1 Catalonia and Barcelona Interesting facts

Transcription

1 WELCOME PACK

2 INDEX 1

3 1 Catalonia and Barcelona Interesting facts Catalonia is one of the the most touristic communities of Spain. Around 8,4 million tourists visit Barcelona every year. Official languages are Catalan, Spanish and Aranese (in the Aran Valley); There are 9 World Heritage Sites in Barcelona such as the Parc Güell, the Sagrada Familia or the Palau de la Música Catalana. Barcelona is a global, cosmopolitan city because of its importance in finance, media, entertainment, art, international trade and tourism. The 1992 Summer Olympics brought a boost to the economic development % of Barcelona s population comes from outside of Spain, a proportion which has tripled since The FC Barcelona s stadium, Camp Nou, is the third largest in the world; INTERESTING SITES: Turismo de Barcelona Turismo de Cataluña 2 Phone Numbers and Contact Details Hopefully you ll find this overview of what you might expect from your time in Barcelona helpful. As for us, the Future Students Guidance Department of CETT-UB, we look forward to spend some unforgettable times with you! For any questions, doubts, further info and suggestions, please, feel free to contact us! Cristina Pérez cristina.perez@cett.cat Mónica Armstrong monica.armstrong@cett.cat Elena González elena.gonzalez@cett.cat Phone: (+34) Office: CETT UB Avinguda Can Marcet, th floor (at reception desk) 2

4 Emergency Numbers General emergency number Ambulance Police (Mossos d'esquadra) Municipal Police of Barcelona (Guàrdia Urbana) Fire Department Emergency Dentist or If there is a problem with your credit card and you need to block your card, call one of these numbers: American Express MasterCard Visa For any other information on telephone numbers you can contact the general municipal information centre: Identity Documents and Insurance Before going on your study trip, please check your identity papers thoroughly (expiration date, etc). Do not forget to make copies of all your important papers and store them in a special place in your luggage. All foreigners have the right to be treated in a public hospital in case of emergency. For minor health problems you can try any drugstore, where most of the medicine is sold freely without any prescription from a doctor. An accident insurance contracted by the CETT-UB covers accidents which may take place during the theoretical and practical classes. Furthermore, the insurance covers the journey the participants are to make daily between the Àgora BCN and the CETT institution where the lectures take place. In case of any problem please contact us: / It is advisable to obtain insurances before your departure that cover the following issues: Your health Travel (baggage) Accidents outside the education center 4 Weather in Barcelona Temp. in Celsius jan Average high 13,4 14,6 15,9 17,6 20,5 24,2 27,5 28,0 25,5 21,5 17,0 14,3 20,0 Daily mean 8,9 10,0 11,3 13,1 16,3 20,0 23,1 23,7 21,1 17,1 12,6 10,0 15,6 Average low 4,4 5,3 6,7 In jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec year Temp. Fahrenheit feb mar apr 8,5 may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec 12,0 15,7 18,6 19,3 16,7 12,6 8,1 5,7 year 11,1 Average high Daily mean Average low

5 5 What to bring along? Your hand luggage should contain: Identity papers (tickets, booking reservations, etc.) Tourist guide Camera Cell Phone and Notebook with charging devices This booklet with important addresses and numbers (Sun-)glasses Personal medicines In your luggage Light clothing (around 25 C in May and June) Comfortable shoes and sandals Bathing suit Adapter plug (230 V) First-aid kit 6 Financial Issues The currency used in Spain is the EURO ( ) There are several ways of managing the money issue, we have several suggestions but it is up to you: 1. Using travelers checks Buying travelers checks at your bank is quite a safe option. You sign them a first time at the bank where you purchase them and a second time when changing them into cash at a bank in Barcelona. 2. Using your credit card/cash card to withdraw cash from automatic cashiers (ATM) Many banks offer a cash card that works both as a credit card and a cash withdrawal card. Bear in mind that some banks need a previous note from the account owner to authorize international transactions so that the card can be used in Spain (or other country) without any problems. Be aware of the fixed commission you will have to pay every time you withdraw money. There are ATM s situated in the Arrival Hall of the Barcelona Airport and as well as all over the city. 3. Bringing cash in Euros and/or foreign currency It is a good idea to bring a small amount of Euros in cash with you to cover some of the initial expenses (such as a taxi-fare or a meal) until you can withdraw Euros at an ATM or change money at the bank. Bank opening hours Banks are usually open from Monday to Friday, varying from 08:00-8:30 and close between 14:00-14:30. Mind that all the banks are closed in the afternoon and at the weekend. 4

