Sant Jordi's day in Barcelona

On the 23rd of April, come celebrate lovers’ day in Barcelona!

Considered as a Valentine’s Day by Catalonian people, La Diada de Sant Jordi actually celebrates the patron saint’s death of Catalonia: Saint George. According to the story, it is said that Saint George, a Roman knight, killed a dragon in order to rescue from its fangs a princess coming from the south of Barcelona. Then, a rosebush sprang from the dragon’s blood and the hero picked the most beautiful rose to give it to his princess.

Since The Middle-Age, this nice gesture of Saint George has been perpetuated and Sant Jordi’s day has become the most romantic day of the year in Catalonia. On this date, tradition wants boys to offer a rose to their girlfriend and girls to offer back a book to their boyfriend.

Anyway, by walking in the city, you will notice quickly that this festivity is present elsewhere and things are taken seriously in Barcelona! Indeed, you could enjoy a big flowers and books market all along the famous Ramblas, specially transformed for the occasion. And although Sant Jordi’s day is a working day, many Barcelonan people will not hesitate to miss classes or work to hang out in the streets and breathe love perfume…

By the way, this day has become under the auspices of the UNESCO, the international day of book and author’s rights.

Tips:

· La casa del Arcediano (free entry for public during Sant Jordi’s day). Address : click here

· Listen to the best musicians near Cathedral of Santa Eulalia. Address : click here

· Visit the precincts of the cathedral to see swans walking.

· Visit freely the Dependencias del Palau de Generalitat. Address : click here

· The municipality of Barcelona (Ayuntamiento de Barcelona). Address : click here

Enjoy a romantic stay in one of our cosy apartments. More information about this on our website: Top Barcelona Apartments.

Boqueria Market

It's the biggest market of Europe and, probably of the whole Occidental world. La Boqueria's market, located in the emblematic Ramblas of the city, is an obliged visit for the tourists and has been converted in one of the symbols of Barcelona today.

The market was constructed with the current metal framework in the year 1914, but the first documents of the market's existence date form back to the 13th century. It's the most famous of the 41 markets that exist in Barcelona. It has a whole of 6.000 m2 where there are located more than 300 booth (of vegetables, fruits, meats, fish, specializations ...) that are the real grace of the market. It's importance takes root in offering a great assortment of fresh products and a great explosion of colours, people and movement that makes it unique in the world. There is a popular expression that says: if you don't find something in La Boqueria, it can't be found in any other place.

The popular name is La Boqueria but it's official name is Sant Josep's Market because the Sant Josep's convent that was burnt in 1835 was placed there. This fact was very important for the reconstruction and consolidation of the market. It's architecture is harmonious, but remains hidden under its iron construction; it is necessary to emphasize that the window and the medallion of the entry are of modernist style.

The market has suffered some architectural changes. In april of this year the works of reconstructions have been finished, which have liberated the squared porch and have supposed the recovery of the perimetrical column. The most important is that the market has wan in lighting and it has been opened to the street.

The services that La Boqueria offers have been extended with small places where we can eat and drink. There are 10 establishments of two different classes; the newsstand - bars to take a coffee, a refreshment or an appetizer, and small bar - restaurants to sit down in stools and to savour the economic menus or the most typical plates, without leaving the market. Between all these mini bars we find the Universal newsstand to take a recommendable menu of the day, the Pinotxo bar with the amiability of Juanito, the owner's bar and key personage in La Boquería throughout the years, which tells us the market has gained with it's reconstruction. We prune to take some tapa's (snack) in Quim's bar or eating a good chocolate with fritters in the Sant Josep's bar. At the end of the market, in the Garduña's place, we find a restaurant that takes the same name, reformed with the last works in the market. This restaurant offers Mediterranean and Catalan food to different prices, and the day's menu costs 8,25 euros.

We recommend to eat in the places that we have named above, but if in case of preferring to eat with carte, the Boqueria's market is surrounded by well-known restaurants where to choose plates of Mediterranean food. It's the case of the Turia restaurant, http://www.barcelona-on-line.es/elturia, in Petxina's street that offers renewed and varied plates, such as fish, seafood and an economic menu of 9,60 euros that is very good. We also outstand The Convent, in the Jerusalem street, specialist in Catalan gastronomy, and La Palmera restaurant that offers market food, located behind La Boqueria.

