Barcelona City Guide

This brief Barcelona City Guide is intended to give you an introduction to Spain's most buzzing city.

Barcelona is great for live street art and performance. You'll find open air theatre all along the Las Ramblas boulevard with jugglers and singers, dancers and magicians, puppet shows and pavement artists galore. La Ramblas also is home to the wax museum, the Christopher Columbus monument, the Palau de la Virreina, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, and the St Josep la Boqueria Market. Las Ramblas boulevard is about 1.2 kilometres long and is close to the Gothic Quarter.

The world famous Las Ramblas boulevard is about 1.2 kilometres long and runs between Placa Catalunya at one end and Port Vell at the other. Las Ramblas is also very close to the Gothic Quarter - which the locals call the Barri Gotica. The gothic quarter is famed for its original medieval architecture and for its overall ambience. Cars are restricted and the whole area is pretty much given over to the pedestrian. Its probably true of most of Barcelona's city centre to say that it is best accessed on foot.

There are a number of pleasant beaches in and around the city. The southernmost of these beaches, Platja de Nova Icaria, is the busiest and is filled with opportunities for you and your children to have hours of fun. Price is reasonable and a trip here won't break the bank

Barcelona has a great variety of hotels with everything ranging from simple one person small rooms all the way up to biggest world class five-star luxury suites. You can also rent an apartment in Barcelona for a short stay of a day or two or for a longer holiday or vacation break. One thing is always true about Barcelona hotels - you can expect the best service. At the end of the day they want your money and will go to great lengths to keep you coming back.

At the luxury end of the market you should take a look at the Hotel Arts, which is owned by the Palace Carlton group. It offers modern, high-quality accommodation and has a location to die for - right on the sea front. Another large hotel (with large prices too unfortunately) is the Meridien Hotel on Las Ramblas - one of the most central locations in the city. You could also try the Palace Hotel - located near to the Placa Catalunya - it offers good value for money and should provide you with a good location to explore the city on foot.

As for eating and drinking well - tapas of course are Spain's great culinary gift to the world -and are a very good way to keep your budget down while you are eating in Barcelona. Go for Tapas as a quick and easy snack type meal or order a banquet and tuck in. There are literally thousands of tapas bars and cafes around the city.It's also worth watching out for restaurants that offer Tourist Menu's - specially adapted and specially priced selections that are often to be found posted outside. The range is not as extensive as it might be but the value is great and the food usually decent enough.

Don't miss the chance to visit Barcelona - you'll love all that she has to offer.