Barcelona is framed by the Mediterranean to its east, situated in Catalunya (Catalonia) in Northeast Spain. Blessed with a pleasant climate all year round, in recent years it has emerged as a top European short break destination.
Since the climate of Barcelona is so favorable, the city prides itself on maintaining 68 municipal parks of varying sizes - of these, 6 are forest parks, 45 urban parks, 5 thematic or botanical parks, and 12 are historic parks. 10% of space in the city, or 549.7 hectares, are set aside for these parks, with around 10 hectares being added every year.
One of the main reasons for this is its spectacular architecture, a perfect example for this being the eccentric work of Antoni Gaudi, which can be enjoyed throughout the city. As well as countless other Gothic and Art Noveau buildings there are some excellent museums. Yet Barcelona also has much more to offer.
It is a considerable regional economic power, strategically close to the French border and with a far stretching Mediterranean coastline the Port de Barcelona is Spain’s most prosperous port and a major Mediterranean maritime destination. The epicenter of this flourishing city is at Placa de Catalunya from where you can walk along La Rambla southeast towards the port.
Another great feature of Barcelona are its seven beaches which occupy 4.5 kilometers of coastline all in all. The most popular among Barcelona’s beaches are the Barceloneta and the Sant Sebastia beaches, which are also the largest and oldest among the Barcelona beaches.Barcelona is made up of three districts namely Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter), the Ribera and the Raval district.
This city has the unique advantage of being able to effortlessly combine its rich and ancient past as can be witnessed at the History Museum in Placa del Rei, with an array of avant-gard glass and steel buildings, an example being the World Trade Center. Last but not least the city houses the Camp Nou home to Barcelona FC, one of Europe’s greatest football teams!
