Welcome to barcelona

Hello! Welcome to Barcelona! One of the most beautiful cities in the world! Barcelona is a very special city for me, because it is the city where I was born and where I live. Follow the arrows, and you'll have the opportunity to discover some of the marvels of this city and learn a lot about the local culture. I hope you'll feel virtually in Barcelona while you visit this site. By the way, we are now in front of 'La Sagrada Família' (The Holy Family), Gaudi's Master Piece.

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a nation without state between France and Spain. We, Catalans, are very proud of our language (Catalan), our culture and our history.

"La Sagrada Familia" - Naixament Facade

This is a detailed view of the "Sagrada Família"'s older side: the Naixament Facade. This Cathedral was designed by Antoni Gaudi. It was begun in 1884, it is still being built, and it will not be finished until the 22nd century. Although modern techniques are currently being used, some parts of the construction can only be completed using the old traditional ones. Another reason why the construction is taking so long is more materialistic: money. All funds come from donations.

Antoni Gaudí was a very religious man. He lived in the "Sagrada Família". Currently another artist lives in the building: Subirachs. He is the sculptor carving the west facade's sculptures ("La Passió"). The continuation of the works in the Sagrada Familia is a polemic topic in Barcelona. There are no original plans of Gaudi's project, only some sketches. Should the temple be finished? I am afraid the controversy will last, at least, another century...

Hospital Sant Pau  

From the Sagrada Familia, following the Avinguda Gaudi, we get to the "Hospital Sant Pau" (Saint Paul’s Hospital).

Its origins are in 1401, when the six original hospitals were united in one. At the end of the 19th century, Lluís Domènech i Montaner with the collaboration of Pau Gargallo, Eusebi Arnau, and other Catalan Modern Style (Art Nouveau) artists created the Hospital's current layout.

Pablo Picasso painted one of his first important pictures here in 1903 ("Dead Woman"), and Antoni Gaudí died in one of its rooms in 1926, after being hit by a tramway.

This is a nice building, but at the other side of the gate an even more impressive view is waiting for us...

Hospital Sant Pau  Pavilion

Didn't I tell you? The "Hospital Sant Pau" is a group of buildings, that form a spectacular view. It was designed to be a hospital, and nowadays it is still one of the best hospitals in Barcelona.

Do you want to learn some words in Catalan - Catalonia's own language? "Good morning" = "Bon dia", "Hello" = "Hola", "Bye" = "Adèu", "please" = "sis plau" and "thank you" = "Gràcies".

Not far from here is one of my favorite sites in town: the Parc Güell.

Parc Güell - Main Entrance

We are at the "Parc Güell"'s main entrance. You can see the Dragon sculpture (well, in fact, I'm not sure if it is a dragon or a lizard). The dragon is a typical Catalan symbol. Do you know the Saint George Legend (Sant Jordi)? The Saint killed the dragon,which threatened the community. He finally married the princess. And now Sant Jordi's day is celebrated as the lovers day (April 23rd). Women give books to their lovers, and men a rose to their lady.

The columns at the back support a square with a great Snake Bench. Let's go there.

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The 'Parc Güell' is another work of Antoni Gaudí. This great park should have been a luxury villa, where houses for the richest families of the Barcelona bourgeoisie should have been built, but the sale of the houses was not as successful as expected and, a few years later, it became a public park. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century.

This snake shaped bench surrounds a round square  from where there is a wonderful landscape view of Barcelona. The bench is made with small pieces of ceramics and it's very comfortable

Parc Güell, Columns

The Parc Güell is on a hill, two roads lead to the top of it. These columns support one of these roads.

These columns are original as the rest of the works of Gaudí. He was inspired by nature, that's why you won't find any straight lines in his designs. Not even his columns are straight, as you can see.

In this park you will find Gaudi's original house and a museum, but we won't visit them. We will leave this park and visit one of Gaudi's most famous houses: Casa Vicenç

Casa Vicenç

 love this house!

It is another creative work of Antoni Gaudí. It's known as "Casa Vicenç" or "Casa Carolines". It is one of the most original houses of the Catalan Modern Style movement.

This is probably only a legend, but some authors say Gaudí used to eat a mushroom, which, they say, gave him the inspiration to do his surrealistic houses. Can you imagine what the effects of these mushrooms were?

Can Serra

We are now in Diagonal / Rambla Catalunya. This is the "Diputació de Barcelona", the building housing the Council of the Region of Barcelona. The house you see at the front is the work of Josep Puig i Cadafalch, another Modern Style Catalan Architect. Behind it, there is the new building. Both are connected.

