International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia from October 7th to 17th

SITGES International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia is the number one fantasy film festival in the world and represents, at the same time, the cultural expression with the most media impact in Catalonia. With a solid experience, the Sitges Festival is a stimulating universe of encounters, exhibitions, presentations and screenings of fantasy films from all over the world.

Born in 1968 as the 1st International Week of Fantasy and Horror Movies, today the Festival is an essential rendezvous for movie lovers and audiences eager to come into contact with new tendencies and technologies applied to film and the audiovisual world.
Sitges’ status as the number one fantasy film festival in the world allows it to receive visits from top-level movie stars, directors and producers like Quentin Tarantino, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, Paul Verhoeven, Ralph Fiennes, George A. Romero, Cameron Diaz, Viggo Mortensen, Terry Gilliam, Rutger Hauer, Sarah Michelle Gellar, John Landis, Joe Dante, Zoë Bell, Dino de Laurentii, Takashi Miike, Wim Wenders, Tony Curtis, David Cronenberg, Vanessa Redgrave, Darren Aronofsky, Brad Dourif, John McNaughton, Peter Greenaway, John Woo, Park Chan-Wook, Johnnie To, Paul Naschy, Ray Liotta, Jon Voight, Sam Raimi, Robert Englund, Tarsem Singh, Roger Corman, Mira Sorvino, Santiago Segura, Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, Guillermo del Toro, Kim Ki Duk, Álex de la Iglesia, Aitana Sánchez Gijón, among others from the long list of people who, year after year, are a media attraction. The Festival is governed by a Foundation, made up of representatives from the Sitges Town Council, the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalonia’s autonomous government) and other institutions, associations and public and private companies.

Most of its resources come from the sponsors, companies and collaborating institutions that consider their alliance to the Festival to be an excellent platform for widening their scope and branding.

If you don't want to miss this huge festival and all is horror films, Come to see us and rent an apartment!!!

Barcelona in Miniature

CATALUNYA EN MINIATURA is the biggest touristic and cultural complex in miniature in the world, and the only one in Spain. lt purpose is to let the visitors know the monuments, buildings and the most representative achievements of the Princedom.

It tries to be also a life sample to exteriorize cultural and folk reality in order to let you know them better, and to get closer to its people and peculiarities, and building a stronger friendship with common effort.

170 miniature reproduction models of Catalonia's most important buildings are on display here, including Casa Milà (La Pedrera) and La Sagrada Familia. So, if you haven't got time to see everything for real, this is a great way to capture the essence of Barcelona's architecture in a single day. Come on Sundays and holidays and you'll catch a children's clown festival as well. It's open all year round. To get here, take a Solé i Sauret bus from the intersection of Calle Riera Blanca and Travessera de les Corts.

It also offers our reality to all foreign visitors, since one of our ideals is also to promove tourism from the inside to the outside —as the President of the Generalitat himself has said— an interesting alternative between the many that Catalonia offers to its visitors.

More Information : http://www.blogger.com/www.catalunyaenminiatura.com

WHERE TO SLEEP :
You can choose Top Barcelona Apartment if you want to stay in the City centre and enjoy the city. They will be pleased to welcome you in their apartments for less than 30€/night/person

Tibidabo, Barcelona's mountain

The mountain of Tibidabo is the highest point of the Collserola hills, in Barcelona, it hosts an amusement park. Everyone in the city remembers its fantastic grottoes, the dizzying experience of the Talaia, the Hall of Mirrors with its grotesque reflections, the excitement of the Aeromàgic, the fascination of the old fair of automatons. Sensations which can now be rediscovered by young and old.

Summer hours: noon-10pm weekdays, until 1am on weekends

Off-season hours: noon-6pm on weekends only, with varying closing times depending on the weather

Tel (+34) 93 211 79 42

Entrance fees: €22 full admission; €11 for limited access to rides; €19 with youth ID; €9 senior citizens; €9 children

With rides dispersed over the slopes of the Tibidabo mountain, Barcelona's amusement park provides a wonderful excuse to ascend Barcelona's highest peak for ample views of the city, the Pyrenees, and even the Baleares Islands on a nice day. You can enjoy attractions as diverse an an antique fairground and rides from the 1920s to modern roller coasters.

