Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain and the capital of Catalonia, with 1.5 million inhabitants. This metropolis located on the Mediterranean coast, and has an exclusive and remarkable architecture. Barcelona is today one of the most popular European tourist destinations.

It's a stunning city, full of museums and churches, markets and shops, boulevards and esplanades. The most popular area is called "La Rambla" where people like walking along or sitting at the coffe shops.

REASONS TO GO

Admire the works of the architect Antoni Gaudí. The church of the Sagrada Fam�lia is the most popular and stills under construction; 

The beautiful Gothic Quarter (Barrio Gótico); 

This city hosts some of the trendiest and coolest festivals in Europe, such as "Bread and Butter" and "Sonar"

TO AVOID

The crowded beaches near the city centre

ORIENTATION

Barcelona is situated on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Mediterranean Sea, limited by the Llobregat River to the south-west, the Bess River to the north and the mountain range of Collserola.

The city's historical centre is the area surrounding the Catalunya Square, and near the Diagonal Avenue we find the main commercial area of the city.

Barcelona has quite a few skyscrapers, being the tallest the Hotel Arts and its twin the Mapfre Tower, both 154 m (505 ft) high, followed by the recent Agbar Tower 144 m (472 ft).

BEST TIME TO GO

This city is good to visit all year round. Summer is of course the busiest time in Barcelona, but the rest of the year attracts many tourists as well.

In spring and autumn you will get between 19 and 23 �C temperatures and the best open air festivals usually take place between May and July.

HOW TO GET THERE

Barcelona International Airport (El Prat) is just 10 km from the city centre. An easy way to reach the city is to take the RENFE C-2 suburban train line (leaves every 30 minutes).

Another option is the Aerobus A1 that leaves every 6-9 minutes, taking at least 35 minutes to the centre and costing �5. Taxis are also available taking around 40 minutes and costing between 20 and 30 euro.

The Girona Airport, located 100 km from Barcelona, is very used by some low-cost carriers like Ryanair. The Bus service runs a shuttle bus from Estació del Nord in Barcelona to Girona Airport. The travel takes about 70 minutes and costs 12 euros one way and 21 euros two ways.

TRAVELLING AROUND

The Bus Turístic takes you easily to all of the Barcelona tourist attractions. The hop-on/hop-off system allows you to stop at any interesting site, see what you want and then get back on another at any other stop. You can buy one day (�20) or two consecutive days (�26) tickets.

The metro is also a good option and makes it easy to travel in and around the city. A one-journey ticket cost �1.35. These tickets are also valid on the buses and trams.

You can also buy the Barcelona Card. It includes free travelling on public transport and free entrance and discounts at around 100 visitor attractions. The card costs �24 for a 2-day card and �34 for a 5-day card.

Besides all this, walking through the city is very pleasant and quite easy.

INFO

www.barcelonaturisme.com