When the ‘Diputació’ needed more space, the new part was built. It was designed black to contrast with the Modern Style old building. Do you like the mixture?

Not far from here there's another Modern Style building you shouldn't miss: the ‘Casa de les Punxes’.

Casa de les Punxes

This is the ‘Casa Terrades’ or ‘Casa de les Punxes’ (1904-1906), a work of Josep Puig i Cadafalch.

If you ever come to Barcelona, I recommend you buy a "Bus Turistic" ticket. It is one of the best ways to visit Barcelona. This is an official tourist service of the Barcelona City Hall. The Bus visits Barcelona's main attractions. On the Bus official guides explain to visitors what to visit in several languages. Tickets are valid for one day, during which you can hop on and off as many times as you want. It's a great way to discover what Barcelona has to offer. (No! I don't get any commission from them!)

Let's visit one of the symbols of Barcelona: "La Pedrera".

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Casa Milà - "La Pedrera"

That’s ‘La Pedrera’ or ‘Casa Milà’ (1905-1910) designed by Antoni Gaudí. It’s one of Gaudi’s most famous works. It’s in Passeig de Gràcia, one of Barcelona’s main avenues. As you can see in the picture the building has no straight lines. It’s like a giant sculpture. Gaudí also designed much of the furniture found inside the building.

The Building belongs to a savings bank ‘Caixa de Catalunya’, but some families are fortunate enough to live here. The building is open to the public. If you ever come to Barcelona you should visit the roof, a unique experience

Passeig de Gràcia

Here you can see one of the terraces in Passeig de Gràcia. Many "Italian" coffee shops have lately opened their doors in Passeig de Gracia. They all look very similar. I guess it's only a question of time when some of these "clone" cafes will disappear.

In Barcelona, there's a "Hard Rock Cafe" in Plaça Catalunya. There used to be a "Planet Hollywood" in Vila Olímpica and a "Fashion Cafe" in Aragó/Passeig de Gràcia, but they were not successful and have now gone out of business. If you come to Barcelona you should taste the famous "Pà amb Tomàquet" (Bread with tomato) sandwiches. If you don't have a lot of money you will find these typical Catalan sandwiches at the most popular fast food chain in town, "Pans and Company"

Barcelona, Casa Ametller & Casa Batlló

In Passeig de Gràcia with carrer Aragó you can admire these two colorful buildings: "Casa Batlló" and "Casa Ametller". The building on the right side of the picture was designed by Antoni Gaudí in 1905, the one on the left was designed by Puig i Cadafalch in 1900. These are two superb buildings, don’t you think?

Puig i Cadafalch was a multi-talented man. He was an architect, an archaeologist, a historian and a Catalonian politician. He is my second favorite Modern Style architect. Guess who is my favorite?

Let's take a closer look at the Casa Batllo..

Casa Batlló - detail

What can I say? I think the image is explicit enough!

Antoni Gaudi designed this house at the beginning of the 20th century. Currently the owners of the house rent it for business meetings and other celebrations. If you have the chance, you should visit it. It's even more beautiful inside!

In Aragó Street, not far from here, there's another interesting Modern Style house. Let's take it a look

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This building was designed by Domènech i Montaner. Here, you can find "La Fundació Tàpies": The Tàpies Museum. Antoni Tàpies is the most famous Catalonian artist alive.

He is a polemic artist. A few years ago there was a big debate about one of his pieces. The director of the Barcelona Contemporary Art Museum (MACBA) entrusted him with the creation of a sculpture to decorate the Museum's main hall, and Tapies proposed a dirty and used 12 meter high sock. For several weeks everybody talked about this Super Sock in Barcelona. Finally the work was not approved. This is the most famous non-existant work of art of all time, I think.

On the top of the building you can appreciate an Antoni Tàpies work called "Núvol i Cadira" (= Cloud and chair)

We are in Barcelona's city center: in "Plaça Catalunya".

Barcelona has mild weather. The hottest month is July, (27-30 C degrees). The coldest month is February (7-9 C degrees). If you plan to visit Barcelona, I'd recommend you come between April and June, or from September to December. The coolest day of the year is Sant Jordi's Day (April 23rd) when everybody is in the streets to celebrate the "Catalan lovers" day.

Two Catalonian words describe our dual character: 'Seny' = "common sense" representing the north, and 'Rauxa' = "frenzy" representing the south. Thus, Barcelona is a "northern capital" placed in the "south."

