poble Espanyol proposes an important collection of art (Picasso, Dali...)

You could walk free in the Poble Espanyol, discover the spanish architecture, the artisans, you will also find a lot of restaurants.

El Poble Espanyol is also a place to be for night life, it is open until 4 a.m. on Friday and 5 a.m. on Saturday.

Price of the entrance for the spanish village:

The ticket costs 8,90 euros for adults, 5,60 euros for children (<12 ans)

The night ticket costs 5,50 euros.

How get to the Poble Espanyol:

- By metro: ligne 1 and ligne 3, Espanya stop

- By bus: lignes 13, 50 and 61

No doubt, you will enjoy the spanish village for your Barcelona holiday.

Only 35 km away from Barcelona is Sitges, a city known for its amazing beaches. But from 3^rd March until 9^th March 2011, it will be the place for the well-known Carnival in Sitges 2011!

Sitges is a city which offers a lot for holidays, it is not only popular with tourists, but also visitors from the surrounding or Spain love to spend their holidays there. It is also common for people from Barcelona to visit Sitges over the weekend. Family holidays and the nightlife can be enjoyed equally in Sitges, and the high point of festivities takes place in February until March, when the Carnival of Sitges will be held.

Carnival in Sitges has a long tradition and is a colourful mixture of parades, costumes, parties and celebrations, all starting with the Fat Thursday when the king of the carnival, Carnestoltes, arrives. This event will be attended by thousands of people; therefore it is wise to book accommodation early enough in advance to find a good Sitges Hotel to spend your time in.

A Sitges Hotel in the centre of the city is also recommended, because the main parades will take place along the many streets of Sitges, and with that you can always be near or even watch the parades from your window.

One of these parades is the Rua de la Disbauxa on Sunday the 6^th March, which means Debauchery Parade. It is truly a spectacular parade, with everyone dressed up in detailed costumes and basically a party takes place in the whole town of Sitges. The carnival in Sitges 2011 also has another major parade, which takes place on 8^th March 2011; the Rua de l'Extermini. This parade in Sitges marks the end of the Carnival in Sitges 2011. The glittering and fancy costumes, the party atmosphere and the many different people make sure that you spend an unforgettable holiday in Sitges.

Starting from the 27^th February 2011, Sitges will also host the Gay Carnival of Sitges 2011, which is also a pleasure to watch and participate, with many events and shows. A popular show is the Glamour Night, but every parade and event is wonderful and worth a visit.

If you decide spending your holidays in Spain to visit the Carnival in Sitges 2011, you can be sure to spend a wonderful time. But keep in mind that this carnival is very well-known and therefore will be attended by many people. Booking your Sitges hotel in advance helps to find the best accommodation for you and to make the most out of your visit to the Carnival is Sitges 2011.

February 2011 is again a wonderful time to spend a family holiday in Barcelona, because your children will have an amazing time enjoying the Santa Eulalia Festival 2011 in Barcelona.

Starting from the 11^th until the 13^th February 2011, the Santa Eulalia Festival in Barcelona will capture and give pleasure with many events and activities for children, making the excellent opportunity to spend your family holiday in Barcelona.

The Santa Eulalia Festival 2011 in Barcelona is also called the La Laia Festival and takes place around the death date of Barcelona's co-patron saint Eulàlia, who died as a martyr with only 13 years on the 12^th February. Now this day is called Santa Eulalia's Day, and her death with only 13 years is also the reason why there are 13 geese in the Cathedral of Barcelona.

Today this La Laia festival is a happy and exciting event in Barcelona, with a lot of parades and concerts being held in the city. If spend your time in a family apartment in Barcelona during your holidays in Spain, you will have plenty of opportunities to see the amazing events during the Santa Eulalia Festival 2011 in Barcelona.  The parades take place throughout the streets of Barcelona and concerts held by children for children are also held in the city.

There will also be the traditional Sardana dance and of course the famous correfocs, the fire runs of Barcelona. A special correfoc for children and for adults is organized, usually started at the Plaza de Sant Jaume or the Plaza Nova. If you want to visit the correfoc during the

Every day from the 11^th until the 13^th February 2011 you will experience something fun, so you can start every day a small tour through the city from your family apartment in Barcelona. Interesting events such as stories read by story tellers or workshops especially made for families provide you with fun and excitement, while enjoying the time together with your family. But the La Laia Festival 2011 in Barcelona offers even more! Important discussion concerning your family and responsibilities are also held and to give you a real different view, the famous castellers will show their acrobatic abilities, leaving your children and yourself with open mouths when you see the building high human castles!

To get to the Plaza Sant Jaume I you can take the yellow metro line L4 and step out at Jaume I. From the Plaza Sant Jaume it is also not far to the Plaza Nova, where the Cathedral of Barcelona is located. Therefore you can kill two birds with a stone and see both places by walking through the streets of Barcelona and enjoying the picture of the city.

You see, your family holiday in Barcelona will be an unforgettable experience during the Santa Eulalia Festival 2011 in Barcelona, so book your family apartment in Barcelona in advance and enjoy the La Laia in Barcelona!

Lloret de Mar at the Costa Brava is a popular and famous destination for families and single persons, and also a perfect place for sports in Lloret de Mar. But during your stay in a hotel Lloret de Mar you can discover a lot of things, so plan now your Lloret de Mar Holidays.

The history of Lloret de Mar dates back to around 1000, when the first records of the city were mentioned. Although the city was originally a small village, nowadays it is a large town attracting tourists from all over the world thanks to its nightlife, white beaches and sights.

Especially the nightlife Lloret de Mar is the main reason for group of friends visiting this town at the Costa Brava, located at the Mediterranean Sea. In Lloret de Mar are a lot of bars and discos, and you cannot miss them when you are walking through the city. But for those of you who want to learn dancing, there also a lot of dancing schools, which offer something different in your nightlife Lloret de Mar holidays. There are also many possibilities for shopping tours in Lloret, thanks to the many shops and malls.

Family holidays in Lloret de Mar are also very popular, thanks to the fact that the city makes a lot of effort to ensure family friendly holidays. The restaurants and recreation offers are wide ranged and every taste should be pleased.

Also accommodation in the Lloret de Mar hotels has a high standard, so it is recommended to book a hotel Lloret de mar to make the most out of your stay. To make your stay in Lloret de Mar even better for the whole family, there are a lot of parks and children's playgrounds where you can spend a wonderful time during your Lloret de Mar holidays.

Of course, as a coastal town at the Mediterranean, Lloret de Mar offers you plenty of wonderful beaches and coves, popular with people from all ages. The most popular beaches are the beach directly at Lloret de Mar, the Playa Lloret de Mar, Santa Cristina with the best sand and Sa Boadella. In summer they are very popular, so you should opt for Sa Boadella, which is the quietest one if you are in search of calm relaxation. But Lloret de Mar holidays in winter are usually in general more calm, so that could be a perfect time to spend your time in a hotel Lloret de Mar.

It is always fascinating to spend your time in one of the many Lloret de Mar hotels, walk along the streets and take a walk along the coast. It will definitely please your taste, as it offers a wide range of activities and is always worth a visit, so book now your Lloret de Mar holidays!

Starting on November 14th, all athletes or people who like to walk have the chance to participate in the Caminada de Montjuic 2010!

The Caminada de Monjtuic marathon is a yearly walk around Barcelona and the Montjuic Mountain which is about 10 km. Not only people who want to attend this Barcelona event will like it, visitors can also just watch the impressing number of people walking around the city. A perfect occasion to book a Barcelona apartment or a Barcelona hotel!

1283 people participated in the Caminada de Montjuic 2007, in 2008 there were 1771 and last year, during the Caminada de Montjuic 2009, 2161 people participated in this exciting event. You can see its popularity rising, so be prepared that this year there are going to be even more participants!

