Barcelona Basics

Barcelona (pronounced Spanish [baɾθelona] , speak Catalan [bəɾsəlonə] ) is a city of 1,619,337 inhabitants ( urban area : 3,225,058 inhabitants) of Spain , capital of Catalonia , an autonomous community of north-eastern part of the state and that the capital of ‘ homonymous province and comarca of Barcelonès . This is the second city in Spain by population . In 1992 was the site of the Olympic Games in summer. In 2004 , in Barcelona, ​​was held for the first time ever, the Universal Forum of Cultures , the city click here to compare life insurance cover hosted the ‘ International Exhibition of 1888 and the 1929 and Barcelona is also home of the ‘ Union for the Mediterranean . Strong tourism, the port and the proximity to France (160 km from Le Perthus ), the city saw its already thriving economy skyrocket after the 1992 Olympics . The city is the second largest financial and industrial center of Spain after Madrid , and the largest commercial port and tourist center and one of d ‘ Europe .

It is located in eastern Spain, on the south coast, on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea , about 160 km to the south the mountains of the Pyrenees and 150 from the Col du Perthus , which marks the border with France , in a plain situated between the sea and above the mountain range, between the mouths of the rivers Besos and Llobregat . The town is bordered on the north by the municipalities of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adria de Besos , to the west of Montcada i Reixac and Sant Cugat del Valles , south of the zone with L’Hospitalet and Esplugues de Llobregat , while the east remains only the sea. The findings of the city can be divided into three distinct sections: the mountains of Collserola , the Tibidabo as a major peak (512 m ) dominates the city with its amusement park , the plains and the delta of the Llobregat and Besos perpendicular to coast. Other minor peaks emerge from the coastal plain, the best known of which is the Montjuïc (173 m) hill near the harbor dominated by a fortress.
Climate [ change ]
Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate sub-humid with some characteristics different from those typical of the Mediterranean climate, as a non-negligible amount of rainfall in summer and a secondary minimum of precipitation in winter . In Barcelona, ​​as in all of Catalonia, the classic Mediterranean climate with wet winters and dry summers and temperate in the north reflects the position of the Western Mediterranean. This will sometimes allow the passage of a summer storm front that intensifies when in contact with the surface water of the sea, causing often violent storms that mitigate the excesses of a few days warm and the dryness of the Iberian Peninsula . In contrast, the same position sheltered from the currents from the west (thanks to both the Iberian Meseta that the Pyrenees) means that many Atlantic perturbations affect the region in the form of winds of fall, ie föhn : in this way is of the winter frequently a sunny season.
January and February are the coldest months, with average temperatures in the order of 9 ° C, and July and August are the warmest, with averages of 24 ° C. The highest temperature ever recorded in the city was 38.6 ° C, 12 August 2003, and the coldest of -7 ° C on 11 February 1956. The summer of 2003, similarly to the whole of Western Europe, left the month with the highest average temperature since we have records (27.8 ° C average in August), while the February 1956 saw the average monthly temperature lowest of the twentieth century: 4.5 ° C.
The location of Barcelona between the ” Serra Collserola “(whose maximum height is 512 meters) and the Mediterranean Sea favors low daily temperature, averaging about 7 ° C in all seasons, and a particularly high rate of moisture in summer and autumn. Therefore, it is rare to extreme temperatures: medium 5 is recorded each winter frosts, and no more than a fortnight with a maximum above 30 ° C. But this changes once uptown and nearby villages to valleys prelitoranee. In the metropolitan district of Valles the ice more than 30 days per year and also for peak above 30 º in summer. However, these highs above 30 ° C for several days in summer are accompanied by a strong discomfort caused by the high average humidity with strong sultry , xafogor in Catalan. Conversely in the winter, although temperatures are not excessively low, the predominant sunny weather but winds of the mistral and often wind that increase the perceived cold: in Catalan say there fredor .
The average rainfall amounted to 620 mm. annual and are present during all twelve months of the year, with heaviest between September and November and a minimum in summer in July. The storms of August that yes they are locally abundant summer rainfall: in some years (1977, 1987, 1995, 2002, 2005, 2011) This month has seen very substantial rainfall values, such as 220 mm. measured during a violent storm on the night of July 31st and August 1st of 2002. On average there are 25 days’ time , especially in August and September (five each).
Despite the overall climate is not unusual in winter episodes are of great cold , when cold air masses descend into the western Mediterranean through the Gulf of Lion , which may lead to an average of 1-2 days of snow . The citizens remember well the real snow storm of the Christmas of 1962 (when the city was blocked by more than 50 inches of snow in the center and almost a meter hill), the precipitation of the Epiphany in 1985 (which was followed by two weeks with temperatures not too dissimilar to those of February 1956), the 1st of March 1993 and more recently the snowfall of 15 December 2001 of 28 February 2005 and 8 March 2010.

