Profile of Barcelona
Barcelona is famous for many reasons. First, it is considered to be one of the most cutting
edge cities in Europe for 20th century avant-garde architecture. The city is famous for
its "Modernista" style, a Catalan Art Nouveau movement launched at the end of the 19th
century. Antoni Gaudi is the most famous architect and is most famous for his unfinished
masterpiece "Sagrada Familia". You can see more about Gaudi below, under the Highlights
section. Secondly, in the last year, Barcelona has been propelled onto the world culinary
scene as a serious hotspot of cutting edge gastronomy. Exciting chefs, Michelin starred
restaurants, creative caterers and artisan products are increasingly well-known abroad
and highly respected. Read more about Barcelona's culinary scene below under the
Gastronomy and Wine section.
Barcelona became a major hub of a city under the Romans, after it was founded in 15BC on the
Mons Taber, a hill between two streams that gave the colonizing Romans an excellent vantage
point of the Mediterranean. They called it Barcino, and modern day Barcino is in the Sant
Jaume square, smack in the middle of the Barri Gotic. From the time of the Romans, various
groups of people have inhabited Barcelona and the surrounding region of Catalonia, from
Visigoths, Moors, Franks, Aragon Kings and Catalan Counts.
In the 14th century, much of the Barri Gotic was built, and Barcelona was a vibrant
multicultural mix of Jews, Christians, Arab traders, and immigrants from all over the
Mediterranean. In 1492, Spain became unified and non-Christians were expelled which
caused great detriment to Barcelona's commerce and trade. Fantastic monuments can be
still seen in modern day, beautiful Barcelona including parts of the ancient Roman wall,
the medieval streets of the Gothic Quarter, the 13th century cathedral and a host of
fantastic, historic squares, fountains and busts.
Fast forward a few hundred years, and you have Barcelona at the end of the 1800's. Many French
immigrants in the wine trade had arrived, as the Phylloxera epidemic had destroyed their
vineyards back in France and they came to Spain to make a living in wine, bringing their
champagne method of wine production to the Penedes wine region, south of Barcelona. Spain
was in political turmoil with revolts against the monarchy, although at this time precisely
Catalonia enjoyed a Renaissance of architecture, industrialization and a boost in quality of
living for the middle classes. The horrific civil war brought that to a temporary halt, and
Catalans were viciously opposed to Franco's "Falangista" movement for a variety of reasons,
one being that they were politically very much on the left. Barcelona had always attracted
liberals and intellectuals, including George Orwell, Ernest Hemingway, Andre Malraux and
Octavio Paz. After the civil war, Barcelona built itself back up slowly, and since the
Olympics in Barcelona, the city has been improving at an amazing pace. It's said that when
Franco died in 1975, virtually all of the citizens of Barcelona took to the streets to
celebrate and not a single bottle of Cava (Catalan bubbly) was left in the entire city by the
next morning!
Today, it is an absolutely delightful place to visit, for art, architecture and history
lovers, for foodies, and for designers. Barcelona has become a Mecca for design and fashion,
for gourmet restaurants and for modern art. The following list is a very incomplete guide to
some of our favorite spots in fantastic Barcelona:
Gastronomy and Wine
Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia. Ever since the Middle Ages, Catalonia has been
noted for its delicious and refined cuisine. It is famous for its concept of "mar i montanya",
combining the products of the sea and the mountains to combine inventive dishes. This is the
land of Salvador Dali whose favorite dish was lobster with a chocolate sauce!
Regional dishes include "Xai a les dotxe cabeces d'all (lamb with 12 heads of garlic),
"Arros Negre" (Rice with seafood and squid cooked in its own ink), "Bacallà a la Llauna" (
cod baked in tomato, garlic, white wine and paprika) "Escudella i carn d'olla", made of
vegetables, rice, noodles and potatoes, "Cocido con judias blancas de Butifarra (a typical
stew with white beans and regional sausage), "Pilota" (a dish made with beef, bread, eggs
and white beans) and the ever constant "pan amb Tomaquet", lovely rustic country bread
smeared with fresh, juicy tomatoes and Olive Oil.
Fish specialities include "Empedrat" (fish cod salad), "Zarzuela", a dish name after the
Spanish operetta and made of cuttlefish, mussels and prawns, and its more upmarket
version, "La Opera", with spiny lobster. Traditional desserts are Crema Catalana,
and the moorish inspired Postre del Musico ("The Musician's Dessert") made with
pine-kernels and raisins.
