- Currency: Euro (€)
- Language: Catalan, Spanish
- Key phrase to learn: Donde está la parada del metro mas cerca? (Where is the nearest metro stop?)
- Time difference: Barcelona is one hour ahead of London
- Average flight time: Two hours
- International phone code: +34
- Emergency services number: 112
- Public holidays: New Year's Day (January 1), Epiphany (January 6), Good Friday (Friday before Easter Sunday), Easter Monday (Monday after Easter Sunday), Labour Day (May 1), St John’s Day/San Juan (June 24), Assumption Day (August 15), National Day of Catalonia (September 11), National Day (October 12), All Saints’ Day (November 1), Constitution Day (December 6), Immaculate Conception Day (December 8), Christmas Day (December 25), St Stephen’s Day (December 26).
- Link to FCO travel advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain
Why go to Barcelona
Barcelona holidays really do have it all. If you can't decide between a beach-going short break, a hiking holiday or a cultural trip in 2016 or 2017, you don't have to in Barcelona.
Sprawling between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains, the Catalan capital offers a mix of natural wonders and buzzing city life.
During a Barcelona break, you can hit the sands in the morning before the crowds arrive, then discover the city’s architectural gems and museums by day, before sampling a plethora of irreverent bars at night. What more could you ask for?
Sprawling between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains, the Catalan capital offers a mix of natural wonders and buzzing city life.
During a Barcelona break, you can hit the sands in the morning before the crowds arrive, then discover the city’s architectural gems and museums by day, before sampling a plethora of irreverent bars at night. What more could you ask for?
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The bohemian barrios of Barcelona
Most major cities boast about the charms of their different neighbourhoods, but a trip to Barcelona prove its main barrios really are distinct.
In 1714, the Old City was walled in after Catalonia picked the wrong side in the War of Spanish Succession. Only in the late 19th century did Barcelona expand naturally. Then, the modern, wide boulevards of Eixample were constructed, connecting the old barrios of El Born and Gotic to what were then separate towns, Sants and Gracía. The latter is one of the city's main bohemian outposts, and proud of it.
Architectural triumphs
It was during this fever of construction that some of the city’s most famous landmarks were built. Barcelona had become one of Europe's intellectual and cultural hubs, nurturing the likes of Picasso and Antoni Gaudí.
Gaudí was the pioneer of Catalan Modernism, a curious architectural style that combined elements of Art Nouveau with more sculptural facades that bordered on the surreal. As well as his notorious work-in-progress, Sagrada Familia, and the magical green space of Park Güell, check out La Pedrera's undulating walls on your Barcelona trip, and the multi-coloured, scaly-roofed Casa Battló.
Passeig de Gracía is Eixample's most important thoroughfare and is home to the swankiest bars and restaurants in Barcelona.
Many of the tourists who come on a party-minded break to Barcelona stick to the seafront area, but the hippest district right now is rough-and-ready Raval, with its multicultural vibes, edgy bars and cheap Barcelona stays.
It's in El Born though – the old guilds' quarter adjacent to the Gothic district – that you'll find the more historic eateries and drinking holes amidst a maze of winding cobbled lanes.
From mountains to the Mediterranean
Elsewhere, Montjuïc is one of two ‘mountains’ that edge Barcelona; it overlooks the Mediterranean and is worth a climb during your holiday, as much for the views as for the castle at its summit. Avid hikers will prefer Tibidabo, a tree-covered ridge bordering the city at the other end, with many trails and a rather curious church.
When to go
There really isn’t a bad time for a Barcelona holiday in 2016 or 2017 – the city basks in about 300 days of sun a year and is perfect for a weekend break. If you want to hit the beach, it’s best to visit from May onwards.
The main tourist hotspots are jam-packed by July, while a trip to Barcelona in August can be unbearably hot in the heart of the city.
Though you're unlikely to go for a dip come December, the mild weather equates to cheap short breaks in Barcelona as temperatures level out until after the New Year.
Events for your diary
Notable annual festivals in Barcelona include June’s bonfire-hopping San Juan celebrations and the Festes de la Mercé in September, when Catalan tradition and folklore takes to the streets.
Festive markets here sell Christmas logs (the Christmas mascot) and caganers (little pooing figurines hidden in nativity scenes – yes, really!) bringing a distinctive Catalan flavour to the celebrations. If you want a cheap deal on a weekend break in Barcelona, low-cost trips can be booked in the off-season.