 Barcelona
is the capital of the Autonomous Region of Cataluña
and the province of the same name, which are located in
the north-east of Spain. It lies on the shores of the
Mediterranean, some 120 km south of the Pyrenees and the
French frontier, on a plain bordered by the sea to the
east, the Sierra de Collserola to the west, the River
Llobregat to the south, and Besós to the north.
It is said that the city (which was originally known as
Barcino) was founded by the Carthaginian Amílcar
Barca; it was subsequently conquered by the Romans and
the Arabs, and in 1801 became the capital of the County
of Barcelona and later of the Kingdom of Aragon. Its development
reached its height in the second half of the 18th century,
and continued thanks to the enlargement of 1859 and the
works of embellishment planned by Gaudí. In the
vanguard of artistic and social progress, Barcelona is
a city that has known how to reinvent itself and is continuously
developing new projects and infrastructures. Population:
1,605,602. |
|
Tourist
Information: Tourism Information Centre,
plaza Catalunya, 17 - basement. Open daily from 9:00 to 21:00.
Tourist Office, Pl. San Jaume/Carrer de la Ciutat. Monday
to Friday from 9:00 to 20:00, Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00
and Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00. Tourist
Office Plaça Sant
Jaume, calle Citat, 2. Open Monday to Friday from 9:00
to 20:00, Saturday from 10:00 to 20:00 and Sunday and holidays
from 10:00 to 14:00. Tourist
Office Barcelona Sants Station,
plaza Països Catalans. Open
in winter time Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00, Saturday,
Sunday and holidays from 8:00 to 14:00; in summer time from
8:00 to 20:00 daily. Airport Tourist Office. Open daily
from 9:00 to 21:00. Tourist information: 
93 368 97 30. More information at www.bcn.es
Youth
Information: Centro de información
y asesoramiento para jóvenes, Ferrán, 32.
Free access to internet, advertising, press & labour information.
|
Weather:
Barcelona enjoys a mediterranean weather with hot summers
and warm winters. This is the current weather:
|
 |
| |
|
| month |
|
average temperature |
|
average precipitation |
|
month |
 |
average temperature |
|
average precipitation |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| January |
9°C
/ 48ºF |
41
mm / 1.60 in |
July |
23°C
/ 73ºF |
20
mm / 0.80 in |
|
February |
9°C
/ 49ºF |
29
mm / 1.15 in |
August |
23°C
/ 74ºF |
61
mm / 2.40 in |
|
March |
11°C
/ 52ºF |
42
mm / 1.65 in |
September |
21°C
/ 70ºF |
85
mm / 3.32 in |
|
April |
13°C
/ 55ºF |
49
mm / 1.92 in |
October |
17°C
/ 62ºF |
91
mm / 3.55 in |
|
May |
16°C
/ 61ºF |
59
mm / 2.30 in |
November |
12°C
/ 54ºF |
58
mm / 2.28 in |
|
June |
20°C
/ 68ºF |
42
mm / 1.65 in |
December |
10°C
/ 50ºF |
51
mm / 2.00 in |
Telephones:
Barcelona code number is 93, even
necessary for local calls. For international calls dial 00
plus the country code you wish to call. Public telephones
works with coins and prepaid cards on sale at newsagents.
For telephone information dial
11888 or 11822.
Airport:
El Prat airport
(
902 404 704) is
12 km southwest
from Barcelona, well communicated to the city center with
AEROBUS (from Monday to Friday from
5:30 to 22:15 and Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 to 22:15 (price
4.05 €). Also with
RENFE trains from Plaza Catalunya and Sants Station
daily from 6:08 to 22:08 (17 minutes to Sants Station; 23
minutes to Plaza
Catalunya; price
2.50 €). Night
bus 106 to Plaza España stops at B & C terminals,
with departures from airport at 22:15, 23:35, 0:50, 2:05 and
3:20; and from Plaza de España at 22:55, 0:10, 1:25,
2:40 and 3:50 (price 1.15 €). Taxi
fare to central Barcelona cost around 25 €. 