The Caminada de Montjuic 2010 starts on 14th November at the Parc de les Tres Xemeneies, Barcelona at 9.30 am, with no necessary registration. You can easily get there by using the metro and stepping out at Parallel. The Parallel station is crossed by the green L3 and the purple L2.

If you decide to participate in this Barcelona event during your Barcelona holiday however, be aware that this walk can be strenuous and exhausting. You should have build up a decent condition and have trained in advance to avoid accidents or injuries. But you can also always stop and take a break!

When you plan your vacation in Barcelona and arrive a little bit earlier than November 14th, you could also train in one of the wonderful parks in Barcelona. The Parc del Montjuic is for example favored by many for that.

 
I also want to give a little bit general information for beginners in walking. Like mentioned before, it is important to have a enough condition and practice in walking. In case you feel insecure that you finish the Caminada de Montjuic, don't be ashamed to stop! Your health is more important! It is also wise to consult a doctor for a medical inspection, or a professional trainer in a gym club.

Because this sport event in Barcelona is gaining more and more popularity, you should be there an hour before it starts. This way you have enough time to prepare and warm up.
Besides that, the Caminada de Montjuic 2010 in Barcelona should be an exciting event and perfect if you want to experience sport activities during your Spain holiday in Barcelona!

If you love parks and enjoy spending your time in them, I have a nice suggestion for you: use your Barcelona vacation to visit the Parc de la Ciutadella in Barceloneta, not far from the sea.

Besides the famous Parc Güell, which you of course also should visit, the romantic park is one of Barcelona's most beautiful parks. It's perfect for couples, but everyone including families and single persons should enjoy this park.

The Parc de la Ciutadella Barcelona is really large, giving you the possibility to participate in different activities such as sport or just relaxing and enjoying the plants and calmness.

There is an enormous and beautiful fountain with an impressing golden statue on top of it. It is called the Cascada and has also a little triumphal arch with a small waterfall. The Cascada was designed specifically for the universal exhibition in 1888 with Gaudí as assistant. Inspiration for the Cascada was the famous Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy.
The fountain is the perfect location to take wonderful pictures - it could even be the perfect wedding location with a small pavilion right next to it and a nearby church in the park. So why don't like to spend your Barcelona holiday or honeymoon and enjoy the park? You can also have a romantic picnic together.

In the pavilion, music is sometimes played in the evening, another wonderful chance to spend your honeymoon or vacation. Enjoy this cultural event in Barcelona if you like to dance or just love listening to music. You can also rent a boat and steer it on the small lake located in the park. A boat for two costs 6€, three persons have to pay 9€ and four or five 10€. You can use the boat for half an hour.

The church mentioned earlier is situated opposite the Catalan Parliament in the Parc de la Ciutadella and you can attend messes every Sunday on 10 a.m. Furthermore, there are different statues located in the park and each of them tells its own history.
But also those who want to see a little bit more the park is a good solution for spending free time.

The Parc de la Ciutadella has also the famous Barcelona Zoo and many museums. Maybe you have heard of the Zoo's late mascot: the albino-gorilla called Snowflake or Copito de Nieve. Although the popular gorilla unfortunately died of skin cancer (people or animals with albinism lack melanin, a pigment found in all cells - this leads to a higher risk of skin cancer), the zoo is still worth a visit.

The Parc de la Ciutadella is so big and beautiful that you can visit it a lot and still discover plants and places you didn't see before. Also, you have to see the park in the different seasons! It doesn't matter if it's spring, summer, autumn or winter, the park is breathtaking everytime. It is a perfect location in Barcelona to spend time with your partner, family or friends, due to the mass of leisure activities.

To get to the park, you could best take the L4 (yellow line) and step out at Ciutadella-Villa Olimpica or Barceloneta or take the L1 (red line), step out at Arc de Triompf and walk towards the Parc de la Ciutadella.

This year in October, the International Jazz Festival in Barcelona takes places again in Barcelona!

The 42nd Voll-Damm Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona (the official name) will start on October 3rd and end on December 2nd throughout the whole city. So if you book a Barcelona holiday rental in the city, it practically doesn't matter where exactly, you can be sure that there is always a Jazz performance close to you!

Although the complete line-up still needs to be confirmed, you can nevertheless expect well-known names to perform on the International Jazz Festival in Barcelona! A confirmed name will be Jamie Cullum, perfoming in the Palau de la Musica Catalana on Friday, 26th November at 9:00 p.m.

The English singer-songwriter is known to largely improvise his gigs, also including different musical influences and combining it with Jazz. That is of course perfect for the International Jazz Festival in Barcelona. Don't miss him if you like the unexpected! According to the official website, the prices for tickets will range from 32€ to 65€, so keep that in mind if you want to use your Barcelona holidays for this event. But if you find Barcelona apartments cheap enough that shouldn't be a problem.

Also do not forget to check the official Jazz Festival in Barcelona website to keep you updated if a new performer is confirmed!

Depending on your personal preferences, you can choose the dates for your Barcelona holidays to match with other events. In December for example start a lot of Christmas markets in Barcelona, the largest one being the Feria de Santa Lucia where you can buy a lot of interesting and traditional souvenirs to give to family and friends (I wrote here about Christmas in Barcelona last year).

 
And you can also buy your other Christmas presents! I'm sure you know that Barcelona is a perfect location for shopping sprees with a lot of outlet stores and department stores.
So what do you think about combining your interest in the International Jazz Festival in Barcelona with Christmas shopping during your next holiday in Barcelona?

Do you like concerts? Well, then it's time to already plan your Barcelona holidays in October!

Former "The Police" lead singer Sting is giving a concert in Barcelona 2010 on October 29th in the Palau Sant Jordi! The Palau Sant Jordi Barcelona is located in the Parc Del Montjuic and also used for sport games and matches.

You can get to the Stadion Palau Sant Jordi if you take the green L3 until Poble Sec or Parallel (the purple L2 also crosses this station).After the concert or even before could walk around the beautiful park or towards the Plaza Espanya, which is not too far away, while gazing at Barcelona's amazing monuments and architecture.

You can look for a hotel in Barcelona which is close, or if you look for a more low cost accommodation, you should search for a Barcelona apartment cheap enough but of course with a good quality.

Sting was born in the United Kingdom and is a well-known singer, songwriter and also actor. His most famous songs include amongst many others the often covered Police song "Every Breath You Take", "Englishman in New York" (one of the many covers of this song is "Jamaican in New York), Desert Rose and Fragile. Sting even recorded a new version of "Fragile" called "Fragilidad" singing in Spanish for the musical project Rhythms del Mundo.

That would fit perfectly to your Barcelona vacation! The Sting concert 2010 in Barcelona is also a perfect occasion for a short weekend trip to the beautiful Barcelona.

As mentioned before, the concert takes places on Friday, 29th October. On the rest of the weekend you can enjoy your accommodation in Barcelona and visit the city's other sights.

So keep this weekend free and take part in this nice Barcelona event!

You don't have the chance to combine your interest in books with the love for travelling very often in your life. But next week, the Liber International Book Fair Barcelona gives you the possibility to book a hotel for your Barcelona holidays and at the same time look for a new book to add to your stash!

It takes places already next week in the Fira de Barcelona at the Plaza Espanya from Wednesday, 29th September until Friday, 1st October. The Plaza Espanya Barcelona is crossed by two lines, the red L1 and the green L3, so you should enter them in order to get to the Liber International Book Fair Barcelona. In the metro, the station is listed as Espanya, not Plaza Espanya so don't let that distract you.

