Barcelona travel information and video

Holiday information, facts, photos and video about Barcelona

Barcelona Province

The Barcelona Province is situated in the eastern region of Spain, in the central area of the autonomous community of Catalonia. The province is bordered by the three other Catalonia
provinces of Tarragona, Lleida and Girona. It’s capital is the city of Barcelona, which is also the capital of Catalonia.

History
Barcelona has an extremely impressive and proud history, dating back to its first Roman origins. The city of Barcelona has a rich cultural and artistic heritage, which it effortlessly mixes with its avant garde side.

There are also many towns and villages of historic and artistic importance throughout the province of
Barcelona. Many of which it is said provided inspiration for artists such as Miro and Picasso.

The province of Barcelona, as with the rest of Catalonia has its own official language of Catalan; although most Barcelonese also speak Spanish (Castellan).


Natural Barcelona
Barcelona is home to four natural parks, the Cadi Moixero, Montserrat, Sant Llorenc del Mun I serra l’Obac and the Montseny. There is also the Delta del Llobregat Nature Reserve.

Each is diverse in its terrain and scenery, and ecological importance. The Montseny Natural Park is an area of outstanding natural beauty
with mountains, valleys, oak and pine woods, and rivers running through. The Sant Liorenc del Munt I l’Obac has around 200 species of vertebrate.

The Montserrat Mountain National Park is both scenically and  ecologically outstanding, but
it also an important cultural region of Catalonia. The Montserrat mountain dominates the landscape, here you can visit the famous monastery, steeped in history and intrigue.

The Cadi-Moixero National Park is situated between the provinces of Girona, Lleida and Barcelona and has an alpine landscape, with
animal and plantlife more adapted to living at a higher altitude.


Barcelona Coastline
The Barcelona province is home to a number of ‘Costa’ regions, including the Costa de Ponent (or Costa del Garraf), where the Garraf Mountains come down to meet the sea. In this region you can visit the seaside resort of Castelldelfels, with its castle and long sandy beaches.

The town of Sitges is one of Catalonia’s most visited tourist resorts and is famous for its film festival, carnival, which takes place in February and as being the gay capital of Catalonia. Sitges is a marvelous town, which combines fun and frivolity, with some important cultural attractions.

The Costa del Llevant, or Costa de Maresme is situated on the other side of Barcelona city, stretching from Montgat to the Tordera River.
Here you will find some charming seaside resorts and villages to explore, with a typical Catalan culture and atmosphere.  Places worth a trip include Arenys de Mar, Calella, Palafolls, Canet, San Pol de Mar and Palafolls.


Barcelona City
Spain’s second largest and definitely most cosmopolitan city and one of the Mediterranean’s
busiest ports. Barcelona offers the best of both worlds, the city gently rises up from the coastline through the city and up into a range of wooded hills. It’s perfect for those wishing to combine a city and beach break.

Famous for breaking ground art, architecture and avant-garde chefs; the city eclipses many other
for its creativity and forward thinking. Think Picasso, think Gaudi, think Ferran Adrià. Each challenging boundaries in their field of art. Barcelona surprises as it delights, you never quite know what you are going to find around the next corner.

Inland Barcelona
Around the province of Barcelona there are many towns which are worth a visit, including the city off Vic, situated to the west of the Sau reservoir, Vic is home to a wonderful cathedral.

Two wonderful towns that must be visited are the Villafranca del Penedes and Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, both wine producers of the region, and
enjoying a rich cultural heritage and lots of interesting attractions. Sant Sadurni d’Anoia is the main producer of Cava wine in Spain, the equivalent to French champagne.

The little town of Manresa, with its castle perched on a hill and an important stop-off of inland Barcelona. The striking feature is Montana de Sal (Salt Mountain), proof of its origins dating back over 65 million years.

Barcelona Gastronomy
Gastronomy has become one of the key dynamos for Catalonian economy in the past few years, with some of the world’s best restaurants and top chefs, such as Ferràn Adrià, Santi Santamaría,
Fermí Puig, Carles Gaig, Carme Ruscalleda and Sergi Arola, all native of and working in the region. 

The cuisine is a dynamic mix of traditional and modern exploratory dishes, with influences from many different cultures who have lived in or conquered the city over the centuries: Italian, French, Greek, Provençal, Arab and Jewish.

Climate
In keeping with its geographical diversity, Barcelona province has numerous climates and microclimates, depending on the altitude and the proximity of the sea. In general, the area enjoys a mild temperate and Mediterranean type climate,
characterized by hot, dry summers and mild winters.