Plaça Catalunya - Bar Zurich

The Bar Zurich in Plaça Catalunya is the most popular bar in town. It's always full of locals and tourists.

The bar is located on one of the busiest corners in this central square. It was closed for several years while the "El Triangle" shopping mall was under construction, and has been reopened for some time. The owners of the bar promised they would preserve its romantic atmosphere but, in my opinion, some of its glamour has been lost for ever. It's still a great place to sit and watch people pass by

"La Rambla" - Font de Canaletes

This fountain is called "Font de Canaletes". A legend says that if you drink its water, someday you'll come back to Barcelona. So, come on, drink some water, I hope you'll soon be in Barcelona 'in person'.

The "Font de Canaletes" is located at the top of "La Rambla", the most famous street in Barcelona. And one of the most famous boulevards in the world! Let's take a walk down "La Rambla".

But be careful, this street not only attracts the attention of tourists. Many thieves find in these multitudes the perfect stage to act. It's time to hide your belongings! Small robberies have increased lately, so stay alert!

La Rambla, "Rambla de les Flors"

'La Rambla' goes from 'Plaça Catalunya' (the heart of Barcelona) to the harbor. It's about 2Km long (1 1/2 miles). It has a central sidewalk with kiosks where you can buy newspapers (24 hours a day), nice flowers, birds and small pets.

In 'La Rambla' you can find all kinds of people. If you’ve been in ‘La Rambla’ you’ve been in Barcelona. If you have not been here you have not seen Barcelona at all.

In the photo you can see a 'human sculpture', one of the many artists who perform here everyday. These actors stand perfectly still for a long time, and when someone throws them a coin, they move. They are dressed in strange disguises: a marble sculpture, a Roman gladiator, and many others. If you come to 'La Rambla' save some coins for them

 La Rambla, Animals

You can see here the popular pet kiosks, where you can buy birds and small pets.

"La Rambla" is like an open air theater where everybody is the actor. As you stroll along the "Rambla", you watch people, but at the same time maybe someone is watching you. This is the main attraction of this street

La Rambla, "Mercat de la Boqueria"

We are in front of the "Boqueria" Market, by the Rambla. This is a very typical market. Here you can find fresh food, vegetables, fish and fruits. The market sellers are very popular, they like to promote their products aloud and chat with their customers.

There are other markets like this in Barcelona. Some years ago they were not as popular as today. But after some promotional campaigns, local people have rediscovered the advantages of these markets in front of the big malls

Barri Gòtic, Plaça Reial

We are now in "Plaça Reial", next to "La Rambla".

This is one of the most famous squares in Barcelona. Here you can find many bars, the most famous of them is called "Glaciar".

This is also place to find night life. There are bars, restaurants, as well as some pubs (like the Cafe Royal) and discos (Karma, Los Taranto-Jamoree). You can find all kinds of people here: immigrants, tourists and locals.

At our left we have a low budget youth hostel: the Alberg Kabul. Full of young visitors all year round

Barri Gòtic, Los Caracoles

Not far from the 'Plaça Reial' is the Escudellers Street, in the "Barri Gòtic" (downtown). This street goes from 'La Rambla' to George Orwell Square. In the middle of this street sits one of the most famous restaurants in town: "Los Caracoles". This restaurant has a varied menu offering traditional Catalonian meals. Famous people from all over the world come here on a regular basis. Look for pictures of your idols on the walls of the restaurant. But if you are not famous, do not worry, Ramon and the rest of the staff will treat you like you were a pop star. Lately many fashion clubs and pubs have opened their doors in this traditional street.

The "Barri Gotic" is Barcelona's oldest quarter. Streets in this district are very narrow. And although sunshine hardly gets here, it is one of the city's best places to stroll. In the Middle Ages , this neighborhood used to be encircled by the city walls. Big efforts are being made to prevent the deterioration of this quarter

Barri Gòtic, Carrer del Bisbe

This is the "Carrer del Bisbe". At our back sits the "Plaça Sant Jaume", with the Barcelona Town Hall and "La Generalitat" (The Catalan Government). I think it's time to learn a little history of Barcelona:

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia. Catalonia, a Nation in the north of Spain, has its own language, culture and history. The city was founded by the Romans, who named it Barcino. The Romans left their imprint here including their language, Latin. Catalan is a Romance language.

At the end of this street there's a big square: the Plaça de la Catedral, let's keep walking.

