from

barcelona, with love

Meet the team:

Jamie Charnock, 23, England

NATHEY POMAR, 21, AUSTRIA

RINA ELECCION, 18, GERMANY

LAURA TIMMANN, 22, GERMANY

Emma Pearce, 21, England

Johanna thoresen, 21, germany

Alana Breen, 23, Ireland.

BIENVENIDOS AMIGOS!

Welcome to Barcelona – the capital of Catalonia. This cosmopolitan city has a magnetic, cultural charm that remains un-broken with time. As one of the busiest ports on the Mediterranean, there are endless bars, cafes and restaurants where you can soak up

your spare time.

Although Barcelona is the second biggest city in Spain, it has the power to make you feel at home straight away. Give yourself the chance to get lost in its beauty whilst exploring the many different streets. Divided up into barrios or zones, it feels like lots of smaller towns, brought together. Each barrio has its own unique character drenched in history, however each section of the jigsaw that is Bar-celona, fits together perfectly meaning you never feel out of place or

uncomfortable.

As this guide will prove, there are many reasons why you should visit Barcelona at least once in your lifetime. As you browse through this guide, you will have your eyes opened to whole new Barcelona.

From tourist spots to hidden gems, we have it all for you!!So what are you waiting for? Get out there and explore…

A COLOURFUL HISTORY OF BARCELONA:

The origins of the name of Barcelona are unclear, but there are various legends about

the city’s foundation: Some people think that Barcelona was founded by Hercules;

another theory in the 3rd century BC refers to the Carthaginian General Hamilcar Bar-ca, Hannibal’s father, who named the city

Barcino after his family.

In 15 BC, the Romans established a military camp, centred on a hill

called Mons Taber, which was located near the Contemporary City Hall, Plaça de Sant

Jaume. The small colony was called Iulia Augusta Paterna Faventia Barcino.

The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early 5th century and became capital of the whole of Hispania. The Arabs con-quered the city in the 8th century and by

1137, all of Catalonia was under control of the Count of Barcelona.

From the 4th to the 13th century, a major expansion took place and a second wall was built around the Cathedral of Santa María

del Mar. The city’s growth increased by the beginning of the industrialisation and Barcelona flourished particularly because of the trade with former colonies, such as

Cuba and Costa Rica.

Nevertheless, the real expansion took place when the original walls were pulled down and the

area l’Eixample was constructed. This growing industrial prosperity was reflected in Barcelona’s architecture and the city also hosted the world exhibition in 1888. One of the most popular

architects at that time was the Catalan Antoni Gaudí, who designed buildings like the Sagrada

Familia or Parc Güell in Art Nouveau.Castile and Aragon were united when Isabella I of Castile married Ferdinand II of Aragon in

1469 and Madrid became the centre of political power.

As a consequence of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701 – 1714), the bourbon Philip V finally conquered Barcelona on September 11th

in 1714, which led to Catalonia losing its author-ity and political power.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Barcelona was transformed into a modern city, which came

to an abrupt end with a dramatic coup d’état against the government of the so called ‘Segun-

da República’ in 1936. The Spanish Civil War between Republicans and Nationalists, who were

led by General Francisco Franco, ended in the victory of the Nationalists in 1939. At that time, the autonomous institutions of Catalonia (Gen-eralitat de Catalunya) were abolished. Catalan

language was suppressed in public places,

schools and publishing and there was a lack of Catalan culture and identity. After 36 years of

Franco’s dictatorship, King Juan Carlos I came to power, which led to the transition to democracy. Catalonia’s Statute of Autonomy was recognized

in 1978.Barcelona gained international recognition by hosting the Olympic Games in 1992 and today, it’s considered one of the most popular tourist

destinations in the world.Catalonia and Independence

Due to the linguistic, historical and cultural differences in comparison to the rest of Spain, a lot of inhabitants define Catalonia as a nation. In a symbolic referendum in 2009, 95 per cent of the voters were in favour of Catalonia’s inde-pendence from Spain and wanted it to achieve statehood, but there was a low voter turnout (only 27 per cent). On Catalonia’s National

Holiday (‚La Diada’), 11 November 2013, hun-dreds of thousands of people demonstrated in

Catalonia for the independence from Spain and the right to decide about their future. To

draw attention to their claim to independence, they formed a human chain across Catalonia, with a remarkable length of 400 kilometres.