The Liber Book Fair 2010 is very popular for Spain's publishing industry, so everyone interested in reading - private persons or professional persons - shouldn't miss this fair. It is not only highly regarded and important; it has also a lot of activities you can participate in! The best way is to book a central apartment in Barcelona so you can reach the Liber Book Fair Barcelona from walking distance. Hotels in Barcelona near the Plaza Espanya are also a good solution; however, most times are Barcelona apartments cheap in comparison to central hotels.

Those who think the Barcelona Football club is the only important sports club in Barcelona are wrong! Besides the world-known soccer team, Barcelona is also home of the multiple winners of ABC championships and the Euroleague - Regal FC Barcelona.  This impressing famous basketball team has its home base in the Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona. And although football is usually more popular in Europe, basketball also has a wide fanbase here.

And on Thursday, October 7^th, Regal FC Barcelona will meet another legend of basketball:  the Los Angeles Lakers or more commonly known as L.A. Lakers.  You don't want to miss this chance to book your vacation in Spain!

The Lakers belong to the National Basketball Association (NBA) and are the winners of the 2010 NBA finals. Currently they are probably the most important basketball team in the United States, which makes them an impressing opponent for Regal FC Barcelona.

Another interesting fact is that one player of the LA Lakers, Pau Gasol, is originally from Barcelona. It will be sure an interesting match for him, playing against his former home, as well as for visitors who want to enjoy a wonderful event in Barcelona.

So in October Barcelona will once again be the centre of attraction when it plays host to a match of two gigants! The friendly match takes places at the Palau Sant Jordi, so you should book your low cost Barcelona apartment already now, so you can walk directly towards the stadium.

To get to the Palau Sant Jordi Barcelona, which is located in the Parc de Montjuic, you should take the L3 (the green line) and step out at Poble Sec or Parallel, or you can also take the L2 (the purple line) and step also out at Parallel. If you don't mind, you can also step out at the Plaza Espanya  (L1 - the red line and L3 - the green line both cross this place) and take a walk through the beautiful city of Barcelona and enjoy the sights you come across.

When the colors of blue and maroon will fight against the colors of purple and gold, which one will win? I, of course, hope that Regal FC Barcelona beats the LA Lakers. But to be fair, may the best one win!

If you think that after the summer season there are not many interesting events in Barcelona, you're wrong! Starting from November 5^th until December 5^th, the famous Cirque du Soleil will be present in Barcelona.

If you book your Barcelona apartment rentals early enough in advance, you can make sure that you find cheap Barcelona apartments that are not overpriced, because the high season is over in November. So take your time and prepare everything soon to avoid any stress that might occur.

The Cirque du Soleil, which means Circus of the Sun, is probably the most famous circus in the world. It was created in 1984 in Quebec, Canada (and not France, as many think) by two street performers. Since then, it has risen to fame during the years. I'm sure you already have heard the name!

Contrary to what comes in your mind when you think of circus, the Cirque du Soleil has no performances of or with animals, which is a huge benefit for many people. Instead, the show offers amazing and breathtaking performances of different (human) artists, with incredibly detailed costumes. The Cirque du Soleil has many different shows, but there is always unbelievable acrobatic artistry, dances inspired from different regions, juggling, balancing and act on the trapezes that are really wonderful to see.

The Cirque du Soleil Shows are also always inspired by cultures all over the world and combine traditional customs, myths and legends with fantasy elements, showing peak performances of the acrobats that make you gaze in amazement and wonder about the capabilities of the human body! But don't feel intimidated, it is really a must to see the Cirque du Soleil in Barcelona.

 The Show of the Cirque du Soleil in Barcelona is called Varekai and takes place in a fantastic wood with the main character, Icarus, whose name might sound familiar to you. The duration is about three hours, so prepare for that.

Besides their tours and shows, the Cirque du Soleil also releases albums and singles which are quite popular. If you enjoyed the show and music you could buy a CD to have nice souvenir from this event and to remember the great time you spend every time you listen to the music.

So if you in Barcelona or the surrounding and you like exceptional events, you should book your tickets for the Cirque du Soleil in Barcelona early as this popular show is probably sold out fast!

The prices usually range from around 30 € up to around 200€ per ticket, depending on seat and age.

The Cirque du Soleil in Barcelona takes places directly at the beach, at the Grand Chapiteau, at the Plataforma Zoo Marino near the Forum.

You can either enjoy your stay and book a Barcelona hotel that is really close to that, to walk along the beautiful houses and the beach before or after the show.

Or if you are in a Barcelona Hotel in other districts, you can take the metro L4 (the yellow one) and step out at Selva de Mar or Besòs Mar.

Enjoy the Cirque du Soleil in Barcelona and maybe take a romantic walk after the show along the beach!

To all the avid readers among us: The annual Barcelona Book Fair will start this year on the 17th September and end on the 3rd October!

It is still not too late to book a suitable Barcelona holiday rental and visit this traditional fair, which this year is organized for the 59th time.

It takes places near the Placa Catalunya in the city centre of Barcelona, so you should search for Placa Catalunya accommodation to be close. This allows you to walk comfortably to the Barcelona Book Fair.

But for all of us who search for Barcelona apartment rentals that are in different locations, don't worry.
Directly at the Placa Catalunya is a metro station and the L3 (the green line) and the L1 (the red line) pass every few minutes!

The Barcelona Book Fair 2010 offers a unique feeling, you have the chance to buy antique books and feel the hint of mystery that old books posess. Why don't you buy an interesting book to improve your Spanish skills? But there are also books in more languages that could be a good investion for you.

After all, the Barcelona Book Fair offers something for everyone, wether you like classic dramas or modern comics, you will find something here! With your newly bought discoveries you can spend an afternoon reading in the Park de Güell or in one of the other wonderful Barcelona parks or famous Barcelona places. They offer you a calm surrounding to get perfectly lost in your books! And if it rains, you have still the opportunity to stay in your apartment or hotel.

But even if you don't find a book (which is nearly impossible), the Barcelona Book Fair also shows an exposition "Photography and Books" and the wonderful artworks of the photography and poster artist Toni Catany.

So for all the culture interested people, don't hesitate to experience one of the many cultural facets of Barcelona. Plan a day or two for the fair and you will surely find something you like!

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!

How about enjoying some good music in a nice park during a warm summer night? That's possible in Barcelona: the Musica als Parcs program for 2010 already started since June the 2nd in different parks of the city. If you are enjoying holidays in the city and staying in an hotel Barcelona or in a Barcelona apartment, you should definitely find the nearest park and go there to enjoy some jazz or classical music tonight!

All concerts are totally free and the event will last until the last week of august. They take place in eight different parks of Barcelona depending on the type of music that will be played. Thus, you can enjoy some classical music in the following parks: Turó Park , Jardines de Príncipe de Girona and in the parque de la Ciutadella. Jazz music concerts will also be in the Parque de la Ciutadella but in the Jardines de los Derechos Humanos as well. Moreover, you can enjoy concerts from the municipal band in the Parque de la Creueta del Coll, Parque de Diagonal Mar, Parc de la Barceloneta et Parque de la Guineueta.

Classical concerts are every Thursdays and Fridays and start at 10pm while jazz concerts take place every Tuesdays Wednesdays at 10pm. For municipal band concerts, you should check the dates on the Musica als Parcs program but keep in mind that they all start at 8pm.

As every year, the musicians for classical concerts were selected by a jury of experts and are a part of the Conservatorio del Gran Teatro program y de la ESMUC (Escuela Superior de Música de Cataluña) . The jazz musicians were also carefully selected so you can be sure to listen to good music!

Now, it's only up to you to choose which type of concert you want to be attending!

