Barcelona apartments, Barcelona Hotels,

Gracia is a district of today's Barcelona. It is popular for its gorgeous villas and the world famous Park Güell of Antoni Gaudi. Beside the main attractions, there is much more to discover.

Today, Gracia is a cosy part of Barcelona with a lot of restaurants and bars. Additionally, you can find there plenty of Barcelona apartments and Barcelona hotels. But this has not always been the case. In the 16th century, Gracia has been an independent village that was connected to Barcelona through the Passeig de Gracia.

Therefore, the district still has its small-town character. The difference between the planed neighbourhood of Eixample and the small and winding alleys is obvious. There are also small places within these alleys that emphasize the village atmosphere.

Artists and students have been moving to this area during the last couple of years.All of them have a great advantage. They live next to the most beautiful park of the city - the Park Güell by Antoni Gaudi. Reaching this area is easy with the metro line 3. Step out at the Fontana or the Lesseps metro station.

Extensive scouting expiditions is making some people very hungry. Therefore, there are some interesting restaurants nearby. The restaurant Betron is known for its good cuisine, good service and low prices. This place can be found next to the Fontana metro station. For those who are more ambitious, you can visit the Can Xurrades. This restaurant offers traditional Catalan and Spanish cuisine a t its best. It is also known for its hospitality and great variety of wines. You can find this place at the Carrer de Gran Gracia 57.

In conclusion, Gracia is an area that is worth visiting. With the Park Güell, the cosy little alleys and traditional restaurants, this part of town is one of the most beautiful of the city.    

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.

Why don´t you surprise your Darling with a romantic weekend in Barcelona to spend the best Saint Valentine´s Day ever? You should just book one of our romantic and comfortable Barcelona hotels in one of the charming areas at the city center. Or what about a cozy apartment in Barcelona directly at beach? From here you can enjoy sunsets and doing long walks along the beautiful beach promenade. However Barcelona is the perfect city for a romantic trip. Begin your perfect day to free your mind. Just visit the Picasso museum in the Borne area and let your souls fly together. After this experience you should really aim up high and visit the Tibidabo. This is the highest mountain in Barcelona from where you have a breathtaking view over the whole city and the neverending horizon over the sea. Another thing you could do with you sweetheart is to let yourself inspire by the Spanish passion at a flamenco show while you enjoy some tasty tapas.
When the evening has begun, you must take a walk at the harbor promenade and watch the sunset. The palms, the pretty yachts and the surrounding in the twilight give you an atmosphere that really deserves to be called romantic. But don´t forget: the way to a heart leads always through the stomach. Enjoy the traditional Spanish cuisine with paella and a delicious wine at one of the small restaurants along the beach.
After a day like this, nothing could be much easier than only one thing. Let your mind focus in only one person: your valentine!

Are you a fan of the mobile communication or are you working in this sector than you shouldn´t miss the Mobile Communication Congress in Barcelona (3GSM) which will take place from the 15th to 18th February 2010 in the Fira Barcelona.

The city is a perfect location for such a congress as it is innovative but on the other hand also traditional. There are a lot of companies located here but you will also find some quit places and cozy cafés and restaurants. So the visitors could relax after work and enjoy the special atmosphere of Barcelona. Or they just book some more days to discover the city and have some sightseeing.

If you want to visit this exposition you should book your Barcelona hotel soon because a lot of people from all over the world are staying in the city during this period of time. The other thing you should be aware of is to book an accommodation in Barcelona that is near the congress in order to avoid problems with the public traffic. So you can save time. The 3GSM itself is the world´s leading conference in this sector. Last year the fair was visited by more than 47000 visitors. For the next year 1300 companies are coming and presenting the latest innovations for products and technology that will define the mobile future. Beside the normal exhibition there will be an award ceremony that will highlight the most important innovations. The most important leading companies in the mobile industry from 182 countries will be represented.
So it is definitely the place to be in February. It doesn´t matter if you just want to have a look on the latest products on the market or if you take the chance to do one of the best businesses of the year. Just come to Barcelona and take advantage from this exhibition!

If you are spending your family holiday in Barcelona but it is raining or too cold to go outside why don´t you do some sports with your family? What about climbing, for example? But don´t worry you needn´t to go to some mountains - now you can do it directly in Barcelona! Not far from your central apartment in Barcelona the "Bosc Urba" is located. The recently built hall is the first indoor climbing hall in Barcelona.
The adventure park offers various possibilities on a total area of 6 000 m2. There are activities for every target group and every age. It doesn´t matter if you are beginner or a professional, just go there and enjoy this kind of sport.
The park provides three different areas with different level of difficulty. The orange one is for children between 4 and 10 years and has a high of 1.30 meters. If you are looking for a higher level of difficulty you will found it on the blue course. It is applicative for children from 8 years and adults. But the ultimate adrenaline kick you´ll get on the red. It is 6 meters above the ground and ends with a rappel over 120 meters.
Furthermore the Barcelona Urbà Organisation offers specials for birthday celebrations or business meetings.

It is located in Placa del Forum where you can easily go with the metro line 4 until "Maresme/Forum"
Adress: Parc del Fòrum s/n 08019 Barcelona
Mail: info@barcelonaboscurba.com

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.

Gracia, one of the most beautiful districts in Barcelona lies at the north end of the Passeig de Gracia, and just north of the center of Barcelona. To get the distinctive feeling of this district, you must try and find a Barcelona hotel in its vicinity. It is a characteristic Catalan neighborhood, and unlike much of Barcelona, which is more cosmopolitan in nature. This part still retains a more local flavor.

Moreover, it is just a stone's throw away from the center of the City, making it a melting pot of tourists and locals. Quite a few people who visit Barcelona prefer to stay in Barcelona apartments in this quarter of the City. You can get a taste of the quaint old-world Spanish life-style with people spending a large part of their time on the many public squares that abound around the Gracia.

The area offers a nice collection of bars and restaurants that serve both the local, as well as, international cuisine. Bars such as the El Dorado have reached a ledgendary status, and all visitors, take time out to visit the bar at least once.

As already mentioned, you can find various types of hotels in Barcelona, which have opened shops in this area. They cater to all manner of budgets, and requirements. This will help you enjoy the Gracia, in a better manner.

If you want to see the famous architecture and modernist buildings of Barcelona, then there would be nothing better than taking a walk through the Gracia. You can feast your eyes on the buildings and their design that carry the stamp of famous architects like Antoni Gaudi.

If you are in Barcelona, then Gracia must be on your must-see list. Once your search for Barcelona accommodation is over, the first thing you should do is visit this inherently charming part of the City.

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.