On 9 November 2014, Catalans want to hold a referendum on Catalonia’s political future and take a vote on the independence from Spain.

Getting around in barcelona.

The first thing you need to know about transport, and also the thing that may leave you most confused when arriving in

Barcelona, is how to get from the airport to the city.

There are many different ways to make this journey, including taxis, shuttle busses and trains. The taxi service, although relatively

cheap compared to most taxi services, would not be the recom-mended choice, as the airport offers much better options.

An “Aerobus” runs regularly between the airport and the city cen-tre, making it easy for visitors to make their flight with plenty of

time to spare! The cost of a single ticket is €5.75 and a return is well priced at €9.95 and lasts for 9 days, if you are staying in Barcelona

for a bit longer.

There is also a train that runs from the airport, however you will have to change to the metro when you get closer to Barcelona, which may not be a lot of fun when you’re dragging that per-

son-sized suitcase around in the heat!!

When it comes to getting around the city, there are many different transportation modes to keep you connected, and what’s even bet-ter is that you can use the same ticket on both the metro and buses

throughout Zone 1 of Barcelona.The TMB, or Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona, offers a wide variety of tickets. A T10 is a good option for short stay visitors, rea-sonably priced at around €10 this ticket allows you to have ten rides throughout your stay. Alternatively there is a T50/30 if you’re plan-ning on staying longer. This ticket allows you to make 50 journeys

over 30days for €42.50.If you’re not one for the hot and crowded metros, or even if you are, then you should definitely take the time to travel around Barcelona by foot. It is such a beautiful city and you can walk from one end of

the city to another in about an hour!

Plaça d’EspanyaAddress: Placa D‘Espanya

Metro: L3 EspanyaPrice: Varies depending on attraction

Opening Times: N/AWebsite: N/A

Plaça d’Espanya, also known as Plaza de Española in Spanish, is one of Barcelona’s biggest and busiest squares, with many of the city’s main

roads, for example, Gran Via, running through it. Built in 1929, it was to beco-me part of the site of the International Exposition, which celebrated

Catalan industry and progress and financed much of the construction around Montjuic. The centre point of the square is a beautiful fountain,

designed by Josep Maria Jujol, who collaborated frequently with Antoni Gau-di.

You can begin your journey of the Plaça at the Palau Nacio, the National Museum of Catalan Art, which stands regally on the side of Montjuic

Mountain. You can even have a nosey round the exhibition if you fancy seeing some of Catalonia’s most famous works of art, such as, Ramon Casas’ „Toros

(Cavalls morts) o A l‘estiu, tota cuca viu“ A student gets an attractive 30% discount and the museum is free on Saturdays after 3pm. The Palau boasts in-credible views of the square itself and there is never a better time to take in its

beauty than when it is lit at night, with the Font Magica in its wake.One of the square’s main attractions is the impressive Arenas de Barcelona.

This old Bullring is now home to a six-storey shopping centre, which is a Mec-ca for the local fashionistas. The unique viewing platform offers panoramic

views of Barcelona for only €1 and if you choose to eat on the rooftop terrace your entry fee is

reimbursed.

El parc de la cituadella

There are lots of gorgeous local parks in Barcelona, but el Parc de la Ciutadel-la is a parc young people have to visit. You may think it is just a stereotypical

touristic park, because of its location next to the Arc de Triomf, but you would be wrong.

For non-residents and locals the park builds an island of calmness, brimming with beautiful fountains and attractions, within the hustle and bustle of

the centre of Barcelona.You can see people sleeping like a log or doing sports and arts, which empha-sises the calm nature of this parc, as you can do whatever you want to do in peace and quiet. When you visit, there will always be the mix of tranquility

and serenity against the sound of drums, guitars and jolly people. In addition to that, you can hire a small boat and canoe through the parc’s lake or experience all the great artwork that is presented next to important

buildings like the Catalan Parliament or the monumental waterfall. You can spend hours in the parc without doing a thing or you can spend your time ex-

ploring all the many wonderful things that are on offer. El Parc de la Ciutadella is a beautiful and magical place that is well worth a visit!