6 Some simple prices (Barcelona Center) Coffe with milk 1,25 / 1,80 Metro ticket (T10) 10,20 Lunch 15 / 25 Dinner 15 / 30 Ice cream Approximately 2 Entrance to a club 8 / 20 Beer (bar/club): 1,50 / 5 Long drink 6 / 10 Movie theater 8 / 10 7 Getting from the Aiport to Àgora BCN Arrival: When you arrive at the Barcelona airport and you do not have an organized transfer included in your program, consider different ways of getting to the Àgora international students residence: - How to get to the city center and the Agora BCN: Àgora BCN Residencia Universitària Internacional Passeig dels Castanyers, Barcelona Tel.: agora.info@cett.es 1. Taxi: From the Arrival Hall of the airport please follow the signs to the taxi stop. If you have a lot of luggage the taxi could be the most convenient means of transport. You will easily find taxis everywhere outside of Terminal 1 and 2. Depending on traffic, the ride to the city-centre takes around 30 minutes. The taxi driver is allowed to charge you a fee per luggage item. There is an extra fee for a ride on Sunday or during night time. One of the numbers to call a taxi is: Metro: The metro runs every day from 5am to 12am, except on Fridays it runs until 2am and on Saturdays it is open all night. 5

7 The L9 metro line connects the city to the main airport, Barcelona-El Prat, to both terminals: Aeroport-T1 o Aeroport-T2. This line ends at the Zona Universitària stop, which connects with the L3-green line. In Zona Universitària you ll want to change to the L3-green line and go in the direction of Trinitat Nova and get off at the stop MUNDET. For more information: In the event you do not arrive in time to catch the last metro, night buses (NitBus) are also available from all main bus stations, for example, the ones in Plaça Catalunya. The one that leaves Plaça Catalunya and arrives in Mundet is the N4, which runs every twenty minutes between 11:10pm 5:30am. 6

8 3. Aerobus: The Aerobús offers a fast connection to the city centre. The buses leave every seven minutes from both terminals to Plaça Catalunya, starting at 5:35 in the morning until 1:00 at night. Buses from Plaça Catalunya to the airport leave from 5:00 in the morning until 0:30 at night, every 5-15 minutes. The duration of the ride is about 35 minutes. A one-way ticket will cost you 5,90, a return ticket (15 days valid) 10,20. Tickets can be bought in the bus or from the vending machines. You could also take the TMB-autobus number 46 and the Autobús nocturno N17 which costs just 2,15, but takes much longer. Upon arrival in Plaça Catalunya, follow the Metro-signs (depicted left). 4. Train: The information telephone number for trains is (+34) Trains are scheduled to leave for the city centre each half hour, going from 5:42 until 23:38. Participants who arrive in the airport s Terminal 1 must take a free shuttle bus to get to the train station which is located close to Terminal 2. At the Renfe-train station you can buy a T-10 TMB ticket (for 10 rides) at 10,20. This ticket can be used within the city The train takes about 26 minutes to the city centre. It s convenient to get off the train at Passeig de Gracia, where you can easily change to the metro (Green line = L3) to the Àgora Residence and the CETT school building. - Connecting from Aerobus/Train: Upon arrival in Plaça Catalunya (bus) or Passeig de Gràcia (train), follow the signs to the green metro line, heading Trinitat Nova. With a T-10 ticket (Zone 1, 10 rides = 9,95 ; single ticket = 2,15 ) you can pass the gates and take the last step towards your destination, Mundet. To remember: metro works everyday from 5:00a.m. until 12:00p.m. Friday nights, is available until 2 a.m. and Saturdays all night long. For more information: In case you re out at night and miss the last metro, night buses are available at main bus stations, such as Plaça Catalunya (N4, 23:10-05:30, every 20 minutes). 7

