If in search for food, fiesta, fashion and fun then Barcelona is the place for it as Arika Murtza discovers
2009-05-27
WHY GO?
After a makeover lasting more than two decades, Barcelona has transformed itself into one of the most dynamic and stylish cities in the world. Summer is serious party time, but year-round the city sizzles - it's always on the biting edge of architecture, food, fashion, style, music and good times. The art and buildings, will blow you away. The people, with their exuberance, their creative spirit, their persistent egalitarianism, will fascinate you.
DID YOU KNOW? It is the capital and most populous city of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain.
Climate: Has a Mediterranean climate, with mild, humid winters and warm, dry summers.
STAY?
There are good hotels in every price bracket throughout the city, but you'll be limited for choice unless you book in advance. Traditionally, visitors head to La Rambla, but elsewhere you'll get more comfort for your money.
SHOP?
It may not have been the lure of shopping that brought you to Barcelona, but it will be one of the reasons you come back. You can load up on international and local jewellery and designer threads, or hunt down antique shops and artisan workshops stocking whole worlds of engaging junk to sift through.
XEHER TIP Be careful carrying your money, whether it's jingling or plastic, as tourists are a major target of theft - hundreds of thousands of credit cards go missing in Spain every year.
FOOD?
No matter what your budget or belly size, you'll find something to suit in Barcelona. It teems with establishments dishing up everything from tiny tapas to gargantuan feasts.
EXPLORE?
The wild and whimsical architecture of Gaud? enlivens the streets of Barcelona and makes for some of the finest city walking in the world. The art will beckon you from museums and street sides. The vibrant central drag, La Rambla, will lead you to the city's marvellous medieval quarter, Barri G?tic.
Cathedral of Santa Eulalia
The cathedral is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in Barcelona. One story is that she was exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snowfall in mid spring covered her nudity. The enraged Romans put her into a barrel with knives stuck into it and rolled it down a street. The body of Saint Eulalia is entombed in the cathedral's crypt.
Sant Sebastia & Barcelonta beaches
Sant Sebastia and Barcelonta beaches are the largest, oldest and the most frequented beaches in Barcelona.
DID YOU KNOW? Barcelona has seven beaches, totalling 4.5 km of coastline.
