Barceloneta: the beach side of Barcelona
History:
Barceloneta or ‘little Barcelona’ is a part of Barcelona. Centuries ago, fishermen settled in this area. It was a poor part of the city, with narrow streets and small houses. When the people rose against the King Felipe V, he decided to punish them. He ordered them to build a fortress on the place where their houses stood. People demolished their houses and built a fortress – a park today.
How to get there:
It is easy to get to Barceloneta on foot. This area is about 15 minutes away from the city center. Those who do not like to walk can take a subway to Barceloneta – the yellow line, L4. The best sightseeing of Barceloneta can be done while riding a bike. Tourists can hire a bicycle and drive along the seaside as well.
Places to visit:
This part of Barcelona has many attractions to offer to the tourists. It is located in the Port Vell center, the Aquarium is the main attraction in Barceloneta. Apart from the aquarium in Genoa, this is one of the biggest aquariums in the whole of Europe. This place is a home for thousands of animals: sharks, dolphins, small fish, penguins.
It has a special passage for the visitors to watch these animals while they are swimming around. For the ticket, that costs 16 €, visitors get a lot of entertainment. Barceloneta has another place full of animals. It is a zoo. Several years ago, this zoo was very famous because of the albino gorilla, Snowflake. Today, this gorilla is no longer alive, but the zoo is still the place that has a lot to show like the scientific museum.
Another attraction in Barceloneta is the Park de la Ciutadella. This huge park grew on a spot where the fortress stood before. Since the people hated the fortress, they demolished majority of its walls in the 19th century. From the old fortification, remained only a church and some parts of the walls. Nowadays, there is a zoo, museum and a lake in the park.
The Catalan Parliament is located there as well. Barceloneta has two museums. Those are Catalonia’s Museum of History and Museum of Natural History. Children particularly like the second one. It displays a rain forest that can be seen from all the perspectives and even from below.
Beach and a promenade:
Barceloneta also has a lovely sandy beach. The beach is covered with yellow sand and has all the necessary facilities. Along the beach there is a promenade with many restaurants. Many locals still earn their money by fishing, so these restaurants are the perfect places to enjoy the sea food. When the night falls, bars and restaurants become the places that are crowded by the tourists. Apart from the delicious meals and fine domestic wine, they have the opportunity to enjoy the lovely music.