Barcelona: the capital of Catalonia

General description

Barcelona is located in the northeast of Pyrenees Peninsula and it is the capital of Catalonia. There are about four million people with many immigrants. 

Barri Gotic (the old center of Barcelona) has a lot of cafes and shops. Gràcia is an interesting part crowded with students, intellectuals and artists and it is also a center of the bohemian life of Barcelona.

La Pedrera is a part of the city built for business people, their homes and offices. Montjuïc is a part of the city where you can find many galleries and a variety of places for fun and entertainment. Picasso Museum is dedicated to the work of this famous painter and it is divided according to the phases in which this artist created.

Transport

Buses: Buses are great means of transportation for tourists. City buses with air conditioning in any case make it easier to travel. You can use the T-10 or 1 euro for each ride. Tourist buses or Bus Turistico drive around all the major attractions for 14 Euros. Tickets can be bought on the bus, the news stations or tourist info centers. It drives in two lines and its home station is in the Plaza Catalonia. Red line or Nord Northern includes L’Eixample id Tibidabo while blue Sur allows you to see the Old Town and Montjuïc. These buses drive from 09 a.m. until 9.30 p.m. but are not in service during Christmas and New Year.

Metro: Metro is fast, efficient and clean. This is perhaps the best way to quickly come to the desired place. You can use the T-10 card (10 cards for the first zone).  Comparing it with the European standard, it is somewhat less developed but it still serves the city. Individual ticket is € 1.10 while the T-10 is about 6 €. Metro stations are easily identified by a red diamond with the letter M in four. Maps are available at every station and tourist information centers. Metro is available from 5 a.m. to midnight.

Trains: The main station is the Sants station which is located in the south of the city center. Other main stations are França and Plaça Catalunya. If you plan to go outside Barcelona, be sure to book a ticket in advance; shorter destinations do not need booking.  In Barcelona there are local trains – Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat similar to Metro, but driving by different routes. You can also use a T-10. Routes are showed in the subway map.

Walk: Barri Gòtic and surrounding streets are great for walking but it will be necessary to have quicker transport to come to La Sagrada Familia and Parc Güell.