Barcelona is located on the coast and bounded by the Collserola ridge and rivers Besos and Llobregat. The city is less than 150 kilometres from the Pyrenees. Barcelona’s location on the shores of the Mediterranean means that it enjoys a warm, welcoming climate and pleasant temperatures all year round. Rainfall is occasionally heavy, with levels of around 1,000 mm per year. This helps to maintain the many green areas around the city.

Barcelona is the city of marvels. The old town, comprising the Gothic Quarter, the Ribera and Raval districts, and famed for its historical monuments, narrow streets and bohemian atmosphere, is a perfect place for a stroll. A wander through the maze of streets is essential in order to understand the different periods in the history of Barcelona and to admire its finest monuments: traces of the Roman wall glimpsed between well-preserved Gothic buildings, the remains of the Jewish Quarter, witnesses to the industrial expansion of the 19th century and the design of the 20th. Musicians in the medieval streets provide the ideal accompaniment. The city also has the biggest selection of modernist architecture: a genuine open-air museum. Most of the buildings, built in this unique style, are in the Eixample, a district planned in 1860 by engineer Ildefons Cerdá which constitutes a unique model of European urban planning. The Sagrada Família, the Casa Batlló, the Casa Amatller and the Casa Milà are some examples of this.

Barcelona is the only European capital with over four kilometres of beaches where you can enjoy the most modern amenities. The beaches are not far form Barcelona’s historical and cultural landmarks, and they have opened up our modern and cosmopolitan city to the sea. Today, the Olympic Harbour and the old port, the Port Vell, are some of the main meeting places, with many bars, restaurants, shops and recreational areas. Barcelona is, without a doubt, a city of marvels: on foot, by bicycle or bus, it is a magnificent spectacle which you should not miss.

Barcelona is known throughout the world as a cultural city, with an important heritage and a permanent and exciting range of activities on offer. It is a city of renowned architectural interest, from its Roman walls to the new urban planning schemes of the eighties. Particular highlights are its modernist heritage and contemporary architecture. Over 40 museums: dedicated art collections such as the Museu Picasso, the Fundació Joan Miró and the Fundació Antoni Tàpies which hold permanent exhibitions of works by the artists that give them their name as well as temporary shows; the world’s finest collection of Romanesque art at the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya; temporary exhibitions of contemporary art at the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona – MACBA ; and numerous art galleries.

Barcelona is famed for the wide variety of its musical events. From classical music, opera and ballet, through jazz, flamenco, pop and rock, to the most innovative festivals. In 1999 the city regained its opera house, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, and opened the Auditori with a programme featuring the most diverse genres and musical styles. In addition to these musical events we find those of the Palau de la Música Catalana, a jewel of modernist architecture.

Welcome to Barcelona
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