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    Insight Guides City Guide Barcelona (Travel Guide eBook)
    Insight Guides City Guide Barcelona (Travel Guide eBook)
    Insight Guides City Guide Barcelona (Travel Guide eBook)
    Ebook547 pages9 hours

    Insight Guides City Guide Barcelona (Travel Guide eBook)

    By Insight Guides

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    About this ebook

    Insight City Guides: all you need to inspire every step of your trip.



    This newly updated edition of Insight City Guide Barcelona is ideal for travellers seeking immersive cultural experiences



    - In-depth on history and culture: enjoy special features on Modernisme, fiestas and markets, all written by local experts

    - Innovative extras = incredible value, and unique in the market.



    Content overview:

    -in-depth on history and culture -invaluable maps, travel tips and practical information ensure effortless planning

    -inspirational colour photography throughout

    -inventive design makes for an engaging reading experience
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherInsight Guides
    Release dateDec 1, 2018
    ISBN9781789192933
    Insight Guides City Guide Barcelona (Travel Guide eBook)
    Author

    Insight Guides

    Pictorial travel guide to Arizona & the Grand Canyon with a free eBook provides all you need for every step of your journey. With in-depth features on culture and history, stunning colour photography and handy maps, it’s perfect for inspiration and finding out when to go to Arizona & the Grand Canyon and what to see in Arizona & the Grand Canyon. 

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      Insight Guides City Guide Barcelona (Travel Guide eBook) - Insight Guides

      Atlas

      Barcelona’s Top 10 Attractions

      At a glance, everything you can’t afford to miss in Barcelona, from Gaudí’s Sagrada Família and Casa Milà to the Miró Foundation and the beaches.

      Top Attraction 1

      La Boqueria. This covered market on La Rambla selling wonderful fresh produce is one of Europe’s most attractive markets. For more information, click here.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Top Attraction 2

      Palau de la Música Catalana. A World Heritage site, the Palau is a modernista dream. For more information, click here.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Top Attraction 3

      Sagrada Família. Gaudí’s glorious, unfinished cathedral. For more information, click here.

      Bigstock

      Top Attraction 4

      Park Güell. Colourful ceramics in the park Gaudí designed to be a garden suburb. For more information, click here.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Top Attraction 5

      Beaches. Barcelona’s waterfront has become the city’s playground. For more information, click here.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Top Attraction 6

      Museu Picasso. One of the most popular attractions in Barcelona, the city where the artist grew up. For more information, click here.

      Gregory Wrona/Apa Publications

      Top Attraction 7

      Santa Maria del Mar. The city’s most beautiful church. For more information, click here.

      Fotolia

      Top Attraction 8

      Fundació Joan Miró. A luminous space that displays Miró’s works to their best advantage. For more information, click here.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Top Attraction 9

      La Rambla. Barcelona’s famous tree-lined avenue is a good starting point for any visit. For more information, click here.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Top Attraction 10

      La Pedrera. The ‘witch-scarer’ chimneys of Casa Milà, known as La Pedrera. For more information, click here.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Editor’s Choice

      Breathtaking views and fantastic food, top museums and shops, family outings and money-saving tips personally selected by our editor.

      Best Views

      Barcelona Bus Turístic. Worth every cent to see the city from the open top deck of the Tourist Bus. For more information, click here.

      Torre de Collserola. The lookout platform on the 10th floor of this communications tower gives you a 360-degree view of Catalonia, including, on a good day, the Pyrenees. For more information, click here.

      Transbordador Aeri. Get the city into perspective by gliding over the port in the cable car from Montjuïc, the Torre de Jaume I or the Torre Sant Sebastià. For more information, click here or click here.

      Eclipse Bar, W Hotel. Slip into this slick bar on the 26th floor for panoramic views of the waterfront and city, best at sunset. For more information, click here.

      La Pedrera. Glimpse the Sagrada Família and other Eixample monuments from a new angle from the roof. For more information, click here.

      La Pedrera.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Best Buildings

      CaixaForum. An award-winning modernista textile factory converted into a cultural centre. For more information, click here.

      Palau de la Música Catalana. Laden with Catalan symbolism and ornamental detail, Domènech i Montaner’s extraordinary concert hall is the paragon of modernisme. For more information, click here.

      La Pedrera. If you see no other Gaudí building, don’t miss this 1910 apartment block. It gives an insight into the brilliance of the city’s most famous architect. For more information, click here.