Policy
In Barcelona there are four different levels of political administration with different responsibilities and skills:
The ‘ State General Administration , deals with issues such as external security, (the National Police Corps and Army), Justice, the management of ports, airports in the national interest, long-distance trains and the coast. These skills are coordinated by the Government Representative in Catalonia and the sub-delegate of the government of Barcelona, ​​who are appointed by the Government of Spain , and are located in the delegation of the Government [1] . Currently, the National Police Corps has only certain powers such as issuing of identity cards or the fight against terrorism, given that the rest of the powers have been transferred to the Mossos d’Esquadra , the autonomous police Generalitat.

Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya .
The Autonomous Government of Catalonia and the seat of his organs are in Barcelona: the Parliament of Catalonia, is located in Ciutadella Park and the Palace of the Generalitat de Catalunya , home of the Presidency of the Generalitat, is located in the Plaça de Sant Jaume . The Generalitat is elected by universal suffrage in elections held every four years throughout Catalonia , and has great skills on the management of the autonomous region, education, social issues, transport, economic policy, trade, etc.. It is also responsible for the construction of infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, universities and homes for the elderly.
The Barcelona Council is the body with fewer powers in the city. He currently chairs the patronage that takes care of maintaining the park’s mountain of Collserola, and also other parks and public buildings in the city. He also runs several museums and a wide network of public libraries operated in conjunction with municipalities.

At the City Hall of Barcelona.
The Barcelona City Council is the body with more powers and public functions in the city, as it regulates the daily lives of citizens through important issues such as urban planning, transport, management of the civilian security through the Guardia Urbana, the maintenance of streets and gardens. It is also responsible for the construction of municipal infrastructure such as schools, sports centers, libraries etc.. The government of the city of Barcelona is chosen by universal suffrage every four years. The power of the municipality is divided into two levels, since the city is divided administratively into ten districts . There is a level of expertise directly managed by the Mayor of Barcelona and his staff of government, which deals with general issues which are important for the whole city. On the other hand, there is another level of compenteze delegated to the districts, each district has its own political and administrative center that functions as an autonomous political entity.
Mayor
Since the restoration of democracy in Spain until 2011 , in all municipal elections the political party most voted in Barcelona was the Catalan Socialist Party , and since then all the mayors were of this party, although on several occasions have had to establish agreements with other parties to govern the city. Only in 2011 the Convergència Unió , nationalist party of the center, has managed to win elections.
Mandate Name Party
1
[2]

View of Barcelona from the park at sunset Putget (April 2008).
Administrative divisions

To learn more, see the voice districts of Barcelona .
The city has since 1984 divided into ten districts and each district in it and in turn divided into several districts and statistical areas.
Map of Districts Districts in Barcelona
Ciutat Vella
Eixample
Sants-Montjuïc
Les Corts
Sarria-Sant Gervasi
Gràcia
Horta-Guinardó
Nou Barris
Sant Andreu
Sant Martí
Demography

If one considers the ‘ metropolitan area the population reaches 4,992,193 inhabitants (in 2009). [3]
History

According to legend, founded Barcino was the Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca , father of Hannibal . In reality, the existence of a Punic Barcelona has never been able to prove, as seems to have much foundation the birth and development of a settlement greek in the immediate vicinity of the city. It is likely that the first inhabitants of Barcino were the nations of origin Iberian . Later the Romans reorganized the city as a castrum (a fortified military camp), located in Mons Taber, a hill where today the town hall on one side and the other the seat of the Generalitat de Catalunya ( Plaça de Sant Jaume ). The city was named by the Romans under the name Colonia Iulia Augusta Paterna Faventia Barcino . The organization of the ancient roads are still visible in the maps of the old town and the Roman walls remain standing.
The city was later conquered by the Visigoths in the fifth century , the Moors in the eighth century , the Franks in the year 801 . The latter made ​​it the capital of the county of Barcelona. He was then sacked by the hajib Umayyad Almanzor in 985 .
From the tenth century, Barcelona experienced a long period of prosperity that continued even when, in 1137, for a game of alliances, the earl became king of Aragon , and the city center more representative of the realm. Barcelona became http://www.chirobizacademy.com one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean Sea (the merchants and their owners vied with Genoa ), the center was enriched with magnificent Gothic buildings, and between the thirteenth and fourteenth century, two new boundary walls I fortified the medieval heart.
In the fourteenth century, the city entered a period of decline that continued in later centuries. The personal union with the kingdom of Castile, began with the marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castile in the late ’400, marked economic decline of Catalonia, whose citizens were excluded from trade with the ‘ America already discovered. The year 1717 , following the defeat before the forces of the first of the Bourbons of Spain, King Philip V , Catalonia lost its political independence.
The ‘ industrialization of ‘ nineteenth century continued throughout the twentieth century the economy turned around, and the city returned to being an important commercial, political and cultural. Witnesses are the two World Fairs organized in 1888 and 1929 . In the second half of the nineteenth century the project to demolish the ancient medieval walls gave way to the extension (in Catalan Eixample ) that expanded the city limits to encompass the villages in the suburbs. Was the case of Gracia , Sarria , Horta , Sant Gervasi de Cassoles , Les Corts , Sants , Sant Andreu de Palomar and Sant Martí de Provençals .
During the Civil War Barcelona sided with the Republic . More precisely, the strong and rooted anarchist movement gave impetus to the city’s massive collectivization and widespread experience of self-management in industry and public services. During the war, the city was bombed several times by aviation legionary mostly Italian, but also by the Condor Legion, a Nazi, in the service of General Franco . There were 385 bombings, which caused 2750 deaths. The city was occupied on 26 January 1939 Franco’s Army. The regime abolished the autonomous political institutions and the use of the car insurance quotes Catalan language . During the 36 years of dictatorship , Barcelona once again being in a period of social and cultural decadence. The high rate of immigration (mainly from southern Spain) injected into the substrate citizen a large number of Spanish-speaking residents, reducing the impact of Catalan.
In the late seventies , the return of democracy brought a recovery of the Catalan political and cultural. Barcelona started a new urban and cultural development that has transformed it into a modern metropolis of the present. The Olympic Games , organized in 1992 , contributed greatly to the development of the Catalan capital. In the years between the Olympic designation in 1986 and 1992, Barcelona were radically transformed, renewing, expanding and promoting its image worldwide.