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Barri Gòtic, la Catedral

This cathedral was begun in the 11th century, and was not finished until the 19th century. As in many other Catholic cathedrals, it is the result of a mixture of styles.

In front of the cathedral there is a big square: "la Plaça de la Catedral", where every weekend "Sardana", a typical Catalan dance, concerts take place

We are now in front of the "Palau de la Música Catalana", another work of Domènech i Montaner.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Catalan industrial class financed the construction of two music halls. The one pictured is the "Palalau de la M'usica Catalana", where you can hear classical music played. The other is "El Liceu" featuring opera, and is located in 'La Rambla'.

The latter was destroyed in a fire in 1994, and has recently been rebuilt. There are two important opera singers born in Barcelona: Josep Carreras (one of the 'Three Tenors') and Montserrat Caballé

Maremagnum - Monument a Colom

At the end of "La Rambla" there's the harbor. We are now on the bridge over the sea that links "Maremagnum" with "La Rambla". At your left, you can see the Columbus monument. The discoverer of America is pointing in the wrong direction, because he points to the east at the Mediterranean Sea, and America is on the other side to the west.

"Maremagnum" is a very successful new shopping and free time area. You can find here 12 cinemas, the Imax, and a wide variety of restaurants, pubs and discos. Night life begins here around 11 pm and lasts till 6 am, but if you are 20 or older, this is not the place to be --too many teenagers

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Vila Olímpica - Hotel Arts & Torre Mapfre

We are in the "Vila Olimpica". These are the highest buildings in Barcelona. Both of them are 150 meters high.

The one at the left is the "Hotel Arts", a Five Star Hotel, one of the most expensive hotels in Barcelona! Although it may not look so, it's already finished.

The one at your right is the "Torre Mapfre", an office building that belongs to (yep, you've guessed it) Mapfre, an insurance company.

Vila Olímpica - Harbor

The Vila Olímpica was built in 1992 for the Olympic Games. Next to this harbor there is the Olympic Village Neighborhood where the Olympic sportsmen lived during the 1992 Games (we'll see it later).

Barcelona rediscovered the Mediterranean Sea with the transformation of this old industrial neighborhood into a modern marine village. Here you can find many restaurants by the sea, which by night become pubs and discos.

We are on Barcelona's main beach. It is called ‘Platja de Bogatell’. Before the Olympic Games, the "Barceloneta" (Barcelona's beach) was neither clean nor beautiful. So nobody went there. The people of Barcelona had to go to the beaches at some of the nearby coastal villages such as Sitges, Calella, and Vilassar. Our beach was refurbished for the Olympic Games and is in the "Vila Olimpica." Since it was cleaned up, it is currently my favorite.

The water is warm from June till September. So, don't hesitate to take a dip if you want, because this one is (usually) clean

Vila Olímpica - Beaches 2

The sun is shining, let's take a dip now! Barcelona is a wonderful place to live. You have everything you can desire. In summer you have this wonderful beach. In winter you have great ski resorts two hours away by car. There are even times of the year, usually around Easter, when you can one day go to a ski resort and the following day go to the beach.

Tourists should take care of some things though: if you're in the City Center or at the beach try not to look like a tourist (don't wear anything you wouldn't wear at home, for instance) and don't carry anything you can't replace. Keep your wallet always safe. You should bring your important belongings in a belt pocket (passports, money, visas, etc.)

Vila Olímpica - buildings

These are some of the buildings constructed for 1992 Olympic games. Let's learn something else about the history of Barcelona.

Catalonia was part of the Roman Empire. In the 8th century, the Arabs invaded the area, and it was later reconquered by the Catholic troops of "Jaume I, el Conqueridor". In the 12th and 13th centuries, Catalonia had its best times. During this time, a great part of the Mediterranean sea was dominated by its troops, the "Almogavers". The first democratic parliament in the world was established in its capital -- Barcelona.

In the 15th century the King of Catalonia and Aragon, Fernando, married the Queen of Castile, Isabel I. In 1492 America was discovered, and Castilla (the rest of the Spanish Crown) had a very prosperous time, but Catalonia could not trade with America till the 17th Century. In 1714 Catalonia was invaded by the Castilian army, and lost its government and the Catalan language was forbidden. In the 19th Century some Catalan intellectuals recovered Catalan as a culture language. At the beginning of the 20th Century there was a Catalanist political movement, and some autonomous Government was given back to Catalonia. Then in 1936 a fascist Dictatorship, that lasted 40 years, took power in Spain, and the Catalan autonomous government and the Catalan language were again forbidden. In 1975 Spain recovered the democratic system, and Catalonia part of its government. We still dream of having our own independent state.