The FGC To Avinguda Tibidabo (last stop on the Tibidabo line) will drop you right at the gates of the Tibidabo Amusement Park. On weekends and holidays you can take the antique tram service up the hill.

You should come and rent an apartment and enjoy this fabulous attractions park.

Montserrat

About 40 km northwest of Barcelona lies the mountain of Montserrat, with a beautiful Benedictine monastery perched atop its eastern peaks. Its oddly shaped rocks, rich history and religious significance make Montserrat one of Catalonia's most interesting destinations.

The Montserrat monastery, which houses "La Moreneta" (the Black Virgin), Catalonia's patroness, is a magnet for tourists and pilgrims the world over. The legend of the Black Virgin dates to the 9th century, when the monastery's first chapel was constructed. Jump to the 20th century and you find the monastery of Montserrat playing an important role in the Catalan nationalist movement. The first Catalan bible was published here during Franco's rule (1939-1975) and it was an important anti-Franco stronghold during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
Tip: visit the Montserrat monastery at 1pm on weekdays or noon on Sundays to see its phenomenal boys choir is chanting the Ave Maria.

How to reach Montserrat from Barcelona

By Train

FGC trains towards Manresa leave hourly from Plaça d'Espanya and take aproximately 50 minutes to the "Montserrat Aeri." That's where you have to get out to take the "Aeri" cable car, which leaves about every 15 and drops you on a terrace just below the monastery. It's a breathtaking trip! Alternatively, you can stay in the FGC train until the next stop, "Monistrol de Montserrat." From there hop on the " cremallera," the mountain railway, which leaves every 20 to 60 minutes. Prices: €11.80 - €35.50, depending the combination of transport you choose.

By Bus
Cheaper than the train, but for sure lacking the thrill factor, is the daily morning bus service from Barcelona. Ask for "Julia Tours"at the Barcelona tourist office (Plaça de Catalunya). A one-way bus trip costs about €7.

By Car

Take the A2 motorway as far as Martorell, and then follow the N11 and C1411.

Penedes Wine Country Tour

Just south of Barcelona lie the green valleys and rolling hills of the world renowned Penedès, Spain wine region, the perfect place for a day escape side trip. Known as “cava country” due to being the biggest and best producer of Cava (Spanish champagne), this Spanish wine region boasts many notable red and white wines, as well. The hills of Alt Penedes can be your destination for this wine excursion, where you can enjoy exclusive visits to the vineyards and cellars of small wine and cava makers producing the most innovative and high quality wines in the Penedes wine country.

Catalonia Wine Country

Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, about 35 minutes from Barcelona, is the city's closest vineyard. If you're interested in Catalan sparkling wines, this is your spot.

Vilafranca del Penèdes, on the other hand, is Catalonia's most important production area for still wine. It's been an important trade center since the 11th century and holds a small musem and church in addition to wineries.


Getting to Catalonia Wine Country

"Rodalies" trains depart every 30 minutes from Barcelona Sants or Plaça de Catalunya to Sant Sadurní (€2.25) and Vilafranca (€2.75). Travel time is approximately 45 minutes. If you decide to go by car, head west along Avinguada Diagonal and get on the AP-7 motorway.

Dalí Museums

At least two days are needed to enjoy the visits to the three Dalí Museums properly. The distance between the three Dali Museums means that you have to allow for journeys of at least 40 kilometres if you want to go from Figueres to Portlligat (Cadaqués) and another 40 kilometres from Figueres to Púbol (near La Bisbal d'Empordà, heading in the Girona direction).

Theater-Museum Dalí in Figueres

The Dalí Theatre-Museum, the largest surrealistic object in the world, occupies the building of the former Municipal Theatre, a 19th century construction which was destroyed at the end of the Spanish Civil War. On its ruins, Dalí decided to create his museum.The Dalí Theatre-Museum of Figueres offers a unique experience of being able to observe, live and enjoy the work and thought of a genius. As Dalí himself explained: “It’s obvious that other worlds exist, that’s certain; but, as I’ve already said on many other occasions, these other worlds are inside ours, they reside in the earth and precisely at the centre of the dome of the Dalí Museum, which contains the new, unsuspected and hallucinatory world of Surrealism.”

