Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Barcelona may be Spain's second city, but it's undoubtedly the first city of the proud and
distinct region of Catalunya. Catalan flags wave side by side with the Spanish flag, and loc-
als, while fluent in both languages, stubbornly insist on speaking Catalan first. This lively
culture is on an unstoppable roll in Spain's most cosmopolitan and European corner.
Barcelona bubbles with life in its narrow Barri Gòtic alleys, along the pedestrian
boulevard called the Ramblas, in the funky bohemian quarter of El Born, and throughout
the chic, grid-planned new part of town called the Eixample. Its Old City is made for seeing
on foot, full of winding lanes that emerge into secluded squares dotted with palm trees and
ringed with cafés and boutiques. The waterfront bristles with life, overlooked by the park-
likesettingofMontjuïc.Everywhereyougo,you'llfindthecity'sarchitecturetobecolorful,
playful, and unique. Rows of symmetrical ironwork balconies are punctuated with fanciful
details: bay windows, turrets, painted tiles, hanging lanterns, flower boxes, and carved re-
liefs.
Barcelona is full of history. You'll see Roman ruins, a medieval cathedral, twisty Gothic
lanes, and traces of Columbus and the sea trade. As the Age of Exploration steered trade
from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, things got pretty quiet here (kept carefully under the
thumbofSpanishrulers).Butbythelate19thcentury,thecityhadboomedintoanindustrial
powerhouse and a cradle of Modernism. A teenage Picasso lived in Barcelona right when
he was on the verge of reinventing painting; his legacy is today's Picasso Museum. Catalan
architects including Antoni Gaudí, Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and Josep Puig i Cada-
