Barcelona Hotel & Travel Destination Guide

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Country Code: ES
Source: Fastcheck Arrival Guides

Population:
1.6 million

Currency:
1 Euro = 100 cents

Opening hours:
Usually 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday - Friday with some variations. Many establishments have the same opening hours on Saturdays and some open until lunchtime on Sundays.

Shopping centres and many large stores do not close for lunch/siesta.

Tourist information:
Turisme de Barcelona
Plaza Catalunya 17 (under El Corte Inglés)
Open every day between 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. (closed on 25/12 and 1/1)
Tel. +34 932 853 834

Barcelona

Fanciful architecture and hip restaurants have come together with the sunny southern Spanish climate and beaches to transform Barcelona in just a few decades from rough port city to one of Europe’s - if not the world’s - premier destinations. It is simply the city offering almost everything to almost everyone. But, Barcelona is also the city offering that over the top thing to the really craving ones!

Barcelona City

Like many other cities on the Mediterranean, Barcelona was founded by the Romans. The original settlement, called Barcino, was a small port located on the same spot as today´s cathedral. The town was overshadowed by Tarragona, the capital of the province. Both the Visigoths and the Moors invaded Barcelona. However their influence was not as important to the future of the city as the arrival of the Franks in the late 9th century. It as at that point that Barcelona and Catalonia started shaping their own identity, different from the rest of Spain.

This is most apparent in the language. Spanish, or Castilian, has many Arab words, while Catalan has many French words instead. So Catalan is not a Spanish dialect, but a language in its own right, related to other Romance languages. Barcelona’s history is seen everywhere in the city. The oldest areas are by the sea, including the shopping enclave Barri Gotic. On the other side of the main boulevard, La Rambla is the legendary Raval District. Until the 1980s this was the slum area, home to the city’s own Chinatown (Barrio
Chino) and the red light district. Today designer shops and cafes have moved in. Further north is fashionable Eixample, the area created as a result of the 19th century expansion of the city. The very long, and straight, streets are broken up by tiny diagonal squares at the intersections, called, xamfrà.

Things to See and Do in Barcelona

Much of the attraction of Barcelona is the city’s wide range of sights. The architect, the design nerd, the football fan, the art historian, the city planner - there is something for all of them in the most self-assured city on the Mediterranean.

Sagrada Família
The craziest building site in the world. Gaudi’s genius, and the fact that the cathedral will never be completed, make it even more astonishing.
Address: Mallorca 401

Nou Camp
FC Barcelona is much more than just a football club. Sometimes it feels as if it carries the whole nation’s pride on its shoulders. Even those not interested in football will enjoy a visit. One reason is the large number of well-dressed spectators, another the masterful architecture of the arena.
Address: Avenida Aristides Maillol

Espai Gaudí - La Pedrera
If you don’t have time to visit all of Gaudi’s landmarks, be sure to see this one. Visit the Gaudi museum on the top floor and, if possible, stay to have a drink on the roof terrace. The decorations here must have inspired George Lucas and his Star Wars movies.
Address: Passeig de Gràcia 92

Macba
Leave the busy streets behind you for a moment by visiting Barcelona’s museum of modern art. MACBA is short for Museu d´Art Contemporani de Barcelona.
Address: Placa dels Angels

Palau De La Música Catalana
Not quite as wacky as some of Gaudi’s architecture but this sublime concert hall designed by Domènech i Montaner a hundred years ago is actually more representative of Modernism. The Palace of Catalan Music not only pays tribute to the musical heritage of the Catalans but to all music - as well as beauty, colour and joy.
Address: C/Sant Francesc de Paula 2
Underground: Urquinaona
Phone: +34 932 957 200
Internet: palaumusica.org

Santa Maria Del Mar
Barcelona’s most beautiful church is probably the best existing example of the Catalonian Gothic, with a cleaner style than normally associated with Gothic architecture. The church has a wonderful feeling of spaciousness and the weightlessness is emphasised by the slender pillars and the very sparsely decorated chapels.
Address: Plaça Santa Maria 1
Underground: Jaume I

Parc De Collserola
The green part of the city. Immediately behind Barcelona there is an 8,000-hectare park - 22 times larger than New York’s Central Park, as those in charge like to point out. It includes everything from amusement parks to luxury hotels but, above all, large undisturbed areas in which to ramble or cycle. The actual park can only be reached using the regional train service from Catalunya Station: take the train to Terrassa or Sabadell and get off at Baixador de Vallvidrera. From there the park’s information centre, Centre d’Informació, is within walking distance.
Address: C/l’Església
Phone: +34 932 803 552
Internet: parccollserola.net

Dining in Barcelona

It is easiest to divide Barcelona’s overwhelming range of restaurants into two parts: the new and the old. Some of the world’s most modern restaurants, managed by the world’s most innovative chefs (the most famous is Ferrán Adrià) can be found here. But there is also traditional Catalonian cuisine which despite being heavy on occasion, includes very good vegetable dishes (samfaina, a kind of ratatouille, escalivada, grilled, peeled peppers, aubergines and onions; espinacs a la catalan, spinach fried with garlic, pine nuts and raisins). Best known is the simple rustic pa amb tomàquet, a slice of bread with olive oil, salt and freshly crushed tomatoes.