House-Museum Dalí in Portlligat

The present Portlligat House-museum was Salvador Dalí’s only fixed abode from 1930, the place in which he normally lived and worked up till 1982 when, upon Gala’s death, he took up residence at Púbol Castle.

House-Museum Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol

The Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol, open to the public since 1996, allows visitors to discover a medieval building in which Salvador Dalí lent material form to an exuberant creative effort with his mind set on one person, Gala.

How to reach Figueres and the Dali Museum

By car, take the E-15 / A-7 motorway (Barcelona-France), exit at Figueres Nord or Figueres Sud and follow signs to the city center/ museum. About 1.5 hours from Barcelona.

Trains from Barcelona to Figueres (Barcelona-Portbou RENFE line) leave hourly from Barcelona Sants and Passeig de Gracia. The Dali museum is about a 10 minute walk from the train station; follow the posted signs. About 2 hours from Barcelona.

The SARFA bus company also runs routes to Figueres.

Sitges

Sitges: summer home to Barcelona's chic society and gay community, hot spot for party-goers, magnet for sun and beach lovers... all in all and the place to go if you want to party 'til you drop. Since Sitges is such a popular beach resort, it can be expensive, crowded and touristy, especially during the high season and on weekends. If you don't mind braving the hordes, though, you're guaranteed a great time at night and wide, sandy beaches during the day.

Sitges is also renowned as a gay hotspot. The gay community comes out in full force during carnival time, throwing one of Spain's wildest seasonal parties (Feb-March).

Beaches in Sitges

There are 15 different beaches in Sitges along more than 3km of coast in the city center, plus 7 beaches located in the municipial district. The latter ones are quieter and more relaxed whereas the city beaches offer all types of beach activities and services, such as boat rental, sport activities, chair rental, life guards, public toilets, etc. The water and sand are of high quality and significantly nicer than beaches in Barcelona. Sitges's Passeig Marítim is a great promenade with restaurants and bars -- daytime beach action is concentrated around here, so be prepared for quite the scene.

How to reach Sitges from Barcelona

During the high season (May-October) you can catch a "rodalies" train from the Barcelona Sants station. No need to buy tickets in advance, since as many as 4 trains leave every hour. Alternatively, hop on a "rodalies" train at the Passeig de Gràcia metro station towards "Vilanova / St Vicenç." It will take you approximately 25 minutes to reach Sitges beaches by train. The last departure from Sitges to Barcelona is around 10:30 pm.

Port Aventura

PORT AVENTURA - SALOU
HOW TO GET THERE ???


PortAventura is a unique spot in the heart of the Costa Daurada.

Each day at PortAventura offers the most exciting of adventures and a whole range of experiences that you will remember forever. Family holidays, a weekend break with friends, a business convention with your company... it doesn't matter who you are, where you come from or what you come for.The important thing is that once you've been, the experience will stay with you for a long time to come.

PortAventura Park
A theme park full of action-packed adventures from all corners of the globe: imperial China, the wild Far West, exotic Polynesia, Aztec México and the mellow Mediterrània.

Caribe Aquatic Park
A huge water theme park where you can really take the plunge. There is also a covered area so you can have fun all year round.

It can be a good idea to go to Port Aventura for a day trip with your family or your friends during your stay in Barcelona. Looking for a place to stay in Barcelona? Click here

How to get to Pot Aventura from Barcelona ?

By Train

RENFE
PortAventura has its own train station which can be reached from other mainline stations. You can take the train from Barcelona at Passeig de Gracia train Station.
It takes only 1h20 approximately.
Information and reservations:
0034 902 24 02 02

By Bus
There are numerous regular lines of buses that realize periodic trips to PortAventura from Barcelona. Calling to the park they will inform you closely.

From Barcelona city up to Port Aventura offered by Autocares Plana. More information and reservations (Tel. 0034 977 35 44 45). Segales buses and other companies offer excursions including transportation and entrance to the park.

By Car
PortAventura is located at exit 35 of the AP-7 or Autopista del Mediterráneo.

You can also use the following national roads:
N-240 Tarragona-Lleida
N-340 Barcelona-Valencia

GPS coordinates:UMT (X=344975,1205; Y=4551203,34)