If you are planning to go to Port Aventura Salou during the summer, it could be interesting for you to know that from the 17/07 to the 28/08 you can enjoy a night at the park (from 7pm to midnight) for lower prices than during the day. Indeed, Port Aventura Night Tickets are sold at 28 euros for Adults, 23 euros for seniors and juniors, and 16 euros for handicapped people. Buy your Port Aventura tickets online now to avoid waiting too much at the entrance!

Port Aventura Salou is a theme park located on Costa Dorada, near from Tarragona (20 minutes) and an hour from Barcelona. It is very well communicated and you can even access the park easily by train since it has its own train station.

The theme park will please all the family with its various different attractions. If you are a thrill seeker, then you can experience the roller coasters, and if you want more calm, you can play golf or enjoy the swimming pools in another part of the park. Each part of the park recreates a different atmosphere: trough the attractions and animations you will travel to China, Mexico, Polynesia, the Far West or Mediterranean coast.

Now it's only up to you to discover this amazing park!

Barcelona is not only a holiday destination for culture enthusiasts and sunseekers. Since years, the city has developed and has become a major destination for shopping tourists.

It took several years since Barcelona was able to compete with other major fashion centers in Europe. Today, the city even hosts big fashion events and trade shows.  Popular brands have also settled down in the Mediterranean metropolis. Taking a walk from your Barcelona Hotel or your Barcelona apartment along the Passeig de Gracia, you will find plenty of famous brands.

Those who like it more inexpensive should take trip to the old city center or the Gracia area in the North of the city. There, you can find small shops that are dating back decades waiting for your visit. These little "tiendas" are part of the whole Gracia district with its unique charme. From traditional Spanish fashion to modern accesiores, you will find everything the heart desires.

Are you more into interesting shops that are located close to each other? If yes, you should take walk through the Diagonal Mar shopping mall. There, you can find also prestigeous shops, electronic shops as well as a wide choice of  restaurants. After an exhausting day in the mall you can relax at the nearby beach! That's Barcelona!

Visitors appreciate especially the diverse culture, when they come to Barcelona.The city is home of several world famous musicians and artists. One of those, is Joan Miró.

A major criteria for Barcelona visitors is to resident in the proximity to the main city sights in a hotel in Barcelona or an apartment in Barcelona. Especially in spring and summer there will be crowds of people passing by or visiting the famous museum "Fundació Joan Miró".

The museum itself impresses art lovers with a huge choice of art. This includes more than 225 paintings, 150 Skulptures and numerous graphical works. Moreover, the museum provides a huge exhibition of 5000 drawings from Joan Miró.

In conclusion, this museum is perfect for art lovers and those who would like to know more about this artists.

The museum is open almost throughout the year. It is possible to take part in a guided tour trough the "home of Joan Miró". These tours usually take place during weekends (temporary exhibitions on Saturdays and permanent exhibitions in Sundays).

Barcelona offers plenty of interesting spots to discover. Among them is the Plaza Catalunya, Plaza Reial, Plaza Espanya and of course the Plaza del Sol.

As its name implies, the place is famous for its sunshine hours. During the whole day, you can enjoy the day and lounge in the sun, provided that the sun is shining, of course. Being located in the Gracia district, it provides a typical Spanish atomsphere with its small alleys and old buildings all around.

Departing from your Barcelona apartment or your Barcelona hotel, this place can be reached by public transport. Take metro line 3 (green) until you reach the station "Fonatna". From there, you reach the place within a few minutes on foot. The audience is quite diverse: Beside tourist you will be able to find a lot of students, as well as locals and other sunseekers.

Plaza del Sol is also famous for its numerous cafes and bars. One of them is the Cafe del Sol. It is open all year long and offers a variety of cold and hot drinks, depending what the weather is like in Barcelona.

The Casa Àmatller by Antoni Àmatller is one of the architectural highlights withín the city of Barcelona. Built in the style of "Modernisme Catala", it is also a likeness of the Catalan Culture.

When visiting Barcelona, you should take a trip from your Barcelona hotel or your Barcelona apartment to the Casa Amatller at Passeig de Gracia. Built in 1899/1900 by Josep Puig i Cadafalch, this building has been inspired by the Dutch townhouses from the 17th century. Inside, you will find bright wall constructions with tall windows that are omated with mosaics.

At the entrance hall of the palace different kinds of sculptures by Eusebi Arnau can be admired. Among them chocolate makers, almond trees and blossoms, as well as St. George - the dragon fighter. Beside chocolate, photography has been a huge passion of Àmatlle. Thus, a large exhibition of fhis otos are on display at the ground floor.

Guided tours through the chambers of the chocolate baron, his photo exhibition, as well as a visit in the old kitchen to try some his famous chocolate take about one hour.

address: Passeig de Gracia 41

metro: Passeig de Gracia

opening hours: 10am - 8:30pm

Thousands of visitors are expected to come to Barcelona in the middle of June 2010. But not only for adults, also kids will get the opportunity to meet the stars at the Sonar Kids festival.

The Sonar Kids festival attracts with music and entertainment in the CCCB in Barcelona (Cult Centre Barcelona)  Those of you planning to visit Barcelona in mid June and are interested in electronic music, will be able to experience this exciting festival. From your accommodation in Barcelona, such as a family friendly apartment in Barcelona you simply need to take the metro to the CCCB in the city centre.

For 17 years now, the Kids edition of the Sonar Festival has been celebrated. This year, the festival will take place on June 12th and 13th from 10:30am - 8pm. The Lineup included world famous stars such as Chemical Brothers, Hot Ciopi, Dizzee Rascall, Joy Orbison and Roxy Music. The Sonar Kids does not only incorporate music but also body art, finger skate and several workshops, such as the DJ workshop for kids. Ticket prices range from 14 Euros (4 - 14 year-olds) to 20 Euros (for adults). Kids under the age of 3 are free of charge.

Address:

The Parc d'Atraccions Tibidabo is a theme park overlooking the whole city from the Tibidabo mountain, which is the local mountain of Barcelona. Soaring 512m into the Barcelona sky, the Tibidabo offers a magnificent view together with several park attractions.

If you have booked your family holidays at Costa Brava or directly arranged an accommodation in Barcelona, you and your family should not miss the Tibidabo mountain. Part of a mountain chain, the Tibidabo offers a great view over the city, sea and the surrounding areas. The theme park is the main attraction offering several nostalgic rides.

The park has been built at the beginning of the 20th century by a wealthy pharmacist. Several years ago, the park encountered financial problems, so that it has been bought by the City of Barcelona. Since then, the park has been renewed and renovated. Thus, it is onre of the main attractions for visitors.

In May, the park is usually open every weekend from 12am - 9pm. It will be also open at Whitsun 2010 (May 24th) and additionally in June (9./10. - 16./17./18. - 24./25.)  During Juli and Augsut, the park will be open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 12am to 11pm. The park can be reached easily by public transport from Plaza Catalunya.

During summer time Barcelona offers plenty of events and festivities. One of them is the Revetlla de Sant Joan - the most popular and spectecular one.

Every year Barcelona celebrates the shortest night with fireworks and a big party. Having booked an accommodation in Barcelona, for instance a hotel in Barcelona offers you one of the most exciting nights in the city of Barcelona.

The festivities start at sun set and take the whole night. There will be bonfires all across the city on large places. In addition to that, there will be fireworks and firecracker also.

The tradition behind this event is easy: You write your wishes on a piece of paper and throw it into the flames. Afterwards you will need to jump three times, so that the wish will coome true, according to the legend. This will take place all across the city, so that every part of the city has its own fireworks and partys. Therefore visitors have the possibility to explore and enjoy this beautiful tradition.

