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Barcelona is the capital of Catalunya, one of the richest and most fiercely independent areas in Spain. Catalan community speak their individual language and several do not consider themselves to be Spanish. The golden era of Catalunya was in the region of the twelfth to fourteenth centuries, when Barcelona was the center of the great seafaring empire of Aragon. Besides to Barcelona, Catalunya is made up of the cities of Lleida, Girona and Tarragona, and the extensive Costa Brava, stretching from the French border to Valencia.

Barcelona has become a bona fide tourist trap for the brilliant combination of activities on offer there. Its coastal position attracts sun worshipers who like the beach front resorts along the coast, as well as the energetic nightlife of the city centre. The cultural and historical delights of the town interest the sightseer, visiting for a long weekend, and the more active will fancy mountaineering in the close by mountains, where skiing can be found in winter.

As far as European cities go, Barcelona is a fairly effortless city to navigate. Its natural mountains and seafront means that it has a gradual incline, and also is very compact. This does however mean that some of the city’s sights are missed, as it’s sometimes tiring walking uphill for half of the day, and downhill for the other half. The city’s underground system is a good way to get around instantly, although you miss out on truly seeing the city, and often are disoriented when you get back up to street level (everyone does the same in rotating the map about a few times to double-check wherever you are!).

The Barcelona Tourist Bus has 3 routes, but I would express only 2 are worthwhile - the red and the blue course (North and South routes). The third green route only takes you to the forum building. So if you concentrate on the red and blue routes, you can call on all of the city’s sights, and have the added advantage of being above-ground as you do it, so you actually appreciate the whole of Barcelona, too. Obviously throughout the spring and summer months it’s good to be on the top with no roof and a nice breeze running through your hair whilst you absorb the stunning architecture of Gaudi, the amazing Camp Nou football stadium, the magic dancing fountains at Placa Espa?a, and many, many more attractions.

The most infamous image of Barcelona and one sight that all holidaymakers want to visit is Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. Even those that have not visited the city will be familiar with the dripping wax image of the most important fa?ade. The legendary architect began work on this church in 1882, however the task took a long time as the building work relied on donations, and it had not been completed in 1926 when Gaudi was hit by a train and died. Work has since recommenced on the church and a good deal has been added since Gaudi’s bereavement, but there is speculation as to whether the construction will ever be completely finished, or in fact whether it actually should be.

You can pay to go up inside one of the towers, of which there are now eight, each one over one hundred meters high. The initial proposal was destined to incorporate eighteen towers, one for each of the twelve apostles, four for the Evangelists, and one each for Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

Additional example of Gaudi’s masterpiece can be experienced throughout the city. You will want to draw the Park Guell, La Pedrera and the Mila dwelling into your itinerary if you probably can.

If you?re still stuck for idea the Poble Espanyol has become the 4th most widespread tourist attraction in the city. The model was copied from Modernist architect Puig i Cadafalch, and the creators visited 1600 villages in and around Spain and its islands to re-create 117 scale models of buildings and characteristic sites from all about Spain.

Culture lovers will be fascinated by the Fran Daurel foundation, boasting artwork from Picasso, Dali, Mir?, Tapies and various others, in addition there is a brilliant Sculpture Garden offering photo opportunities in great quantities of expansive Barcelona below. The village also has some great bars and bistros, as well as some great nightclubs in Barcelona on an evening.

Heres 5 inexpensive things to do in Barcelona

1. Walking in Barcelona - is free, effortless and enjoyable and what easier way to really get to experience a city. I totally love walking about side streets and alleyways in parts such as Barri Gotic in Barcelona. You stumble upon a number of cafes, old and rare shops.

2. Relaxing on the beach in Barcelona is naturally very cheap and on a good sunny day where else would you want to stay. If you do not care spending a bit of cash then there are loads of restaurants and eateries along the boardwalk and if you like sea-food, you can devour anything from mussels to cod.

3. Museums in Barcelona has a huge number of museums and a lot of of these are distinctly worth visiting in Barcelona. While several of them often charge for entrance, they are moderately priced and you can undoubtedly waste away a few days of your holiday or break by visiting a few of the many Barcelona museums.

4.Spending time about Las Ramblas and enjoying the street entertainers, shops, general tone and the inviting weather is a wonderful way to unwind. Grab yourself a chair and a drink just off of Las Ramblas (to avoid tourist rates on the main street) and benefit from all that Barcelona has to offer.

5.Remain in your hotel room. If you are paying enough already for your hotel room or vacation apartment then you might want to get your money’s worth so why not spend a lot of time in the hotel room. If you have a balcony which comes with the room then lounging out on the balcony with a bottle of Spanish wine from the supermarket and people watching can be a wonderful way to really feel a piece of Barcelona living.

You can get comprehensive information about the sights of Barcelona before you go from your travel agent, the net, or the tourist information office in Barcelona’s central square when you get there. Be certain you pick up a map showing all the main sights as well as the main stores, restaurants and hotels. Also deliberate going on a bus tour of the city. It is a excellent way to get your bearings in a very hectic and crowded city, and give you an idea of the distance between places of interest. Talk to your guide, they may perhaps be able to give you local information about excellent eating places and transient exhibitions that will not be apparent on your map. You will in no way get bored in Barcelona; your only trouble will be how to fit in all you want to visit.

Tags: barcelona tourist bus, Poble Espanyol