Mediterranean Catalonia is also home to some of the most interesting and diverse wine
regions in Spain: Penedés (famous for its Traditional Method Cava made with the indigenous
grapes of Xarel.lo and Parellada, and for important wineries like Miguel Torres
and Jean
Leon), Alella (excellent whites, made with the local Pansa Blanca, Carmenet and Bodegas
Parxet being the top producers), Conca de Barberà (many of the Migel Torres vineyards are
here, including those used for the famous "Grans Muralles" wine) and Priorat (powerful and
elegant reds, some say very similiar to France's Burgundy, top producers being Alvaro Palacios and Rene Barbier).
Highlights
La Boqueria Market
A "Foodie" paradise, what a place! If you want to see sea scorpions and vegetables that
look like an alien and a broccoli had a child, then check out this gigantic food market.
The building itself, the Mercat Sant Josep, dates back to the late 1800's, and has a
lovely Modernista rooftop. The market is simply one of the most spectacular food markets
in Europe, with stall after stall of artichokes, figs, fresh herbs, dates, fennel,
radicchio, peaches, bizarre seafood, expensive cured hams, olive oils, etc. If you like
your wild mushrooms, there is a stall at the back of the market with a massive collection
of truffles, "Setas" or "Bolets" (wild mushrooms), chanterelles, porcini, etc.
The Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter)
While it is true that the Barri Gotic is quite overrun with tourists during the day and a
tad unsafe at night (there are a multitude of organized pickpockets), this 15th century
perfectly preserved neighborhood is stunning. The winding streets are like a labyrinth
once you enter, and on every corner there seem to be gorgeous cafes, art galleries and
flowers everywhere. The modern day square "Plaça Sant Jaume" in the heart of this
neighborhood was the center of Roman Barcelona in the 1st century and there are still
remnants of the old Roman wall. The Plaça del Rei is an exquisitely preserved medieval
square. There is a famous café called "Els Quatre Gats" (The four cats) where Picasso and
various bohemians and artists used to congregate, and where today you can enjoy a "Café
Tallat" (expresso style coffee) while taking in the old photos and quaint atmosphere.
Address: Calle Montsio, 3. The 13th century cathedral, in the nearby Plaça de la Seu,
is gorgeous and worth a visit. The long Ramblas Boulevard is lined with street vendors,
lovely old buildings and stylish cafes. Take note, though, that the Ramblas, while
beautiful, is a center of petty crime, so be sensible while walking through this
part of town.
The Eixample Quarter
Called the "Rodeo Drive" of Barcelona, the Eixample neighborhood is swish, elegant and
full of the fabulous "Modernista" architecture. There are tree-lined wide boulevards,
chic shops, cute wine bars and posh restaurants. The best shopping in Barcelona is here,
with top end boutiques, gourmet shops, old "Perfumeries", and the atmospheric wine
merchants with brick vaulted cellars, many in lovely buildings dating back to the
1880's. Architectural treasures include: Casa Macaya, a superb "Modernista" (Art Nouveau)
building designed in 1901 by Puig I Cadalfach (the "other" Gaudi); Casa Terrades
(with Neo-gothic pointed towers), La Pedrera (Gaudi's most beautiful palace, called
"Casa Mila") and the Hospital de Sant Pau, designed in 1901 by Domenich I Montaner,
the other great Modernista architect.
The Egyptian Museum (Museu Egipci de Barcelona)
If you are into Egyptology, then don't miss this great, small museum, featuring mummies,
ancient jewellery and ceramics from the Nile. Interestingly, the owner of the Egyptian Museum, Jordi Clos, also owns one of Barcelona's best 5 star hotels, the Hotel Claris.
The Claris showcases many of his Egyptian treasures in the public rooms. Jordi's
collection of Roman, Greek and Egyptian antiquities is one of the best private
collections in the world.
Antoni Gaudi "Modernista" Avant-garde Architecture
Barcelona wouldn't be Barcelona if it hadn't been for a certain Antoni Gaudi. This
eccentric genius, considered to be the father of the "Modernista" movement, created
landmarks such as Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell and La Pedrera. He was an obsessive
but brilliant man, whose life was cut short at the height of his career by a tram
in 1926. Born in Tarragona (home to the famous Priorat wine region) in 1852, he
accomplished an astounding number of architectural feats. He had wealthy patrons,
including Eusebi Guell, who gave him seemingly full license to indulge all of his
frivolities and bizarre ideas. One has only to visit the rooftop of Casa Mila, see
the reptilian façade of Casa Batllo and climb the winding steps of the incredible
Sagrada Familia to understand his genius touched with madness. Gaudi was one of the
most innovative architects of all time
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