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.Beautiful city of Barcelona, capital of Catalonia (a Spain’s province), is situated on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered at either end by 2 river deltas. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after its capital city Madrid. Barcelona has a population of 1.5 million, over 4 million including suburbs. The varied, eventful history of the city dates back 4,000 years to the first settlements by ancient farmers. Later it became a Roman colony, the Visigoth’s capital city, and then it came under Moorish rule. It went through sieges, destructions and occupations, finally to become an autonomous democracy 1975. The city has always played an important role in political and cultural life of Spain and it is well reflected in the variety and quality of historical buildings, museums, many other tourist attractions. Today Barcelona is one of the most diverse European cities with unique culture and rich traditions. You can find here a formidable balance of the traditional things and the avant-garde. A cosmopolitan metropolis, Barcelona affords visitors a warm and sincere welcome, being acknowledged worldwide as one of the best tourist-friendly cities in Europe. Barcelona’s organization of the 1992 Olympics provided regeneration of this dynamic city, gave a fresh start to its infrastructure development. WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE: POINTS OF INTEREST – La Ramble is a tree-lined pedestrian boulevard packed with buckers, living statues, mimes and itinerant salespeople selling everything from lottery tickets to jeweler. Pavement cafes and stands selling craftwork, street performers surrounded by curious onlookers, a noisy bird market, Palau de la Virreina, a grand 18th-century rococo mansion, the Gran Teeter del Liceu, the famous 19th-century opera house- these are all colorful parts of La Rambla’s mosaic. La Rambla ends at the lofty Monument a Colom (Monument to Columbus) and the harbour. Barri Gotic – also known as Gothic Quarter, it is the old part of the city. Picasso lived and worked in Barri Gotic from 1895 to 1904 and Joan Miro was born and lived here during his youth. Gothic Quarter is situated on the right hand side of the La Rambla, it contains a concentration of medieval tall Gothic buildings (14-15th century) on narrow cobbled streets and now is home to much of the city’s nightlife. La Sagrada Familia – La Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous and magnificent among Barcelona’s landmarks. The life’s work of Barcelona’s famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, the magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against the sky with swelling outlines inspired by the holy mountain Montserrat. Above each facade there are four towers, 12 in total, which are dedicated to the Apostles. The tower in the center, the tallest of all at 170 m., is dedicated to Jesus Christ. Around these there are the towers of the four Evangelists, and the tower over the apse is dedicated to the Virgin. They are encrusted with a tangle of sculptures that seem to breathe life into the stone. Gaudi died in 1926 before his masterwork was completed, and since then, controversy has continually dogged the building program. Nevertheless, the southwestern (Passion) facade, is almost done, and the nave, begun in 1978, is progressing. La Pedrera – Casa Mila (Mila House) is an apartment building, the last example of Gaudi’s civil architecture.It is one of his finest and most ambitious creations, extraordinarily innovative in its functional, constructive, and ornamental aspects. Visitors can tour the building and go up to the roof, where they can see spectacular views of Barcelona. One floor below the roof is a modest museum dedicated to Gaudi’s work. Montjuic – the largest open space in the city, its main attractions are the Olympic installations, the Spanish Village and the hilltop fortress. Montjuic, the hill overlooking the city centre from the southwest, is home to some fine art galleries, leisure attractions, soothing parks and the main group of 1992 Olympic sites. Montjuic is covered in ornamental gardens with water features and is the most popular destination in Barcelona on Sundays. Tibidabo – is the highest hill in the wooded range that forms the backdrop to Barcelona. It has amazing views of the whole of Barcelona, a stunning cathedral, and a family fun park Parc d’Atraccions with old-style rides offering breathtaking views. A glass lift at the park goes 115m (383 ft) up to a visitors’ observation area at Torre de Collserola telecommunications tower. Modernisme – spectacular modernista architectural creations dotted around the city by famous Antoni Gaudi and his contemporaries. Camp Nou – home of F.C. Barcelona, one of Europe’s leading soccer teams, with capacity of almost 100,000 spectators. The Seu Cathedral – Built in medieval times on the site of a Roman temple, La Seu is one of the great Gothic buildings in Spain. Parc de la Ciutadella – Barcelona’s favorite park and a Sunday afternoon rendezvous for families, friends and ducks The Sardana – traditional Catalan dance, performed outside the cathedral and at national festivals, with everyone encouraged to join in.