“The new ones” in particular may be very expensive, but many of the best known chefs’ apprentices have now opened their own lower-priced restaurants. Generally speaking, “the old ones” provide better value for money, although even the traditional restaurants know how to charge.

You should always reserve a table in Barcelona. Dinner is not served until 9 p.m.

Cal Pep
A very popular tapas bar and restaurant. It’s best to jostle your way to the bar and let Pep himself recommend the best hors d’oeuvres. Otherwise, there are also tables and a quieter dining room further in. A mixture of traditional and innovative cooking. Middle price range.
Address: Plaça de les Olles 8
Underground: Barceloneta
Phone: +34 933 107 961

Cafè De L’acadèmia
Slightly updated Catalonian cuisine in an attractive open-air restaurant (arrive early) or in the cool, natural stone walled interior. At lunchtime it is full of officials from the adjacent Town Hall and regional government buildings. Middle price range.
Address: C/Lledó 1
Underground: Jaume I
Phone: +34 933 198 253

Ot
A place to sample modern Catalonian cuisine without it costing the earth. No menu, just leave it to the chefs to suggest a journey through their culinary world. It is full of pleasant surprises. Small, but what there is, is good. Middle price range+.
Address: C/Torres 25
Underground: Diagonal
Phone: +34 932 847 752

Alkimia
Basically, alchemy. It is something like this to which all those Spanish chefs with their awards devote themselves. Here it is Jordi Villa who has been awarded a Red Guide Star for his new interpretations of Spanish classics and his own innovations - what would you say to tuna slivers on a bed of mustard foam? Book well in advance.
Expensive.
Address: C/Indústria 79
Underground: Sagrada Família
Phone: +34 932 076 115

Salero
Elegant fusion in an almost completely white space. A typical Salero dish is tuna with spinach and konbu, Japanese seaweed. If you decide to dine here, have an aperitif at one of the bars in the Borh district (see “Bars” below).
Address: Rec 60
Phone: +34 93 319 80 22

7 Portes
“The Seven Doors” has been in business since 1836, and still has its original modernismo interior - dark wood and tiles. However, eating here is far from stodgy. Usually full of people enjoying traditional Catalan cooking. Try the crema catalana, the Catalan version of crème caramel. It is considered to be the best in Barcelona.
Address: Passeig d´Isabel II 14
Phone: +34 93 319 3033

Colibri
This haute cuisine eatery pioneered modern market cooking. The combination of atmosphere, the general ambience of the place, and the produce all owe their fresh appeal to the nearby La Boqueria food market.
Address: Riera Alta 33-35
Phone: +34 93 443 2306

Casa Leopoldo
Sample Old Barcelona - both in terms of interiors and the menu, which is rich in traditional fish and seafood dishes. Montalban, the city’s own literary commentator, crime novelist and gourmet, was a regular here.
Address: Sant Rafael 24
Phone: +34 93 441 3014

Tapas Bars
Spend an evening sampling the now worldfamous tapas dishes. Start with some simple cold cuts at La Taberna la Comidilla Real, on Calle Heures 6-1. After that, go over to Opaqo on Calle Ciutat 10, and order the tarrina de alcachofas, artichokes with cheese or carpaccio with duck. Finish at Xampanyet, on Calle Montcada 22, with the anchovy banderilla and smoked tuna with goat’s cheese.

Barcelona Cafes

Barcelona’s cafe culture is half Italian, and comes with its own set of simple rules. Café con leche (café amb llet in Catalan) is for breakfast, preferably with a croissant. Mid-day, especially after a meal, the locals have an espresso, café solo (un café) or a cortado (un tallat), which is an espresso with milk. Café Americano is what some would call watered down versions of the two first coffees. In the afternoon, or after dinner, order a café solo orto, a strong espresso, or a carajillo, a café solo with Spanish brandy.