      Torre de Martí I. A medieval watchtower in the Plaça del Rei, in the Barri Gòtic. For more information, click here.

      Pavelló Mies van der Rohe. Less is more in this seminal building of the Modern Movement, designed as the German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition. For more information, click here.

      Torre Glòries. The headquarters of a water company at Plaça de les Glòries, this sleek tower is a 21st-century addition to the Barcelona skyline. For more information, click here.

      Santa Maria del Mar. A beautiful Catalan Gothic church, with stunning stained-glass windows, that will make your spirit soar. For more information, click here.

      Torre Glòries.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Barcelona for Families

      Out and about. Barcelona is child-friendly in true Latin tradition. Locals, shops and restaurants welcome children, street performers abound and the many traffic-free areas in the Old Town are good for bikes and skateboards.

      Aquàrium. One of the largest aquariums in Europe. For more information, click here.

      Beaches. Somorrostro and Nova Icària beaches are sheltered by the Port Olímpic and have climbing frames. For more information, click here.

      Ciutadella. Park with rowing boats, ducks, picnic areas, play areas and a great zoo. For more information, click here.

      Club Nataciò Atlètic Barceloneta. Swimming club with an outdoor pool shallow enough for children. Plaça del Mar, 1. For more information, click here.

      Granja Viader. A magnificent milk bar. Good for thick hot chocolate and the nutty drink orxata in summer. Xuclà, 4.

      Tibidabo. A 100-year-old funfair overlooking the city. For more information, click here.

      Concerts and theatre. The Auditori concert hall, the CaixaForum, Fundació Miró and the Liceu opera house run regular family programmes.

      At the Aquàrium.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Top Squares

      Plaça del Rei. The essence of medieval Barcelona. Best early in the morning or on summer nights, when it is sometimes a concert venue. For more information, click here.

      Plaça Reial. Daytime bustle, petty crime and night-time partying don’t detract from this handsome 19th-century square. For more information, click here.

      Plaça Sant Felip Neri. The very heart of the Gothic Quarter. To feel its peace, wait for the children in the adjacent school to return to class. For more information, click here.

      Plaça del Sol. One of several fine squares in the district of Gràcia, it is a meeting place for young and old. For more information, click here.

      Plaça Vicenç Martorell. Just off La Rambla in El Raval and popular for its terrace cafés and playground. For more information, click here.

      In Plaça Reial.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Best Museums

      CCCB. Technically a cultural centre, this wonderful space stages intriguing exhibitions as well as diverse festivals – film, music and performance. For more information, click here.

      CosmoCaixa. The born-again science museum has hands-on exhibits for all ages, plus a re-creation of the Amazon. For more information, click here.

      Fundació Miró. Flooded with Mediterranean light, this purpose-built museum has one of the largest collections of Miró’s work. For more information, click here.

      Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. The National Museum houses a millennium of Catalan art, from its famed Romanesque collection to 20th-century photography. For more information, click here.

      Museu Picasso. Comprehensive display of Picasso’s startling early work and some later pieces, in five medieval palaces. For more information, click here.

      In the Fundació Miró shop.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Flavours of Barcelona

      La Boqueria. All the food markets are a trip for the senses, but this one takes first prize for its colours, tropical flavours, Mediterranean aromas and overwhelming vitality. Also includes several good restaurant-bars. For more information, click here.

      La Seu. An indulgent range of farmhouse cheeses from all over Spain, kept to perfection. Tastings take place on Saturday mornings. Also offers excellent olive oils.

      J. Múrria. A traditional small grocer’s shop in the Eixample with its original painted glass facade and a mouth-watering array of goods, from the finest hams and cheeses to the most expensive wines. Roger de Llúria, 85.

      Pa amb tomàquet. When the bread is fresh, the tomatoes hand-picked and the olive oil cold-pressed, this traditional accompaniment is a meal in itself and cannot be bettered.

      Jamón for sale at La Boqueria.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Best Barcelonan Traditions

      Correfoc. Part of the La Mercè festivities, this is the wildest of celebrations, when fire-spitting dragons and their accompanying devils threaten to engulf in flames anyone fool enough to taunt them.

      Dancing. Barcelonans of all ages love to dance the sardana, the Catalan national dance.

