Barcelona is a charming, cosmopolitan port on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, offering some impressive museums, theatres, art galleries and nightlife. It is Catalonia’s capital and is one of the most colourful and vibrating cities in Spain. Since its makeover for the 1992 Olympics it now has an attractive man-made beach, extended transport system and Olympic Village.
The best place to sit and watch people go by is Las Ramblas which is a pedestrian street with dozens of outdoor cafes. Here you will find flower stalls, book kiosks and market stalls where they sell birds and small animals. There is also plenty to keep you entertained with pageant-jugglers, singers, dancers, puppeteers, sidewalk artists, living statues and many other assorted oddballs on parade. Nearby is Plaza Real with plenty of bars and restaurants and Palau Guell, which is designed and built by the Catalan architectural genius Antoni Gaudi.
The narrow winding streets of the Barri Gotic (medieval Gothic quarter) are full of interesting tapas bars and cafes. Here you can visit Picasso’s old hangout, Els Quatre Gats, which has been renovated without losing any of its bohemian charm.The old Barceloneta section on the waterfront used to be a working-class area which was always slightly rundown, but is now packed with paella restaurants. The new beach area, which runs from Barceloneta to the Olympic Village, can be found here. Spring is probably the best time to visit Barcelona when you can expect temperatures of around 20C. During the summer months of July and August it can get as hot as 35C+ and is also quite crowded because of all the cultural events being held.
Besides being an exciting cultural experience and a shopping paradise, Barcelona is also known for its excellent restaurants and whether you like fresh seafood or prefer traditional Spanish plates, Chinese, Indian or Bengali, you will find the ideal place to eat. Good restaurants are spread all over Barcelona. If you prefer fresh seafood then try the area of Barceloneta with its small winding streets near the beach. The Barrí Gotic in the centre of Barcelona offers a wide range of good restaurants of all kinds, and to enjoy traditional Spanish cuisine away from tourist places try the restaurants in the Eixample district.