Views towards the sea
Economics

Congress Centre of the Fórum

Diagonal Mar one of the most modern and new city.
Since the Industrial Revolution to today
Historically, the economy was based on the Barcelona trade through its port, industry began to gain weight during the nineteenth century as the industrial revolution, especially the textile sector, in a first period, then to develop the publishing industry, chemical, pharmaceutical, automotive, logistics and electronics, to transform the province of Barcelona in Spain’s main industrial area. With the growth of prospertià the city of Barcelona began to expel the industrial areas outside its city limits. The city’s economy is so specialized in trade, restaurants and especially in tourism, which in recent years has grown tremendously in the city, tourism has become the city one of the main economic sources.
Infrastructure with economic impact
Even today the port of Barcelona is one of the economic engines of the city, has become in recent years in one of the largest ports in the Mediterranean for merchandise tonnage and number of containers [4] allowing industrial production to export and import the materials first or unfinished. It is also the first port in the Mediterranean and the fifth in the world for the number of cruise ships, its wharfs spend up to two million passengers per year [5] .
The airport of the Prat in 2008 has seen passenger numbers exceeding 30 million, bucking the trend in second place in Spain for air traffic [6] , has just inaugurated the new terminal that will reach 40 million passengers. This infrastructure has enabled the development of a strong tourism industry that generates large benefits for the city but it recently has discussed the need to orient the policy of the airport to international flights, and not toward the “low cost”, thus attracting the same time a public profile with a higher economic and large multinational corporations.
In the early months of 2008 was also inaugurated high-speed railway line between Madrid and Barcelona [7] . The high-speed line will be extended to the French border, where you can connect with the existing railway network in France. This line is built to allow a mixed use, both for passenger and for freight trains, allowing a rapid rail connection to passengers and commercial traffic with the loans for bad credit rest of Europe of goods arriving in port.
The Fira de Barcelona organizes numerous jetzt Tagesgeld Vergleich exhibitions, trade shows, conferences and exhibitions for professionals. Some of these are among the most important in Spain and in Europe , with over 3.5 million annual visitors, generating a large turnover for the hotel and restaurant.

Port Vell
Sights

The Sagrada Familia of Antoni Gaudí
Barcelona has a chance, walking the streets, to find traces of its ancient history, Roman ruins and medieval up to the districts of Catalan modernism , with its characteristic buildings, its square blocks, its boulevards and streets wider. The ancient city is almost flat while the newer neighborhoods acquire more steeply as you get closer to the chain of hills behind.
Some examples of modernism are the buildings of the Quadrat d’Or district of the ‘ Eixample , the works of Antoni Gaudí and Palau de la Música Catalana by Lluis Domenech i Montaner declared in 1997 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Sant Pere, next to Via Laietana . No less important are the architectural contributions, always plant modernistic, of Josep Puig i Cadafalch .
Inside the Barri Gotic , in Ciutat Vella , note the beautiful Cathedral of Santa Eulalia , dedicated to the patron saint of the city. The cathedral is freely accessible at certain times of day, otherwise the entry is free of charge and includes not only the church but also the museum attached to the palaces connected to the cathedral of the Palau Lloctinent a backdrop to the Plaça del Rei. Also in the Barri Gotic are two other notable churches, Santa Maria del Mar and Santa Maria del Pi .
Among the main places of attraction you need to remember Las Ramblas (Spanish) or Les Rambles (Catalan), located between Avenue Plaça Catalunya , the center of the modern city, and the Old Port. The street, both day and night, is full of people and along its center platform you can find newsagents, florists, bird sellers, street performers, cafes, restaurants and shops. Near the harbor is frequently find stalls where they practice and working artists and designers. Stroll along Les Rambles you can see various interesting buildings like the Palace of Virreina , the colorful Boqueria Market and the famous Liceu Theatre , where opera and ballet are represented. Even the side streets are characteristic, one of them, very quickly leads to the Plaza Real , a square with palm trees and buildings whose porches and a variety of pubs and restaurants in which, during the weekend, will bring together collectors of stamps and coins .