La Boqueria's market is located in the Ramblas number 101 and opens at 8:00 a.m. and closes at 8:30 p.m.

The Ramblas & The Gothic Quarter

Las Ramblas will likely be your first stop in Barcelona, and rightly so. This area is a must-see. Even though it’s packed with tourists, it’s an exciting, lively neighborhood perfect for ambling around, shopping, and eating. You can take a pleasant stroll, enjoy some great people-watching and admire the beautiful medieval architecture of the Barri Gotic all around you.

Plaça de Catalunya is a good place to start, especially because the aerobus and train from the airport both stop here. Barcelona's main train station - Estació Sants - is also on the same metro line as Catalyuna. The plaza itself is bordered by large department stores, including the mammoth El Corte Inglés and French FNAC, plus a couple of terraces great for meeting friends and having a café con leche.

The northwest end of Las Ramblas meets the southwest corner of Plaça de Catalunya. Las Ramblas is a long avenue with a central pedestrian walkway full of newsstands, cafes & restaurants, mimes, pavement artists, and more. The name "Las Ramblas" is plural because in reality this stretch is made up of 5 consecutive streets: Rambla Canaletes, Rambla Estudis, Rambla Sant Josep, Rambla Caputxins and Rambla Santa Mònica.

Las Ramblas is Spain's most famous boulevard. On the way down, you'll find many points of interest, such as Barcelona's opera house, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, and the Mercat de la Boqueria, a beautiful outdoor modernista food market. When you reach the end, you'll find yourself at the Monument a Colom, a tall homage to Christopher Columbus which signals the entrance to the harbor and Port Vell.

East of Las Ramblas you'll enter into the heart of the Gothic Quarter ("Barri Gotic"), the medieval section of Barcelona. Barcelona’s Cathedral - La Seu - is a prime example of the Catalan Gothic style, with beautiful exterior adornment added later in the 19th century. The surrounding neighborhood is full of Gothic Plaças characterized by terrace cafes, impromptu outdoor concerts, bars and shops. The most notable plazas are: Plaça del Rei, Plaça de Sant Jaume, Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol and Plaça Reial. There are also remnants of Roman walls, tombs and temples around here, as this is the part of the city where the Romans first settled. The best way to get a sense of ancient Barcelona is to vist the City History Museum on the Plaça del Rei.

It's a pleasure to just wander the streets off of Las Ramblas in the Gothic Quarter and stumble upon endless treasures and surprises.

While Las Ramblas itself holds the Wax and Erotica Museums, you'll find the more interesting elements of Barcelona culture in the Barri Gótic's charming side streets and plazas. This area is home to the fascinating City History Museum; the Liceu, Barcelona's stellar opera house; Jamboree, the old stomping grounds of Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker; and all the most important works of medieval Barcelona architecture.

Ciutat Vella, another name for this area, means "Old City." Ciutat Vella refers everything between the old port and Plaça de Catalunya (the Barri Gòtic plus La Ribera and El Raval). Between April and June you'll stumble upon numerous outdoor Ciutat Vella concerts, especially during 3 key annual music festivals: the Barcelona Flamenco Festival, the Barcelona Festival of Early Music, and the Festa de Música de Barcelona.

*NOTE* Keep an eye on your bag or other personal belongings on Las Ramblas. Pickpockets are notorious for robbing tourists around here.

Do you plan to spend some holidays in Barcelona? Rent an apartment in the Ramblas.

Barcelona Safety

Barcelona is not a dangerous city, in the sense that there are few violent crimes committed compared to major urban centers in the United States, for example. Only pick pockets are especially aware of tourists and are experts at taking advantage of newcomers' naivety when caring for belongings, especially in crowded areas such as Las Ramblas, the metro cars and buses.

While it is not necessary to walk the streets of Barcelona in fear, it is important to be aware of those around you, and be smart about where and how you carry your bags and wallets. For example, keeping your wallet in your back pocket is paramount to asking someone to snatch it.

If you must keep money in your pockets, the front pocket is a much safer option. The best idea is to keep important items such as passports, credit cards and large sums of money in some sort of pouch underneath your shirt (around your neck, for example).

