Various,Barcelona travel guide

Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and the capital of the Spanish region of Catalonia, in the north eastern corner of the country. The city is located by the Mediterranean Sea and next to the Pyrenees mountains, enjoying the benefits of the sea and the mountain. The city has a population of over 1.5 million in habitants
Barcelona is probably the most famous city of Spain, although it is Madrid which is the capital of the country. It is also a polemic spot since the region of Catalonia is one of the most nationalist and independent of the country. This feature is especially noticeable in their speech, since Catalonia has its own language, and although both Spanish and Catalan are official languages most people will only use Catalan to communicate. Catalan is somehow similar to Spanish and it is not difficult to understand if you have some notions of "Castellano", as they usually call Spanish.

The streets of Barcelona have been carefully planned and the city map shows an organised array of squares where the streets are in straight lines. The centre of the city is crossed by La Rambla, the main avenue of the city, going from the Square of Catalunya to the Mediterranean sea and to the Old Port of the city.

Visiting the city you will discover astonishing works of architecture. In fact, the city has become a point of reference for architects from all over the world following the steps of the famous Antonio Gaudi, author of master pieces of the Spanish modernism such as the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, still unfinished today.

Barcelona is also known for being the city of the famous Camp Nou stadium and of the Barça football team.

One of the main achievements of the city was the hosting of the Olympic games in 1992, thanks to this event Barcelona became famous to the eyes of the world and is now one of the main tourist attractions of Spain. It also gaining importance as a business centre, benefiting from its strategic location and historical links with France and other Mediterranean countries.
The hosting of the Forum of cultures in 2004 was again a successful international event, this time focusing on culture and arts.
Barcelona and the surrounding areas can be an excellent beach destination; it enjoys a mild climate throughout the year, with an average temperature of 10ºC in winter and 25ºC in the summer, although rains are frequent.