Spain Espana

BARCELONA

The 2000-year-old city of Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain. It is also the capital of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia in Spain. This major port city is located on the Mediterranean Sea, on the border with France. North of the city, the magnificent Pyrenees, which the Iberian peninsula separating from the rest of Europe.

Barcelona has now about 4 million residents (2007) and is the second largest city in Spain. Of these, approximately 16% are foreigners. The city has several private colleges, four state universities, reputable exchange programs and language courses for foreign students, and many cultural events, performances and exhibitions.

Barcelona has also hosted the World Fair in 1929, Oliympic Games (1992) and many well-known championships. The club FC Barcelona (short: Barça) is one of the football clubs in the city. The red-blue crowned the city several times with championship. Their stadium Camp Nou stadium is the largest in Europe. Furthermore, many other sporting events, and the Formula 1 races held in this city. The airport El Prat, high speed trains, bus net, ferries, Tramvia blue, subways, trams and the Trambes s Baix afford the safe transport of the city. In Barcelona you can rent a bike at the station Bicing. With the aerial tramway, the Torre Jaume I , You can enjoy the view of the city in over 100 m height.



Barcelona is a melting pot of creativity: the Church of the Sagrada Fam lia, Casa Mil , Casa Batll , Casa Vicens, Casa Calvet and Parc Güell, which been designed and constructed by Antoni Gaud before over 100 years, are among the most famous and fantastic characteristics of Barcelona. The history of the Sagrada Familia is interesting: Gaud , who was one of the best Catalan architects and died in Barcelona, had not completed the building and still, the construction work continues. All these interesting and beautiful works, presenting the Modernisme Catal style, belong to the world s cultural heritage by UNESCO since 2005. To the list belong also other historical works of Catalonia and of course the of whole Spain.

At the old port (Port Vell) is a statue of Christopher Columbus, the Maritime Museum Museu Mar tim, the shopping centre and catering area Maremagnum. Sights are also in the Old City: the Museu d Art Contemporani de Barcelona (briefly MACBA) from 1995, the museums Joan Mir and Museu Picasso, the Font M gica, the Torre Agbar office complex, the park La Ciutadella and many well-known restaurants, pubs, bars, cinemas, discos and cafes. Moreover, even in the Olympic port (Port Ol mpic), in La Barceloneta, and also outside the city, one can eat well. In the Plaça de Catalunya, the city and the center of the city of Barcelona connects, there you can go shopping, walk through the narrow alleys, meet friends and eat and drink.

The culinary side of Barcelona is more mediterranean. It was particularly influenced by the French and Italian cuisine. The balanced cuisine of Catalonia is also diverse: fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs, seafood, olive oil, fish, sausage and pork and veal is always available. The Escudella, pelota, galets, escalibada, calçotada, tapas, fideu , botifarra amb mongetes, bacall a la llauna, zarzuela, esqueixada, calçots, pesca to frito, boquerones en vinagre and rossejat de fideus are just a few of the many specialties. When you are eating, bread (with tomato, olive oil and salt) and white wine are a must in Barcelona.