Backpacks are also extremely vulnerable, so you might want to lock any pouch containing valuables or at least bury them in an inaccessible interior pocket. If possible, women should wear their bags strapped diagonally over one shoulder, with the bag in front rather than resting on their back. (It may not be the most attractive way to wear your bag, but it's the safest! That way no one can snatch your purse off your shoulder, and you can keep an eye out at all times).

The rule of thumb is to be on guard and use common sense. Petty thiefs are experts even at robbing the most aware tourists, so just be especially careful in crowded areas.If you are robbed and want to report a theft, you should go to the national police ("policía nacional").

There is a police station ("comisaría" in Spanish, "comissaria" in Catalan ) near Las Ramblas at the metro Paral.lel on Carrer Nou de la Rambla 80.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS FOR BARCELONA

For all general Barcelona information, you can call 010. From there they will refer you to other numbers as well.

Ambulance: 061

Catalan state police (Mossos d'Esquadra): 088

EU standard emergency number: 112

Fire Department (Bombers): 080, 085

Local Police (Guàrdia Urbana): 092

Military Poilce (Guardia Civil): 062

National Police (Policía Nacional): 091

Hospitals: 93 454 60 00 / 93 418 34 00

Dental emergencies: 93 227 47 47

OTHER USEFUL NUMBERS FOR BARCELONA

R.E.N.F.E (National Train Service) 93 490 02 02

FGC (Generalitat Trian Service) 93 205 15 15

Post office 902 19 71 97

Customs 93 301 30 08

CREDIT CARD NUMBERS IN SPAIN

If you have a credit card mishap and need to make a cancellation, you can call these toll free numbers:

American Express: 900 994426

MasterCard: 300 371231

Visa: 900 991124

24-HOUR PHARMACIES

Here are a few 24-hour pharmacies in the center of Barcelona. You can also call the general info number (010) or 098 for more listings.
Farmàcia Clapés, La Rambla 98, tel. 93 301 28 43

Farmàcia Torres, Carrer d’Aribau 62, tel. 93 453 92 20

Farmàcia Álvarez, Passeig de Gràcia 26, tel. 93 302 11 24.

Walking tour - The Ramblas

On foot. Approximate duration: 3 hours.



The Rambla, which runs from the Plaça Catalunya to the Port; has been the heart of the city down through the centuries and today continues to be the most typical, popular and cosmopolitan of the city's streets. Our itinerary begins at the top of the Rambla where it opens into the Plaça Catalunya.



We list below all the points of interest that you find while wlaking down the Ramblas from Plaça Catalunya:


1- "Font de Canaletes"
Iron fountain dating from the 19th Century. One of the city´s landmarks.

2- Iglesia de Belén

At the junction with Carme street. Ancien Jesuit church. Catalan Gothic style interior.

3- Palau Moja

Located Opposite the Betlem church. Important house at the beginning of the 18th Century.

4- Palau de la Virreina
In Rambla nº 99, One of the most sumptuous buildings of the Rambla. There is an information office on the ground floor.

5- The Sant Josep or "Boquería" Market
Wrought iron building which houses one of the most popular and traditional of the city's food market

6- "Pla de la Boquería"
This is that part which lies between Hospital street and Boquería street. There is a mosaic by Joan Miró on the pavement.

7- Palau Güell
Carrer Nou de la Rambla, 3. The work of Antoni Gaudí. Built as the Barcelona residence of the Count Güell. The building houses the Museu de les Arts del Espectacle.

8- Plaça Reial
Square formed by unifrom buildings. Iron fountain in center. lamps-posts are the work of Gaudí.

9- Wax Museum
The building built in 1867 is part of the National Architectural in the exhibition of its figures, protagonists of the history and fantasy of mankind, justifies wordlwide acknowledgment.

10- "Reials Drassanes"
The most important and most complete medieval dockyards in existence are to be found at the end of the Rambla. The Maritim Museum is housed inside.



You can rent an apartment on the Ramblas from walking distance of all these points of interest.

Budget accommodation

If you are looking for an apartment in Barcelona for holiday but don't want to spend all your money in the rental there is a solution: a budget accommodation.

This apartment situated in the city center, near the famous "Ramblas" and is perfect for small budget and fully equiped. Indeed it is a cosy apartment, with a double bedroom and convertible sofa-bed in the living room, wardrobe, washing machine and kitchen totally equiped.

Booking this type of accommodation not only will make you feel more as a local, also will allow you to walk around the city center without the need of taking public transportation. Most places of interest are within walking distance.

