Portray of the Destination

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is a Mediterranean and cosmopolitan city that intergrates in its urban layout Roman remains, Medival quarters and the most beautiful examples of Modernism and vanguards of the 20th century. Not in vain, UNESCO has declared the symbolic constructions of the Catalonian architects Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Doménech i Montaneras part of our World Heritage. Barcelona has Roman origins, long history and an active economy that have provided Barcelona with an impresive culture that can be seen in the conservation of its rich historic-artistic heritage and the promotion of the most novel artistic currents. It has a very wide range of cultural events as museums, exhibitions, open air sculptures, concerts, theatre and dance. The popular culture can also be enjoyed in the city with traditions that are deeply established such as the Celebration of Our Lady of La Mercé Day, or those of the neighbourhoods of Gracia, Sants or Poblenou, a great opportunity to get to know the most festive side of the city. Walking along the streets of Barcelona means being surprised at every moment. The pedestrian streets in the ancient neighbourhoods, green spaces and a splendid maritime façade with modern facilities are a display of its attitude of integration. La Rambla is a walk way full of trees, street musicians, live statues, mimes and peddlers offering all kind of products as lottery tickets or jewelry. Interesting visits are: The Barri Gòtic -the Gothic Quarter-, the heart of the ancient Barcelona, offers many Medival Gothic constructions; the Picasso Museum; La Sagrada Familia Church and a visit to the Montjuïc mountain in the south-west of Barcelona that offers a panoramic view of the city centre.

We would like to thank the Barcelona Tourisme Board for the pictures provided.

Geography
Barcelona is the Catalonian capital, to the north is the province of Girona and to the south of Barcelona is the province of Tarragona, Lerida is to the west and the Mediterranean to the east. It is a coastal city that has more than five km of urban beaches and near to the city there are areas of forests.

Climate
During the summer the weather can be hot and humid, during the winter the weather is mild, as in any Mediterranean location. The average yearly temperature usually reach 15 to 8ºC.

When to go
Being located in the Mediterranean coast, the city offers a warm weather during nearly all the year. Iin Summer Barcelona has an additional appealing between the District of Barceloneta and the River Besós offering five km of beaches, with many facilities and very popular within the people of Barcelona.

History
The city was founded as a Roman settlement towards the end 1st B.C. The ancient Bacino Romana had about a thousand inhabitats surrounded by a rampart, whose remains can still be seen today in the Casco Antiguo -ancient quarter of the city-. During the Medieval ages the Royal family of Aragón had lived there and it was considered an economic and political centre of the west of the Mediterranean from the 13th to the 15th century when they enjoyed a period of magnificence which can be seen in the Barri Gòtic. During the 15th to the 18th century the city plunged into decline. During those centuries Barcelona fought to mantain its political and economic independence. The Bourbon troops defeated the city in 1714 and as a result the rights and privileges of Catalonia were abolished. In the middle of the 19th century the Industrial Revolution took place and at that time a cultural recovery was initiated as displayed in the Renaixença that reassessed the Catalonian as a literary language.

In the 20th century Barcelona had an important urban development and constructed its charateristic quarter called Eixample were some of the most characteristic modernist buildings are. Antoni Guadí was one of the most outstanding architects, buildings such as the Casa Milá (known as La Pedrera) or the Sagrada Familia church.

After the Fascist victory during the Civil War the society of Barcelona recovered its economic and cultural strength. The Olympic Games in 1992 invigorated again its potential and guarenteed its status as a capital. The Forum of Cultures in 2004 has reclaimed industrial zones to convert them into residential districts. The city is looking towards the 21st century with renewed vigour.

Traditions
Barcelona makes its best to offer a festival calendar during all the year. Between February and March, during the carnival numerous parades and fancy dress dances are performed. The Diada of San Jordi, also known as Día del Libro is celebrated on the 23rd April commemorating the patron saint of the city. The Revetlla of Sant Joan, known as la Nit del Foc or Night of the Fire is celebrated on the 23rd June and it is just the launch of many summer events with fireworks, dancings and special drinks. Barcelona is full of music, dancings and theatre during the Festival Grec, that lasts from June until August. The 15th August is the Fiesta Major de Gràcia and all the streets of the Barrio de Grácia are decorated and live music and dancings can be enjoyed. The last summer festivities are the Festes de la Mercè, during the weekend of 24th September, with celebration of concerts, dancings and a swimming competition in the water of the harbour and a correfoc (a street play with dragons, devils and fantastic figures from the popular mitology throwing fireworks). Towards the end of October to the end of November, there is the International Jazz Festival where the jazz and blues rhythms can be delighted.