MUSEUMS – The Barbier-Mueller Museum of Pre-Columbian Art -the only museum in Europe devoted exclusively to Pre-Columbian cultures. Housed in a gothic palace, its collection is one of the finest of its kind and gives visitors an insight into the rich world of the earliest cultures on the American continent. This tiny museum contains one hundred pieces, including wood and stone sculptures, ceramics, tapestries, jade, often found in international exhibitions and prestige publications. The exhibits represented the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Chavin, Mochica and Inca civilisations. Palau de la Musica Catalana – one of the world’s most extraordinary music halls, it is a Barcelona landmark. From its polychrome ceramic ticket windows on the Carrer de Sant Pere Mes Alt side to its overhead busts of Palestrina, Bach, Beethoven, and Wagner, the Palau is the flagship of Barcelona’s Moderniste architecture. Museu Picasso – is Barcelona’s most visited museum. 3,500 exhibits make up the permanent collection. Picasso spent several years (1901-06) in Barcelona, and this collection, is particularly strong on his early work. Displays include childhood sketches, pictures from the beautiful Rose and Blue periods, and the famous 1950s Cubist variations on Velazquez’s Las Meninas (Ladies-in-Waiting). Gaudi Casa-Museu – Gaudi lived in this pink, Alice-in-Wonderland house from 1906 to 1926, which now houses a museum of Gaudi-designed furniture, decorations, drawings, and portraits and busts of the architect. Fundacio Miro – it was a gift from the famous artist Joan Miro to his native city. The museum opened in 1975, and now it is one of Barcelona’s most exciting showcases of contemporary art.

BEACHES – One of Barcelona’s greatest draws is undeniably its beautiful beaches. Beside world-famous Costa Brava and Costa Dorada which are within 1-hr drive time from Barcelona, there are also several nice beaches over 4 km long within the city boundaries, we will list just several of them here: Nova Icaria- Closest to the Olympic marina, always crowded, this wide swathe of rough golden sand is great for food goers. There are three perfect beach bars and two very popular restaurants on the promenade (Mango and Chiringuito de Moncho) and countless bars and restaurants are just a short stroll away. Bogatell- This beach is twice the length of adjoining Nova Icaria and fringed by a stretch of stone walkway perfect for jogging, roller blading and cycling. Three large informal restaurants on the promenade. Mar Bella (Metro Ciutadella Vila Olimpica, plus 20-minute walk)- Barcelona’s only naturist beach close to a peaceful park – good for a picnic or siesta under the trees. Barceloneta- wide and long, a traditional and popular stretch with locals, crowded, noisy and very jolly.

WHEN TO GO, WEATHER: The best times to visit Barcelona are late spring and early autumn, when the weather is still comfortably warm, around 21-25°C. Summers are usually hot and humid, with temperatures averaging +30 (+ 86 Fahrenheit). Especially avoid the “dead” month of August, when many shops, bars and restaurants close for the month as many local inhabitants head out of the city. Winters are cool with average daytime temperatures around +12 C (+59 Fahrenheit), occasionally rainy.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND: By a direct flight to Barcelona, or through Madrid or via another large European city from almost any major airports in the world. The highest fares are from May to September, the lowest in March-April, October-November and December to February (excluding Christmas and New Year when prices are hiked up). Note also that flying on weekends may increase your ticket cost. If traveling to Barcelona from within Europe you can also chose train, bus or car, though these take much longer than a plane and often work out no cheaper. Many Mediterranean cruises include Barcelona as a port of call.

ACCOMODATIONS: We can offer you a range of choices. You can choose vacation rentals in Barcelona starting from $ 125 USD for a double room in a 4-star apartment hotel. Or you can opt for hotels from $ 65 USD for a double room in a 3-star hotel. Accomodation prices do not change much throughout the year due to the steady all-season flow of visitors to this extremely popular tourist city and surrounding resorts.

DINING: Besides restaurants you can eat at bars where you would have a succession of tapas (small snacks- three or four chunks of fish, meat or vegetables, or salad, which traditionally used to be served up free with a drink) or raciones (larger ones). The bar option can be a lot more interesting, allowing you to do the rounds and sample local specialities. Generally, the average cost for a meal consisting of two dishes and dessert would come to about 25 Euros. Travellers on an extremely limited budget can do well for themselves by using the excellent markets, bakeries and delis and filling up on sandwiches and snacks. Decent restaurants and cafes are easily found all over the city, though you’ll probably do most of your eating where you do most of your sightseeing, in the old town, particularly around La Rambla and in the Barri Gotic. Look for the best and most authentic seafood restaurants in Barceloneta, a seaside neighbourhood. Gothic Quarter neighbourhood is home to some of the oldest and most traditional restaurants in the city. Gracia is a very popular area among young people during the weekend, it leads the way in terms of exotic restaurants (Lebanese, Egyptian, Thai etc.).

