The Festa Mayor de la Sagrada Familia (festival of the Sagrada Familia district) started this weekend. The festival lasts from the 19th of April until the 6th of May and kicked off with a display of human towers called castells in front of the Sagrada Familia Basilica. Castells are built by teams called colles who perform…
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Monestir de Pedralbes – One of Barcelona’s Best Kept Secrets!
The Monestir de Pedralbes is a beautiful gothic monastery which was built in 1326 by Queen Elisenda in an effort to be forgiven for her sins. Some of the most famous architects of the time worked on the project including Ramon Despuig and Berenguer de Montagut who also designed the Bascilica de Santa Maria del…
Windsurfing on the Ebro Delta
The Ebro Delta National Park is located 160km south of Barcelona. It is an important wetland habitat and home to about 300 species of birds. It is also one of Spain’s main rice growing areas. The strong north easterly Mestral winds which blow regularly from autumn to spring make the area popular with windsurfers and…
What to Wear in Barcelona in March
As March draws to a close we take a look back at the month’s weather and more importantly, at what we’ve been wearing. March sees the transition from winter to spring and the changeable weather normally reflects this. This year has been no exception. The first of March was sunny with maximum temperatures of around…
The Roman Temple of Augustus
Tucked away inside a medieval building in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, there stand four, nine metre high Corinthian columns that are nearly as old as the city itself. The Roman Temple of Augustus dates back to the first century BC and was part of the Forum at the centre of the Roman city of Barcino. During…
Plaça de Catalunya – More Than Just a Metro Stop!
For many visitors Plaça de Catalunya is the first place they see when they arrive in Barcelona. If you take the Aerobus from the airport, the chances are you will get off here on the way to your hotel. Plaça de Catalunya is also the intersection between Las Ramblas, Portal de l’Àngel, Ronda de…
The Roger de Llúria Monument
This bronze statue of Roger de Llúria was constructed in 1885 by Catalan artist Josep Reynés. The statue is located on Passeig Lluis Companys, just opposite the main entrance to the Ciutadella Park and was originally part of a series of 8 statues of Catalan heroes. Who was Roger de Llúria? Roger de Llúria was…
Sitges in Winter
Sitges is a Spanish beach resort located just 35km south of Barcelona. The town is famous for it’s nightlife, beaches, carnival and the Sitges Film Festival. Sitges in the wintertime is a popular day trip for Barcelona residents who typically visit on Sunday and take a stroll along the seafront followed by lunch in one…
Surprising Street Art in Poblenou
Barcelona has lots of street art and public art, ranging from graffiti to large and impressive statues and murals by famous artists. On my way to the beach this morning I noticed this interesting series of modified road signs at the bottom of the Rambla del Poblenou. There are about a dozen of these “modified”…
The Barcelona History Museum – MUHBA Plaça del Rei
The MUHBA Plaça del Rei is the largest of the Barcelona History Museum’s centres and contains remains of the Roman city of Barcino which were discovered totally by chance during the construction of Via Laietana! History of the MUHBA Plaça del Rei: During the 1930s the medieval Royal Palace was dismantled to make way for…
Barcelona’s Head – Pop Art at the Old Port
The Barcelona’s Head sculpture (also known as Barcelona’s Face) was designed by American Pop Artist Roy Lichtenstein for the 1992 Olympic Games. The striking 90-ton statue is covered with brightly coloured mosaic tiles, a clear tribute to the works of Antoni Gaudi. The design also shows a strong Picasso influence mixed with the comic book…
What to Wear in Barcelona in February
This is the second in our series of posts aimed at helping you decide what to pack for your trip to Barcelona. February is normally the coldest month of the year in Barcelona and this month has been no exception. Things started off well, the first of February was sunny and got up to 20…
Torre Glòries – Barcelona’s 21st Century Icon
Designed by Jean Nouvel, the 34 storey Torre Glòries, originally called the Torre Agbar, took 6 years to build and was inaugurated in 2005. Nouvel has stated that he was inspired by Catalan icons such as Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia and the nearby mountain of Montserrat. The tower was built for to the Agbar water company…
The Arc de Triomf
The Arc de Triomf was built in 1888 as the main entrance to the Exposición Universal de Barcelona. It was designed by the Catalan architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas and features sculptures by Josep Reynés, Josep Llimona and Manel Fuxa. The 30 metre high mudejar style brick arch is the focal point at the end…
The Canaletas Fountain (Font de Canaletes)
I’d estimate that 95% of tourists who visit Barcelona walk straight past the Canaletas Fountain without even noticing it which is a shame because this fountain come lamp post at the top of La Rambla is linked to a couple of interesting traditions. Canaletas Traditions #1: Tradition has it that if you drink from the…
Microcars in Barcelona
The MUHBA (Barcelona History Museum) has several centres dedicated to the history of the city from Roman times to the present day. From the 21st of December 2012 until the 15th of March 2013 they are staging a temporary exhibition dedicated to the history of microcars in Barcelona. The exhibition consists of about 15 cars and microcars from…
Disseny Hub – Vector Prime Comes to Barcelona!
This week the hoardings surrounding the new Disseny Hub Barcelona came down. The Disseny Hub (or Design Hub in English) is billed as a combination of museum, centre and laboratory. I’m not exactly sure what that means but the new building is certainly impressive. Situated next to the Agbar Tower in the 22@ district of…
Gambrinus – Barcelona’s Giant Lobster Statue
This funky giant prawn/lobster statue was originally part of the decor at the Gambrinus seafood restaurant. The 10m long fibreglass sculpture was designed and built by Spanish artist Javier Mariscal. When the Gambrinus restaurant closed the statue was bought by Barcelona city council, restored and now takes pride of place on Passeig Colom near the Port…
Live Music in Barcelona
If you enjoy live music then Barcelona has a lot to offer. Pretty much any band which tours Europe stops off in Barcelona. In addition to International acts, there is a thriving local music scene with bands from Barcelona and right across Spain. Venues range in size from small bars and clubs to the emblematic…
Calçotada – Traditional Catalan Winter Barbecues
Calçots are a seasonal vegetable similar to leeks or spring onions grown in the area surrounding Barcelona and Tarragona. They are normally available from January ’til April and by far the best way to try them is cooked on a barbecue accompanied by Romesco sauce, local wine and a group of friends. Don’t let the…
What to Wear in Barcelona in January
First time visitors to Barcelona often have a hard time deciding what clothes to bring with them. Especially if you’re travelling with a budget airline like Easyjet or Ryanair and are trying save money by only bringing hand luggage, it can be hard to know what you really need to pack. This is the first…
January Sales – Ganga Style!
This advert made me smile on my way home from work so I thought I’d share! Here in Barcelona, the January Sales started on January 7th and this advert is for the Gran Via 2 shopping centre. Obviously it’s a play on words – Ganga means Bargain in both Catalan and Spanish.
Myths, Rumours and Equestrian Statues
A couple of weeks ago I was showing a friend from another part of Spain around Barcelona. As part of our impromptu tour we passed the statue of Ramon Berenguer III on Via Laietana. My friend asked me if I knew the significance of the fact that one of the horse’s hooves is raised. When…