9 - From Mundet station to Àgora BCN When you exit the metro, head towards the escalators and take the exit to your right after passing the gates. After you have reached street level, you are already on the other side of the Ronda de Dalt. Turn to the right again, take the pedestrian crossing and walk about 100 meters (you will see sport fields on your left). Take the first road on the left, Passeig dels Castanyers. After another 200 meters uphill and passing the Velodrome on your right you will reach your final destination. The walk from the metro station takes between 5-10 minutes. The staff at the reception will take care of you. 8 Àgora BCN If you want to have a quick look at what will be your home in Barcelona, please, visit the residence s website: Àgora offers a wide range of facilities and services such as: Spacious, luminous and exterior rooms, with private bathroom, air conditioning, heating, study table, wardrobe, cable Internet connection and TV output; Cleaning, changing towels and sheets once a week, all provided by the residence; Study rooms with natural light to study and work in teams (computers and printers); Multipurpose room with table football, table tennis, billiard and TV room where guests can relax, chat with friends or read A fitness room to work out, as well as a sports field (soccer, basketball, badminton, volleyball); ÀGORA BCN is smoke-free. No smoking is allowed throughout the building including the bedrooms. You can only smoke in the outer parts of the building (terrace and gardens). The residence is open 24 hours per day. Every resident has his own key to access his room 8

10 8.1 Daily Schedule Please get up on time so you can have breakfast before going to the classes. Breakfast is served from 6.30h to 10.00h (weekend: 7.30h to 10.30h). You will need no more than minutes to get from Àgora to the CETT-UB building. At around (depending on the course and teacher) there is a short coffee break. Lunch is served from 13.30h to 15.30h (weekend: 13.30h to 15.00h) Dinner at the Àgora Residence is served from 20.00h to 22.30h (weekend: 20.00h to 22.00h). You will be weekly informed about any additional activities, visits or excursions organized in the afternoon. For free afternoon ideas, please have a look at the following chapters. 9 Public Transportation Types of transport: Metro: It has 11 lines. Over 90% of the stations and all the trains of the metro network are specially adapted for people with reduced mobility. Bus: Links available to other bus lines and other transportation systems will be reported and the main stops have screens with actual waiting time until the next bus. The network operated by Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) buses are fully accessible for people with reduced mobility. Tram: It is the operator of Trambesòs and Trambaix circulating in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. It has a fleet of 41 trams on the network -23 Trambaix and 18 of Trambesòs- circulating on the six lines operating. Train (Renfe): The Barcelona commuter rail network is a key part of the public transport system in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. The network built radially connects Barcelona with other cities in the metropolitan area. Ferrocarril (FGC): Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya is a railway company that operates several unconnected lines in Catalonia and some neighborhoods of Barcelona with the city center. 9

11 Tip for a ONE MONTH STAY T 50/30 ticket An individual travel card valid for 50 intermodal journeys in 30 consecutive days from the first validation. In the case of one-zone cards, passengers have 75 minutes between the first and last validation when changing lines or mode of transport. This time increases by 15 minutes for each zone. Points of sale: TMB bus and metro automatic vending machines With this title you can travel withing the area of Barcelona in any of the above services. TMB information and customer service centres (Punt TMB) Other Integrated Fare System operators (stations) Servicaixa Other operators' information centres Price: 1 zona: 43,50 For shorter stays than one month, we recommend to buy the T-10 (10 package travel), valid for travel by subway, bus and train within Barcelona city: ZONE 1: Price: Points of sale: TMB bus and metro automatic vending machines TMB customer service and information centres (Punt TMB) Other Integrated Fare System operators (stations) Servicaix Other operators' information centre 10

12 10 Barcelona Tourist Attraction and Excursion Tourist Office Número de teléfono central: (+34) Plaça de Catalunya Plaça de Catalunya, 17 Monday to Sunday: 8.30am to 8.30pm. Plaça Sant Jaume Carrer de la Ciutat, 2 Monday to Friday: 8.30am-8.30pm. Saturdays: 9am-7pm. Sundays & hollydays: 9am-2pm. Estació de Sants Pl. dels Països Catalans, s/n Monday to Sunday: 8am - 8pm. La Rambla: It is a long boulevard which connects the Columbus (Colón in Spanish) Monument at the harbor with Plaça Catalunya. Apart from famous tiny stalls selling flowers, newspapers, birds and other exotic animals, you can come across a lot of mimes and street artists. The Mercat de la Boqueria is situated close to the metro station Liceu (L-3 green line) and is definitely worth a visit. There are fruit-stands everywhere and you stroll along the different food sections. As you walk on you will pass the Gran Teatre de Liceu, the city s opera house. At the point where La Rambla gets to the sea you will see the Columbus Monument, there is actually an elevator inside of the tower, a journey to the top costs 5,10. From here you will enjoy a nice panoramic view over the Ramblas and the harbor. This is an interesting place to see and it attracts a lot of tourists each year. However, make sure you follow the safety tips described in this information booklet! Port Vell: Just behind the Columbus Monument the Port Vell (Old Port) begins. Here is the Maremagnum Shopping Centre (open even on Sunday!), a modern leisure zone with bars, restaurants, shopping arcades, the Barcelona Aquarium and an Imax Cinema. From here you can take a boat excursion on one of the golondrinas which takes you around the harbor and along the Port Olímpic where the sailing events of the 1992 Olympic Games took place (cost: 6,50-11 depending on the length of the tour). 11