In the recent years, Barcelona became the Mecca for skate sports. Whether skateboarding, longboarding or inline skating, Barcelona offers perfect conditions, such as skate parks all over the city.

Even Tony Hawk, the world famous skate star, has spend some days in Barcelona Hotel the discover the city running on rollers. He must have liked the city so much that he included it in his Video game "Tony hawk Underground 2". For all fans of the virtual skate sport was this a landmark in video game history.

Beside virtual sports, real sports offers even more fun! Especially the skates love the city in Northern Spain. Barcelona offers a lot of opportunities, like public parks and places that are perfect for skating. There are also special skate parks in the city. El Raval and the Plaça de Universitat, next to the Museum of Contemporary Art are such places that are very famous.

 For those of you who do not want to bring their own skateboards and inline skates, there are several opportunities to rent a those sports equipment in shops. Even those of you who have never tried to skate or never dared to - this is your opportunity. One of those shops is called Inercia located not far from the beach. Prices range from 5 Euro per hour, 15 per day or 25 per weekend.

Whether you rent your skates or bring your own, Barcelona will offer you perfect conditions to live your lifestyle. Barcelona does not only offer skating but also a lot of activities and culture.

In Sitges, at the Costa Dorada, approx. 40km southwest of Barcelona, the Carnival of Stiges is celebrated every year. This is a unique celebration at which more than 250.000 people are expected.

This celebration orients oneself by the curch calender and is especially know in the gay community. This year the festivities start on 11 February 2010, Thurday before Ash Wednesday. The people from Sitges at the Costa Dorada expect many tourist from around the world, that usually live on one of the Costa Dorada Hotels or Costa Dorada apartments.

The reason for the "Carnival de Sitges" was the midwinter that the Romans had already celebrated many years ago. Between the late 30s and eyrly 80s, the carnival has even been forbidden by the Spanish government. Meanwhile, the festivities have returned to the Costa Dorada without losing its unique allurement.

The solemmities are known for the colourful and fancy costumes. It reminds some people even of the famous Carnival de Rio de Janeiro. The parade usually passes the whole city with its unique congeniality caused by the masks and costumes.

At the beginning, ther is a huge party in the middle of the city to celebrate the arrival of king "Carnestoltes". In addition to that, there is a separate gay carnival that offers special event such as the Tourist Night, Miss Organic, Glamour Night, Carnival Bingo, Cabaret/Roman Circus and the Prizes Night.

The dragqueens, in particular, are the eyecatcher during the celebration. Besides celebrating and disguising oneself, there is also the Spanish cuisine, which attracts a lot of tourists and local citizens. A lot of bars and clubs will be open during the carnival celebartion. Moreover, there will even be laser shows and fireworks.

The carnival de Sitges ends on Ash Wednesday with the historic fight between the king and his queen against the "Ghost of the Lent". Part of that historic ritual is also the transport of the defeated king and his queen to the beach, where they will rise from the dead the next year. In the end, there is the celebration called "El Entierro de Sardina", which symbolizes the end of the "good times". 
 

The district La Barceloneta contains a broad sandy beach. Due to the fact that Barcelona is directly located at the Mediterranean Sea, is it possible to enjoy the beach atmosphere and relax after the sightseeing-tour. The beach of La Barceloneta provides everything you need at the beach, like white sand and a gentle surge.

Directly situated at the beach there are many bars and small restaurants. There you can drink and also eat with the panorama of the sea and nice music in the background. Furthermore, there is the possibility to rent sunshades and beach couches.

Besides that the beach offers public utilities. There are public toilettes and douches to make sure that everybody can enjoy the day on the beach. Moreover, the beach is guarded by employees of the Red Cross. Thus, swimming in the sea can be a save fun. There is also tourist information at the beach and the employees are always willing to answer all the questions about Barcelona.

To stay very close to the beach you can rent an apartment or hotel in Barcelona, situated in Barceloneta. These are relatively cheap und very central located. As the water in the sea is still warm enough to swim in autumn and many days with sun are provided, it is advisable to plan your Barcelona holiday in that time. Besides that the city and especially the beach are not as overcrowded with tourists as in the main summer time.

A holiday in Barcelona during the summer would not be complete without sampling some of the city's typical drinks. With many fine restaurants, cafes and bars, you will be able to try traditional favorites such as Sangria or trendy drinks that have become popular in nightclubs and beach parties. Drinking a glass of wine or beer or two during an evening meal is common in Barcelona and in other parts of Spain. Here is a list of Barcelona´s most popular drinks:

Sangria
Sangria is a fruity mix of red wine, fresh fruits and other liquors. Even though this drink is considered traditional, there are many varieties that will appeal to your individual taste. You can add different fruit combinations and use a variety of wines that range in flavor, so that two glasses of Sangria will not taste the same.
Sangria is such a fun drink to have during the summertime because of its array of colors and flavors. Since the fruit is meant to soak up the wine, you will taste many flavors as you drink. Edible flowers are often added to give the drink a more colorful appearance.

Beer
In addition to fruit and vegetable based drinks, beer is very common in the bars and restaurants of Barcelona. A cold beer on a hot day is a great way to relax after a day of sightseeing. With many varieties, you should be able to find one that you like.

Orxata
Another popular drink you will find in Barcelona is Orxata. Made from water, sugar and tigernut, this refreshing drink can be found in bars, restaurants and street vendors. Even though this drink is simple to prepare, you will be amazed by the taste. You should have this drink with a dessert or as an afternoon snack between visits of museums and other historic sights of Barcelona. Many Barcelona hotels and cafes serve Orxata and other light drinks, so you should be able to find it easily.

After the lights and energy of Christmas, it's time to see in the new year. This is an exciting and vibrant time of the year in many faiths and countries around the world. It's a time to forgive and forget and to make those all important resolutions; most importantly, it's a time to start afresh. Experience New Years Eve in a cosmopolitan city and spend your holiday in Barcelona.

Keeping with tradition, the new year celebrations begin by eating twelve grapes, one for every time the clock chimes for midnight. In many Spanish places this is performed outside and the streets are covered with people eating grapes. In Barcelona, it is not seen as necessary to eat the grapes outside and many eat their grapes at home before venturing outside for the big party.

Every club and venue is called into action at this time and usually organizes a special new year party for which tickets are issued in most cases. There are also super-sized parties held in venues across the country and some people choose to hire out their own private venue for a special party of their own. Others may be slightly more intimate and hold a party at their Barcelona accommodation for friends and family only. Although a diminishing tradition, some people wait to see the sun rise over a beach. Traditional food associated with new year is "churros", a finger or banana shaped pastry and hot chocolate. During the New Years Eve time you can still find a lot of available Barcelona hotels and Barcelona apartments.

The first week of the new year is dedicated to children. On the night before the 5th January, the three kings - Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar, disembark their ship at the harbour and there is a grand parade through the town with the kings and their pages - another opportunity for the children to get involved. The kings are then left alone in the city to hide presents. It is customary to write a letter to the kings and request specific presents although they may like to throw in a few little surprises.

These traditions are not all necessarily followed to the letter although the majority will participate, especially in the precession of the kings. In Barcelona Christmas is accepted as a time for having fun with friends and most importantly family.

Like many of the great European cities, Barcelona comes alive over the Christmas period. There are many traditions and activities for all ages as well as exciting festivals which capture the true spirit of Christmas. It is a great chance to spend a holiday in Barcelona during Christmas.

There is a Christmas market each year called the feria de Santa Lucia which is in operation form early December until Christmas eve. It is located in the Plaça de la Seu and Plaça Nova and has an array of hand crafted gifts and traditional nativity scenes. On a practical note there are also many opportunities to stock up on the Christmas essentials such as the all important tree. The streets surrounding the square are, of course, brilliantly adorned with every type of light conceivable in order to create a magical Christmas atmosphere. Around these two places you can find comfortable Barcelona apartments and Barcelona hotels.