For many people, Barcelona is known for its great avenues such as Diagonal, rich neighborhoods like Sarria and Passeig de Gracia or even other touristic areas such as The Barrio Gotic. But there is a neighborhood that is often forgotten and doesn´t appear on post cards, the Raval.

For many years, this neighborhood was considered as a marginal area, paradise for all the dropouts of the society, but it slowly turned itself into one of the hippest area of Barcelona. In fact, the Raval shelters lots of small workshops from bohemian artists and shops tagged as "underground".

The Raval has also plenty of small bars and restaurants such as the Rita Blue, where you can taste delicious dishes and savor excellent cocktails in a relaxing and hipped atmosphere. You can easily find nice Barcelona apartments or a Barcelona Hotel in this lovely district. The neighborhood is also known for its high concentration of foreign populations like Pakistanese and Africans. Indeed, most of the shops are handled by foreign population living in Barcelona and you will also be likely to find exotic products.

Nevertheless, as in every town, it is recommendable to keep in mind avoiding small not lit up streets and to keep an eye on your handbag and precious objects. Also you may still find some prostitution areas in these streets, but they are easy to avoid just by sight.

The Raval will surely delight those that are greedy for authenticity, for mixture of cultures and for TRUE experiences. If you make the bet of the Authentic Barcelona do not hesitate to rent a great apartment in the Raval.

Why don´t you book a flight and come to Barcelona for a few days. You won´t regret it because in this city there is so much to do and to see. There are a lot of holiday rentals in Barcelona or you just book a Barcelona hotel on las ramblas.
The best thing to get a first impression about this metropolis is to do a sightseeing tour with one of the sightseeing buses. These buses have an open top, so you can enjoy a clear view and the sun of course. If you do one of these trips you get review about the most important things and places. So afterwards you can decide which ones you will see once again and visit and which not.
There are three different tours you can take. At the beginning one get a little tour guide with all the description of the sightseeing. The tickets are for all three tours. Two of them last 2 hours, the third only 40 minutes. During the tour there are several stops where you can get off and visit for example a museum. Afterward you just take the next bus and the tour continues.
On the tour you see all the important things in Barcelona such as the Sagrada Familia, the Port Omímpic, Park Güell, Montüic and a lot more.So you don´t miss anything which you want to see and you can just get on and off whenever and wherever you want.
In summer the bus leave every 5 minutes and starts at 9:00 a. m. till 8:00 p. m. In winter the leavings are different but at least every 25 minutes. You can get the ticket either via internet or you can buy it directly in front of the buses. The price for one ticket is about 18 Euro for adults and 11 Euro for children. Babys until 3 years are free.

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!

All over the city of Barcelona Wi-Fi Access Points are modernized and introduced.

If you are on a holiday in Barcelona this might be very interesting for you. No matter if your Barcelona hotel or your apartment in Barcelona has internet or not, now you can log into the internet where ever you are in the city.

It will be the biggest network of Spain with over 200 hotspots till the end of this summer, at the moment already 170 are active, and over 500 hotspots till the end of 2010.
Different places in Barcelona will be equipped with Wi-Fi, like for example, the library, cafes, the park, sports halls, the museum and other public places. All you need to use it is a laptop, iPhone, Blackberry or mobile phone with Wi-Fi.

To realize this project the city had to agree to certain limitations demanded by the Commission for the Telecommunications Market (CMT). To prevent from the use of the Wi-Fi for gambling, pornography, programme downloads and VoIP telephony, the maximum connection time per day is 60 minutes at a maximum speed of 200kbps. Because of this it won't be possible to connect to messenger chatlines but social networking sites, such as Facebook, can be accessed.

Thus, the Wi-Fi Access Points are mainly there to allow simple browsing through an internet browser like Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Internet Explorer, etc. This might be really helpful for tourists as it allows more interactive sightseeing as you can get information about the sight directly on the internet or you can search for the best rated restaurants for the district you are currently standing in.

So come to Barcelona and enjoy the Wi-Fi hotspots. Oh and don't forget to leave your tourist guide at home!

If you want to go back in time to see how Barcelona may have looked during medieval times and before, visit Barcelona's neighborhood El Born. Aside from the trendy shops, restaurants and modern transportation, very little has changed over the years. From the small winding streets to the large squares where people go for lunch or dinner, El Born is a great place to spend your holidays in Barcelona, e.g. in one of the comfortable holiday homes Barcelona in El Borne.

Nearby Museums in El Borne

Beside the various shops, restaurants and cafes, there are several museums in El Born that you may find interesting. Spend a day or an afternoon in one or more of the following museums to learn more about Barcelona and its rich artistic history.The museums include:

• Picasso Museum - The Barcelona Picasso Museum is located on Moncada Street, this museum hosts over 3,500 works by Pablo Picasso. Completed with a café and a bookshop, you can spend all day at this museum viewing Picasso's work and many other of his personal items.

• Barcelona Textile and Costume Museum - Since El Born was once the headquarters of the Barcelona textile guilds, it's fitting that a museum dedicated to textiles would be located here. You will find a variety of exhibits that feature embroidery, costumes from different time periods and clothing from the 20th century.

• Maeght Gallery - The Maeght gallery in Barcelona, which is open to the public features artwork by Kandinsky, Miró, Giacometti and art of many further famous and well-known artists.

El Borne is not a large neighborhood, but there are beautiful Barcelona hotels and other types of accommodation in Barcelona to choose from. There are two metro stations dedicated to El Borne and therefore you can easily get around anywhere within Barcelona. Your Barcelona holiday should include visits to different neighborhoods so you can try out different kind of food as well as other cultural delights this city has to offer.
For those traveling with families, El Born is centrally located and is a ten minute walk away to the beaches and the city center of Barcelona.

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!

Are you going to spend some time during summer in Barcelona? If not, why don't you come and spend some exciting holidays in Barcelona in either a Barcelona hotel or an apartment in Barcelona?

Beside the typical sights that Barcelona can offer you, you could get to know the city from another point of view: Namely, as the scene of plenty of internationally known movies. The latest well-known movie which was shot in the metropolis was Woody Allen's successful movie "Vicky Cristina Barcelona". Yet, there are many other movies which were actually shot in Barcelona but didn't play in the city, for instance "The perfume".

The medieval Gothic quarter "Barrio Gotico", where one can also find many comfortable Barcelona apartments and the dry Mediterranean climate ensure ideal conditions for many movies.

When spending some Barcelona holidays, you should definitely participate in a Barcelona Movie walk and explore the original settings. Beside the tours "The Barcelona of Woody Allen" and "The Barcelona of Perfume" one can also take the tours "The Barcelona of "Salvador"" and "The Barcelona of Pedro Almodavar". Of course there are also tours which bring you to the French movie settings of "L'Auberge Espagnole - Barcelona for a year" as well as to the movie settings of the Italian movie "Manuale d'amore 2".
In case you don't want to participate in a guided tour, you can just follow the movie tracks by yourself. On the webpage WITUR you can find the certain movie walks.