13 Barceloneta and Port Olímpic: From the Port Vell you can walk along the seafront towards the old fishermen district: Barceloneta. Nowadays it offers a wide range of fish restaurants and cosy bars. It has a nice beach, which was created as part of the city s preolympics regeneration program. The area is overlooked by two impressive five star hotels: the Arts at the Olympic Harbor and the W at the opposite end. All these places have become Barcelona s residence of choice for celebrities visiting the city. Here you can discover another magnificent view of the city, as long as you are not afraid of heights. The Transbordador Aeri is a cable car linking La Barceloneta with the Montjuïc Mountain. A single ride costs 6,50 and 9,30 for a roundtrip. Montjuïc and La Font Màgica: From the Montjuïc Mountain, which housed the 1992 Olympic Games, you will have some of the most stunning views over the city. Furthermore, two important museums, the Museu Nacional d Art de Catalunya and the Fundació Joan Miró, are located in this area. There are various ways to get up the mountain: Take the green or red metro lines to Plaça d Espanya and climb the steps. An internationally famous fountain La Font Magica offers a spectacular show of water, light and music (Thursday until Sunday nights every 30 minutes starting at 9:00 pm). At metro station Paral.lel you take the cable car (funicular) up the Montjuïc Mountain. Barri Gòtic: The Gothic Quarter it is east of La Rambla, and consists of medieval houses and gothic buildings that date back to the 14th and 15th century. The main tourist attractions are a magnificent gothic cathedral, the Ajuntament (Town Hall), the Palau de la Generalitat (seat of the Catalan Government) and the Plaça del Rei. Book some tickets in advance for the Palau de la Música Catalana, a world heritage site offering concerts of Spanish and foreign musicians Tibidabo Mountain: For some thrilling action and a breathtaking view, take the Tramvia Blau up the hill to Barcelona s amusement park. For more information: 12

14 Weekend Excursions: Girona Walk along the famous historic center of the city with all its hidden courtyards and the impressive cathedral. Have a coffee at one of the café on the river bank. Figueres The birthplace of the artist Salvador Dalí. This place attracts many visitors throughout the year. The TeatreMuseu Dalí has captivating exterior architecture and houses, the largest and most diverse collection of works by Salvador Dalí Montserrat Mountain and Monastery Santa Maria de Montserrat is a Benedictine abbey located in the Montserrat Mountain. It hosts the Virgin of Montserrat, and the publications de l Abadia de Montserrat, a publishing house, the oldest press in the world, still running, with the first book published in Montserrat is situated at merely 48 kilometers west of Barcelona and can be reached by train and cable car. Castelldefels Is a little town 20 minutes south of Barcelona known for its beaches. You can take the metro (green line) to Passeig de Gracia and follow the signs to the trains. You can use your T-10 card again as Castelldefels still belongs to Zone 1. Every hour at :08 and :38 leaves a train which can take you to the Castelldefels Playa Here you can stroll along the beach, enjoy the heat of the Spanish sun and the warmth of the turquoise water. 11 Typical Food It is based on the ingredients found along the Mediterranean coast such as fresh vegetables (tomato, garlic, egg plant, bell pepper, etc.) wheat, mushrooms, olive oil, wines, all sorts of pork preparations, variations of cheese, poultry, lamb and many types of fish. Catalan-style cod (with raisins and pine nuts) Escalivada (grilled vegetables with olive oil) Escudella (a stew, it may be served as a soup with pasta filled with minced meats and vegetables, or first the soup and then the rest) Ollada or "Putxero" (Meat and vegetable stew) Esqueixada or "Esgarrat" (salted cod salad with tomato and onion) Mongetes amb botifarra (beans and pork sausage) Pa amb tomàquet (bread smeared with an olive oil and tomato sauce) Tonyina en escabetx (tuna fish escabeche) Suquet de peix (a seafood casserole) Savoury Coca (pastry) Embotits, a generic name for different kinds of cured pork meat, including Fuet (a characteristic type of dried sausage) and Salchichón or Llonganissa (salami). Calçots (specially cultivated onions, grilled and served as a "Calçotada") Crema Catalana 13

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