For those who really like to get involved and really get into the Christmas spirit there is the Tio de Nadal. This is a decorated Log with a face painted on it. The idea is for children to find the log by coincidence and then beat it before Santa arrives. This is believed to release the presents and occurs on either Christmas eve or Christmas day itself. The children also sing songs to the log and this is a traditional activity.

Christmas day itself is a time for spending with the family and of course opening the presents which are placed underneath the Christmas tree. This is a very strong tradition in all Catalan homes and this often continues through to boxing day or St. Stephen's day. It is said that this period cannot pass properly without the famous cannelloni which is a dish prepared by hand consisting of square pasta sheets and a filling. In more modern times, many restaurants have been opening on boxing day and are therefore incredibly busy; they serve traditional Christmas meals and of course cannelloni. A lot of Barcelona hotels are also carrying out a special Christmas program with some activities and Christmas meals.

It is true that the modern way of celebrating Christmas has become very consumer lead but Barcelona is one of the few places which still has an incredibly strong sense of tradition. This is highly evident over the Christmas period during which the city really comes alive. You can experience true tradition by spending your Christmas holiday in Barcelona.

Love, music, happy endings and dance made in India. This is what makes Bollywood so popular at the moment. You can see Bollywood movies in TV now every week. But now you will have the chance to experience a unique Bollywood show that will make your holiday in Barcelona a special one!

A troupe of 35 actors, dancers and musicians arrived in Barcelona from Delhi to tell you this story. Don't waste your time and get your tickets for this exceptional show, because the last show will be on the 15th of November. The show will take place in the Teatre Victoria in the Parallel district, where you can also find great Barcelona apartments.

The show includes effects of light, by the fabulous scenery and beautiful costumes which will deliver you the perfect Bollywood feeling. They will put you directly into the mysteries of India, the rituals, magic and exotic landscapes. Sit back and marvel a fairytale come true. This show has already conquered the rest of Europe, now its your turn to fall for the charm of India.

The show can be seen from Wednesday until Sunday. Prices range from 22€ to 38€, depending on whether you want to sit on a standard seat or on a balcony seat.

How to get there:
The Teatre Victoria is situated in the Avenida Parallel 67-69. You can easily get there by Metro or bus. The Metro station "Parallel" is situated close to the theatre. You can use the Metro lines L2 and L3 to get there. There is also a bus stop in front of the theatre. The bus lines 20, 36, 57, 64, 157, N4 and N6 stop there.

Only a couple of decades ago, the moral legacy of the Spanish dictatorship confined homosexual behavior to a handful of underground bars and the city's gay population lived in fear of abuse on the streets. Nowadays, men with shaved heads and combats are more likely to be on their way to a leather bar than anything more sinister, and recent legislation introducing same-sex marriages caused hardly a ripple of dissent.

In Barcelona anything goes; most gay bars welcome straight drinkers, and vice versa. The lack of segregation means that there isn't a gay ghetto as such. The area bordered by the streets of Diputacio and Arago, Balmes and Villarroel in the Eixample is known as the "Gaixample" and is where most gay venues are concentrated. Yet even this isn't really a gaybourhood: although it has a buzz at night, the wide streets make it anything but villagey. In that area you can easily find a Barcelona hotel or a cozy Barcelona apartment.

For more information on what's going on in the city, pick up a copy of the free gay map or magazines from bars and gay bars. There are several discos where gays can enjoy theirselfes during the whole night. Barcelona even has a beach for the gays. Officially the San Sebastian beach in La Barceloneta is a nude beach, but in the summer months it is always full of gays.

Barcelona is a nice city anyway, and the Eixample district is one of the best and nicest area of Barcelona. If you intend to spend some days in Barcelona, you should stay in this area and also visit the other spots of interest. A Barcelona holiday is always a great experience for gays.

This weekend a farmer's market takes place at Placa del Pí in the Barrio Gotico.

If you are on holiday in Barcelona and stay in a nice Barcelona centre hotel or in one of the many apartments in Barcelona go and see this farmer's market. It's definitely worth a visit!

Every first and third weekend of the month this market with a lot of regional products from the Pyrenees is held in the Barrio Gotico. So if your trip to Barcelona is on the first or third weekend of a month you shouldn't miss the opportunity to visit the market and see and try the regional products.

Mainly food and drinks are offered on the market and many things can be tested. Wander from stall to stall and try all the delicious self-made food. The range of products is quite diverse, no matter if you prefer honey, jam, cheese, chorizo, pâté or herbs you will definitely find something. At the same time it is a good opportunity to buy some really authentic and special souvenirs.

The famous district of Barcelona, a former fishing village, is a rectangle between the Port Vell, Franca station and Port Olimpic in the east. There are many fish restaurants along the Passeig Joan de Borbó. The beautiful place of Barceloneta with its delightful restaurants and bars and the Baroque parish church of Sant Miquel del Port are places you shouldn't miss! If you love fish you have to visit Calle Almirall Cervera, as well.

The district of Barceloneta is a neighborhood visited throughout the year. Do not hesitate to book one of the many Barceloneta apartments to enjoy the charms of this area. Whether for a romantic and delicious dinner in one of the innumerable fish restaurants, a picnic at the beach or a swim -- there is always something to do! If you want to enjoy holidays by the sea when you visit Barcelona, book your Barcelona beach hotels now!

Are you over 18 years old and do you plan a Barcelona holiday? Then you should definitely visit the Casino Barcelona.
You should especially spend a night in the casino if you are staying in one of the many beach apartments Barcelona in this area. If you have already lost all your money at the Roulette table you should better look for one of the many cheap Barcelona hotels.

The Casino Barcelona is the biggest in Catalonia and is situated in the beautiful district Port Olimpic, next to the beach.

You can choose from a variety of different games, machines and gambling tables: video-poker machines, Blackjack, Hold'em Poker, American and French Roulette - these are just some of the many choices you have in the Casino Barcelona. The casino has also three bars, one nightclub and four different "top-quality restaurants" where you can find something to eat for every taste.

The casino is located in the heart of Barcelona and thus can be reached easily from Barcelona Airport.

Do you spend your holidays in Barcelona in a Barcelona hotel or in a Barcelona apartment? If you just answered this question with yes, you definitely shouldn't miss this natural phenomenon.

Every year in August many falling stars can be seen in the night sky but tonight this phenomenon reaches its peak with about 200 falling stars per hour.
A falling star is not really a star but a very, very tiny piece of cosmic dust. Most of the falling stars are about 1mm big, the bigger ones (>10mm) are called Bolides. When they enter our atmosphere 100km above the ground they start to glow and 60km above the ground they have burned up completely. These falling stars are also called the Perseid meteor shower because they seem to pour out of the constellation Perseus.

This phenomenon occurs every year between mid July and the end of August because during this time the earth crosses on its orbit around the sun a cloud of dust from Comet Swift-Tuttle. The intensity og the shower depends on the distance of the comet to the earth.

The best place to watch the Perseid meteor shower an open and dark space, for example, the beach or a mountain and watch towards the horizon. Try to get away from the city lights as far as possible to see all of the falling stars. But don't worry, even in the city many of the brighter falling stars can be seen.

So close your eyes and make a wish!

L'Aquàrium de Barcelona is by far one of the most visited sight in Barcelona and in the whole of Catalonia. Visiting the aquarium is a perfect excursion for families who spend their holidays in Barcelona because it has something to offer for young and old. It is situated at the harbour of Barcelona next to the column of Columbus and it is the most important marine leisure and education centre about the Mediterranean Sea.