Café Zürich
Zürich is one of Barcelona’s prime gathering spots, which makes it perfect for people watching. The kissing greetings and checking of wristwatches for that late date never seems to stop. You will be asked to settle your bill when your coffee arrives. That way you can leave when you want.
Address: Plaça Catalunya 1

Café De L´opera
If there’s no room at Zürich, head over here. Many of the street merchants from La Rambla come here.
Address: La Rambla 74

Barcelona Bars and Nightlife

Barcelona stays awake while the rest of Europe sleeps! Nightlife starts late - preferably at a bar. Spaniards believe it’s smart to eat while drinking, so most bars also serve food - and generally tapas. Barcelona’s trendy nightlife is in a constant state of change. This makes it impossible to list the hippest bars and nightclubs. The best advice is to ask around for the latest and greatest places, especially in fashion and record shops, or to approach people who you think might know. Here are a few places that have managed to stay popular:

Mirablau
Have a drink enjoying the city’s most expansive view - from the slopes of Tibidabo - either on the terrace or behind the wall-to-wall picture windows. After the worm’s-eye view from Barri Gòtic or El Born, it can feel good to have Barcelona at your feet.
Address: Plaça Doctor Andreu
Underground: tramway, Tramvia Blau
Phone: +34 934 185 879

La Vinya Del Senyor
Still the best place to sample wine in Barcelona with its location opposite the beautiful church of Santa Maria del Mar, the great range of good wines (which are regularly replenished) and the excellent tapas menu. Open-air restaurant in the church square.
Address: Plaça Santa Maria 5
Underground: Jaume I
Phone: +34 933 103 379

Dry Martini
It looks like a gentlemen’s club, which makes it very “up to date”. Perfect for a drink before or after dinner.
Address: Aribau 162-166

Schilling
Schilling is a friendly, fairly intellectual place, close to La Rambla and Barrí Gotic. If you walk around the Barri Gotic you will most certainly walk pass it a couple of times.
Address: Ferran 23

Marsella
This bar, deep inside the Raval area, is where Jean Genet spent time in the company of thieves and prostitutes. Absinthe is available, as are amateur transvestite theatre shows.
Address: Sant Pau 65

La Paloma
Raval’s combination of old beauty and contemporary hipness is apparent at La Paloma. This classic dance palace now attracts a young crowd, doing the paso doble and the tango.
Address: Tigre 27a

Otto Zutz
A well-established nightclub on three levels, accommodated in former factory premises. Spacious and airy, a good place to dance when the music is right. The clientele is fairly middle-of-the-road with a few beautiful people and a lot of media types.
Address: C/Lincoln 15
Underground: FGC Gràcia
Phone: +34 932 380 722

Shopping in Barcelona

Interesting shops can be found in most parts of the city, but those who want to be efficient should focus on Placa Catalunya and Barri Gotic. The amusing, and gigantic, department store El Corte Ingles is by Placa Catalunya. Come here for the wares, but also for the people. It is interesting to watch some of the Spanish families with chubby children, irritated fathers, and strict mothers with salon-perfect hair.

Across the street is El Triangle, a grotesquely large shopping palace with a good perfumery and a Camper shoe store. Calle Avinyó in Barri Gotic is possibly Barcelona’s most interesting shopping street. This is where Z is located, the crazy interiors store selling both kitsch and comical trinkets. Other fun stores include street fashion store Soda, Angel Gimeno specialising in trendy shirts for men, and Loft Avignon, which caters to the more sophisticated set. Close by is Zsu Zsa, where two Argentinean sisters and their mother design their own line of discreet women’s wear. Herborista del Rei, on Calle del Vidre 1 in Barri Gotic, is the best choice for herbs and spices. The store has been here since 1823, and provides a somewhat odd experience.

Visiting the La Boquería, half way down La Rambla, is something of a must. The fishmongers deserve most attention - their selection of mussels, seafood, and shellfish is overwhelming. Stop by Petràs Fruits del Bosc for the best mushrooms in town. Then sample the fresh baby octopus with garlic and parsley with a glass of cava at the El Quim or Pinotxo bars. The El Born district is also a good place to shop for food. Casa Gispert, C/Sombrerers 23, on one of the long sides of the Santa Maria del Mar church, has devoted itself to roasting coffee since 1851 - in a wood burner that is still used and which can be viewed in the shop. Dried nuts and fruit, cocoa, spices and mushrooms are also sold here. Tot Formatge, Passeig del Born 13, is one of Barcelona’s best-stocked cheese shops with both Spanish and foreign varieties.

For serious fashion shopping, make your way to Passeig de Gràcia, the parallel street, Rambla de Catalunya, and the surrounding district. You will find all the big international fashion names here, including Spanish greats such as Adolfo Domínguez, Armand Basi, Groc and the leather specialist Loewe. More economic alternatives such as Zara, Mango and Massimo Dutti are also represented. You can find a good selection of trend-conscious designer fashions at Noténom, C/Pau Claris 159. Gonzalo Comella, Passeig de Gràcia 6, is a Barcelona institution in the world of fashion - the chain has been in existence for more than a century - with a wide selection of designer fashions.