Train
Stations: Estación
de Sants, Pl. Paisos Catalans (
93 490 11 22). Long distance trains
and 34 daily high speed AVE trains to Madrid (3 hours; 101.30
€). Estación
de França, Av. Marqués de L'argentera (
93 496 30 06). RENFE Information:
93 490 02 02.
Bus
Stations: Estación
del Norte, Alí-Bei 84, besides Triumph Arc. Estación
de Sants, Pl. Paisos Catalans. Telephones of main bus
companies are: JULIA (to Montserrat) 93 490 40 00; SARFA
(to Costa Brava) 93 265 11 58; ENATCAR (to Madrid and
Galicia) 93 245 25 28; BACOMA (to Levante and Andalusia)
93 231 38 01; VIBASA (to Basque Country) 93 265
60 61; EUROLINES (to Europe) 93 490 40 00.
Port:
Estación Marítima de Transmediterránea,
Sant Bertran Pier ( 902 454 645). Connection to Palma
de Mallorca, Ibiza and Mahon. Turbocat, Drassanes Terminal
Building-Barcelona Pier, 1 ( 902 181 888). Connection
to Alcudia (Mallorca) and Ciutadella (Menorca). Grandi
Navi Veloci, North Pier / San Bertran ( 93 443 98
98). Connection to Genova.
Public
Transport: Barcelona metropolitan
public transport TMB
is divided into 6 different areas covered by a bus system
of 70 lines, with night services nitbus from Plaza
de Catalunya. Metro open from Sunday to Thursday from
5:00 to 24:00, Friday and Saturday from 5:00 to 2:00. 1
trip ticket costs 1.25 €; 10 trip (T-10) for any kind
of transport 6.90 € in zone 1, allowing transfers between
different transportation systems during 75 minutes; 50 trip
in 30 days (T-50/30): 28.60 €; monthly card (T-Mes):
44.35 €; 3 month card (T-Trimestre): 120 €; 1 day
card (T-Dia): 5.25 €; 2 days: 9.60 €; 3 days: 13.70
€; 4 days: 17.50 €; and 5 days: 20.80 €. There
is a youth card (T-Jove) for 90 days at 100 €. Ferrocarriles
de la Generalitat - FGC (
93 205 15 15) connects city center
to main cities around from 1.75 €,
as Cercanias system. Tram
operates at the northwest and southeast areas of the city,
from Francesc Maciá Square to the cities of Esplugues
and Cornellá, and also from Avenida Diagonal to Forum
recint. There is a tourist
bus that you can get on and off at any point on the route
and visit the city's most attractive sites. The price for
one day is 18 € and for two days 22 € (on sale at
tourist information offices).
Public transport information: dial 010. 
Taxis:
These are yellow and
black. T2 fare applies
weekdays from 7:00 to 21:00, with a minimun charge of 1.45
€ plus 0.78 € each kilometre, and maximum charge
for phone calls is 2.93 €. T1 fare applies weekdays
from 21:00 to 7:00 and 24 hours Saturday and bank days, with
a minimun charge of 1.55 € plus 1 € each
kilometre, and maximum charge for phone calls is 3.66
€. Minimum fare to the airport
is 12.30 € and supplements are 3 € to airport, 2
€ to port and 0.90 € for each suitcase. Radio
Teléfono Taxi:
932 250 000. Barna Taxi,
933 577 755. Radio Taxi,
933 033 033. In the event of complaint
93 223 51 51.
Parking: Street
parking is controlled by parquimeters: green for residents
and blue for visitors, which operate from Monday to Saturday
from 8:00 to 20:00 depending on the area. Daily price for
residents is 0.20 € on green spaces, and 2.75 €
/ hour for visitors, with a maximum time of 1 hour on green
spaces and 2 hours on blue ones.
Lost
& found office: TMB,
Metro Universitat Station, 93 318 70 74. Open from 8:00
to 20:00. All items found are send later to Ayuntamiento
de Barcelona Lost & Found Office, Carrer de la Ciutat,
9 ( 010).