On the 29th of June a very special cinema opens its doors: The SALA MONTJUIC which is an open-air cinema situated on top of the mountain Montjuic and which lasts until the 31st of July.

You are on holiday in Barcelona during this date? You are staying in a comfortable Barcelona apartment or in one of the charming Barcelona beach hotels? Then you should not miss to face the opportunity to visit at least one movie in the open-air cinema which is displayed on a huge screen every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, starting at 08:30 pm in an exceptional location.

The movies are played in original version with Catalan subtitles. The entry ticket costs 5 € and you can loan a chair for 3 €.

Tickets are limited to 2500: 2000 tickets can be bought online on the website of Sala Montjuic, the other 500 tickets can be bought in advance from ServiCaixa.

The organizers Ways Band are very enthusiastic about this year's edition which is in collaboration with the « Cinema Verdi », a cinema which is specialized in movies in original versions. Information regarding the cinema program and its dates can be accessed on the official website of the Sala Montjuic.

This is the perfect occasion to spend some joyful time with your family or some friends in an exceptional atmosphere. It's also a good chance to make a picnic together with them and also to discover Montjuic - one of the spots that must be seen when travelling to 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 opening of the new Barcelona airport terminal T1 in Barcelona's airport El Prat on the 16th of June 2009 strengthens Barcelona's position as an "exemplary airport within the Mediterranean and the south of Europe".

It has been said, that the project for the terminal T1 in Barcelona's airport belongs to one of the largest civil engineering projects ever undertaken in Europe and the result can be shown in any case:
A processing building where check-in is taking place, baggage reclaim and airport shopping areas, two lateral piers and one longitudinal pier for passenger boarding, and an intermodal lobby where the various transport systems will come together.
Not only will it increase the numbers of passengers travelling to and from Barcelona but the opening of the new terminal means the creation of more than 3000 jobs in the terminal T1.

The Airlines operating in the new, innovative Barcelona terminal T1 - among others - are:

• Austrian Airlines
• Adria Airways
• Brussels Airways
• Lufthansa
• US Airways
• Turkish Airways
• Swiss International Airlines
• BLUE 1
• Croatia Airlines
• Egyptair
• Spainair

A great variety of cheap Barcelona hotels or apartments in Barcelona can be booked online in order to perfectly complete your trip to Barcelona.

If you are spending your next holiday in Barcelona and you are seeking for a Barcelona accommodation close to the beach, I recommend you to go either for one of the chic Barcelona beach hotels or one of the numerous comfortable Beach apartments Barcelona at Barcelona Vila Olimpica (just beside the Olympic harbor) - depending on your preferences.

The Barcelona district Parc de Mar is northwards of Barceloneta situated. Where nowadays the modern, futuristic Olympic complexes rise up to the sky, there used to be the miserable backyard of Barcelona: marked by lapsed junkyards and slums. The city took advantage of the Olympic Games in order to "clean up". The Olympic harbor was located where nowadays the chic marina is situated. The Olympic Village comprised about 2000 accommodation units which were designed in 1992 by the architects Oriol Bohigas and Josep Martorell. Only the most-wealthy people could afford the high premium prices of these luxury real estates. An even later emblem of this area is the huge bronze-colored fish-sculpture designed by an American artist called Frank Gehry. Just beside, the high two towers with 44 storeys are placed. They flank the entrance to the Barcelona Vila Olimpica from 1992. Furthermore, the kilometer-long beach promenade of the Port Olimpic is another famous boulevard of Barcelona, which features plenty of popular bars, restaurants and night-clubs. The Casino of Barcelona is also located in this area.

Spending holidays in this district of Barcelona, is just ideal for all beach and sea lovers among you!

Arriving to a new city can often cause some problems with getting around with the public transportation. In order to support you that you won't have any problems with getting around during your Barcelona holidays I will provide you some useful information about the Barcelona Metro. It will help you to get around easily, no matter where your Barcelona apartment or your Hotel in Barcelona is located.

Hours of operation of the Barcelona metro:

Monday - Thursday: 05:00am - 12:00pm
Fridays and public holidays: 05:00am - 02:00am
Saturdays, as well as 1st January, 15th August and 24th September: 24 hours non-stop
24th December: 05:00am - 11:00pm

Costs of Tickets for the metro in Barcelona:

Single ticket: 1.35 €

But there are also special tickets available:

T-10: 10 rides for 7.70 €
T-Dia: Daily ticket for all public transports within Barcelona for 5.80 €
T-Mes: Monthly ticket, which is valid for 30 days for 47.90 €
T-50/30: Ticket for one person, 50 rides within 30 days for 31.50 €
T-Familiar 70/30: Ticket for 70 rides in within 30 days, can be used from different persons of the family for 45.40 €
T-Trimestre: Ticket valid for 90 days, ID required, for 131.50 €

There are some other special subscriptions for tourists:

2 Dies = 2 days: 10.70 €
3 Dies = 3 days: 15.20 €
4 Dies = 4 days: 19.50 €
5 Dies = 5 days: 23.10 €

Below you can find some very important Barcelona sights and how you can access them:

Las Ramblas: accessible with metro line L3 (green), take metro stop "Plaza Catalunya", "Liceu" or "Drassanes".
Park Güell: accessible with metro line L3 (green), take metro stop "Vallcarca".
The Sagrada Familia: accessible with metro line L5 (blue) or line L2 (purple), take metro stop "Sagrada Familia".
Beach of Barcelona and Port Vell: accessible with metro line L4 (yellow), take metro stop "Barceloneta".
Olympic port and its' beach: accessible with metro line L4 (yellow), take metro stop "Ciutadella (Vila Olimpica)".

If you would like to have more information, please visit the webpage of Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB).
Have a good trip and enjoy your holidays in Barcelona!

The Barcelona Elton John concert takes places on the 20th of October 2009 at Palau St. Jordi on Montjuic. Tickets for the Elton John concert are already available and I recommend you to hurry up and get your tickets before it is too late. The tickets cost between 45€ - 75€. One can buy them from FNAC.

If you are planning to spend Barcelona holidays in the city during this date, I suggest you to book a comfortable and cheap Barcelona Hotel early enough in advance from where you can visit the magnificent concert of Elton John in Barcelona.