If you are looking for a budget accommodation for your holidays in Barcelona, click here.

Raval

Barcelona's Raval was historically the red-light zone and a slum of Old Barcelona. However, it’s quickly becoming the city’s new “in” area. Numerous bars and clubs frequented by young artists and bohemian types now fill formerly sketchy alleyways. If you’re into an alternative scene, the Barcelona Raval is where it’s at… but it’s still a good idea to keep a close watch on your wallet and pocketbook at night.

A good gateway to Raval tourism from Las Ramblas is the Mercat de la Boqueria. This vibrant modernista market holds all kinds of food stands and tapas bars, and is a great place to simply wander around or stock up.

Just behind the market you'll find the Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu, medieval Barcelona's central hospital, now home to the National Library of Catalunya.

One of the streets that meets the hospital is Carrer dels Angels. It's a straight shoot northwest up to the Plaça dels Angels, home of the neighboring CCCB and MACBA, Barcelona's two main contemporary art and culture centers.

All the way at the southern end of el Raval, about a block west of Las Ramblas, is Palau Güell. Commissioned in the 1880s by Eusebi Guell, this is one of Antoni Gaudí's more subdued works. It's also among the few examples of Catalonia's Art Nouveau style, "modernisme" in the Old City, or "Ciutat Vella."

Young, artsy types and a significant immigrant population have moved in over the past two decades, inaugurating El Raval as the new hip center of Barcelona culture. The plaza in front of the MACBA serves as a makeshift skate park, while vegetarian restaurants, small bars housing art exhibits and intimate concerts and a handful of second-hand stores define El Raval's fomerly seedy landscape.

El Raval is alive all through the day and night so you will never be without an eaterie to entice you in the early hours of the morning!

El Raval offers a central location within walking distance of many of the other popular areas such as the Gothic Quarter and Eixample. The nearest metro stops are on Las Ramblas, Barcelona’s most famous street which runs up one side of El Raval.

Would you like to stay in this area during your holidays in Barcelona? Stay in an apartment overlooking the "Rambla del Raval ". Click here: stay in the Raval

** The International Music Festival, SONAR takes place in the Raval area. Many concerts are held in the "MACBA" and outdoors at the "Rambla del Raval".

Looking for accommodation for the next SONAR Festival in Barcelona?

Carnival 2008

Carnival in Barcelona epitomises some of the more gluttonous aspects of traditional celebration. The time before the Lenten fast is spent indulging in the very best of soon-to-be-forbidden pleasures, and for Barcelonans this means a gargantuan feast dedicated to anything particularly fatty.

Carnival weekend sees revellers converge on the market places and streets to watch as the local carnival guilds and commercial establishments compete for the best costume or representation. On Saturday afternoon the celebrations come to a climax with the Gran Rua de Carnaval, a colossal parade of adorned carriages and carnival groups and a snowfall of streaming confetti.

All good things must come to an end and the celebrants mark the occasion appropriately with a funeral. The king of carnival has, after all, died and taken the carnival with him. A funeral cortege of his widows and entourage, all suitably dressed in black, mourn his passing.

Carnaval in Raval, also called “Ravalstoltada” this year.

On Saturday 2th February at 16.30, the “ Rambla del Raval” will be the meeting point for all the diferent parades organised by neighbourhood associations.

Meeting point: Rambla del Raval and Carrer de Sant Oleguer
District : Ciutat Vella

You still have time to book an apartment near this area to enjoy the Carnaval at the Raval.

Family accommodation

This apartment is located in the heart of the city, in a pedestrian street called "Calle Tallers". It is just within 2 minutes walking distance from the "Plaza Catalunya" and the Ramblas.


This type of accommodation is perfect for families or groups of friends, you have more space than in a hotel room, and you can feel more like "at home".
This apartment will allow you to cook and enjoy meals with all your family and make feel more like a local barcelonian.

This is a 3 bedroom's apartment and accommodates up to 8 people.

The living area provides the guests with a pullout sofa . You will find TV, DVD and air conditioning/heating in the apartment.

Internet ADSL WI-Fi.

The kitchen is fully equipped with all of the comforts of home. The apartment has got also a bathroom with a large shower unit, toilet, modern sink unit and vanity mirror, and also hairdryer.

Would you like to know more about this apartment? Click here.