      Fiestas. Whether it’s buying red roses on the day of Sant Jordi, the patron saint, or roasting chestnuts in the autumn, the people of Barcelona continue their traditions with enthusiasm.

      Going out for breakfast. Sitting up at a classic steel bar with your favourite daily newspaper, fresh crusty sandwich and piping hot coffee is a cherished part of life.

      Paella. Meeting up with friends or family for a paella on the beach or in the woods is possible even on sunny winter days, and always a treat. This is a dish often cooked by the man of the house.

      Sunday lunches. Not a Sunday goes by without Catalan families reuniting for a big family meal, usually in the grandparents’ house. Someone will bring a dessert, fresh from the pastry shop and wrapped up with paper and ribbon.

      Weekend escapes. Catalans work hard all week, but weekends are sacrosanct. They escape to the ski slopes in winter and the beaches in summer.

      Revellers at Correfoc festival.

      Bigstock

      Best Buys

      Leatherwear. Spain is still a good place to buy shoes and bags. The best areas are Portal de l’Angel, Rambla de Catalunya, Passeig de Gràcia and Diagonal.

      Fashion. Apart from the ubiquitous Zara and Desigual, more upmarket Spanish designers include Adolfo Domínguez and Antonio Miró. Independent boutiques are mostly in the Old Town.

      Bric-à-brac and antiques. Visit Els Encants flea market in Glòries, the antiques market in the Cathedral Square and the art market in Plaça Sant Josep Oriol.

      Interior design. From Vinçon in Passeig de Gracia to Cosas de Casa in Plaça Sant Josep Oriol, the city is full of design ideas.

      Wine and edibles. From cava to handmade chocolates.

      For more information, click here.

      In a branch of Desigual.

      Gregory Wrona/Apa Publications

      Free Barcelona

      La Font Màgica. Designed for the 1929 exhibition, the Magic Fountain offers free son et lumière displays most of the year. For more information, click here.

      Open-air museum. The side streets off Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla de Catalunya are like a museum of modernisme: buildings, balconies, stained-glass windows and carved doors can all be appreciated as you wander around the neighbourhood. For more information, click here or click here.

      Neighbourhood fiestas. Hardly a month goes by without a fiesta with giants, parades and castells (human pyramids).

      Street performers. Musicians, tango dancers, opera singers – the streets of the Old Town are full of free entertainment – although they all appreciate a donation in the hat.

      La Font Màgica.

      Gregory Wrona/Apa Publications

      Sunbathing on Barceloneta beach.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Plaça Reial at night.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Gaudí architecture at Park Güell.

      AWL Images

      Introduction: An Irrepressible City

      A potent mix of traditional architecture and contemporary design, long days of sunshine and never-ending nightlife has turned this spirited city into one of the world’s top destinations.

      Barcelona shot to international fame in 1992, having designed and successfully managed one of the most spectacular Olympic Games of modern history. For years before, though, it had been regarded as Spain’s most cosmopolitan city and in medieval times had been the hub of a huge Mediterranean domain. The canny Catalans seized the opportunity of the Games to bring the city up to speed after years of suppression under the Franco regime. The momentum of its success launched the city towards the 21st century with efficient new services, cutting-edge architecture, a born-again waterfront and, above all, a redeveloped urban environment with public art for its citizens to enjoy.

      The Telefonica building.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      As the grey veil of the dictatorship lifted, the city’s treasures came into the limelight, from the huge stones and watchtowers of its Roman past through its glorious medieval palaces to its extraordinary modernista architecture by Gaudí and colleagues, which has given Barcelona such a distinctive stamp. Wandering through the narrow lanes of the Gothic Quarter or pacing up the elegant Passeig de Gràcia, lined with exclusive shops and some of the jewels of the modernista period, the energy that shaped this city is palpable. An endemic Catalan spirit has coursed through its turbulent history, resisting oppression and proudly standing out of line. That the Catalan bourgeoisie accepted the revolutionary and dream-like designs of Gaudí showed some daring. The same driving force is behind the longstanding desire for independence in many quarters, as the nationalist flags adorning the middle-class balconies of the Eixample testify. And in 2017 the city was at the forefront of the independence bid demonstrations.

      Lichtenstein’s El Cap de Barcelona.

      Gregory Wrona/Apa Publications

      Font Magica de Montjuïc.