"Barcelona is a city full of wonder and beauty. I first went when I was 19 years old, with some train money and a backpack and not much else. I fell in love with the city's passion for life, its food, culture, and of course, its architecture. Where else can you surf in the morning, do a master- tour of Gaudí's surreal buildings (the Sagrada Familia and the Parc Güell, just to name a couple), eat the best tapas of your life and get lost wandering the labyrinthine, majestic streets of the Barrio Gótico? It is a city worth exploring and falling in love with...."

This is what the famous actor Gwyneth Paltrow thinks about Barcelona and I'm absolutely of the same opinion. Barcelona is just great, hip, fancy, unique,...
And I'm sure, once you have visited the city - you'll think so too!

Gwyneth Paltrow revealed some of her favorite places to eat and drink in Barcelona in her webpage newsletter "Goop" and below you can find some of them.

Places to eat in Barcelona:

INOPIA: "I would fly all the way to Barcelona just to eat at this completely regular-looking, crowded, noisy tapas bar..."

Inopia
c/ Tamarit, 104
+34.934.245.231
www.barinopia.com

BOTAFUMEIRO: "Botafumeíro feels like a warm family restaurant where you would also see dignitaries and local celebs..."

Botafumeíro
El Gran de Gràcia, 81
+34.932.184.230
www.botafumeiro.es

EL BULLI: "El Bulli may be the world's most talked about restaurant. Owned by world-renowned chef Ferran Adrià, it is famously open only six months of the year and it is basically impossible to get a table. It's already booked for 2009, but think ahead...."

El Bulli
c/ Montjoi, Roses
+34.972.150.457
www.elbulli.com

Places to go for a Drink in Barcelona:

BARCELONA PIPA CLUB: "Loved the Pipa Club. You have to ring a bell to get in, and upstairs you'll find a happening jazz club.."

Barcelona Pipa Club
Plaça Reial 3
+34.933.024.732
www.bpipaclub.com

LES GENS QUE J'AIME SAVE: "I wandered into this bar a few years ago with some friends and we stayed all night. Cool, darkish (in a library way, not a dungeon way), great drinks and good music..."

Les Gens que J'aime Save
c/ Valencia 286
+34.932.156.879

Places to stay in Barcelona:

HOTEL ARTS: "I adore the Arts. It is a big hotel done RIGHT. Amazing views, beautiful rooms, great service. It's where I bed down in Barcelona most of the time."

Hotel Arts Barcelona
c/ de la Marina, 19
+34.932.211.000
www.hotelartsbarcelona.com

So, now that you have all this great suggestions, don't you think it's time to experience and live the city Barcelona by yourself?
All you need is a comfortable Barcelona accommodation and you are ready to start the exploration of this magnificant city.
Why not staying in Gwyneth Paltrow's favorite Barcelona Hotel "Arts"...?

Starting on the 6th of June until the 6th of september 2009, a very special exhibition takes place in the Barcelona Maritim Museum, called „Tutankhamun: Discover its tomb with its magnificant treasures".
Tutankhamun's tomb was found and opened for the first time in the year 1922 - And you have the great chance to visit it in Barcelona.If you are - like me too - an inspired fan of the history and myths of the ancient Egypt you should definitely NOT miss visiting this exhibition. It enables you to see all precious objects of Tutankhamun's gravesite.

Besides, you can visit the exhibition of Tutankhamun with a monitoring audio-guide which can be obtained for free when buying an entry-ticket. This tool guides you through the whole exhibition and informs you with practical and supporting information and facts.

Entry fees for the Tutankhamun-exhibition:

Adults: 17 €
Retirees (65+): 11 €
Students: 11 €
Children: 9 €

Yet, there are some special offers. For instance the "family rate" (2 adults, 1 child). Tickets can be obtained either directly at the entry or via ServiCaixa.

My personal recommendation:
Spend a informative, and at the same time relaxing, summer-weekend in Barcelona by the sea, from where you are only a stone's throw away of the Barcelona Maritim Museum and its exhibition. A cheaper option would be to go for a Barcelona holiday apartment at the sea.
For instance in a comfortable Barcelona beach apartment, located in the charming district Barceloneta, just beside the sea. This location is the perfect starting point in order to discover Barcelona by foot and also let one's minds wander in the evenings at the Barceloneta beach in an authentic Mediterranean atmosphere.

Barcelona is generally easily amenable for wheelchair-users. One can find almost everywhere ramps and the most public buildings and facilities (Museums, Restaurants etc.) are accessible with wheelchairs. In case you are travelling to Barcelona by car, you can find a wheel-chair friendly Barcelona parking garage at the end of Las Ramblas where you can park your car without any problems (incl. help of a friendly assistant).
As not all metro stations possess an elevator, I suggest you to inform yourself about it beforehand. On the TMB webpage, you can find a list of all Barcelona metro stations which do have an elevator.
In contrast to the metro, almost all Barcelona busses provide a ramp and usually people are always helpful if you still have problems to board onto the bus. Furthermore, there are special handicapped accessible Taxis ("Taxi Amic") which you can reach via the following telephone number: 934 208 088.
If you are en-route in Barcelona, I recommend you to use the restrooms in Museums or other public facilities, as they are usually - as mentioned before - handicapped friendly.
Unfortunately, the sights Park Güell by Antoni Gaudi and the monastery Montserrat are not very easy accessible with a wheel-chair. Therefore, when visiting them its recommendable to have a strong person around to push you up the steep slope.

In case you haven't found a wheelchair-friendly Barcelona holiday accommodation yet, I would like to propose you the following Barcelona Hotel and Barcelona apartment, which perfectly match your special requirements:

The handicapped-friendly Barcelona hotel "Ciutat de Barcelona" is a very new hotel which was built in 2006. Thanks to its central location, in the heart of the wonderful Barrio Gotico (Gothic district), you can smoothly access many important Barcelona sights, such as Las Ramblas, Plaza Catalunya, Passeo de Gracia, the Barcelona harbor as well as the Gothic district itself and many more.
The modern-equipped hotel-rooms of this 3-star hotel are very generous and dispose of a handicapped-friendly bathroom and all further comfort you may be looking for.

If you rather esteem for more privacy during your Barcelona holidays, you could alternative settle for a suitable apartment in Barcelona. The handicapped-friendly Barcelona apartment "Codols Colon Group Apartment" for up to 5 persons, is exactly what you are looking for if you want to stay in a central, well equipped and above all, in a handicapped-accessible Barcelona accommodation.

Come and convince yourself of the wheelchair-friendly city Barcelona...

If you are spending your Barcelona holidays in a chic Barcelona luxury apartment or in an elegant Barcelona luxury hotel at Passeo de Gracia, you should definitely visit the Barcelona Perfume Museum.

The Perfume Museum, a private institution with more than 5000 different odors, enables you to gather more information about the age-long evolution of Perfumes. Perfumes, deriving from many different cultures are exposed: From pre-and proto-history to Egyptians, Greek Ceramics, Romanic glasses as well as Arabic and oriental objects.