La Rambla .

Casa Mila , known as La Pedrera , the masterpiece of Antoni Gaudi
The Ramblas end coming to the Old Port, where the statue of Christopher Columbus (Cristobal Colón) who, with the pointing finger, metaphorically indicates the direction of the New Continent. A few steps from there, you’ll find the Maritime Museum dedicated primarily to the naval history of the Mediterranean Sea , where you can see the full-scale reproduction of a jail for fighting. The Museum is located in the shipyards medieval , where were built the boats that sailed the Mediterranean. The Old Port offers other attractions, like a mall with shops, restaurants, cinemas and more Aquarium of the Mediterranean marine fauna.
The city of Gaudí
Barcelona is the city dental assistant career research center where he lived and worked the architect Antoni Gaudí, whose works attract many tourists every year from all over the world. The best known is the church of the Sagrada Familia , whose full name is in Catalan Expiatori Temple de la Sagrada Familia (Holy Family Temple of sin), Gaudí left largely incomplete and is still under construction since 1882. According to modern equipment and materials is expected to be completed around 2020. Work on the construction are funded solely by donations from the faithful and the revenue from the sale of admission to visitors. The Nativity facade was completed before the death of the designer, has recently been completed that of the Passion, and eight of the twelve towers planned (corresponding to the apostles). What remains to complete the facade of the nave, the representative of the Glory.
Among other works of Antoni Gaudí, the most famous and important are the Parc Guell , the Casa Mila , better known as “La Pedrera”, Batlló House , Palau Güell and Casa Vicens .
Well protected by ‘ UNESCO
Heritage
Works of Antoni Gaudí’s
Works of Antoni Gaudí

Typology Cultural
Criterion (I) (ii) (iv)
Danger Not in danger
Year 1984
UNESCO Card English
French
Museums
Among the art museums in Barcelona are of great interest to the Fundació Joan Miró , where you can admire some of the works are carried out and where the Mallorcan artist traveling exhibitions from museums all over the world, the Museu Picasso , containing an important collection little-known works of the famous painter, dating back to his first term. In the National Museum of Catalan Art (MNAC) is one of the largest collections of Romanesque art in the world. Among these of special interest are the Romanesque frescoes transferred to the museum directly from chapels and churches of all Catalonia . A few steps from the MNAC, the slopes of Montjuïc is the CaixaForum Barcelona , a great cultural center that is based in ancient Casaramona Fabrica .
Barcelona is a city for shopping. In the modern districts there are several streets and avenues as the Passeig de Gracia , the Rambla de Catalunya and the Diagonal Avenue (or Avenida Diagonal in Spanish), which are the best known international brands and where there are stores of famous fashion houses , leather goods, jewelry and more.
The Montjuïc and Tibidabo
To enjoy a splendid panorama of the city can get on Montjuïc , the small mountain located near the port, on top of which is the Castell de Montjuïc , a former military fortress which served to guard the entrance to the Barcelona sea. This place is notorious as the Catalans in 1940 will was executed by Franco’s police, by shooting, Lluis Companys , President of the Generalitat de Catalunya, now considered a national hero Catalan. Besides the already mentioned National Museum of Catalan Art (MNAC), the primary attraction of the city, also home to Olympic venues such as the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium , designed by Italian architect Vittorio Gregotti and seat up to 2009 home games of the second team Soccer City, the ‘ Espanyol , the sports center ( Palau Sant Jordi , in honor of the patron saint of Catalonia), designed by Arata Isozaki , and swimming pools. It dominates the landscape of the communications tower designed by Santiago Calatrava and built for the 1992 Olympics. Also in Montjuïc is the botanical garden, which features a unique collection of cactus, and the Teatre Grec built on the occasion of ‘ Expo 1929 .
Another place from which to enjoy a beautiful view of Barcelona is the mountain of Tibidabo , located inland in the highest part of the city. You can go by car, bus, tram and funicular. Is located on the Tibidabo amusement park of ancient origins and here is a short distance, telecommunications antenna copyright, designed by Norman Foster .
Parks
Barcelona has many parks. The best known are the Parc Guell by Antoni Gaudi in the district of Gracia, the park Montjuich , located on the top of the mountain of the same name and the Parque de la Ciudadela ( Parc de la Ciutadella ), located in the city center and within which is the Parliament of Catalonia and the zoological park of the city famous for hosting the albino gorilla Snowflake . Recently opened on the Diagonal Mar Park , the largest city, designed by Enric Miralles . Other smaller parks are: “Spain’s Industrial Park” in the district of Sants , the “Park of the Forum” where he played the Universal Forum of Cultures of 2004 , the park’s maze of Horta , the park where the trees are planted so to form a labyrinth, the “Park of the Clot” near the Plaza de las Glorias and “Turo Park, next to Plaza Francesc Macia.
The beaches of Barcelona