Gastronomy
The gastronomy of Catalonia is based mainly in the products of the land that are produced in the different seasons. The Olive Oil, the aromatic spices, fresh products such as fruits, vegetables, fish and meat are the essence of the called "fresh - market cuisine" this means that the dishes that are prepared according to the product of every season.

Also, the better chefs carry out the magic to transform this wealth of ingredients into the finest Catalan dishes, from the most traditional ones to the most modern dishes. The market called La Boqueria, in La Rambla, is the city's flagship food market. Its colourful stands, with their abundance of fruit, vegetables and fresh fish, are well worth stopping to admire.


Catalan cuisine is one of the most auspicious expressions of the Mediterranean cuisine and consists of carefully prepared dishes using natural products which are also nutritious, healthy and flavoursome.

Basic Dictionary
Yes:si. No:no. Hello:hola. Good bye:adios. Good morning:buenos días. Good afternoon:buenas tardes. Good night:buenas noches. Please:por favor. Sorry:lo siento. Thank you:gracias. Doctor:médico. Pharmacy:farmacia. Numbers: 1:un. 2:dos. 3:tres. 4:cuatro. 5:cinco. 6:seis. 7:siete. 8:ocho. 9:nueve. 10:diez. 11:once. 12:doce. 13:trece. 14:catorce. 15:quince. 16:dieciséis. 17:diecisiete. 18:dieciocho. 19:diecinueve. 20:veinte. 21:veintiuno. 22:veintidós. 30:treinta. 40:cuarenta. 50:cincuenta. 60:sesenta. 70:setenta. 80:ochenta. 90:noventa. 100:cien. 1000:mil. Days of the week: Monday:lunes. Tuesday:martes. Wednesday:miércoles. Thursday:jueves. Friday:viernes. Saturday:sábado. Sunday:domingo. Common words: big/small:grande/pequeño. Hot/Cold:caliente/frío. Open/Clossed:abierto/cerrado. Good/bad: bueno/malo. New/old:nuevo/viejo. Push/Pull:empujar/tirar. Entrance/exit:entrada/salida. Ladies/Gentlemen:señoras/señores. Far/near:lejos/cerca. Left/Right:izquierda/derecha. Taxi:taxi. Bus:autobús. Meals: Breakfast:desayuno. Lunch:comida. Dinner:cena. Menu:menú. Wines:vinos. Dessert:postre. The bill:la cuenta. Common phrases: Do you speak English?:¿Habla inglés?. I don´t understand:no entiendo. where is it?:¿donde está? How much is it?:¿Cuánto es? What time is it?:¿Qué hora es? Could you help me?:¿Puede ayudarme?


Currency
The official currency of Spain is the Euro. There are bank notes of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 Euros. Also coins of 2 and 1 Euro and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Currency Exchange
1 EUR (Euro) = 1.20 (United States Dollar) 1 Eur (Euro) = 0.66 GBP (British Pound Sterling)

Prices
In comparison with other countries within the European Union and perhaps due to its high tourist vocation, Spain is one of the cheapest countries. Obviously, the prices vary depending on seasons being summer the pick season.