Address: Avinguda del Marques de l‘ArgenteraMetro: L1 Arc de Triomf

Price: FreeOpening times: 10.00 - dusk

Website: N/A

Just a short walk from the metro station, visitors will find themselves on Car-rer d’Arístides Maillol looking up at the spectacular concrete giant that is the Camp Nou. Home to one of the world’s biggest clubs, this impressive stadium

is the largest in Europe, with a capacity of 99,354.The Camp Nou has been the FC Barcelona stadium since it’s opening in Sep-

tember 1957 and was designed by architects Francesc Mitjans Miró and Josep Soteras Mauri, however throughout the decades the ground has undergo-

ne many renovations, leaving the monumental shell that is present today.Entrance 9 gives you access to the Museum’s entrance, where you will undoub-

tedly notice the ticket sales queue, which are to be expected from one of the city’s most popular museums. To avoid being squeezed through the long run

of steel barriers with hundreds of other visitors, buy your tickets online before you arrive.

Once inside the museum boasts an impressive array of Cups, trophies and other memorabilia, including posters, worn kits, and even a letter of gratitude from Barack Obama himself. And just incase you needed a subtle reminder of quite how amazing this club is, big names such as Maradona, Cruyff and Messi

loom large upon the walls throughout the museum. Informative exhibits trace the club’s colourful history back to 1899, when it was

co-founded and chaired by Englishman Arthur Witty. The highpoint of the tour is the behind-the-scenes access you get. The club offers a once in a lifetime

chance to visit the press box with panoramic views of the stadium, the locker rooms where the players share their emotions on matches and the chapel where

many of the more religious team members go before entering the pitch. Although the tour does require patience, as you battle with Nikon cameras and tourists galore, it is a must see for anyone who appreciates the beautiful game.

Camp nou Address: Avinguda Aristedes MaillolMetro: L3 Palau Reial/L5 Collblanc

Camp Nou Experience: €22.50Opening Times: 9.30 – 7.30 (NOT open on Match Days)

Website: www.fcbarcelona.com

AquariumAddress: Moll d’Espanya del Port Vell, s/n 08039 – Barcelona

Metro Station: BarcelonetaPrice: €20 adult/€15 child/€5 toddlers

Opening Times: 9.30-21.00, weekend: 9.30-21.30, July and August: 9.30-23.00Website: www.aquariumbcn.com

The amazing aquarium of Barcelona, located in the Port Vell, opened in 1995. You can see over 11,000 different underwater creatures and 450 different species,

making it one of the largest aquariums in Europe. There are 35 different aquariums within the building, some smaller and some that are much bigger, some even have a large window built into them allowing

you to see the beautiful flowers and fauna in the Meditteranean sea. A special highlight is the glass tunnel that gives you the unique opportunity to see sharks and other creatures extremely close up. The aquarium even offers its visitors a once in a lifetime diving experience where you can swim alongside the

sharks with a qualified scuba diver, however this does cost a steep €300. Over every tank there is detailed information provided about the aquariums inhabitants, in English, Spanish and Catalan, making this a wonderful day out

for everyone!The aquarium is almost always pretty crowded so you need to leave enough time to get through the whole aquarium. Or why not buy your tickets online before you arrive? Not only will this save queuing but it will also save you €2 per ticket!

This wonderful, underwater adventure is a must see in Barcelona..

On the surface, Barcelona may seem like a model of the 21st century city, with a multicultural population and streets filled with arts, modernity and innova-tion. However lying two metres below ground are numerous refugis aeris, or public air raid shelters which were constructed during the Spanish Civil War.

Located in Poble Sec, El Refugi 307 is a fantastic example of just how far Barcelona has come. The 400 metre long tunnels bear testament to the years

between 1937 and 1939 when Barcelona became the first city in the world who-se civilian population was targeted by air attacks.

The shelter was numbered 307 by the civil defence organisation and when approaching its entrance at the bottom of Montjuïc, this number is displayed proudly on the door. Built to protect Barcelonans from the raids instigated by Franco and his army, the shelters were built under houses, in metro stations

and throughout the city, creating an underworld and involving great cooperati-on between the people of Barcelona.

El Refugi is a unique and moving experience that evokes a flood of feelings. You get the chance to discover what the living conditions were like within the

tunnels, see different rooms including toilets and temporary hospital area. Gui-ded tours are given in English, Spanish and Catalan making this hidden gem a

must see!

El Refugi 307Address: Carrer Nou de la Rambla, Poble Sec

Metro: L3 Para-lelPrice: €4.30 adult admission

Opening Times: Monday – Saturday only open to groups with advance reser-vations. Sundays: guided tours at 10.30, 11.30 and 12.30.

Website: http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/MUHBA---Refugi-307