      Gregory Wrona/Apa Publications

      Today’s visitor can enjoy Barcelona on many levels, soaking in its history while having a coffee in a quiet square in the Old Town or poring over exhibits in one of the many museums. See the works of leading 20th-century artists linked to the city, like Miró, Picasso or Tàpies, then shop in indie boutiques in El Born or taste the gourmet tapas of award-winning chefs. If you coincide with one of the city’s many festes, you can run with devils and fire-spitting dragons or indulge in festive food. When the mix becomes too heady, take time out on one of Barcelona’s nine golden beaches and sip a cocktail as the sun goes down.

      The Barcelonans

      Life in Barcelona is characterised by dynamic commercial activity and a vibrant social scene – seasoned with a dash of cosmopolitanism thanks to the many outsiders who come here to work and play.

      Catalans in general, and Barcelonans in particular, are famed for their business acumen, passion for work and economic ability. The laid-back mañana attitude of the old Spanish stereotype scarcely exists in Barcelona. But then, as Catalans never tire of telling you, Catalonia and its capital are not Spain. In Barcelona, 10 o’clock means 10 o’clock, not 11.30. ‘Anem per feina’ is a common expression, once pressed into service as a Catalan nationalist election slogan: ‘Let’s go to work.’

      Queueing for ice cream on the Rambla del Poblenou.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Market trading

      Like England, Catalonia has been dubbed a nation of shopkeepers, and indeed, Barcelona has a staggering number of shops. This is not so surprising when you consider its mercantile background, going back to the Phoenicians. This bourgeois city was built up through family enterprise, and has now become one of the places to shop. The slogan once sported by carrier bags of the famous Vinçon design store puts it in a nutshell: ‘I shop, therefore I am.’

      Barcelona exudes an air of prosperity, and is no longer a particularly cheap city. The standard of living is high, but it has to be paid for, and the work ethic is especially noticeable if you come here from elsewhere in Spain. You can see it in the comparatively early closing (by Spanish standards) of bars and restaurants. Efficiency, punctuality and reliability are of the essence. Barcelona works very hard.

      Stylish young executives cut a dash as they speed around the city on mopeds, screeching to a halt on pavements as they race into meetings or business lunches.

      In Andalucía they have a saying: ‘The Andalucian works to live, the Catalan lives to work.’ But it is not as straightforward as this. For how do we square this view of Catalans with the wild celebrations of La Mercè, the week of festivities around 24 September, the day of Barcelona’s patroness, when giants and fantastical creatures parade around on stilts, free concerts are put on with no regard for cost, and fiery dragons career through the crowds in the hair-raising correfoc or ‘fire-running’?

      Fresh produce at La Boqueria market.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      The Catalan Language

      First lesson to visitors: Catalan is not a historical relic, surviving only in the countryside. It is spoken by some 6 million people in Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearics, Andorra, the Roussillon region of France and the town of Alghero in Sardinia, and Catalan-speakers form by far the largest linguistic community in Europe without their own state.

      Catalan is a Romance language, like Castilian Spanish, French and Italian, but with a sharp, staccato quality that gives it a very distinctive sound. It was used in public life very early on, but absorption into the Spanish monarchy led to a downgrading of the language. Nevertheless, industrialisation and the rise of a native middle class in the 19th century provided a backdrop for Catalonia’s cultural Renaixença or ‘rebirth’. Literature, music and the Catalan press all flourished. This made the total shutdown after Franco’s victory in 1939 all the harder to bear. Catalan was banned from public use, with penalties even for speaking it on the street. A generation grew up unable to read or write in the language they spoke at home.

      Catalans are intensely attached to their language, and whenever the pressure upon it has relaxed, Catalan has revived. So it was after Franco’s death in 1975. Catalan and Castilian are now both official languages, but in practice Catalan is the primary language. The ‘linguistic normalisation’ undertaken by the Catalan government since 1980 has been a remarkable success, but also controversial, and the many ramifications of linguistic politics remain a constant local topic. All state schools teach exclusively in Catalan.

      Barcelona itself remains a linguistic soup, since half or more of its population are Castilian-speakers. There are determined Catalan-only speakers, as well as their opposites; most people, though, want to get along, and readily hop back and forth.

      Young Barcelonans by the beach.

      Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications

      Prudence versus impulse

      The Catalans call these apparently contradictory facets of their character el seny and la rauxa. The former is a combination of prudence, profound common sense and good judgement, the latter a fit, impulse or emotional outburst: a kind of attack of

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