Barcelona Vacations


	Capital of Catalonia, Barcelona has long been dubbed "La Gran Encisera" -- the Great Enchantress. Little wonder: with the bustle of the world's busiest seaport, the medieval romance of its Gothic Quarter, and a feast of Catalan Art Nouveau buildings -- including the great creations of Antonio Gaudí -- Barcelona remains one of the most eye-knocking cities in Europe. Barcelona has always been ambitious, decidedly modern (even in the 2nd century), and quick to accept the most recent innovations. Its democratic form of government harks back to the so-called Usatges Laws, which were instituted by Ramon Berenguer I in the 11th century and amounted to a constitution. This code of privileges represented one of the earliest known examples of democratic rule, while Barcelona's Consell de Cent (Council of One Hundred), constituted in 1274, was Europe's first parliament and is the true cradle of Western democracy. The city's palette is vivid and variegated: the glow of stained glass in the penumbra of the Barri Gòtic; Gaudí's mosaic-encrusted, undulating facades; the chromatic mayhem at the Palau de la Música; Miró's now universal blue and crimson shooting stars. Then, of course, there is the physical setting of the city, crouched cat-like between the promontories of Montjuïc and Tibidabo, between the Collserola hills and the 4,000-acre port. Obsessed with playful and radical interpretations of everything from painting to theater to urban design and development, Barcelona consistently surprises itself in its constant quest for emotion and self-renewal. Barcelona related links: Barcelona Hotels \| Barcelona Vacation Specials Barcelona Romantic Getaways \| Barcelona Family Vacations Barcelona Honeymoon Vacations \| Europe Vacations

Weather & When to Go

May and October are the optimal times to come to Spain, as the weather is generally warm and dry. May gives you more hours of daylight, while October offers a chance to enjoy the harvest season, which is especially colorful in the wine regions. In April you can see some of Spain's most spectacular fiestas, particularly Semana Santa (Holy Week).

Spain is the number-one destination for European travelers, so if you want to avoid crowds, come before June or after September. Crowds and prices increase in the summer, especially along the coasts, as the Mediterranean is usually too cold for swimming the rest of the year, and beach season on the Atlantic coast is shorter still. Spaniards vacation in August, and their migration to the beach causes huge traffic jams on August 1 and 31. Major cities are relaxed and empty for the duration; small shops and some restaurants shut down for the entire month, but museums remain open.

Attractions & Excursions

Barcelona is made up of three main zones. The old city (Ciutat Vella) lies between Plaça de Catalunya and the port and breaks down into the Rambla; the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter); the Barri de la Ribera (Waterfront Quarter); the Raval, or medieval "outskirts" west of the Rambla; and Barceloneta, the old fishing quarter.

Above the old city is the grid-patterned expansion built after the city's third set of walls was torn down in 1860. Known as the Eixample ("Widening"), this area contains most of Barcelona's Moderniste architecture. Farther out are the former outlying towns of Gràcia, Sarrià, and Pedralbes, and looming up behind are Tibidabo and the Collserola hills. South of Barcelona proper lies the hill of Montjuïc, on which are several of the sights most worth seeing.

Entertainment

Daily events in the arts scene race headlong from 7 o'clock lectures and book presentations, inauguraciones and vernissages (art show openings), and events to 9 o'clock concerts, theater, and dance events. And then, sometime after 1 or 2 in the morning, the nightlife kicks in. Walking through Barcelona's Olympic Port music bar and disco row at midnight is like visiting a ghost town or an empty movie set, but by 3 in the morning on Fridays and Saturdays, it's packed solid with humanity.

Barcelona is well known for avant-garde theater and for troupes that specialize in mime, large-scale performance art, and special effects. Most plays are performed in Catalan, though some are in Spanish. Foreign films are usually dubbed, although the city has a full complement of original-language cinema houses; look for listings marked v. o. (versión original). Barcelona is also a city with many concert, recital, and opera venues. Check local newspapers for listings.

Cabarets, nigthclubs, and dance clubs really get going around 10 and sometimes stay open all night. They are well distributed around town, and if you can't find one, check a newspaper or ask the concierges for information.

Shopping

Shopping in Barcelona's design emporiums, fashion mills, and knickknack shops is more like museum browsing than going on a buying spree, although it can, of course, be both. Places like Vinçon and BD delight the eye and stimulate the imagination nearly as quickly as they inhibit your credit card draw (design is expensive). Passeig de Gràcia is becoming known as one of the great shopping avenues in the world, while searching through Barcelona's antiques district along Carrer de la Palla is always an adventure. The shops opening daily around Santa Maria del Mar in the Barri de la Ribera range from Catalan and international design artifacts of all kinds to Moroccan ceramics to high fashion to nuts and spices, while the megastores in Plaça de Catalunya, along the Diagonal, and in L'Illa, farther west, are commercial free-for-alls selling everything under the sun.

For high fashion, browse carefully through Passeig de Gràcia and the Diagonal between Plaça Joan Carles I and Plaça Francesc Macià. For music, books, sports, clothes, and food, try L'Illa shopping center on the Diagonal west of Entença or El Triangle in Plaça de Catalunya at the head of the Rambla. Antiques shopping alone could keep you booked solid in Barcelona, with two dozen of the best shops in the Gothic Quarter, another 70 shops off Passeig de Gràcia in the Bulevard dels Antiquaris, and more in Gràcia and Sarrià.

Barcelona's prime shopping districts are the Passeig de Gràcia, Rambla de Catalunya, the Plaça de Catalunya, Porta de l'Àngel, and Avinguda Diagonal up to Carrer Ganduxer.

Dining

Over the last 30 years, Barcelona and Catalonia have undergone an important renaixença in all areas of cultural and artistic endeavor, the culinary arts perhaps foremost among them. Be prepared for mouthwatering and tongue-twisting specialties such as the minimandonguilles amb tomaquet concassé (mini-meatballs with crushed tomato) or the llom de xai al cardomom amb favetes a la menta (lamb with cardamom and broadbeans with mint).

The only problem with food and wine in this city is its abundance. Dining heartily twice a day and taking full advantage of the tapas hour requires some management. The Spanish breakfast on little more than coffee. A mid-morning snack might include a small tortilla de patata sandwich. Lunch, served between 2 and 4 in the afternoon -- preceded by an aperitivo -- is generally considered the main meal of the day. The workday lasts until at least 8, after which it's time for the itinerant tapeo. Finally, at 9:30 or 10, comes dinner, which is often festive and can last into the wee hours.

Lodging: Hotels & Accommodations

Barcelona's luxury hotels are located convenient to many landmarks and shopping. Enjoy a Barcelona vacation package at the top luxury hotels!
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	Barcelona's Old City Wander the charming back streets of the old city, with its boutiques, antique stores, and ancient fortifications. Passeig de Gracia Avenue Visit Barcelona's Passeig de Gracia, and stop for a photograph in front of the unique apartment building and promenades of Spain's most celebrated architect, Gaudi Picasso Museum View more than 3,500 paintings, sculptures and drawings of Pablo Picasso.