In addition, the odor collection from the 17th to the 19th century is of great interest. There is also an exhibition of the industrialized perfume-collection ranging from the very first to the latest perfumes. Of particular interest is a flask which contains 2 different items: One the one hand, a flask with a perfume which used to belong to the French Marie Antoinette.
On the other hand, it contains a Perfume flask which has been designed by Salvador Dali, called "Le Roi Soleil" (the Sun King). Alone because of that, it is worth to visit the Perfume Museum of Barcelona.

Opening hours of the Barcelona Perfume Museum:

Mo - Fr: 10:30am - 01:30pm and 04:30pm - 08:00pm
Sa: 11:00am - 02:00pm

Adress: Passeig de Gracia 39,
Barcelona
Entry fee: 5€
Reduced entry: 3€

Today I would like to suggest you a typical „Sunday-afternoon-programm" for your Barcelona holiday: A small Barcelona excursion on the deck of the so-called "Las Gollondrinas" boats.
The Barcelona Las Gollondrinas offer different tours within the Barcelona harbor and along the coast of Barcelona.

Tour 1:
Departure in a typical wooden boat from Portal de la Pau. The journey goes through Barcelona's harbor from where one will see the World Trade Center, the bridge "Porta d'Europe", the international sea-station and the new harbor entrance.
This tour takes approximately 35 minutes and the costs for adults, retirees and students are 6€ whereas the costs for children between age 4-10 are only 2.60€.

Tour 2:
Departure also from Portal de la Pau in a catamaran. Riding this tour will also enable you to see the World Trade Center, the bridge "Portal d'Europa", the international sea-station. In addition, you will pass by Barcelona's beautiful beach-district Barceloneta, the different beaches of Barcelona and further to Vila Olimpica, the Port Forum and to Sant Adria de Besós.
This journey lasts about 1.5 hours and costs 12.50€ for adults, 10€ for retirees and students and 5€ for children between 4-10 years.

Watch the following video of Las Gollondrinas and get an insight of this superb boat ride:

For more information about the Las Gollondrinas, visit the official website http://www.lasgolondrinas.com/index-ang.html.

Departure location is at Portal de la Pau, just vis-à-vis of the Columbus-statue at Barcelona's Port Vell.

Barcelona is a city that never sleeps and the wide range of events that take place here in summer 2009 in Barcelona are almost unlimited. Below you will find a list of the most important Barcelona summer events 2009 (from May 2009 until September 2009).

May 2009 in Barcelona

08.05. - 10.05: F1 Formula One Spanish Grand Prix Barcelona 2009
09.05. - 17.05: Salón del Automóvil 2009 - Barcelona Automobile Show
10.05.: Football Match FC Barcelona vs. Villarreal CF
20.05.: Beyoncé concert in Barcelona 2009
27.05. - 29.05: Carbon Expo 2009; Barcelona climate change fair
28.05. - 30.05: Primavera Sound Festival - Barcelona 2009

June 2009 in Barcelona

04.06.: IPD European Property Investment Conference
06.06.-07.06.: Barcelona Extreme Sports Festival 2009
07.06.: AC/DC Concert Barcelona
17.06.-19.06.: Hit 2009 - World Innovation Summit Barcelona
18.06.-20.06.: Sonar 2009 - advanced Music and Multimedia Festival Barcelona
23.06.: Nit de Sant Joan - St. John festival in Barcelona
25.06.: Kate Perry concert in Barcelona 2009
30.06.: U2 concert in Barcelona

July 2009 in Barcelona

02.07.-04.07.: Flamenco Festival in Nou Barris 2009 in Barcelona
07.07.-09.07.: The Brandery - Fashion Brand Trade Show in Barcelona
09.07.: Tour de France 2009 - Stage 6, from Girona to Barcelona
11.07.: Sonisphere Fesitval - Metallica in Barcelona 2009
14.07.: John Fogerty concert in Barcelona 2009
15.07.: Jason Mraz concert in Barcelona 2009
21.07.: Madonna concert in Barcelona 2009-05-08

August 2009 in Barcelona

01.08.-02.08.: Spanish Athletics Championship 2009 in Barcelona
29.08.-02.09.: ESC Congress Barcelona 2009

September 2009 in Barcelona

04.09.: Coldplay concert in Barcelona 2009
06.09.: Status Quo concert in Barcelona 2009
09.09.-12.09.: Baseball World Cup 2009 in Barcelona
13.09.-16.09.: 14th European Congress on Biotechnology in Barcelona 2009
14.09.: Deep Purple Concert in Barcelona 2009
21.09.: Leohnard Cohen Concert in Barcelona 2009

Did you find an event that you would like or that you have to attend?
Then don't forget to care for your Barcelona accommodation in advance.
Book one of the comfortable beach apartments Barcelona or one of the Barcelona beach hotels and get ready to experience the Barcelona holidays of your live! It's all up to you...

One of the most famous places of Barcelona is the main street which goes from the street Diagonal down towards the sea. Do you know of which street exactly I am talking about? Right - Las Ramblas!
When I was in Barcelona some months ago, I wasn't aware what exactly what was so special about this street until I walked along it one day. I was really impressed by the numerous different kinds of bars, restaurants, theatres, shops etc. which are placed on the 1.2 km long Las Ramblas and which are opened from Monday to Sunday.
It's such a popular street and crowded during day and night by people from all around the world. Besides, Las Ramblas is a good example in order to proof that Barcelona is a city which never sleeps. Really, this is no joke!
Convince yourself and plan your next Barcelona holidays in either one of the plenty attractive and centrally located Barcelona hotels las Ramblas or as an alternative in one of the ramblas apartments Barcelona - from where you can explore many important sights of the city easily by foot.

Another typical characteristic of Las Ramblas are the several polymorphic human statues. You will recognize, that whenever you walk on Las Ramblas, you will find different ones. Their ideas are just admirable: Elfs, roboters, monkeys, aliens, trees are just few of the many statues that you might could expect when walking along Las Ramblas which is always full of events.
Besides the human statues, you will also see artists, magicians, stunning acrobats or dancing groups etc.
When arriving at the bottom of the street (what could take you some time if you like watching every single actor) just in front of the sea, a statue of Christoph Columbus who is pointing with his finger to America will expect you. From there you can walk along Barceloneta's beautiful beach promenade and its port and ...

If you are over 18 years old and you are spending your holidays in Barcelona don't miss to visit and enjoy the Casino of Barcelona - Especially if you are staying in a Barcelona Luxury Hotel in this magnificent surrounding just beside the sea.