Medical
Assistance: Santa Creu
i Sant Pau Hospital, San Antonio Maria Claret,
167. Vall d'Hebrón Hospital,
Paseo Vall d'Hebrón, 119-129. Centre d'atenció
Primaria la Barceloneta, Paseo Marítimo (la Barceloneta),
25.
24
hour pharmacies:
Paseo de Gracia, 90. Cervera, Muntaner, 254. A.
Torres, Aribau, 62.
Laundrettes:
Lavandería, Carrer
del Consolat de Mar, 43. Ciberlavandería
La Laundry, Plaza George Orwell. A
mixture of laundrette and cybervenue.
Emergencies:
All the emergencies: 112; Medical Service:
061; Mossos d'esquadra: 088; Local Police:
092; National Police: 091.
Restaurants:
Deli Francesco, Paseo de
Gracia, 64. Brasserie Flo, Junqueras, 10. French/Catalonian
cuisine. Brasserie Tenorio, Paseo de Gracia, 37. La
Vaca Paca, Paseo de Gracia, 21. Buffet. Restaurante
japonés, Paseo de Colón, 4. Japanese restaurant.
Vildsvin, Ferrán, 40. Speciality in "cucuruchos".
L'encis, Provença, 379. Catalonian
cuisine. La Gavina, Moll
del Dipósit. Can Costa, Paseo Juan de Borbón,
70. Spanish cuisine. Els Fanals, Rambla Catalunya,
13. Mediterranean cuisine. Moka, La Rambla, 126. Mediterranean
cuisine. Café Miranda,
Casanova, 30. Gay restaurant. Shôko,
Paseo Marítimo de la Barceloneta, 36. Asian restaurant.
Cafés:
Café de L'Opera, La Rambla, 74. La
Fiana, 15 Banys Vells. Lounge bar-cocktelería with
a friendly atmosphere.
Pubs
& Clubs: Pachá, Av. Dr. Gregorio
Marañón, 17. Music bar. La Cava del Palau,
Verdaguer i Callis, 10. Live music. London Bar, Nou
de la Rambla, 34. Live music. Salambó, Torrijos,
51. Cocktels. Torres de Avila, Marqués de Comillas,
s/n. Mariscal's designed clubl. Cube Club, Av. Paralelo,
37. A new techno venue. Apolo, Nitsa Club, Nou de la
Rambla, 113. Techno music. Back Fire, Av. Litoral,
24. House music. Bóveda Paral.lel, Spanish Pop
& Rock. Cocodrilo Club, Gran Via Carles III, 97.
Retro music. Costa Breve, Aribau, 230. Funky music.
Magic, La Granada del Penedés, 19. Disco with
karaoke. Fibra Optica, Beethoven, 9. Pop music. Ball
Centre, Sants, 82-96. Salsa & Latin music. Sala
Apolo, Nou de la Rambla, 112. House club. Razzmatazz,
Almogavers, 122 & Pamplona,
88. The biggest alternative
clubs in Barcelona, now in two locations. Esto,
Rec, 50. A bar art gallery and
designer boutique. Blue Moon,
Las Ramblas, 128. Cocktail bar offers live piano and Jazz.
The Sutton Club,
Tuset, 13. Paradise for lovers
of 70s style disco music.
Gay
venues: The area known as the gaixample
is located in part of the city's Eixample district, within
the boundaries of Gran Via, rambla de Catalunya, Urgell and
Valencia St, and their environs. Café Dietrich,
Consell de Cent, 255. Punto BCN, Muntaner, 63. Medusa
Café, Casanova, 75. Zeltas,
Casanova, 75. One of
the best pubs in the scene. Arena,
Balmes, 32. One of the biggest venues. Arena Classic,
Diputació, 233. Another venue from the same chain.
Arena Vip, Gran Vía, 593. Metro Disco,
Sepúlveda, 185. Club.
Liceu; 
guided tours at 10:00, non guided tours at 11:30, 12:00, 12:30
& 13:00; 
8,50 & 4 € each); and the Plaça Reial
with its tree-shaped street lamps designed by Gaudí, and
the Fuente de las Tres Gracias (Fountain of the Three Graces).
Opposite this square, the Palau Güell is noteworthy
for the wrought ironwork of its façade. 