Barceloneta beach
One of the main attractions of Barcelona in recent years has been its beaches. Thanks to the regeneration of the waterfront implemented in 1992 , for the Olympics , Barcelona can count on six beaches that stretch for more than 4.2 km. The beaches are central: connect with the city center and all located just minutes from the city. All beaches are equipped with the most important services: showers, security, first aid and, in some cases, walk-in dressing room and hire service, hammocks, deck chairs and umbrellas. The beaches are subjected to cleaning every day all year and have all the blue flag of the European Union. According to data of the city of Barcelona, ​​Barcelona beaches annually receive more than seven million swimmers. Even though most of these swimmers are concentrated in the summer months between May and September, citizens and tourists can enjoy the beaches throughout the year as they are equipped to play tennis , volleyball and other sports. In the beach of Barceloneta, next to ‘ Hotel Arts , has a modern thalassotherapy center and the municipal sports center sea, with swimming pools with sea water that allow you to use the sporting facilities throughout the year. The six beaches are, from east to west: Sant Sebastia, Barceloneta, Nova Icaria, Bogatell, Mar Bella and Nova Mar Bella. In the latter there is an area reserved for nudists.
La Monumental de Barcelona

outside of the Monumental.
The Plaza de Toros Monumental in Barcelona was inaugurated in 1914 under the name “El Sport” and renamed “La Monumental” in 1916 . It is situated between Gran Via and Calle Marina district of ‘ Eixample . With a capacity of 19,582 spectators is the only still active plaza in Barcelona, ​​after the closing of the Plaza de las Arenas and El Torin. Inside the Monumental is the Bullfighting Museum of Barcelona , where they are exposed cards of famous bullfighters, heads of famous bulls, historical documents and objects related to bullfighting . Note that a 2009 law, with effect from January 2012, prohibits bullfighting in Catalonia.
Shopping
The city’s busiest shopping area is situated in its center: calles Portaferrissa, Pelai, La Rambla, Portal de l’Àngel and Plaça de Catalunya , where small shops coexist with department stores and large retail chains.

flower sellers in the ramblas
A little further north to Plaça de Catalunya along Passeig de Gracia , Rambla de Catalunya and Diagonal Avenue , there are shops of international brands in fashion, leather goods and jewelery. The shops of design are found in the alleys of the neighborhoods of Born , which has gained popularity since the late nineties. Other major shopping areas are Calle Grande de la Calle de Gracia or Sants, and shopping centers such as L’Illa, The Maquinista Les Glories or Diagonal Mar.
The articles or at second hand can be found in the “Mercat dels Encants”, in the Plaça de pepper spray les Glories, which opens on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and to San Antonio where every Sunday morning for several open stalls sell books, records, stamps and many other items for collectors.
Barcelona Olympic
Barcelona hosted the Olympics in 1992 . Many of the sports facilities are used on the mountain of Montjuïc . They are: the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium , the Olympic Museum, the Palace Sant Jordi , or swimming pools Picornell Montjuich of jumps. Far far from the mountain are the installations of FC Barcelona , among which are the Camp Nou , the Palau Blaugrana (Palacio Azulgrana), the Mini Estadi and the Museum of FC Barcelona . In the north of the city is the Horta Velodrome, the facilities of the Tennis Hall of Teixonera and de Valle de Hebron. Finally, the neighborhood of the Olympic Village is the place where the athletes were housed, now home to numerous beaches, restaurants and entertainment areas.
World heritage
Well protected by ‘ UNESCO
Heritage
Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau , Barcelona
Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona

Typology architectural
Criterion C (i) (ii) (iv)
Danger No indication
Year 1997
UNESCO Card English
French
In Barcelona there are various points of interest declared World Heritage by ‘ UNESCO : [8]
Code Name Year Coordinates

Barcelona has been for many centuries the center of cultural diffusion, was, for example, the first production center for cartoons to comic Spain , ahead of Valencia and Madrid . [9] Currently, the cultural events are very abundant and many are carried out to ‘open air due to the fact of being in a Mediterranean city.
Architecture

