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Cruise Guide > Europe > Spain > Barcelona | |
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Barcelona Port website www.apb.es Time Zone GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October). Currency Euro (¬) = 100 cents or Pta166.39. Language Spanish. Nearest Train Station Central-Sants Station. Nearest airport Barcelona Airport. Airport website www.aena.es/ae/bcn/homepage.htm Hotels Hotels in Barcelona include the Best Western, the Hilton, the InterContinental, Le Meridien and the Ritz-Carlton. Sightseeing Barcelona is Spain’s second-largest city and one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean. Visitors to this exciting Spanish city flock to the Barri Gótic (old town) and to La Rambla, originally the site of the ancient city walls and now the major promenade area of the city. Proceeding from the port towards Plaça Catalunya (the main square), the atmosphere becomes more sophisticated. Beyond Plaça Catalunya, the Eixample (Ensanche) boasts a wealth of Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture. Museums worth visiting include the Picasso Museum, the Museum of Catalan Art, the Maritime Museum, the Peldralbes Monastery and the Zoological Museum. Barcelona is also famous for its excellent Romanesque art and the work of the visionary Catalan architect, Antonio Gaudí, who built one of the world’s most extraordinary churches, the Sagrada Familia. He is also famed for building Parc Güell, a garden city which he never completed, featuring exquisite tiled pavilions and fountains, and overlooking the city and port. Shopping Shopping is one of Barcelona’s greatest attractions with a bountiful five-kilometre shopping strip, all the way from the water’s edge at Port Vell, right up La Rambla, to Diagnol. International chains, designer shops and modern department stores can be found in the area around Plaça de Catalunya, Passeig de Gracia and along the Diagonal. The most famous shop in the city is the imposing El Corte Inglés on Plaça de Catalunya – Barcelona’s answer to Harrods. La Rambla and the Barri Gòtic are the places to look for souvenirs. Good buys include Catalan black pottery, handwoven baskets or Barcelona lace. Eating Out Barcelona is known for its variety of excellent seafood, as well as for local tapas dishes, which are served in many bars and restaurants in the city. Typical dishes include patatas bravas (potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce), calamares fritos (fried squid) and chorizo (spicy sausage). Catalan wines from the Penedès region, and particularly the sparkling variety known as cava, provide the perfect accompaniment to any meal. Country Spain Region Europe and Mediterranean |