The aquarium has 35 basins, 11,000 animals and 450 different species. Walk through the 80 metres long glass tunnel and experience the feeling of being surrounded by sharks. It contains more than 6 million litres of water and has already been visited by 14 million people.

Built in 1995 it was opened on the 8th of September 1995. The newest technology was connected to art and a walk was created which leads the visitors along 21 basins representing all the different facets of the underwater world. The combination of entertainment and education is outstanding and you can feel the devotion to this project in the whole building.

So don't hesitate and visit this extraordinary aquarium which is as well the biggest in Spain. Why not connect a visit to the aquarium with a short trip to Barcelona? You can spend your holiday in a comfortable apartment in Barcelona or in one of the many Barcelona beach hotels.

OPENING HOURS:
Open all year round

Opening: 9.30h

Closing:
Of Monday through Friday: 21.00h
Weekend and public holidays: 21.30h
June and September: 21.30h
July and August: 23.00h

(Ticket offices and accesses open until one hour before).

For more information: +34 93 221 74 74

PRICES:

Adults: 17 €
Children from 4 to 12: 12 €
Adults over 60: 14 €

Catalonia is known for its excellent Mediterranean and culinary food. In Catalonia you can find various restaurants in that you can experience the exceptional Catalan food. Their chefs are known for giving their meals a handful of essential ingredients like olive oil, garlic and tomato which gives Catalan cooking the special Mediterranean flair. The creativity of the Catalan cuisine is known in the whole country. Specialties are for example to cook meat with fruits, to mix nuts and raisins into vegetables or to combine rabbit with snails. It is a great experience to visit Barcelona and try the amazing cuisine during your stay you can live on on of the various Barcelona hotels.

The Catalan food is an important ingredient of the Mediterranean tradition. You will notice neighboring influences from France and Valencia when enjoying the extraordinary Catalan cuisine. The closeness to the sea also influences the cuisine by adding a lot of seafood. In general you can find 3 kind of Catalan cuisine. There is the cuisine from the Mountains, with its meat, cheese, sausages, and vegetables. Then you have the cuisine of the coast which includes fish with rice, pasta or potatoes. Finally there is the cuisine from the cities with its diversity of traditional and international meals.

A visit in Catalonia is not just advised because of the great cuisine, the nature and culture of Catalonia is also very interesting. The region satisfies every kind of traveler. You can travel to the big city Barcelona, you can do a party holiday in Lloret de Mar or Blanes or you can just spend a relaxing holiday on the nice Catalan coast with its long beaches. During your stay you can stay in one of the various Costa Brava hotels or Costa Dorada hotels.

The FC Barcelona is one of the biggest and most impressive football clubs in the world. If you visit the city of Barcelona you should definitely watch a game of the FC Barcelona or at least visit their museum including the stadium. During your stay in Barcelona you can live in one of the numerous Barcelona hotels or you can rent a comfortable Barcelona apartment.

The Camp Nou, which is the great stadium of the FC Barcelona, is situated in the middle of the neighborhood Les Corts. It is the biggest stadium in Europe, with a capacity of 98.600 seats. You can easily reach it with the Metro lines 3 and 5. Tickets for the FC Barcelona are really easy to get. The FC Barcelona has signed several world famous players. One of them is Lionel Messi, who is seen as the best football player in the world of many football experts. In summer 2009 the club won the Champions League which underlines the extraordinary strength of the team.

The Motto of the FC Barcelona is "més que un club", which means more then a club. The motto totally fits for most of their supporters. For most of them the FC Barcelona is part of the family. The club is the way of life and is a symbol for freedom and home. Especially for the proud Catalans, it is a pleasure to win against their unpopular enemy Real Madrid which represents the central Spanish force Madrid. This game decides every year again about the mood of most Catalans.

If you experienced the atmosphere in this stadium once, then you will realize that the FC Barcelona is more than just a football club. If you feel like visiting this stadium now, then come to Barcelona and spend a few days in a comfortable Barcelona accommodation. The city also offers more cultural and artistic highlights, so that you can also discover a lot of other attractions besides the stadium.

Are you a passionate fan of spending your summer vacation beside the beach and under the mediterranean sun?
Well then the city is the ideal location to spend some unfortgettable holidays in Barcelona. Beside the various oportunities the city can offer you, you'll also find kilometre long beaches which are well appreciated when temperatures are rising up. The coastline of Barcelona is down to 4.5 km and the city offers some different beaches to enjoy during the whole year. The most famous beaches of Barcelona are Barceloneta, Bogatel, Llevant, Mar Bella, Nova Icària and Sant Sebastià.

The webpage "Ajuntamente de Barcelona" enables you to learn about all necessary informations regarding the beaches of Barcelona. Each beach has its own conditions regarding the presence of jellyfishes, the weather, the public transports and more.
So, what are you waiting for? Book a flight and a comfortable Hotel in Barcelona, pull on your swimwear, apply enough sun protection on your skin and get ready for ... the beach!

The Barceloneta beach is the closest one to the historical city center of Barcelona. Therefore it is a great oportunity to rent an Barcelona beach apartment in Barceloneta from where you can access the city easily and at the same time benefit from the immediate proximity to the sea and it's beach. From the Barceloneta beach you can access the city center within a 10-minutes-walk only. There is also a metro station (yellow line) which brings you directly to different sights within Barcelona. Another advantage of the Barceloneta beach is that there are plenty of restaurants and bars where one can satisfy its' hunger and thirst or enjoy a romantic dinner just in front of the sea.

The Nova Icaria beach is situated beside the Port Olimpic and is also filled with beach bars and restaurants. Another Barcelona beach is the Mar Bella beach which is dedicated to the sport fans among you. Here bathers can go for windsurfing, kajaking, sailing or play volleyball. In contrast, the Nova Icaria Beach is a paradies for rollerbladers, cyclists and joggers.

All beaches in Barcelona are equipped so that handicapped people can access them without any problems.

The calendar of the seasons in Barcelona:

The high season in Barcelona with all the infrastructure and service installations takes place from 31st of May until the 28th of September. The rest of the year beaches are less equipped and visited. Enjoy your beach vacation in Barcelona!

Fancy shopping areas are spread across the whole city and vary enormously. The world-famous street Las Ramblas which ranges from Plaza Catalunya to the harbor of Barcelona is in fact a famous shopping street - yet, it is more likely to buy expensive tourist souvenirs there. If you are looking for famous and sophisticated brands such as Chanel, Gucci, Armani, Cartier, Miró or Zara, you should better go for Passeig de Gracia, Diagonal or around Plaza Catalunya. However, if you rather prefer alternative brands from the very famous ones, I recommend you to go to the winding alleys in the districts El Borne or Barrio Gotico. There you can find some small, unknown but yet hip and innovative labels. Besides, shopping in the Barrio Gotico enables you combine a shopping trip with visiting some of Barcelona's most famous cultural sights (e.g. cathedral). Besides some small fashion and clothes shops, you'll also find plenty of antique shops, small bookstores and of course welcoming cafés and restaurants to take a rest. In case you are seeking for music stores, alternative clothes or second-hand shops, then you should go to the district El Raval (the other side of Las Ramblas).
Very famous Spanish brands are - among others - Zara, Mango, Bershka, Stradivarius, MiSaKo and Desigual.

General infos about shopping in Barcelona:

Barcelona shops opening hours:
Monday to Saturday from around 10:00 am to 08:30 pm. Smaller shops often have "fiesta" between 02:00 pm until 04:30 pm. Many shops on Las Ramblas are open the whole week (also Sunday).

Barcelona sales:
Generally, there are 2 main sales in Barcelona: Winter and summer sale. Winter sale: From the second week of January until end of February. Summer sale: From middle of July until end of August. Discounts range between 20%-50% and finally up to 70%.