The casino, which is situated in one of the city's more sophisticated locations just beside the Port Olimpic, offers a variety of different games including slot machines and gaming tables: For instance roulette, video poker machines, Black- Jack, Hold'em Poker, American -and French Roulette are only few of the many games which can be played there.
Besides, the casino has 3 different bars, a night club as well as 4 different top-quality restaurants which offer food and beverages for all kind of tastes.

The Barcelona Casino is opened throughout the year from 10 am until 05 am. During the weekend (Friday & Saturday) it is opened until 05:30 am.
Restaurants are opened from 09 pm to 1 am.
The entrance into Barcelona's Casino is 4.50€.

Barcelona's district "Barceloneta", the ancient fishermen village, is composed by a rectangle between Port Vell, the Estació de Franca and the new Olympic Port in the east.
Plenty of Barcelona's first-class fish-restaurants are situated along the Passeig Joan de Borbó, which ranges from the Place de Pau Villa to the Torre Sant Sebastià. In addition, the lovely "Placa Barceloneta" with its numerous delicious restaurants and bars as well as the baroque parish church "Sant Miquel del Port" should be mentioned too.
Furthermore, the Carrer Almirall Cervera is another excellent address for all the fish-fans among you.
The Platja de Barcelona, also called "Barcelona's domestic beach", is during the whole year well attended: Wether for a (romantic) walk along the beach promenade, a dinner with view towards the Mediterranean sea, a beach pic-nic or for swimming - There is always something going on there...

If you would like to experience on your own what it is like to live just beside the sea and the beach of Barcelona, you should definitely book a cheap Barceloneta Beach Apartment in Barcelona's famous district "Barceloneta".

From May 28 until May 30, the Barcelona Primavera Sound Festival 2009 is taking place and it's the perfect opportunity to combine this event with a short trip to Barcelona.

Different national and international top live bands are acting out for a wide range of music-tastes at the festival, ranging from rock and pop, to grunge and electronic music as well as hardcore and extreme rock. Popular bands' include - among others - for instance, "My bloody Valentine", "Neil Young", "Kitty Daisy", "Sonic Youth" and "Crystal Antlers". In addition, there will also be plenty famous DJ's who assure best atmosphere for its festival visitors'.
The Primavera Sound Festival, which disposes 6 stages including the Forum Auditorium, takes place at the Parc Forum Venue (Metro L4), just beside the sea.

If you're planning to attend this great event, make sure to book a convenient accommodation in Barcelona early enough in advance in either an economical Barcelona Apartment or a cheap and centrally located Las Ramblas Barcelona Hotel.

Ticket prices:
Until February 22nd: 115€
Afterwards: 130€

Tickets can be bought in the following outlets:
Tick Tack Ticket network, CD drome stores in Barcelona, Fnac France, Seetickets UK and via PayPal on the Primavera Sound Festival 2009 Webpage itself.

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.

The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família ("La Sagrada Familia") is Gaudis's still incomplete creation which is situated in Barcelona's district "Eixample". The church is under construction for more than 100 years (since 1882) and is expected to be completed in the year 2026.
The Sagrada Familia is considered as the master-piece work of the famous Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (1852 - 1962) and is the number-one attraction of Barcelona with thousands of visitors from all around the world every day.
The church meant everything for Gaudi and he obviously lived for this object in order to become perfect. Unfortunately, the work undertaken on Sagrada Familia doesn't follow exactly the plans of Gaudi, as the plans were destroyed during the war.
The Sagrada Familia is nowadays adapted to the modern and proper style of the artists who are working on it.
Some of Barcelona's habitants are of the opinion that, "once the Sagrada Familia is finally completed, it will for sure collapse!" - We will see...
If you want to spend your stay in a great holiday apartment in Barcelona just beside the grandious Sagrada Familia, or if you rather prefer staying in a nice, economical hotel in Barcelona, but also close to the Sagrada Familia, you won't regret your choice. Wake up and see the Sagrada Familia from the accomodation every morning will make you feel good!

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

Each region of Spain and other countries has his own traditions and celebrations. As eastern is approaching, I would like to provide you with some useful information about eastern in Barcelona.
"Semana Santa" is the name for the eastern week in Barcelona and the Catalan culture generally and means "Holy week". During this week, more than 600 000 habitants of Barcelona leave the city and with their families travel to other villages, sea-side locations or even abroad.
Typical Catalan Easter processions can be seen in different churches of Barcelona. For instance, the church "La Iglesia de San Agusti", which is located in Barcelona's district Raval is a nice location to experience this procession with its traditional music and its sinister hooded penitents. The celebration there starts at 17:00 and more than 300 people are expected to attend it. Another nice place to see the Catalanian Easter celebration is by the "Iglesia de Sant Jaume" in the centrally located Gothic district, also at 17:00. Both occurrings take place on "Good Friday".
Of course, eastern in the Catalan culture has also a culinary side: The most important culinary delight is the "Mona de Pasqua" eastern sweets which can be found everywhere during Eastern. It is a must, that the godfather gives such a delicious chocolate composition to his godson after the Easter mass on Sunday. On the following day, the Easter-Monday, there is usually a family-gathering where they will eat paella or rabbit together bevor eating lots of "Mona de Pasqua" as dessert afterwards. (And of course, the wine is not missing too!)

The sweet "Mona de Pasquas" can be found in many different shapes and colors almost in almost every pastry shop during Eastern. For instance, sometimes you can find houses and little man in chocolate shape which can be eaten.
Eastern is an occasion to spend holidays in Barcelona and experience this very important celebration and get your own "Mona de Pasquas" - you will love it!!!

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

The CatHelicopter Barcelona Sky Tours enables you to visit Barcelona from a very special kind of view - namely from ABOVE!

This means that you don't need to visit all the important sights of Barcelona by foot, but you can see them in short time out of the helicopters' windows.

A tour with the CatHelicopter includes all important sights of Barcelona which have to be seen when coming to the city:

From the sea to the mountains, from Sagrada Familia to the new Agbar Tower, from the Olympia stadium to Montjuic and furthermore over the forum of culture. And last but not least from the district "Eixample" to Barcelona's most famous street Las Ramblas.
And who knows - probably you will even recognize your wonderful luxury hotel in Barcelona, which is located just beside the beach, from the grandiose view out of the helicopter?

The prices for a Barcelona Helicopter ride are dependent of the duration of the tour. For instance, the tour mentioned above, which lasts around 10 minutes, costs 80€.

However, there are also shorter and less expensive tours available, as well as longer and more expensive ones - whatever YOU prefer!

TIP: Helicopter-Flights over Barcelona are very common and famous to be handed over as gift-vouchers', especially for the ones who live according to the principle of "No Risk - No Fun".