The Sagrada Família

The Agbar Tower (144.5 m).
The city has a long and rich architectural history, beginning with the ancient ruins of the Roman camp which followed the founding of Barcelona, ​​which however are only a few scattered fragments or archaeological remains, such as the columns of the Temple of Augustus, which are conserved in the building of the Centre de Cataluña Excursionista [10] , the remains of Barcino under the city (integrated into the History Museum of Barcelona) and the ancient walls [11] . Moreover, it also preserved examples of Roman architecture, as the church of Sant Pau del Camp, or the Chapel of Marcus [12] .
The medieval period are preserved numerous buildings, some of which many important, especially the Gothic works that proliferate in the center especially in the Barri Gotic , the Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulalia [13] , the Basilica of Santa María del Mar [14] , characterized by its austerity and harmony in the dimensions that make it one of the most important works of Catalan Gothic , or even the Drassanes [15] one of the few examples of Kelowna laser hair removal Gothic shipyard still exists in Europe. Always medieval buildings such as the Tinell Salo , the Palau de Lloctinent or the Palau de la Generalitat . Stand out even the palaces of important and wealthiest families in towns built around a courtyard like that now houses the Picasso Museum .
After a period in the city architecturally insignificant, because the walls prevented the development of the city, and also for the economic shortages besetting the city following the war of succession, we were able to make some important works produced by the land the church through the Desamortización of Mendizábal . These media allowed the construction of the Plaza Real , and the remarkable construction of the steel market, La Boqueria . Years later a new architectural movement took power in Barcelona, ​​thanks to a moment of great wealth and expansion of the city beyond the walls, Modernism.
Barcelona is known as the capital of modernism, to the great quantity and quality of architecture that preserves, jewelery such as’ Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau and the Palau de la Música Catalana by Lluis Domenech y Montaner , or Palau Macaya and The Fabrica Casaramona of Josep Puig i Cadafalch , but without doubt the most famous modernist architect is Antoni Gaudí , his most important work that attracts every year millions of visitors from around the world is the Sagrada Familia , Gaudí left unfinished and that is still under construction, thanks to private donations and visitors. This temple, consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI on 2010 , it is expected that its construction terms to the 2020 . Other works of Gaudí are the Parc Guell , the Casa Mila , also known as La Pedrera and the Casa Batlló .

The Mapfre Tower (154m)
The city also has numerous examples of contemporary architecture. Certainly stands the German Pavilion of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe , built for the ‘ Expo 1929 or the Fundació Joan Miró Catalan architect Josep Lluis Sert . After the Civil War, the city remained under the control of the Franco regime that blocked any kind of popular movement, movements that were the basis of the most important works in Barcelona. It was not until years after the restoration of democracy, thanks to the 1992 Olympic Games that the city rivivette a step of great transformation that gave rise to works like the Palau Sant Jordi of Arata Isozaki , the Torre de Collserola of Norman Foster , Auditori of Rafael Moneo , the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya by Ricardo Bofill and the Torre de Telecomunicaciones de Montjuïc of Santiago Calatrava . Before the Games restructured and the ‘ Barcelona Airport (now Terminal T2) and designed by Ricardo Bofill , who also designed the new terminal T1 opened on 2007 . In step “post-Olympic” the city has continued a remarkable architectural development, constructing buildings such as the MACBA by Richard Meier , the Torre Agbar by Jean Nouvel , and draft a new railway station The Sagrera , and the Tower of Triángulo Railway of Frank Gehry . diabetic foot ulcer treatment Other projects, like the building of the Forum of Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron have been developed at the Universal Forum of Cultures .
In 1999 the city of Barcelona was awarded the RIBA with the “Royal Gold Medal”, an award usually given to architects for the whole of their works and that for the first and only time was attributed to a city and not to an individual architect. [16]
University

Historical building of the University of Barcelona, ​​in the homonymous square.
Besides being a great city from the point of view of tourism and recreation, Barcelona has always been well, and perhaps for this reason, an extraordinary melting pot of culture.
fact welcomes prestigious universities and high schools, among which include:
The ‘ University of Barcelona (UB)
The ‘ Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)
The ‘ University Pompeu Fabra (UPF)
The ‘ Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC)
The ‘ Universitat Ramon Llull (URL)
The ‘ Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC)
The ‘ Universitat Abad Oliba (UAO)
The ‘ Oberta Universitat de Catalunya (UOC)
IESE (Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa)
ESADE (Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas)
Escuela Superior de Cine y Audiovisuales de Catalunya (ESCAC) [17]
All these institutions offer a multitude of fields of study beyond the master, doctorate and training schools, many of these institutions also manage research and development center.
Theatres and Cinema
The ‘ main avenue of the Paral · lel stands out for its high concentration of theaters, like the Apollo Theater , but today, after the end of ” El Molino “and other venues, its attractiveness is significantly less than a decade ago. The most prestigious theaters in the city today are: the Gran Teatre del Liceu , where they are made ​​mostly opera, the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya , with three rooms where the classics are represented and the Teatre Lliure , with the most cutting-edge proposals . In the districts of ‘ Eixample and Ciutat Vella today there are many theaters as the Theatre Condal , the Poliorama Theatre , the Teatro Romea , the Victoria Theater or El Mercat de les Flors , offering musicals, comedies and proposals for experimental theater.
The city also has numerous halls and movie houses that cast any kind of film: commercial, in the original language, European and copyright. Right in the European art cinema and is the Filmoteca de la Generalitat de Catalunya and cinema as the Greens, in the district of Gracia, offering their audiences.
Live music
In recent years Barcelona has become one of Europe’s most important centers for music, thanks to the quality and quantity of its proposal. The symphony is based in the Palau de la Música Catalana , located at the side of Vía Layetana, and also in ‘ Auditorium , the official site of ‘ Symphonic Orchestra de Barcelona y Nacional de Catalunya (OBC) . Opera however has its home in the Liceu , located at the bottom of the Rambla .
In the districts of ‘ Eixample and especially in the Ciutat Vella , there is a lot of places that offer jazz music for small audiences, but there are also wider local capacity as: Luz de Gas, Razzmatazz , Jamboree de la Plaza Real or the Bikini Room, which offers every week pop and rock groups and artists. Barcelona is Spain after the nerve center of Ibiza with regard to electronic music , especially music, house , dance , progressive , makina and chill out from Café del Mar .
The old Sports Palace was converted into the “Barcelona Teatre Musical,” a large room where they are usually scheduled performances of great artists or musical. In the summer months vengno always held large concerts by international artists like: Green Day , Bruce Springsteen , the Rolling Stones , to U2 and others. All these concerts are held either in the Sant Jordi Palace , with a capacity of 18,000 spectators, the Camp Nou with a capacity of 100,000 spectators in the Olympic Stadium which can hold up to 60,000 spectators.
Barcelona is home to major music festivals in the world among which the Primavera Sound Festival , the pop-rock, takes place in May for thirteen days, the Sónar festival in July, brings together the best world of electronic music and the Festival Grec , more eclectic, throughout the month of July offers a variety of music in different scenarios of the city. last to the end of September, together with the most important festivals of the city, Merced, Barcelona offers three days of free outdoor concerts in the squares of the historic center.

