Barcelona
Barcelona
+ The City of Barcelona
Vicinity
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In The Know
Did You Know?
- The Passeig de Gràcia between Carrer d'Aragó and Consell de Cent, containing Casa Amatller, Batlló and Lleó-Morera, is known as the Manzana de la Discòrdia (Block of Discord), because of the clashing architectural styles.
- Modernism (meaning 'a taste for what is modern') emerged in Europe at the turn of the 19th century with the aim of breaking away from the past through new art forms. Largely thanks to Gaudí, Catalan Modernisme had the biggest impact, influencing all forms of European art, architecture, literature, and theatre, and making Barcelona an open-air museum of Modernism.
- FC Barcelona, or Barça for short, is more than Spain's top football club, the fifth most successful business in Spain, and the richest sports club in the world. During the Franco era, it stood as a Catalan symbol around which people could rally, and this emotional identification still remains today. It also explains why this legendary club has the world's largest soccer club membership (over 100,000 members) and why the streets still erupt with ecstatic revellers following a win over arch-rivals, Real Madrid.
- The Zona Alta consists of old villages like Pedralbes, Sarriá, Bonanova and Sant Gervasi. In the 19th century, Barcelona's wealthy would spend their summer months here, in magnificent houses with lush gardens. Along with Horta ('market garden') to the east, with its gentrified farmhouses, this is still the home of many upper middle class Barcelonans.
- Ciutadella Park takes its name from the mighty citadel constructed here by Felip V, following his victory in the 1714 Siege of Barcelona. The people's hatred of this fortress and their continual protests led to its eventual demolition, and the creation of this large, leafy park in its place, which first opened to the public in 1869.
- Catalonia's national folk dance, the sardana, is performed during summer, either in Plaça Sant Jaume (Sunday, 6-8pm) or in the Plaça de la Seu (Sunday, 10-midday, Wednesday 7-9pm). The dancers are accompanied by an instrumental group (cobla), which includes tenor and soprano oboes, a flabiol (long flute) and a tambori (drum).
- The name 'Tibidabo' is taken from the words uttered by Satan during his temptation of Christ in the wilderness, Haec omnia tibi dabo (all these things will I give to you), si cadens adoraberis me (if thou wilt fall down and worship me)'.
- Penedès produces good red (negra or tinto), white (blanc) and rosé (rosat) wines. Of the many labels, René Barbier and Miguel Torres (the region's largest, most famous producer) are reliable, and dry Bach whites are also popular. Catalan cava is labelled according to quality and sweetness - Brut Nature, Brut, Sec, and Semi-Sec which, despite its name, is very sweet and the cheapest.
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