If you are coming to Barcelona for a longer trip it will be probably useful for you to get the Barcelona Card.

The card offers free entries, discounts and added values to many attractions all around Barcelona. You will have unlimited free public transport within Barcelona including the train from the international airport to the city. Barcelona Cards are available in typical Barcelona tourism offices at the airport and in the city centre.
Free entry to attractions in Barcelona include the Botanic Garden, the Golondrinas etc.
Furthermore you will be getting discounts to nearly all famous attractions, discotheques and restaurants in Barcelona. An adult card valid for 5 days will cost you 42€.

Obviously the most important part of your stay in Barcelona is a wonderful apartment besides the Barcelona part. Just have a look at Barcelona apartments where you can choose from a variety of accommodations for all types of travelers.

I think everyone who watched the movie" L'auberge espagnol" thought to himself: wouldn't it be great to live and study in Barcelona for a while, a semester maybe. Take your chance and just spent wonderful 6-12 months in one of the several universities in Barcelona. You can choose between 5 universities, University of Barcelona, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Pampeu Fabra University and the Polytechnic University of Catalunya. Here you go with some information about the most well known ones:

University of Barcelona

The public university with campuses all over Barcelona was founded in 1450 already. The university consists of 18 different faculties with all kinds of areas you can study in. Your lectures can either be in Spanish, Catalan or English depending on what you are studying but make sure you know that Catalan is the major language in administration etc before coming to Barcelona.

Ramon Llull University

This private university was founded in 1990 and is probably best known for its famous business faculty ESADE. Right now about 14.000 students are enrolled. Most faculties are located within the city.

Autonomous University Barcelona

This university is situated in the metropolitan area of Barcelona in a suburb called Bellaterra. It consists of 50 departments with 11 faculties while more than 100 postgraduate programmes are offered to students. UAB gathers more than 50.000 students. It is well known for its research qualities.

If you looking for a flat in Barcelona to study at one of the universities it is probably the best thing to stay in one of the Barcelona apartments first and search for flats while you are here already instead on trusting pictures in the internet.

Parc Güell

Situated in the district of Gràcia, designed by the architect Gaudi and part of the UNESCO World Heritage, Park Güell is probably the most famous park in Barcelona. It can be reached by metro or bus (the town's touristic bus tours are also coming to the park). The entrance to the park is free and from there you have a beautiful sight over all of Barcelona. The park is marked with colourful mosaics on benches, stairs and walls. Different animals such as snakes and saurians are lining the buildings. The park was designed on behalf of the manufacturer Eusebi Güell who loved the parks he has seen in England and wanted the same for Barcelona. Best access to the park is given if you sleep in one of the apartments in Gracia such as the Goya Loft penthouse.

Parc de la Ciutadella

This park is located in the city centre and includes the Barcelona Zoo, several museums and a huge fountain. The park was named after the citadel, a fortress located on the outskirts where King Philips V kept control over the people of Barcelona. The symbol of central government was nearly destroyed in the 19th century. Only the chapel, the governor's palace and the arsenal, now hosting the Catalan parliament survived the demolishment. At the northern corner of the park, the Cascada is located, an triumphal arch with waterfall and fountain to built for the Universal exhibition in 1888 hosted by Barcelona.

Montjuic

The Montjuic is not only famous because you have the best view over the town, hosted the Olympic games in 1992 and the world exhibition in 1929 but also because of its wonderful parks all over the mountain. The museu nacional is situated on this mountain and shows off some of the best artists in Catalunya. It is also home to a huge castle and the museum of the famous catalan artist Joan Miró. The castle is especially famous for all the activists, politicians and socialist executed during the Franco regime. The beautiful apartment Magalhaes Poble Sec Apartment is the best opportunity when you want to be close to this famous sight of Barcelona.
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You always wanted to come and live in Barcelona? You have a compulsory internship semester or just some spare time during your summer holidays in front of you? Then why not combine both things and start an internship in Barcelona, one of the nicest cities in Europe- young, vivid, loud and exciting.

As Barcelona has one of the biggest tourism industries in the country you will have no problem finding an internship in this area of studies. Tourist agencies, restaurants, hotels and language schools are spread around the whole town and offer probably the perfect working atmosphere for you to make your life in Barcelona unforgettable.
Even though we always thinks of holidays, tapas and beach at first when we think of Barcelona, the city is nevertheless home to several major companies employing hundreds of people living here and being able to offer you an internship. Such well-known companies are not only SEAT which has internships open during the whole year but also Agilent Technologies, Chupa Chups the famous sweets producer, different huge banks such as Banco Sabadell, Caixa as well as offices of Mango, Inditex and many more.

You have your internship position in Barcelona and just need a place to stay? Congratulations, because this might be the biggest obstacle during your time in Barcelona. The best way to begin the quest for a flat is to stay in one of the widespread Barcelona apartments or Barcelona hotels. From there on you have the chance to look at all the available flat (usually shared ones) in and around Barcelona. One of the major differences especially between the countries like France/Germany and Spain is the size of the rooms. Rooms within a flat in the town are usually not bigger than 9m² and yes you do have to pay nearly 400€ for this which is very normal in Barcelona. Furthermore due to the high prices of flats in the town many older couples or singles offer parts of their apartments for rent so do not be shocked by that and do not immediately sort those ones out of your list of possible apartments. Take your time and visit as many flats as you can- in the end, everybody will find one that suits him.

If you spent your holidays in Barcelona, you might do not bring your own car. Because often the streets are totally overcrowded and especially in the rush-hour you are faster by walking! But if you still want to drive by car, you should not leave your valuables in the car when you go away, because they will be stolen when you come back. If you book a Barcelona hotel in the city centre, you don't even need a car.
If you smoke, you have to go outside the bars and restaurants. In some of them it is allowed to smoke inside and they are marked.
When doing some sightseeing, don't go in your beach dress. Short trousers and shirts are not the best way of dressing when you would like to visit a historic church or monuments. And in restaurants you will gain a smile when you wear sandals with white socks. But the most important point is that thieves directly identify you as a tourist. Therefore, it is better not to use a handbag while strolling. The best way to protect you from bandits is just to take a Spanish newspaper in your hands and enjoy Barcelona!