Barcelona shopping bus:
The Tombus is a bus which is considered for all shopping lovers and brings you to all the most important shopping spots within Barcelona: Departure takes place every 7 minutes from Plaza Catalunya. From here it drives up to Placa Pius XII (Diagonal). The air-conditioned bus costs 1.50 € and stops at 28 different stops.

The Caribe water park which is situated in the theme park Port Aventura is the perfect place to spend some great holidays with your family or some friends.

With its 9000m2 large swimming pool, the palm trees and the Mediterranean sun which is always shining over the beautiful Costa Daurada you will feel as if you are in the Caribbean itself.
Even more, if you are spending a night in the tropical paradise Port Aventura hotel "Caribe". Staying in this hotel in Port Aventura, enables you to receive free entrance to the Caribe water park and to the theme park Port Aventura.

Furthermore, when spending your time in the Caribe water park you will benefit from: Beaches of the "Bahamas", the waves of the "Bermuda triangle" and your children will love playing in the "lagoon of Woody Woodpacker".

Port Aventura tickets as well as tickets for the Caribe water park can be bought online along with some special offers which will make your stay even more attractive! Enjoy it!!!

The theme park Port Aventura, which is situated at the beautiful Costa Dorada, is an ideal park to spend entertaining and relaxing family holidays in Spain at the same time. And even more, since the Caribe water-park has opened its doors in May: The amazing Caribe water-park is situated just next to the theme-park Port Aventura and offers a great view towards the sea. The coming warmly temperatures are just ideal and invite you to spend some time in the two parks with your family.
There are plenty of hotels at Port Aventura, which each offer pleasant themes and decorations for the certain hotel rooms. They can be enjoyed by their young and old guests.
For instance, you could stay in a Port Aventura theme bedroom of "Woody Woodpecker" in the Port Aventura theme-park hotel.

For the ones who seek for maximum comfort, Port Aventura offers the "San Joan Club", which is situated in the heart of the Hotel Caribe. The San Joan Club offers spacious luxury bedrooms in order to ensure its' guests highest well-being.

The theme parks with their different kind of rooms are just ideal to spend some memorial holidays together with the whole family in a fantastic place, which will stay in all family member's minds forever and ever.

Book your favourite Port Aventura hotel NOW and benefit from the "4-in-1 booking special":

- Book a hotel and receive free entry to the theme park Port Aventura.
- 1st child free: Your 1st child (under 12 years) comes for free.
- Book NOW and pay LATER: for every booking made 60 days prior to arrival.
- Early booking discount: If you book 90 days in advance, you'll receive a 30% discount.

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Today I would like to recommend you a very special destination which will impress you and your whole family during your next holidays... I'm thinking of holidays in Salou Costa Dorada!

A holiday for the whole family, thanks to the amazing theme park Port Aventura Salou and its water-park CARIBE AQUATIC PARK. Just great is the special offer "2 days Port Aventura for the price of 1" or "3 days for both parks for the price of 2" and many further special offers provided by BarcelonaPoint.com.

Besides the fun you will have at the theme park(s), you can also benefit from kilometer-long, beautiful sand beaches from one of the Salou hotels where you can relax with your family or friends.
Beeing at the beach of Salou ebales you to participate in numerous nautical activities, such as wind-surfing, excursions with a catamaran, water-skiing, fishing, sailing and more.

In case you don't come on vacation in Salou during summer, there are still many activities which you can perform during the other seasons of the year.
For instance, you could go playing golf in Salou in one of the 3 golf-courses with more than 45 wholes.
Furthermore, the Costa Dorada is a region with loads of cultural heritages of the Romans to offer you, e.g. you could visit the ruins and other vestiges from the ancient epoch of the gladiators.
In winter as in summer, many festivals, feasts, concert etc. take place here in Salou at the Costa Dorada.

For more information about the city Salou, visit http://www.isalou.info/, the official Salou website. I wish you a wonderful holiday in Salou at the famous Costa Dorada!

Barcelona is generally a very cosmopolitan and tolerant city regarding nationalities, religion, complexion and sexual orientation. Regarding the last point, I would like to present you this very special hotel in Barcelona:

In the district "Eixample", also known as "Gayxample", the very modern and gay-friendly Barcelona Hotel Axel is located. The 3-star hotel is equipped in a very comfortable and chic way in order to ensure its guests the maximum of comfort and well-being.
One can find anything, what has to be included in order to ensure a pleasant stay in Barcelona: Swimming-pool, a bar on the roof-terrace ("Skybar"), Chill-Out-room, sauna, hamam, conference room and much more.
Not only the Axel hotel itself, but also the location has a lot to offer: One can find plenty of bars, restaurants, shops as well as like-minded-people around there. Moreover, the famous street "Las Ramblas" is only 800m away from the Hotel Axel.
This Barcelona hotel is generally very popular and well-known, especially in the national and international gay-scene.
Persuade yourself of this fancy hotel and the tolerance of the city Barcelona and book your (next) stay in the Barcelona Axel Hotel or any other convenient accommodation in Barcelona.

This year, the 16. Edition of the Sonar festival is taking place in Barcelona. It's the largest and most famous festival for electro-music within Europe. Every year, top-class musicians, newcomers, record labels and popular Djs from all around the world re-gather in the metropolis of Barcelona in order to experience this unique event live. The festival is allocated within the whole city of Barcelona. Sonar during day takes place in the Centre de Cultura Cotemporània de Barcelona (CCCB), in Barcelona's Museum of Modern Art (MACBA) and in the Centre d'Art Santa Monica.
Sonar during night takes place on the Fira Gran Via M2 terrain. The Sonar 2009 lasts from the 18. - 20. June. More than 80.000 visitors are expected to attend this amazing event. An excellent and unique atmosphere with hundreds of international artists is ensured.
After the official Sonar 2009 festival, there will be another event, called "SonarKids". It is created by the founders of the Sonar festival and offers attractive workshops and different courses for kids. It's actually not only a workshop for kids, but also for their parents. Parents, who have visited the concerts or exhibitions have the possibility to share their impressions with their kids. SonarKids takes place on June 21, 2009 (Sunday).

If you would like to visit this amazing event, don't miss to book the appropriate accommodation in advance. PerfectSunTravel offers great hotels in Barcelona and apartments in Barcelona.
If you want more info about the Sónar 2009 festival you can visit the official website: sonar.es

If you are spending holidays in a Barcelona family apartment, don' forget to visit the zoo. The Zoo of Barcelona is not far away located from the sea; in the famous "Park de la Ciutadella". Visiting Barcelona's Zoo which hosts more than 400 different animal species is an experience for really EVERYONE: giraffes, bears, lions, turtles, storks, lynxes, otters, elephants, hippos, leopards from Sri Lanka as well as a huge range of exotic species of birds are only few of the many, many animals which can be seen in the zoo of Barcelona.
The probably most famous animal of Barcelona's Zoo is until today "Copito de Nieve" (= snowflake). This was an albino-gorilla (white coat!), what is a very rarely existing species of gorillas. Unfortunately, Copito de Nieve has already passed by some years ago. However, he is still in the mind of many visitors from all around the world who saw this funny animal when visiting the Zoo.
Promenading through the great Zoo of Barcelona enables you not infrequently to experience live how the most "dangerous" and "exceptional" species of animals are fed by their custodians.

Barcelona's zoo is opened throughout the year. However, the time schedules change every now and then in regard to the certain season. Entrance fees for adults are 16€ and 9.60€ for children.
If you would like to know more about the Zoo of Barcelona check out the official website on the following link: http://www.zoobarcelona.com/default.htm