Picture This: Barcelona
Contents: Introduction...3 Meet the Team...4 History...5 Transport...7 Survival Guide...8 Keeping it Classic...10 in the green...19 Explore the streets...27 Come and Visit Barcelona! It s Amazing! at the beach...36 Feeling the night vibes...43 2
Introduction When our group first arrived in Barcelona, we thought we could conquer the city in three weeks. How naïve. Whether you are wandering the knot of narrow streets in the Gothic Quarter or feeling breezy on your bicycle at Barceloneta beach, there is always another word-class bar, café or restaurant nearby to try (and fail) at resisting, or a museum, art gallery or shop brimming with unique and totally bizarre, depending on your approach knickknacks and treasures. The seemingly limitless depth and breadth of Barcelona life shouldn t have come as such a surprise. Barcelona is the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean coast, the capital of the autonomous Catalonia and, as a towering tourist destination, a city that excels at keeping its nine million expected visitors in 2015 enchanted. It checks almost everything a dream city should: shopping, beaches, mountains, nightlife, culture and a fabulous atmosphere. If that isn t enough, the creations of Antoni Gaudí, who apparently decided he was solely responsible for designing all of Barcelona s icons, saturates the city with boundless vitality and charm. Such powerful designs partnered with a communal, grassroots spirit means Barcelona feels like a city raring to live and survive - as it did in the Spanish Civil War and will continue to in its debate over Catalan independence, and as to whether the ballooning tourism industry is a threat or blessing. Barcelona is a changing, colourful city. Wherever and whenever you visit, its vibrant, joyous undercurrent is impossible not to feel and enjoy when you re not dizzy on Mojitos and sunbathing, that is. 3
Meet the Team :) 21 from England - Barcelona Highlight: Shake dat ting 20 from England - Barcelona Highilght: Sclub 7 all day every day Jess - Layout/writer 21 from England - Barcelona Highlight: Sobbing at food Alice - Editor/writer 18 from germany - Barcelona Highlight: WHen everyone walks Lenny runs Mimi - Editor/Writer 24 from germany - Barcelona Highlight: Exploring the streets Lenny - LAyout/writer 22 from Scotland - Barcelona Highlight: Spending her birthday with the CTR family! Kathi - writer Becca - Illustrator/Writer 4
History - The top 10 1) Roman Rule 2 nd Century BC City is known as Barcino and ruled by the Romans, at the time their largest territory outside of Rome itself. Control of city passed successively to the Visigoths, Moors then Franks. 2) Expansion 988-1276 Borrell II grants the region autonomy and declares it the County of Barcelona. Area increases in land but decreases in power by absorption into federation with Aragon in 1137, followed by I s reconquest of the Balearic Islands, Valencia, Menorca and Mallorca from the Moors. 3) Reapers War 1640-1659 Land workers revolt against the Castilian King Felipe IV, who had been demanding they supply grain for troops involved in the 30 Years War against France. Resulted in construction of Castell de Montjuïc, and the separation of Catalonia which continues to this day. War song Dels Segadores (Of the Reapers) is now the Catalan national anthem. 4) Spanish War of Succession 1701-1714 Charles II dies without an heir, leading to a great deal of uncertainty and conflict surrounding the identity of the next monarch. Catalans offer support to the Habsburg family, who lose the throne to Bourbon Philip V, resulting in the loss of the region s self-government and an array of special rights. 5
5) Autonomy 1932 Catalan gains autonomy, having recovered from Napoleonic War bombings to develop into Spain s most advanced and important city during the 19 th Century Industrial Revolution. 6) Civil War 1936-1939 Conflict between Republicans loyal to the left-leaning Second Spanish Republic, and the Franco-led Nationalists, erupts into bloody civil war lasting three years and claiming 500,000 lives. 7) Franco s Dictatorship 1939-1975 General Franco rules Spain, brutally suppressing the Catalan language and way of life, until his death of natural causes in 1975. Succeeded by King Juan Carlos I, who begins a process of democratisation. 8) 1979 Catalan autonomy Catalonia declared an autonomy which should be recognised as its own nationality. Catalan named region s joint official language with Castilian Spanish. 9) 1992 Summer Olympic Games Successful hosting bid sparked a mass movement of urban development. Redevelopment of areas such as Barceloneta beach leads to a tourist resurgence in the city. 10) 2012 Independence Movement Movement for Catalan independence grows post-economic crisis. On 11 th September 1.5 million people attend a pro-independence demonstration in Barcelona city centre. 6