I hope you didn't get bored with this long explanation, but I thought it was necessary. We will now take the metro and go to Plaça Espanya.

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Plaça Espanya

We are now in "Plaça Espanya", in the Barcelona Fair. Here is where the Barcelona International Fairs take place.

At our back we have the "Palau Nacional". This building is on the Montjuïc Mountain, where you can also find: "La Fundació Miró", a Joan Miró (the painter, do you know him?) Museum; and on the summit: the Olympic Stadium and the Palau Sant Jordi, which will be one of our next stops.

I recommend that you come here at night, when the lights of the fountain are switched on: a great show, don't miss it

"Dona i Ocell" (Joan Miró)

Before we visit the Olympic stadiums I wanted to show you this sculpture, a work of Joan Miró. Its name is "Dona i Ocell" ("Woman and Bird"). Yes I know what you are thinking: It doesn't look like a woman with a bird, it looks like a ...(You know!).

Joan Miró was one of the most famous Catalan artists. There is a museum of his works not far from here, in Montjuïc Hill ("La Fundació Miró"). There you can find some of his paintings and sculptures. There are other interesting museums in Barcelona: the Picasso Museum, The Macba, the Tyssen Collection and the Dalí Museum which is in Figueres, 75 minutes away by highway

Palau Sant Jordi  

We are on Montjuïc hill, near the Olympic Stadium. At the left you can see the "Palau Sant Jordi" (12,000 seats). It was built for the 1992 Olympic Games. Here the gymnastic events took place. Now it's used in many sporting events, like basketball, indoor trial, motocross, etc. I can still remember the Summer of '92, when the first Dream Team (with Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, etc.) played...

The Antenna is a Work of Santiago Calatrava for the Spanish Telecom. I am a Calatrava fan, but I was a bit disappointed when I found out that the Antenna is useless since it's not suitable for the purpose it was built: radio-telecommunications

Estadi Olímpic  

The Olympic Stadium is not far from the Sant Jordi.

This Stadium was built for the 1936 Olympic Games, which never took place in Barcelona . And it was rebuilt for the 1992 Olympics. Do you remember which opening ceremony took place here?

Currently it is used by R.C.D. Espanyol, Barcelona's second soccer club in the first division, and by the Barcelona Dragons, Barcelona's team in the European League of American Football. Other events are held here also.

We will now leave the Montjuïc hill and visit the FC Barcelona stadium (close to the Diagonal Avenue)

This photo was taken in the Barcelona Football Club souvenir shop, in the F.C. Barcelona Stadium. Football (Soccer) is Barcelona's number one sport. 100,000 spectators come here every fortnight to watch their team. This is the biggest Football Stadium in Europe, and the second biggest in the world.

F.C. Barcelona (Barça) fans say Barcelona 'is more than a club', because it represents Catalonia in the world. Recently, Barça has had the best players: Cruiff, Maradona, Romario, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, among other 'cracks'. Barça is one of the best soccer clubs of all times. It also has teams in: basketball, handball, hockey, and athletics

former Banca Catalana

This is my favorite modern building in Barcelona. The building is known as "Banca Catalana", a defunct bank that had its headquarters here. It is in "Avinguda Diagonal".

It was built in 1970. It has a fascinating system to irrigate the plants. It's controlled by a computer. It is one of the first intelligent buildings. I do not know who designed it. I hope you'll like it.

At our back we have another beautiful modern building, the "Torres Trade" --not to be confused with the World Trade Center, in the harbor

Avinguda Diagonal - "La Caixa" HQ

These two large buildings you see belong to "La Caixa", the biggest savings bank in Europe (and in the world, I think).

Av. Diagonal is the biggest avenue in Barcelona. It is 10 km long. In this place where we are now it is more than 100 meters wide, with 12 lanes. You can see 8 lanes in the picture, but there are two more at each side. Beyond the sidewalk and the trees, you can see two more lanes, one on the left side and one on the right.

In the background you can see part of the "la Illa" building, the largest building I have ever seen, more than 300 meters long (I said the largest not the tallest). "La Illa" is a big mall where you can find all sort of shops. Next to it there's a great disco: "Bikini". Another recommended disco in this area is "Luz de Gas" (Aribau/Diagonal).

Did you know that here are more than 400,000 motorcycles in Barcelona?