Useful Info

Official name
Barcelona
Country
Spain
Time Zone
+1 GMT
Official Language
Spanish and Catalan
Surface area
99 square kilometres
Population
1,500,000 citizens
Political Regime
Constitutional Monarchy
Public holidays
January: 6th - Three Wise Men's Day, 17th - Festes dels Tres Tombs; Febuary: Carnival/Carnestoltes (every year depends on the date), March: 3rd –Fiesta de Sant Medir en Gràcia, April: 23rd - Sant Jordi (Saint George); May: Corpus Christi – Saint Ponc's Day; June: 23rd –24th Sant Joan (Saint John ), Festival del Grec, end of June, September: 11th – Catalonia National Day, 24th - Mare de Dèu de la Mercé, November: Jazz International Festival of Barcelona, December: Christmas.
Religion
Like the rest of Spain, the majority of the citizens are Catholic and this is also reflected on the festival calender of the city. Nevertheless, the cosmopolitan condition of the city makes posible the existence of other creeds, all related to immigration. There are Jewish Temples, Mosques and Evangelist Churches.
Religion
90% Catholic, 8% Muslim and 2% Jewish
Arrival / Departure
Strategly placed in the South of Europe, Barcelona counts on excellent road, maritime, and air infrustractures that permits a fast and easy access to the city from any international or national destination. With more than 21 million travelers per year the Airport El Pratt is the second largest in terms of the number of passengers. From the Airport there are daily flights to other main cities in Spain, emphasizing the air shuttle Madrid - Barcelona, with flights that links both cities every 30 minutes. Paris, Bordeaux, Milan or Rome are some of the international destinations that depart from Barcelona. There is a train connection from the airport to the Sants Station every 30 minutes from 5.43AM to 22.13PM. Other alternative mean of transport is the taxi or the Aerobus, the bus departs every 12 minutes from the Plaza de Catalunya.
Safety
Taking into consideration the importance of tourism in Spain, the security of the tourists is one of the first priorities of the country, however, some advises are always useful to the tourists: it is reccommended to take money needed in the moment and not all the holiday money especially if you are inside an aglomeration of people to avoid any type of problem.
Visa
The European Union tourists do not need visa to enter into Spain. Neither those citizens of the United States, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and the rest of the Latin American countries, though a return ticket must be bought. Travelers from Australia, Anguilla, Bermuda, Canada, Cyprus, South Korea, Hong Kong, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Israel, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Saint Helena, Singapore and Turk & Caicos do not either need visa provided that they do not stay more than 90 days in Spain.
Clothing
Thin clothes during almost all the year, apart from winter, from December to February, it is advisable bring a coat.
Electricity
220 volts. 50 mhz. The plug sockets that are in use are of two circular plugs.
Radio and Television
The main stations are: Cataluya Música, Cataluya Cultura, Com Radio. In Catalan: Catalunya Informació and Onda Rambla. In terms of TV, the most popular include TV3, Canal 33, TV3, Canal, TV5, Antena 3, TVE. There is also a great quantity of local television channels.
Telephone
The code for Spain is 34 and the code for Barcelona is 93. To make an international call, firstly you need to dial 00 followed by the code of the country and the telephone number. For phone calls inside Spain there is no need for a special code when phoning within Spain. In terms of mobile phones the technology of the country is GSM, but in many cases it is not compatible with the ones that are in use in other places for example such as United States, Japan. The most important operators are AMENA (website: www.amena.com); Movistar (website: www.movistar.tsm.es) and Vodaphone (website: www.vodaphone.es).

It is normal to find public phones along the streets and they work with coins or cards which can be bought. Also it is normal to find what is called locutorios, premises full of telephone booths where you can call without using coins nor cards only paying when you finish your call. There is also other services such as; sending and recieving faxes, or the use of the internet whilst you pay for the use of it.
Police
092
Ambulance
112
Fire Brigade
080
Tourist health care services
061
Newspapers and Magazines
Some of the newspapers that are popular are: La Vanguardia, El Periódico de Catalunya, Sport. There is a wide range of different types of magazines that covers any issue. The most important in general are; Epoca, Semana, Interview, Primera Línea, Tiempo de Hoy.
Postal Service
The postal service in Spain is efficient, letters within Europe should take around 3 or 5 days. Special delivery should cost a minimum 2.5 Euros. The opening times are from 8.30AM to 20.30PM, Saturdays 8.30AM to 13.00PM. Visit the web site www.correo.es. When sending international mail you can also use Fedex or UPS.
Health Care Services
The Spanish Health care system in general is good. In reality, the only precaution is the heat of the sun which could cause heatstroke. Also Spain counts on an extensive network of health care centres where first aid is offered as well as qualified doctors.
Airport
Barcelona Airport, Edificio Bloque Técnico, 08820 El Prat de Llobregat. Number of terminals: 3. Tel: (0034) 93 298 3838, Fax: (0034) 93 298 3737. bcninformacion@aena.es. www.aena.es. The airport is located in Prat de Llobregat, 14km south-east of the city centre.
Public Transport
Public transport in Barcelona is efficient with a large quantity of urban bus services, these cover a vast part of Barcelona and even connect to the outskirts of the city. Also Barcelona has a very good underground network. Generally there are plenty of taxis that are available to take you to and from the centre. The trip takes about 30 minutes and will cost around 15 Euros. All the taxis in Barcelona are black and yellow and they must charge just the cost shown in the metre (also the cost of the luggage). The taxi service is normally good, simple and reliable. The underground is the easiest way of getting around the city, although sometimes the tourist will need a bus or a train in order to get to a certain part of the city. Every few minutes there are buses that departs to any part of the city. There are special cards for travelling called tarjetas multiviajes that offer discounts which is worth while in getting.