Night view of Barcelona.
Personality linked to Barcelona

Suburban transport
Airports
The main gateway to Barcelona for foreigners and for many Spaniards is’ El Prat International Airport , located 10 km south-west from the city. It is the second largest airport in Spain, with a passenger traffic of 32,898,249 in only 2007 . El Prat airport, the main operating airlines in the world, with direct flights to all cities’ Europe , and with many connections to cities across the five continents. An entire hall of the airport is for the so-called ” Air Bridge “, linking Barcelona and Madrid with flights every 20 minutes during peak hours. On 16 June 2009 , was inaugurated the new Terminal 1, which will allow the docking of the new A380 . Other airports used to reach Barcelona, ​​especially from low cost airlines , are the ‘ Girona Airport and ‘ Reus Airport , just over an hour from the city. The city is also home to the Volotea , airline.
Ports

Barcelona harbor viewed from Montjuic .
Another important port city, especially for freight, is the Port of Barcelona , one of the most important d ‘ Europe in the Mediterranean , both for the transport of goods as in that of persons, thanks to its proximity to the city has transformed into a major port for cruise ships. The city has three marinas, the Port Vell , the Olympic Port and the Port de Sant Adrià for those arriving by private boat of medium and small size.
Highways
Barcelona has a dense network of motorways, are the main AP7 , which begins at Almeria , passes from Valencia , Barcelona and continues to Perpignan , the A-2 , which starts Madrid , went from Zaragoza , Barcelona and France and continues until the Finally, AP2 , which runs parallel to A-2 between Zaragoza and Barcelona. Both the AP2 that the AP7 motorways are operated by concessionaires.
Railways
The rail network has its center in Sants station , from where long distance trains that link the city with the whole continent. The current Spanish network has the distinction of being based on broad gauge , incompatible with the standard gauge railway , which makes it difficult connections with France , which is why the new high-speed rail network will use the European standard. Currently you have finished the first phase of renovation of the Station of Sants with the complete renovation of the track to fit the format Internazione partially station and also permit the arrival of trains at high speed ( AVE ), the city is the terminus of the line Madrid -Zaragoza , and in a future extension to Paris , from Girona , Figueres and Perpignan .
List of main railway stations in Barcelona

To move between the cities’ metropolitan area of Barcelona there are two rail networks. One is the service Cercanias Barcelona ‘s Renfe , with a network of seven lines and about 123 million passengers a year in recent years, however, this service has deteriorated significantly and had many problems due to the increased demand, the missed investment and poor planning of the works related to the arrival of ‘ AVE in town. The other option, of transportation in the region of Barcelona is Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya , a suburban train service operated and built by the Generalitat de Catalunya . To solve the problems of the lines of “cercanias” since 2010 the Generalitat de Catalunya has taken over all lines Cercanias of Catalonia . [18] The net has changed since the Catalan name “Rodalies”.
Public transportation in the city

Trambaix

Taxis from Barcelona.

The bicycle to move around Barcelona is becoming fashionable.
The public transport network in Barcelona counts on the metropolitan area of Barcelona , which comes in all corners of the city, currently composed of nine lines with 150 stations and 115 km long, but is being expanded with the extension of existing lines and construction of two new lines that pass through the city.
Line Terminus Operator Current km Approved km Current Stations Stations Approved Inauguration

In 2004 the local administration, the underground and independent have pushed for the reintroduction of trams as a means of mass transportation, especially to connect the cities’ metropolitan area . To this end we have created two networks: Trambaix and Trambesós , networks that are currently being expanded, however, we must remember that in Barcelona a small tram line was still active since 1901 , ie the so-called Blau Tramway which climbs along the Avenida Tibidabo.
Line Terminus Operator Km Stations Inauguration

