Best advices for those who want to visit the city of Barcelona
With an unforgettable visual style, passionate life force, and continuous churn of old and new, the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia (don’t call it Spanish!) is easily Spain’s most enjoyable city, a place where people play with gusto but still man- age to get things done. Catalonians consider themselves a distinct nationality, speak- ing a language that owes as much to French as it does to Spanish. It says something that Catalonia’s favorite sons have been four artists known for their brilliant eccentricity: GaudÃ, Miró, Picasso, and DalÃ.
Since the 19th century, the Catalán metropolis has always been at the forefront of modernity. Barcelona was the nation’s first industrial center, expanding from its ancient settlement into the surrounding hills by the 1920s. The end of the 20th century brought another burst of expansion: first for the 1992 Olympics, and in 2004 for Expo 2004, a 6-month festival that gave rise to the construction of an entirely new neighborhood on the waterfront.
A visual expression of Barcelona’s quirky personality and willingness to take risks is some of Europe’s most amazing architecture, from the Gothic cathedral to the parade of modernist masterpieces along the Passeig de Grà cia. The region has given birth to some of history’s most visionary artists, among them the 21st-century chefs who have put themselves on the world map creating a brilliant, almost surrealist cuisine. Joy- ously joining the Europe of the millennium, Barcelona has everything going for it— good looks, a sharp business sense, an appreciation for all forms of culture, and an unerring eye for style.
GETTING THERE
By Plane El Prat Airport lies 13km (8 miles) southwest of the city. A train runs between the airport and the Estació Sants rail station every 30 minutes from 6:25am to 11:05pm, continuing to the more central Plaça de Catalunya; it costs $5. Aerobuses run among the three terminals at the airport and to Plaça de Catalunya (with intermediate stops) Monday to Friday every 12 minutes 6am to 1am. The trip takes 25 to 40 minutes and costs$5.70. A taxi into town costs from $36, plus tip and supplements for luggage.
By Train A high-speed train called Trenhotel runs between Paris and Barcelona in just 12 hours. National and international trains arrive at the Estació Sants or the Estació de França, both situated slightly outside the city center but linked to the municipal Metro network. Many trains also stop at the Metro station at Plaça de Catalunya.
» Barcelona City Layout
» Barcelona City Layout
Old Barcelona sits just north of the Mediterranean, bisected by the Rambla promenade. The Barri Gótic, the Gothic Quarter and the oldest part of town, lies east of the Rambla; south of the Barri Gótic is the Ribera district, also known as El Born, developed during the 13th and 14th centuries and home to the Picasso Museum.
The old-town areas west of the Rambla are grittier; the residential Raval district, home to many of Barcelona’s Muslim residents, is currently balancing on the knife edge between marginally unsafe and breathtakingly hip. The Barri Xinés, south of Nou de la Rambla, is a once-rough area that’s still best avoided at night.
Southeast of the Old City, right on the water, is Barceloneta, originally home to the city’s fishermen and now known for its seafood restaurants. Farther east along the coast are the brand-new Vila OlÃmpica and Diagonal Mar neighborhoods, areas developed for the 1992 Olympics and 2004 Forum, respectively.
West of the Old City is the brooding Montjuïc, a towering hill that’s home to the Miró Museum and a large park.
Plaça de Catalunya marks the northern edge of the old city, leading out onto the Passeig de Grà cia, Barcelona’s proudest boulevard. The Passeig de Grà cia cuts north across the Eixample, a grid of wide streets and modernist buildings that was the prod- uct of Barcelona’s growing prosperity in the late 19th century. North of the Eixample are Grà cia, an area of small squares and lively bars and restaurants that’s known as “Barcelona’s Greenwich Village”; SarrÃa, a quiet residential area; and Tibidabo, Barcelona’s tallest mountain.
» Getting around Barcelona
The best deal for getting around Barcelona is the T10 10-ride Metro/bus pass, which costs $10 and can be shared by multiple people. If you’re really going to be zipping around, a 1-day pass costs $7.30, a 2-day pass costs $13, and 3, 4, and 5 day versions are available as well. Passes are available at most Metro stations, tourist offices, many newsstands and lottery shops, and the office of the local transportation agency TMB.
The Metro and integrated commuter train lines (called FGC) operate Monday to Thursday 5am to midnight, Friday and Saturday 5am to 2am, and Sunday and holidays 6am to midnight. The lines you’ll want to use within the city are numbered L1 through L8; other lines starting with L, R, and S serve various suburbs.
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