TRANSPORT: Barcelona has excellent transport system comprising the metro (subway), buses, trains and a network of funiculars and cable cars. You can find a link to transport maps at the end of our guide. On all the city’s public transport you can buy a single ticket every time you ride, but even over only a couple of days it’s cheaper to buy a targeta – a discount ticket strip. The T-10 targeta is valid for ten separate journeys on the metro, buses and trains. These tickets can be used by more than one person at a time. The metro is the quickest way of getting around Barcelona. For black-and-yellow taxis there is a minimum charge of $ 2 euro. You’ll obviously have a great deal more freedom if you rent a car . Major roads throughout the city are generally good, and traffic is generally well behaved, though Spain does have one of the highest incidences of traffic accidents in Europe. It also has some of the lowest fuel prices on the continent.

SHOPPING: Barcelona, one of the most stylish cities in Europe offers great shopping, from designer clothes and accessories to household items. You will find the city to be quite cheap for a lot of items, especially if you coincide with the annual sales ( rebaixes in Spanish) lasting from mid-January until the end of February, and throughout July and August. The best shopping areas in Barcelona are the old streets off the upper part of the Ramblas. Souvenirs include ceramics, which are widely sold in the streets around the cathedral; leather goods; city’s delicatessens, particularly cooked Catalan meats and sausages; a porron (the long-spouted glass drinking jar); CDs and tapes of Catalan rock and pop, sardana music, Spanish rock or flamenco. If you’re looking for original gift ideas, some of the best hunting can be found in the shops of any of the city’s museums, where you’ll find reasonably priced and unique examples of Catalan disseny (graphic), and other original items ranging from postcards to replica works of art. We wish you a nice and safe trip!

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Barcelona is known for its great nightlife and it offers some other great attractions. No matter what the reason for your visit to Barcelona, you need a good hotel in Barcelona. The following information on these top Barcelona hotels come from reviews by former guests who have stayed at a hotel in Barcelona. You will find that every hotel in Barcelona offers great hotel stays in addition to its other attractions. The hotels reviewed are Casa Camper Hotel, The Hotel Arts, Neri Hotel, and Hesperia Sarria.

Casa Camper Hotel received some nice comments from guests. It has 25 rooms that are decorated in creative fashions that match the amazing décor of the entire hotel. Extras, like minibar and room service, are included in the base cost so you do not end up with a huge bill at check out. It is a short walk to P. Catalvyna and close to the city. For those that like quiet nights , the Casa Camper Hotel is removed enough from the nightlife so it provides a quite sleeping environment. The Casa Camper hotel in Barcelona received great reviews and was listed as well worth checking out.

The Hotel Arts hotel in Barcelona has 402 rooms and is located on the beach. While not every hotel in Barcelona is not usually known for its beaches, the location does provide beautiful views. It is not quite near the city, so you must travel to get to attractions. The nearby restaurants provide wonderful cuisine that makes the location desirable. They are said to have some of the best beds a hotel in Barcelona can offer. The cost of The Hotel Arts does discourage some guests and extras are not included in this base price. Overall, it was reviewed as a great hotel, but not really worth the price.

The Neri Hotel in Barcelonahas artistic décor that draws you into their 22 room establishment. With the use of stone and wood, the décor is beautiful. The rooms are cozy and they offer you the choice of five different sheet types. It is advised that you get good directions to the hotel because it is hard to find. There are no scenic views, but the attention to detail in all the aspects of this hotel makes up for that. Overall, this hotel was said to have exceptional service and created an amazing experience for visitors, making it a must.

The Hesperia Sarria has 134 rooms and is located in a quiet area of Barcelona. It is within walking distance to the train station (Les Tres Torres) and many other attractions. There are locked minibars and safes provided in the modern and clean rooms. There is a restaurant on site, although guests say you may never try it because of the closeness of so many other great bars and restaurants. This was noted by gests to be a great buy.

These four hotels all received good and bad reviews. The descriptions above were taken from majority opinions. While all provided nice stays, some stuck out in the crowd. There are many, many alterntives for a hotel in Barcelona and these are only just a small sample of the great service you can receive.

If you have need for a car in a place where you are a new visitor, you may want to avail of a unit from a car rental service in the locality. These rental car tips might be useful for you as you move around to pursue your business in the area. .

You should perhaps determine first where you intend to go during your stay. If you are not going too far away from the center of the city or town, it might be a more practical idea to use the taxicab service available in the locality. That way you will avoid the responsibility for the vehicle you are thinking of renting, plus the added advantage that you have a built-in guide for your trips around town in the person of the cab driver.