Transport Dipping into your prospective favourite town without a skateboard or rollerblades under your feet will soon make you feel like a heck of an uncool tourist, but don t worry, there are other opportunities to get around, albeit you ve missed the chance to do it in a wicked way. Barcelona is a relatively small city, so visitors will probably find themselves walking between the majority of their destinations. But for journeys of a longer distance, or just those with aching feet, there are plenty of convenient, affordable public transport options. Taxis Far more affordable than in most major cities, taxis are an easy option, and fairly cost-effective if split between several people (tel.: +34 933222222 or +34 933033033). Buses Main station at Plaça de Catalunya Circulate approximately from 5:30 am till 22:00/23:00 pm Extensive network of night buses runs until 05:30am Single ticket 2,15 More information and route maps at www.tmb.cat/en/linies-de-bus Metro 11 colour-coded lines Single ticket 2,15 Runs until 00:00am Sunday-Thursday, until 02:00am on Fridays and 24 hours on Saturdays. Tickets can be purchased at all metro stations which can be easily identified by the red M More information and line maps at www.tmb.cat/en/linies-de-metro Tickets T-Día 7,60 Unlimited trips for a full day on bus and metro T-10 10 journeys for 9,95 Can be used on buses and metros Can be shared between multiple people Hola BCN! Unlimited single person travel card designed for visitors Valid on bus, metro, tram, local train and regional train Additional discounts in some attractions and souvenir shops Ranges from 2 days for 14,00 to 5 days for 30,00 http://www.tmb.cat/en/barcelona-travel-card 7
The Survival guide Catalan Identity Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a region almost unique in its level of autonomy and culture, distinct from the majority of Spain as a whole. Many Catalans think of themselves as part of a separate nation altogether - the region already has its own Parliament - and the recent economic crisis has resulted in strong movements urging for a legally-binding independence referendum. Language Catalan is the official language of Catalonia, and is in many ways as similar to French and Italian as it is to traditional Castilian Spanish. Almost everyone in the region speaks both Catalan and Castilian, and most in the tourist industry will also have a good command of English Good morning Good afternoon Good night Goodbye Please Thank you Where is? The bill Key Phrases Spanish Buenas días Buenas tardes Buenas noches Adiós Por favor Gracias Dónde está? La cuenta Catalan Bon día Bona tarde Bona nit Adeu Si us plau Merci/Gracies On és? El compte English. It is still polite, however, to try to use basic Catalan for greetings and pleasantries, and this small effort will earn you a lot of respect from the locals. p.s coffee saves lives! 8
Safety When you tell people you re off to Barcelona, most will immediately reply with a warning about pickpockets and an anecdote or five about friends who ve been left without phones/wallets/passports. We won t tell you they re lying; Barcelona Choose a bag that fastens securely and can be held in front of you. Keep valuables out of sight at all times, and leave any money you don t need at home. Pay particular attention at metro stations and popular, crowded attractions. Don t switch off in cafes or restaurants, put your belongings somewhere you can see or feel them. Don t let yourself be distracted; thieves use scams like trying to sell you flowers or pretending to help you wipe dirt of your jacket in order to gain access to your pockets. Try not to look like a tourist avoid map reading in the streets, and try to emulate the Catalan style of dress i.e. avoid shorts and flip-flops. does definitely have a big problem with petty theft, and probably does merit its reputation as the pickpocket capital of the world. This doesn t mean, however, that you should immediately cancel your flights, or spend your whole stay in your hotel room, sat in front of the safe with a baseball bat. What it does mean is that you should be careful, savvy and aware at all times, and use your common sense.... And Icecream!! 9
Keeping it classic The title says it all: we re keepin it classic in this chapter of our travel guide and no, you won t be bored to tears while reading it that s a promise (but if you still do so, just switch to another chapter and hope for the best)! Basically the upcoming reviews are all about ageless and traditional sights tight-knit to Spain s second largest city. And that s probably why you might have heard of most of them already. Nonetheless you live and learn and there are still interesting stories to tell. Enjoy this section as a treasury of places that your friends and family will quiz you about when you re back home, so read attentively and get to see them! 10