Vinçon, the home furnishings department store with cult status is also at Passeig de Gràcia (no. 96). Colmada Quilez on the parallel street, Rambla de Catalunya 63, also has cult status - this is Barcelona’s most famous food shop with thousands of tinned products, dried goods and bottles on shelves that run from floor to ceiling all the way round the shop walls. There is an enormous range of wines and spirits. There is also cheese and a delicatessen, and you are served at the counter by male assistants in striped overalls.

El Corte Inglés
Spain’s department store colossus is both loved and hated, but successfully performs the main task of the department store, which is to offer most things to most people. Designer fashions, their own low and medium-priced lines, enormous perfumery and make-up departments, leather goods in all price ranges, toys, children’s clothes, art materials, food and delicatessen, home furnishing devices, white goods, garden furniture, a tobacco department with humidors … etc. However, the best thing about El Corte Inglés is the service. The staff are always friendly and helpful, garments are shortened and taken in at no cost and without a murmur - and the customer has the unlimited right of return upon production of a receipt. This sells.
Address: Plaça de Catalunya 14; Av. Portal de l’Àngel 19-21;
Avinguda Diagonal 471; Avinguda Diagonal 617
Underground: Catalunya; Urquinaona; Hospital
Cínic/FCGMuntaner; Maria Cristina
Phone: +34 933 063 800; +34 933 063 800; + 34 934 934 800; +34 933 667 100
Internet: elcorteingles.es

L’illa
An oval shopping centre drawn by Rafael Meneo, with over 130 shops. Many of the large international chains are represented, e.g. FNAC, Decathlon, Zara, Mango, Benetton, Diesel and Camper. Right at the bottom there is a fresh market and the grocery giant, Caprabo.
Address: Avinguda Diagonal 545
Underground: Maria Cristina

Barcelona Hotels

Barcelona is teeming with hotels, but also with tourists and so it isn’t always easy to find a room. Especially as the really interesting hotels, regardless of price, are very sought after by discerning visitors. So plan and make reservations in good time.

Prestige Paseo De Gràcia
Minimalist rooms (but with Bang & Olufsen plasma screens), Japanese gardens, a lounge bar with a lending-library and concierges with insider knowledge of Barcelona. Prestige Paseo de Gràcia has a reasonable claim to being the ultimate boutique hotel for design- conscious visitors. The location could not be better from the point of view of shopping.
Address: Passeig de Gràcia 62
Underground: Passeig de Gracia.

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Hotel Banys Oriental
This is where trend conscious visitors usually stay when they visit Barcelona. Located in a 19th century building, the interior is decidedly futuristic with a monochromatic colour palette, Kartell plastic chairs, black bathrooms and strict lines. Breakfast is served in the Parellada restaurant.
Address: Carrer Argenteria 37

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Nh Duc De La Victòria
A great choice for the weekend visitor who would rather spend money on shopping and partying. Good value for money.
Address: Duc de la Victòria 15

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Mur-mar
Reliable, but somewhat worn, apartment
hotel close to everything.
Address: La Rambla 34

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Luxury Barcelona Hotels

Hotel Omm
One of the most modern hotels sophisticated Barcelona has to offer. The successful restaurant group, Tragaluz, opened this, its first hotel, at the end of 2003. Last year it was selected as the best new designer hotel by the American magazine, Travel & Leisure. From the low-key lobby in wood and shades of stone to the almost Japanese, timber-clad pool on the roof terrace - via the cream-coloured, varnished walls of the rooms, dream bathrooms and completely high-tech kit - Omm is a study in what is right just now.
Address: C/Rosselló 265
Underground: Diagonal

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Good Value Barcelona Hotels

Villa Emilia

The chic Hotel Villa Emilia is a boutique establishment, with contemporary interiors, located in the city centre. It is one kilometre from the shops and lively cafes around Plaça de Catalunya and two kilometres from the beach. The 53 minimalist, air-conditioned guestrooms feature ultramodern, light decor and all include satellite television, direct- dial phones, wireless Internet connections, minibars, and hair dryers
Address: Calabria 115-117, Barcelona 08015

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Cheap Barcelona Hotels

Atenea Calabria Aparthotel
In the heart of the Eixample of Barcelona, it is near the city’s main points of interest such as Plaça Catalunya and Fira de Barcelona fairgrounds. It is very well connected, with access to the main transportation routes. With 80 apartments measuring 35 m2, and its new furnishings, with bedroom, living room, bathroom and kitchen, it is an ideal option for short or long stays. Offers an attractive and carefully prepared breakfast with a large variety of succulent products.
Address: Calabria, 129-131

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