The City

Barcelona, neuralgic centre of the Mediterranean and capital city of Cataluña, is the second most populated city of Spain, and one of the 50 cities with best quality of life in the World. 2000 years of history coexist in its urban geography: roman remains, a gothic neighbourhood, modernism and the avant-gardes of the XX Century.

Eclectic, day and night, with a tremendous cultural capital, Barcelona is the only city in the World to have 9 buildings declared Cultural Heritage of Mankind by the UNESCO: La Pedrera, Park Güell, Palau Güell, Palau de la Música Catalana (Catalonean Music Palace), Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Holy Cross and Saint Paul´s Hospital), Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family), Casa Batlló, Casa Vicens And Cripta de la Colònia Güell (Crypt of the Guell Colony).

Barcelona has Beach and mountains: Sports, transportation, fashion and design; art, science, tradition and religion; popular parties and gastronomic Diversity, in spanish and in catalonean, of course.

Its location in the Iberian Peninsula, its mediterranean climate and its Cosmopolitan nature, makes Barcelona a privileged city as an urban tourist destination. Plan your trip to the catalonean capital, check the guide and the maps at Clickbed.com to choose accommodations in the most emblematic areas of the city.

History of Barcelona

The history of Catalunya as a national entity starts around mid-IX Century, but the city of Barcelona has previous archaeological evidence: the first remains found in its territory go back to the Stone Age, from the ending of the Neolithic Period.

Founded as "Barcino" by the Roman Empire ( I Century A.D.), was occupied by three civilizations during its history, the iberians, the carthaginians, the Visigoths and muslims, between others. With the arrival of the franco-germans in the X Century, Barcelona and Cataluña started to get an individual identity, different from the Spanish. This is very visible in its official languages: arabic words predominate in the castillian, and French words in the catalonean. More than 4000 years of history have left a trail in the cultural and achitectonic Heritage of Barcelona.

Near the seaside, the oldest neighbourhoods like the Gothic, surround the Sant Jaume Square structure. Remains of the fortress erected during the War of Succession (between 1705 & 1714, neoclassic period), make today the Ciutadella Park; Towards the North, the Eixample shows the enlargement made in the XIX Century, in the classic pattern of squared patterns and public spaces, long, straight streets; about that time, the Arch of Triumph, the Cuidadela Park, Las Ramblas, the Columbus Walk and the Moll de la Fusta were built, as gateways to the Universal Exhibition of 1888;  The universal masterpieces of Antoni Gaudí: la Sagrada Familia (Sacred Family), the Casa Milà (Mila House) o the Pedrera, the Casa Batlló (Battló House), the Parc Güell, exhibits of the cultural avant-guard of the XX Century, sprinkle Modernism to the city; The Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Museum, the Sant Jordi Palace, the Picornell pools, located at the Montjuïc and erected for the 1992 Olympic Games;  The new  Diagonal Mar neighbourhood and the Sports harbour of Sant Adrià, for the 2004 Forum, represent the most recent architectonic and urban transformation of modern Barcelona, one of the main European tourist destinations.