Using these cabs could be the more convenient way to move around town. You just go about doing your business in town without much hassle, and pay the cab driver as soon as the appropriate service for you is finished.

However, if you have added plans to go some distance away then you might want to bring your own vehicle, assuming of course that you know your way around. In case you are not so sure of your destination, see to it that you have at least a map of the place you intend to visit. Many car rental services have this information kits as part of their service to potential customers who would be renting their vehicles. The map will be your main guide as you move around, augmented maybe by information you can get by asking the people in the vicinity for the appropriate information and directions that you will need.

Make an extra effort to check thoroughly the condition of the car you are renting, especially if your destinations are far from the center of town or city from which you intend to start your trips. Get the help of the car rental personnel to make things easier for you in this preparation. They will certainly extend this assistance as part of their service to you. This is just to ensure your smooth trip when you go out of town.

Before leaving for your destination, it will be helpful that you have the phone numbers of the car rental service in case you have to contact them for any problem that may arise during your stay. If you have a cell phone with you, be sure also to let the car rental firm know how to get in touch with you, if needed.

Try to get the phone numbers of police and other law enforcement authorities in the area in case you need to contact them for any kind of assistance. It will be also good to have the phone numbers of hospitals around. It will definitely be for your own good that detailed information like this is in your hands prior to leaving on your out of town trip.

Every year millions of people flock to one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world – Australia. There are so many great reasons to go to this southern continent and country, and so many wonderful things to do there as a visitor. The people who live there are fascinating and welcoming, and tourism in Australia is alive and well!

The multitude of things to do in Australia depend on what someone is going there for. Some people who take vacations want a luxury resort or opulent hotel to lounge around in. Others are looking for guided tours and special cruises to help them learn about the country they’re visiting. Still others are seeking outdoor adventures and to even ‘rough it’ in the more natural settings of the places they visit. Australia provides all of these.

One of the main attractions for any vacation spot is a beach. Australia is blessed with approximately ten thousand beaches and it’s no wonder, since this land has fifty thousand kilometers of coastline. Surrounded by beautiful blue oceans, the Australian way of life is very laid back and the ocean is an integral part of that. Sand and sun are never far away.

Noosa Heads, which is located in tropical Queensland, is one of Australia’s most famous tourist attractions. This spectacular beach side paradise fills up with visitors come summer time so book your Noosa Holiday Accommodation in advance so you don’t miss out on experiencing this magical resort style location. This gorgeous sea side village offers beach culture at its finest and combines up market shopping, the finest restaurants, trendy wine bars and beach side Noosa Holiday Accommodation.

Some people don’t want to wander a beach but actually want to enjoy the full service of a luxurious hotel or resort. Australia boasts many world renowned hotels, as well as exotic resorts that cater to famous guests including rock stars and other celebrities. Many turn to this country for discrete holidays, using the special resorts as sanctuaries. Byron at Byron offers full service including five ‘treatment’ rooms and Vichy shower, and apartment style rooms that are a good distance from the main complex, offering complete privacy.

Australia is also overflowing with natural treasures. Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, was declared a world heritage site. The great sandstone formation is littered with waterholes and deep caves, and covered with ancient paintings, hinting at the mysterious legends that surround the huge rock. Henbury Meteorites Conversation Reserve draws scientific minds from all over the world and is the result of a meteor explosion five thousand years ago. Twelve large craters pock the ground, making it look like a lunar landscape in the eyes of many.

Another world heritage site, Barron Gorge National Park, is also a hot tourist location. With spectacular waterfalls and tropical rainforests, it is ideal for hiking, guided tours, and seeing the natural flora and fauna protected in this country. Flecker Botanical Gardens is similar in nature but boasts over one hundred varieties of palm plants, as well as other more exotic and rare foliage, all to be seen while one walks the serene footpaths that go throughout the gardens.

With a country that’s surrounded by clear blue ocean water, it’s no surprise that people flock to Australia for snorkeling and scuba diving. The Great Barrier Reef, the only living organic collective visible from space, is a protected sanctuary that still has a few choice places for tourists to drop anchor and visit the reef beneath the waves. Rare fish and sea creatures call this place home. Nearby Melbourne is a tourist capital, and visitors can purchase helicopters to fly over the reef or even take a hot air balloon ride at sunrise or sunset over this incredible city.

As a tourist destination, Australia is an amazing choice full of great opportunities. From scuba diving to backpacking, from luxury hotels to discrete hidden resorts, there is nothing you can’t experience in this country. Hot night clubs attached to shopping districts and modern cities or conservation areas and natural reserves and parks, you’re bound to find something to do. Fly high or swim deep! Australia offers it all!

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