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Barcelona
The capital of Catalonia, Barcelona
is a vibrant city on the Mediterranean with an amazing amount
to see -Gaudi's spectacular Sagrada Familia, Miro and Picasso
Museums, the Ramblas and the harbour with their shops, bars and
restaurants and much more.......
Transport -getting there and getting
around:
Flights to the city are available
with the national airline, Iberia, along with a range of budget
airlines who serve the City at two Airports -El Prat de Llobregat
(BCN), 10 miles southwest of the centre, or Girona (GRO) a massive
60 miles away! If you are after cheap tickets, the journey from
Girona may not make it so cheap after all. See Aeropuertos
Españoles y Navigacion Area (www.aena.es)
for more information.
g(16635240)a(812952))
- For a more sustainable way to
get there, consider the train -Eurostar to Paris then Ellipsios
(www.elipsos.com) trainhotel
all the way to the city -accommodation ranges from reclining
seats to private double rooms with a first class restaurant on
board.
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- Information on the Spanish railways
can be found with the national rail company Renfe (www.renfe.es) and local railways
with Ferrocarrils de Generalitat de Catalunya (www.fgc.es).
Within the city, there is a good
underground and bus system run by TMB -Transports Metropolitans
de Barcelona (www.tmb.net).
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- You can hire bicycles at Green
Bikes Barcelona (www.greenbikesbarcelona.com),
located in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, who also offer a
3.5 hour tour of the city by bike.
-
- The city has a bustling port
-for information see Autoritat Portuaria de Barcelona (www.portdebarcelona.es).
There are two terminals, Drassanes and Ferry de Barcelona, which
are served by a good number of ferries and cruise liners. Grimaldi
Ferries (www.grimaldi-ferries.com)
ply routes to Italy, Sardinia, Malta and Tunisia, Grandi Navi
Velooci (www3.gnv.it) run
to Genoa and Tangiers, Trasmediterranea (www.trasmediterranea.es)
run routes to Tangier, Mallorca and destinations in Italy.
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- With Live Barcelona (www.livebarcelona.cat)
the City is running a significant initiative to promote the electric
car with the planned installation of more than 250 charging stations
around the city.
Sightseeing, events and tours:
The Forum Esplanade from
2004 is the city's grand gesture to sustainability. -the project
integrated the Besòs sewage treatment plant with a massive
solar pergola and shade structure that together will yield 1.3
Mw of power, alongside buildings by architects Herzog and De
Meuron.
 The
city has a number of classic modern buildings. See Fundació
Mies van der Rohe (www.miesbcn.com)
who care for the German Pavilion designed by Mies for the 1929
Barcelona International Exhibition, For Gaudi, the Sagrada
Familia (www.sagradafamilia.cat)
is a must see, if you can live with the queues. See Gaudi
Club (www.gaudiclub.com)
for information on his other buildings in the city, including
Parc Guell and Casa Mila.
Private group tours around the
City can be arranged with City Tours Barcelona (www.citytoursbarcelona.com)
whose list includes the Gothic Quarter, Gaudi and Modernism or
Modern Architecture.
There are some great galleries
in the city. Most famously, the Museo Picasso de Barcelona
(www.museupicasso.bcn.es)
features the work of Spain's best kmown artist, who lived in
the city for many years. Also worth a visit is Joan Miró
Foundation (www.bcn.fjmiro.es)
whose exhibition center aims to foster research into Joan Miró's
work and bring it to a wider audience.
For sports enthusiasts, a vist
to Camp Nou, home of FC Barcelona (www.fcbarcelona.com)
is a must -they offer a tour of the history of the club -photographs,
trophies, commemorative posters and a contemporary art collection
related to sport and the club. Also the outdoor pools in Montjuic
Park built for the 1992 Olympics enjoy fabulous views over the
city.
Air de Barcelona Arab Baths (www.airedebarcelona.com)
Music lovers Barcelona Rocks
- (www.barcelonarocks.com)
concert and live music guide to Barcelona.
Hotels:
- Casa Camper (www.casacamper.com)
-a boutique design hotel in a C19th gothic tenement in the heart
of the Raval area, that espouses principles of simple healthy
living. They show a strong commitment to the environment -a water
recycling system cleans shower and bath water purely biomechanically,
solar energy heats the water, and the use of clean transportation
systems such as public transport, walking or our bicycles is
encouraged.
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- Omm Hotel (www.hotelomm.es)
architect designed boutique spa hotel with the Moo michelin starred
restaurant at Passeig de Gracia and Diagonal.
Apartments:
- Apartments Eric Vogel (www.ericvokel.com)
offer a range of boutique apartments not far from Sagrada Familia.
Either new or refurbished, the apartments have been individually
designed by Danish architect Eric Vogel, and the high specification
includes solar hot water along with wifi internet.
-
- DestinationBCN-Barcelona
Apartments (www.destinationbcn.com)
offer stylish and comfortable holiday accommodation in the city
center of Barcelona. Ideally located near the Beach and Las Ramblas.
Hostels and budget accommodation:
- Mellow Eco Hostel, part of the Feetup Network (www.feetuphostels.com)
sets out to reduce its environmental impact with the use of renewable
solar energy, recycling facilities, biodegradable cleaning products
and restricting air conditioning to the common area by taking
advantage of orientation to facilitate natural ventilation.
One of Barcelona's newer backpacker establishments, Urbany
Hostel (www.barcelonaurbany.com)
offers all the usual necessities and even a pool. The hostel
claims to be the first eco-friendly hostel in Barcelona, featuring
rainwater harvesting, recycling containers, low consumption light
bulbs and low consumption showers.
Restaurants, Bars and Clubs:
- CDLC
Barcelona -Carpe Diem
Lounge Club is a unique venue for food and music on the sea front.
- DAF Restaurant Chef Lab -unique restaurant in the heart of the gothic quarter,
which offers healthy experimental cuisine by chef Martín
Lippo: natural breakfasts, lunch menus and also more sophisticated
dining after 9pm; live music from midnight.
- El
Mirador -Salones para
celebraciones de bodas, banquetes y comuniones en la Sierra de
Collcerola.
- Flamenco en Barcelona El Tablao de Carmen Amaya -describes itself as the best flamenco
show in Barcelona.
- Jaime
de Provenza -mixes traditional
with modern menus.
- The
Loft -casual nightclub
featuring Barcelona's most avant garde DJ line up.
- Rincon de Aragon
-Aragonese roast and tapas in Ciutat Vella.
- Torre de Alta Mar
-luxury restaurant located 75m up in the tower overlooking the
Barceloneta. Stunning views but not cheap.
 Guided
cycling tour in Catalonia, for food lovers
Responsible Travel offer a guided
cycling tour through the Baix Emporda province of Catalonia giving
the opportunity to experience some fantastic scenery and great
food and wine. The tour includes a cookery class, visits to producers,
tastings and a half day guided cycle tour of the city of Barcelona.
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