Torres Trade

These rounded buildings were built in the 1960's. At our left we have a big department store: "El Corte Inlgés". This is Spain's largest department store, with retail outlets throughout the country. It has several stores in Barcelona -- in the Plaça Catalunya, Portal de l'Angel, and the Plaça Francesc Macià.

In this neighborhood called "Pedralbes", some banks and financial
institutions have their headquarters. Two of the biggest Universities in Barcelona are here also: the Universitat Central (economics, psychology, history, etc.) and Universitat Politècnica (engineering, computing sciences, etc.).

Let's take a look at another modern building: the one at our right: "La Caixa"..

Casa Güell - Dragon door

This is the door of "Casa Güell", a work of Gaudí. Güell was a rich man with a noble origin --he was Count Guell. He liked Antoni Gaudi's works very much. Thanks to Güell, Gaudi could do the following works: "Parc Güell" (Horta District), "Palau Güell" (La Rambla) and "Casa Güell" (Diagonal-Pedralbes).

At the beginning of the 20th century, Catalonia experienced a very prosperous period. Big fortunes were made. Local rich citizens financed the original works of the Modern Style artists. Like this 'crazy' door

Torre Collserola

The tower you can see here is a work of Sir Norman Foster, the British architect. This is Barcelona's main telecommunications antenna. It is more than 300 meters high. There used to be a bar or restaurant at the top, from where you could see a wonderful view of Barcelona, but I think it's closed now.

The antenna is on the Collserola Mountain. The main radio and TV stations broadcast from here to Barcelona and its region. It was built in 1992 (another legacy of the Olympic Games)

Vila de Gràcia

Gracia used to be an independent town a century ago. Currently it is one of the most picturesque districts in Barcelona. It is very popular among young foreigners and bohemian locals.

In this neighborhood there are many beautiful squares (Plaça del Sol, Plaça del Diamant, etc.), many bars with and without terraces, some discos and a big original version only cinema complex - the Verdi Cinemas.

Gracia is also famous for its "Festes de Gracia", the summer festivals. The festivals start on August 15th and last one week. Neighbors decorate the streets with sculptures and recycled materials. By night, several bands play on the main streets and squares. One week later another summer festival takes place in the quarter of Sants. One month later, on September 23rd, the biggest festivals in Barcelona take place -- the Festivals of "la Merce"

Festes de la Mercè, castellers

The festivals of Barcelona last several days. The first celebrations take place some days before September 23rd, and the last ones take place during the following weekend.

The festivals are dedicated to the patron Saint of Barcelona: 'la Mare de Deu de la Merce' -- a Madonna. All kind of acts take place during the festivals: classical Theater plays, folklore shows, rock concerts, techno raves... You name it.

In the photo you can see one of the most traditional "sports" in Catalonia: the 'Castellers'. The construction of these human towers began in the South of Catalonia. Currently they are very popular throughout the country. In the picture you can see one of the highest 'castells' (=castle) ever achieved by the local 'colla' (=team). This "tower" is called the 3 of 9, which means the tower is nine levels high with three persons in each level. If you click on the photo you will see what happens when something goes wrong.

Let's see other traditional shows.

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Festes de la Mercè, gegants

In this picture you see another of the most typical folklore icons of Catalonia: the 'Gegants' (=giant). Each town has its own couple of Giants. Big towns, like Barcelona, have several couples.

During the Barcelona festivals they dance and walk along the streets in the center of Barcelona, accompanied by the 'Cap Grossos' (=big heads). One strong man supports the heavy 'gegant' for several hours

Barcelona, Festes de la Mercè, ball de bastons

Here you see another folklore demonstration during the Barcelona festivals: the 'Ball de Bastons' (=stick dance).

With these demonstrations of the local popular culture, we will finish the virtual tour of Barcelona. On the following page you will see a landscape photo taken from one of the best lookouts in Barcelona: the Tibidao Hill

This photo was taken from the "Carretera de les Aigües", on the Tibidabo Hill. Many "Barcelonins" come here to here to jog or ride bikes. From here you have one of the best landscape views of the city. If you want an even better view, you can go to the Tibidabo recreation park (at our back). Another place that has spectacular views is the Montjuic mountain.

From here you see the "Eixample", the center of Barcelona where all the streets follow a grid pattern. This district's pattern was designed by Cerdà at the beginning of the 20th Century, when Barcelona needed more space.

Well this is it! This Virtual Tour came to its end. If you have completed the Tour, you know Barcelona quite well. I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour. It was a pleasure to be with you. Thanks.