The trains of line 1 Rodalies (Cercanías) operate between the city centre (zone 1) and the airport (zone 4). The Journey will cost around 2.1 Euros. The trains depart daily every 30 minutes from 6:10am till 22:40pm. In 16 minutes the train arrives at the Sants Station, and in 21 minutes to the Plaça Catalunya. The Aerobús A1 service goes from the airport to the Plaça Catalunya stopping at the Sants Station. The journey lasts around 40 minutes and will cost around 3.2 Euros. The buses to other places, the EA and the EN departs from the Plaça d´Espanya every 80 minutes, the journey will take around 50 minutes and will cost around 1 Euro.

Also the Barcelona Bus Turistic, a double-decker bus, will take and help you to discover in a comfortable way the more attractive and interesting places of the city. You can get on or off the bus however many times you want, in any of the 42 bus stops. It is possible to combine the three routes with the same ticket in the five points of connection.
Railway
Due to its link between the mainland and the European continent, Barcelona is also an important railway gateway. From the Estación de Francia, at the end of the Barcelona Harbour, trains called Talgo depart to Paris, Geneva, Zürich and Milan. Other railway stations with long way trains are those located in Passeig de Gràcia and that of Sants, near to la Plaça d'Espanya. The trains called Euromed stand out for their quality and speed, they connect Barcelona-Sants and Valencia in less than three hours. In 2004 the High Speed line Madrid - Barcelona was inaugurated.
Railway Stations:
Barcelona Passeig de Gràcia – Esquina Aragón, s/n 08007. Tel: (0034) 902240202 (0034)902243402 Barcelona Sants Plaza Dels Països Catalans, s/n 08014. Tel: (0034) 902240202, 902243402
Barcelona Estació de França: Avenida Marqués de L' Argentera, s/n 08003. Tel: (0034) 902240202, 902243402
FF.CC. Generalitat de Catalunya Tel: (0034) 932 051 515 RENFE : Tel: (0034) 902 240 202 www.renfe.es
Bus
Barcelona North Bus Station: Passeig de Gràcia - Esquina Aragón, s/n 08007. Tel: (0034) 2656508
Bus Station of Barcelona Sants: Calle Viriato, s/n 08014. Tel: (0034) 4913183
Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (Customer Service Tel: (0034) 93-318-7074 TMB (Departamento de Relaciones Externas) Calle 60, num. 23 Sector A Polígono Industrial Zona Franca 08040.
Car
As all great metropolis cities, Barcelona has such a volume of traffic that from time to time and in parts of the city, can become slow. By road, the motorway A-7 binds the Mediterranean motorway with France and facilitates the access to the tourist centres of the Costa Brava and other regions of the province of Girona. The Motorway A-2 goes to Zaragoza and towards Madrid and Bilbao. The Estación del Nord is the main terminal of regular lines of buses, so much national as international. There are also more companies leaving from the Sants Station.

Information: Autopistas de Catalonia Tel: (0034) 934-146-543/938-946-568
Car Rentals
There car rentals operating in the Airport of Barcelona as Europcar, Hertz, Avis and Sixt.
Avis Barcelona Airport, 08820. Tel: (0034) 93 2983600 open from Monday to Saturday 7.00am to 12.30am and Sunday 7.00am to 12.00 am. (the firm has more branch offices that can be found on their website www.avis.com).
Europcar: Estación de Sants. Plaza Països catalans, s/n 08014, Barcelona. Tel: (0034) 902 105 055 (there are more branch offices that can be found on their website. www.europcar.com).
Ship
The Harbour of Barcelona is one of the assets of the Mediterranean, it offers regular journeys by ferry to Majorca, Ibiza, Italy and the possibility of transporting a car. Likewise, it is a starting point and a stopover of numerous tourist cruisers.

Information: Autoridad Portuaria de Barcelona: Tel: (0034) 933-068-800.
See climate
www.worldweather.org
Currency converter
www.xe.com/ucc
A dinner
From 20 to 40 Euros
A coffee
0.90 Euros
The Bus
1.15 Euros
The taxi
1.65 Euros when the meter starts running plus 0.75 - 1 Euro per km.
The Underground
Ticket for 2 days 8.80 Euros
The train
1.30 Euros