F
TOTAL (2 funiculars) 1.910 km 4 -
TOTAL tram and funicular 54 km 104 -
The buses are an efficient means of transport, are counting on 1070/2 divided into 103 lines. The daytime service is complemented by a night bus called Nitbus that makes up for the night suspension of most public transport.
All means of transport mentioned above are integrated, which means that the rates are equal, and that is permitted to use different media without having to pay each time a new ticket.
Another public transport in town is the tourist bus , a fleet of double decker bus with lines that have discovered the main stations as points of interest the city and an audio guide service on board. This service is not integrated into the urban transport system and works with tickets valid for one day.
The service taxis in Barcelona is very unique and unmistakable in its distinctive colors: blacks are vehicles with yellow doors.
Lovers of the environment and physical activity can use a bicycle to get around the city, the urban terrain and mild climate make it possible to use the bicycle for most of the year. For this reason, the city of Barcelona has a large network of bike sharing popular in the city, known as the Bicing .
Getting around by car in Barcelona, ​​as in any other major European city, is very complicated, although the city good urban organization. This makes it very easy traffic circulation, but the high population density can not make the experience more pleasant drive between. In addition, the town in May 2005 he opened the green areas and parking areas has widened blue Paid parking in more central districts. Among the citizens who move with motorized vehicles, motorcycles uses a large number. Barcelona is the European city with the highest density of motion in relation to population size.
On the other hand, Barcelona are installing approximately fifty electrical outlets for recharging electric vehicles . [19]
Media

La Vanguardia and El Periodico de Catalunya (printed both in Catalan and in Castilian) are the two main newspapers of Barcelona. Other newspapers are Avui , El Punt and Ara , all three in Catalan. Are also published in the Sport and El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish), the two main sports dailies. There are also a large number of publications lesser known but who have a good spread in the city.
Other newspapers of national circulation as El País and El Mundo (in Castilian) publish special editions for Barcelona. There are also several free publications such as Metro , 20 minutos , Qué! and ADN (all bilingual). The main radio stations are Ràdio Catalunya , RAC 1 , RAC 105 , and Cadena SER . Barcelona also has several local TV stations, among them BTV (owned by the municipality) and 8TV (owned by the Godó Group , which also owns de La Vanguardia ), the seat of Televisió de Catalunya , is located in Sant Joan Despi , in ‘ metropolitan area of Barcelona .
Sport

This section on this sport is only a sketch . Contribute to improve it according to the conventions of Wikipedia . Follow the suggestions of the reference design .
The city has hosted numerous sports events of international importance, such as the 1992 Olympics and a few games of the 1982 World Championship . The city offers the opportunity to participate in a lot of sports in the street: fact there are many city marathons. It is home to two clubs: FC Barcelona , which played in the stadium Camp Nou , to the northwest of the city and ‘ RCD Espanyol , whose stadium is Estadi Cornella-El Prat (up to July 2009, playing home games at the Olympic Stadium Lluís Companys ). Outside the city, but always in the province of Barcelona, www.ihairstyles2012.com/short-hairstyles/ ​​there are other major sporting facilities like the Circuit de Catalunya , where you compete for Grand Prix motorcycle racing and Formula 1 .

Is the Westing Palace Hotel one of the best hotels in Madrid? Which are the top 10 hotels in Barcelona?

The Westin Palace is one of the top hotels in Madrid, along with the Ritz and the Hesperia

Hotel Arts and Hotel Claris are both great hotels in Barcelona

Whats the best hotels to stay in Barcelona… ?

…that are not to expensive but are near shops and cafes?
also what are the most nicest hotels they have?
please let me know anyone know the answer.
thanks very much.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g187497-Barcelona_Catalonia-Hotels.html

this hotel is inexpensive but good Average price*:$142
Ranks #7 of 454 hotels in Barcelona in TripAdvisor’s popularity index
Hostal L’Antic Espai, Barcelona
C/ Gran Via de les Corts
Catalanes 660, principal
Barcelona ES-08010

Description: 10 rooms
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
(based on 58 reviews)
Sep 28, 2007: "a little gem"
Sep 25, 2007: "Didn’t love the L’Antic Espai"
Sep 11, 2007: "A very Special Place"

these are the best……

Hotel 1898, Barcelona
La Rambla 109
Barcelona 08002
$418 (€294) Description: 169 rooms
TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
(based on 265 reviews)
Traveler Reviews:
Sep 27, 2007: "Overbooking notice 1 day before arrival"
Sep 27, 2007: "Brilliant Hotel!"
Sep 25, 2007: "Fantastic Hotel"

Hotel Montecarlo
La Rambla, 124
Barcelona 08002
Spain
Classic hotel with modern amenities set in 19th century Victorian estate; located in the city center near Place Catalunya
Sep 27, 2007: "Great location, great value"
Sep 25, 2007: "Great Hotel"
Sep 24, 2007: "Lives up to the hype!!"

Hotel Pulitzer Barcelona, Barcelona
Bergara, 8
Barcelona 08002
Description: 92 rooms
(based on 150 reviews)
Traveler Reviews:
Sep 29, 2007: "Loved the Pulitzer"
Sep 27, 2007: "Fabulous, Fabulous, Fabulous!!!"
Sep 27, 2007: "A Strong Recomendation"
Average price*: $337 (€237)