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Barcelona City Card

Where to Stay

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Eating

Budget: La Vinya del Senyor (Placa Santa Mari 5), great place to snack on plates on local ham, cheeses and sip Cava; El Xampanyet (c/Montcada 22, off the Ramblas), buzzing champagne bar with cheap, tasty tapas; La Poste (c/Gignas 23) in the Born district offers four-course menu for 6 Euros.
Mid-range: Envalira (Plaça del Sol 13), famed for its paellas; La Fonda (c/Escudellers 10), big, busy place serving Catalan cuisine.
Luxury: Oven (Poble Nou), trendy new restaurant and club; Restaurant Carpanta (c/Sombrerers 13), intimate Gothic venue with delicious arroz negre (black rice).

Drinking

Budget: Parnasse (c/Gignas 21), laidback bar in Gothic Quarter; Glaciar (Placa Reial 3), popular meeting place with a patio.
Mid-range: Dry Martini (c/Aribau 166), cocktail bar in arty Eixample district; El Café Que Pone “Muebles Navarro” (c/Riera Alta 4-6), spacious bar in Raval area in converted furniture store.
Luxury: Mirablau (Placa Dr Andreu), chic bar with dancing from 11pm at the foot of the Tibidabo funicular; Palau Dalmasses (c/Montcada 8), upmarket champagne bar with chamber music and artistic interior.

Things to See and Do

- The Ramblas, the mile-long promenade from Placa de Catalunya to the harbour, packed with cafes, shops and street entertainers.
- Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s striking unfinished cathedral. For more Gaudi creations, see La Pedrera and Parc Guell.
- The Gothic Quarter, off the Ramblas, is a wonderful place to wander among the historic buildings and relax in tapas bars or outdoor cafes.
- Soak up the sun at La Barceloneta, the town beach, with atmospheric old streets of fishing houses behind. Then head to the port, now revamped with bars, cinemas and shops.
- Take the funicular from the port to Montjuic – the city’s largest green space with fantastic views. There are also museums, theme parks and a castle.
- Buy some local hams, cheeses and olives at La Boqueria, the colourful, bustling indoor market on the Ramblas.

Shopping

Passeig de Gracia is the main shopping street with the Bulevard Rosa mall (there’s another branch on Avinguda Diagonal 609-615), containing 100 shops. El Corte Ingles department store has branches on Placa de Catalunya and Avinguda Diagonal. For antiques, head to the old town between the cathedral and Placa del Pi. There’s also an antiques market here every Thursday. Barcelona has 40 food markets, the best and most famous of which is the Boqueria on the Ramblas, where you can taste all the local delicacies. The main flea market is Els Encants (on the north side of the Placa les Glories), every Mon, Wed, Fri and Sat mornings.

Beyond the City

The most famous of the Costa Brava’s resorts are Tossa de Mar and Lloret de Mar, for those who like nightlife. The chic spot is Sitges, south of Barcelona, a former fishing village, now a weekend escape for young Barcelonans.
The mountain and monastery of Montserrat, 40km northwest of Barcelona, is one of Spain’s most spectacular natural sights.
Heading further north, your reach the beautiful old town of Gerona, and upwards to Cadaques, a picturesque fishing village, and nearby Port Lligat, the former home of Salvador Dali.
Fans of Dali should also visit Figueras, with its surreal Museu Dali adorned by gigantic eggs on the roof.

Cost of Living

33cl bottle of beer - €0.80
One-litre bottle of mineral water - €1
36-exposure colour film - € 3.50
City-centre bus ticket - €1
Adult football ticket - €27
Three-course meal with wine/beer - From €18

Key Phrases

Please, thank you – Por favor, gracias
How much? – ¿Cuanto es?
Good morning/afternoon/night – Buenos dias/buenas tardes/buenas noches.
Excuse me – Perdon
How are you? – ¿Como esta?
I don’t understand – No entiendo
Do you speak English? – ¿Habla usted ingles?
I don’t speak Spanish – No hablo espanol.
I would like… - Quisiera…
Is there a bank/post office near here? – ¿Hay un banco/correos cerca de aqui?
Do you have…? – ¿Tiene…?
The time – la hora
A double room – una habitacion con cama matrimonial.
Where is…? – ¿Donde esta…?
The train station – la estacion de ferrocarril
The bus station – la estacion de autobuses

 

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