Barcelona is truly a shopper's paradise. But where to find the best bargains? If you are a 'shopaholic', you should opt for a centric accommodation in Barcelona near the shopping districts of the city.
Until the 31st of August holiday makers in Barcelona can also benefit from the great Barcelona summer sales offers throughout the city. In the vicinity of the famous Las Ramblas, Placa de Catalunya or Passeig de Gracia you will find a lot of shops, boutiques and design studios offering the very best at low prices.
But there are even more shopping hotspots in Barcelona. In central Barcelona you can shop at places like the Carrer de la Boqueria, and Carrer del Call. Shopping centres like the MareMagnum (address: Muelle Espanya 5, 08039 Barcelona) are open from ten in the morning till ten in the night and also on weekends, even on Sundays.
A district of Barcelona you shouldn´t miss for you shopping tours is Eixample with its famous Passeig de Gracia, the so called shopping mekka of Barcelona with famous designer shops and fashion boutiques. Spending Barcelona holidays shopping in the city will also be a kind of sightseeing on Passeig de Gracia - a street with many architectural jewels and known works of Antoni Gaudí.
Barcelona souvenirs and a great variety of culinary specialities of the region will be found in Barcelona´s markets and market halls. The market halls are open during weekdays. The most beautiful and attractive market hall is the Mercat La Boqueria at La Rambla. Here Barcelona's merchants sell fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, meat etc.

Whatever you want to buy - Barcelona offers never-ending possibilities. Experience the Barcelona shopping paradise!

If you are traveling to Barcelona for business reasons and are searching for the ideal Barcelona accommodation, BarcelonaPoint.com can provide you with a great variety of offers. The economic environment of the city of Barcelona is one of the best in Europe. There are many industrial and commercial sectors that are served by Barcelona. Especially for the fashion industry Barcelona is worldwide known location. Furthermore, one of the main industries in Barcelona is the tourist industry. Barcelona with its great variety of activities and high number of places of interest belongs to the most visited European cities. No matter what the purpose of your business trip is, Barcelona executive apartments will offer you everything necessary for having a comfortable and pleasant stay in Barcelona. Here you will also find the tranquil environment to develop new business ideas or find the ideal location for reunions with business partners. Those who don´t want to opt for Barcelona apartments can also choose from the wide range of Barcelona hotels available at BarcelonaPoint.com. Many accommodation offers are situated in the business district of Barcelona as well as close to the fair grounds, the Fira Barcelona. Barcelona offers businessmen a lot for their work and as well great areas to relax after a day full of reunions and important business decisions. Barcelona - where business and leisure can be combined perfectly without any rush!

Barcelona 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.

When planning your trip to Barcelona, besides Barcelona accommodation, you might also want to take into account the national holidays and festivities that have an effect on Barcelona Hotel prices and Barcelona Holiday Apartment prices. Moreover, earlybirds get the better deals and off-season traveling is usually the most economic. On the other hand, many of these days you will find below, are dedicated to festivals and traditions that are really worth being seen.
21 March - Good Friday (E)
24 March - Easter Monday (A)
9 April - Easter Monday (A)
01 May - Labour Day (E)
12 May - Substitutes Pentecost (L)
24 June - Saint John (A)
15 August - Assumption (E)
11 September - National Day of Catalonia (A)
24 September - Festival of La Mercè (L)
01 November - All Saint's Day (E)
06 December - Constitution Day (E)
08 December - Day of the Immaculate Conception (E)
25 December - Christmas Day (E)
26 December - Saint Stephen's Day / Boxing Day

(L) Local holidays in Barcelona
(C) Holidays in Catalonia
(E) Holidays throughout Spain

Even though they make an awful noise, they are, especially in Barcelona, the most comfortable and efficient way - besides the public transport - to get from one place to the other, make small excursions or cruise through the town. Also, they are much cheaper and easier to rent. And, since the winter in Barcelona is not really cold, you'll get to enjoy the weather too. And if that is not enough - if you come to Barcelona now - many Scooter rentals give discounts during the "winter" months, with rental prices starting at € 5.- (excluding insurance of about €20.-) Cooltra Motos usually has one of the best offers in Barcelona. Now, all you need is a place to stay, for which I suggest you to visit Barcelona Point, the local specialist, if you are looking for a Barcelona holiday apartment or a Barcelona Hotel and you're ready to explore the city by moto.

Who likes to work on Mondays? I guess I am not the only one who would like to start the week on Tuesday. Every once in a while there is a way out of it. Why not go to work on Friday and then spend a long weekend (including Monday) in Barcelona? There are quite a few reasons to do so. First, the flight to Barcelona is less costly if you fly back home on Monday. Second, the tourists are gone by Monday and you have the city to yourself. Third, you can visit all the sights you want as, unlike in other European cities, many tourist attractions do not close their doors on Monday. Also, those who love to shop have a whole day of empty shopping streets to themselves, as everyone else has to work. Sounds great, doesn't it? Moreover, Barcelona Point is the local accommodation expert and offers a large variety of Barcelona apartments and Barcelona hotels in this beautiful city. Perfect for a weekend away from home!

Since April, 2007 you can enjoy Saturday´s nightlife without having pressure to miss the last Metro to get to your accommodation in Barcelona.
Opening hours have been changed as well for Fridays (5:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m.). From Sunday till Thursday the Metro operates from 5:00 a.m. to Midnight.
One of the recent highlights is that you can find Metro timetables on Google Maps.
Travelling by Metro is cheap and it comprehensively covers most of the city. Tickets can be bought in every station by a ticket machine.
If you are coming for a short-term-stay to Barcelona, the most recommendable ticket is the T-10 (10 passes for 6,90 ?). There are also day cards available but they are only worth it if you want to travel a lot.

When you first arrive in a city, there are so many things to sort out, and it is so much quicker and more convenient by scooter. Also, if you are just staying for a few days, you can go to places like the Sagrada Familia, but you also pass by other interesting places. You can really see the city from a different perspective and see how it is all interconnected. If you go to Montjuic or Camp Nou on foot or by public transport you really can not do much else that day, whereas with the scooter you really feel the freedom and you can breathe some fresh air. Renting is very handy and the insurance is generally covered. You will need a driver's licence and to be over 21. Scooters are really easy to drive, often automatic, and there are even some lessons for those who do not feel very confident. It enables them to see how to drive and how to feel secure.
We can provide you a perfect accommodation in Barcelona whether you are here for a week end or for a longer stay. You have the choice between an hotel in Barcelona or an Barcelona apartment. It is so easy!

If you are going to spend more than one or two days in a Barcelona apartment, and want to make the most of your sightseeing, consider buying the Barcelona card:
The city tourist offices sell the Barcelona card ( 1day:16.25 euros) which gives free travel on public transport, discounts on the airport Aerobus and the Montjuïc cable car, and big reductions on museum entry and in some shops and Barcelona restaurants.

For the lovers of Art, the Artticket (15euros valid 3 months) provides half price admission into 6 major art centres and galleries (joan miro for instance)- available at participating centres, Barcelona galleries and at Plaça Catalunya and Barcelona Sants tourist offices.
To enjoy the artistical flair the city spreads just spend your holiday in a Barcelona apartment!