Catalan-style celebrations

CULINARY

To discover the soul of the Barcelonans, it’s best to eat one’s way through Barcelona. From farmhouse cheese to molecular gastronomy, the versatile flavours of Catalonian cuisine tell the turbulent story of the region. The Visigoths, the Moors and the French have all occupied this fertile area on the Mediterranean Sea over the past centuries, and they have all left their mark as the tastes in Barcelona’s markets make clear.

CULINARY

Juicy olives, garlic shrimp hot off the grill, a tasty piece of manchego cheese… these are just some of the classic dishes in the famous Spanish tapas tradition. Connoisseurs can take a tapeo in Barcelona, an evening tour past various excellent tapas bars. The best places are the old, dark bars where smoked hams hang from the ceiling.

ARTS & CULTURE

Escape the bustle of La Rambla in the Gothic Quarter’s maze of narrow streets. The Barri Gòtic is one of the city’s oldest and most atmospheric districts. This is where the Romans established the settlement of Barcino, from which Barcelona derives its name. While strolling through its medieval alleyways, you can easily imagine they were often a source of inspiration to the artists Picasso and Miró.

ARTS & CULTURE

If you walk along the Passeig de Gràcia boulevard you can’t miss it: the colourful façade of Casa Batlló. The building’s frontage invites closer inspection. With its playful round windows and scaly roof, it has the aura of a fairytale castle. Its shapes and lines immediately reveal the identity of its creator: Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona’s most celebrated modernistic architect.

CULINARY

The Spanish love cold snacks, as is underlined by the many ice-cream parlours you’ll see. Typically Spanish is horchata, a delicious, refreshing drink for the warm summer months. The drink is also popular around Christmas, when people dip turrón, a kind of nougat, in their horchata. In Barcelona you’ll find the drink under orxata, its Catalan name.

ARTS & CULTURE

The neighbourhoods of Hostafrancs and Sants, which both offer a wide variety of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues, form the heart of the Sants-Montjuïc district. This district covers the south-western section of Barcelona. The narrow streets at the foot of Montjuïc hill lend Hostafrancs and Sants a homely, village character. But they also have a bustling atmosphere with one of the longest shopping streets in Europe: Carrer de Sants.

BEACH

There is nothing better than a refreshing dip in the sea after a long day of sightseeing in Barcelona. Since the 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona has invested significantly in cleaning up the sand and water; the results can be enjoyed every summer.

ARTS & CULTURE

Barcelona and Pablo Picasso (1881) are inextricably connected: not only did the artist complete his academic training here, it is also where he took his first steps towards modernism. The Museu Picasso displays the artist’s most important earlier works – stemming from the period when Picasso worked and lived in his beloved ‘Barça’.

ARTS & CULTURE

If anyone has left his mark on Barcelona it was architect Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926). His absolute masterpiece is of course the world-famous Basílica de la Sagrada Família. Even though construction began in 1882, the basilica remains uncompleted to this very day. In fact, it will take approximately 30 years from now for the building to be completely finished.

SHOPPING

La Rambla is the busiest pedestrian street in Barcelona and immensely popular with both tourists and locals. The 1.2-kilometre-long street is completely car-free and lined with tall trees. La Rambla offers a huge range of kiosks, stalls and street artists and is Barcelona’s liveliest and most vibrant street from early morning to late at night.

ARTS & CULTURE

Antoni Gaudí is the man behind the bizarre yet ingenious Park Güell, the most famous park in Barcelona. Commissioned by businessman Eusebi Güell, the architect started building a dream village on the edge of the city that was supposed to resemble a fairy-tale forest. Even though the village was never completed, as only 2 of the 60 planned houses were built, Park Güell is still truly unique.