Barcelona*All work including photos, video and writing on this page is my own, except the link to the Expedia video, freely available on Youtube.
Situated in the northeast of Spain in an autonomous region called Catalonia, which is fiercely defensive of it's own culture, identity and language sits Barcelona, Spain's second largest city. Spanish is spoken here, but the locals also speak their own language Catalan and many signs are in both Spanish and Catalan. This city was fought for and won by the Catalans over the Arabs and the Catalans still to this day try to take control of it from Spain. The port is the busiest European passenger port with many cruise lines starting their Mediterranean cruises from here. There are nine UNESCO world heritage sites here, 7 of which are by the artist Gaudi. The main industries are manufacturing with Car manufacturing a huge employer and the services sector is also a major employer. Barcelona is a city that just exudes style and class. It's a party city, but also a city to just relax and enjoy the views and the art. I would recommend it to people of all ages.
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Places to go on trips from Barcelona
1) Madrid Just 2 1/2 hours on the train. See my page on Madrid, for what to do there.
2) 3 countries in one day, such as this tour which takes you to Andorra and France. https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/club/facilities/camp-nou
3) Any of the nearby beaches such as Barceloneta, Nova Icaria, Mar bella, San Sebastia, Samorrostro
4) Take a cruise from any of the major cruise lines from Barcelona.
4) Take a cruise from any of the major cruise lines from Barcelona.
Above is a view of Barcelona from Guell Park
The best place to stay in Barcelona
This depends on your reason for your visit. The port area if you are going on a cruise is obviously a good idea. We stayed in an Airbnb apartment half way between La Rambla and La Sagrada Familia, which meant we could walk everywhere! It felt a safe area. In fact La Rambla has the most crime in Barcelona, but not violent crime, just pick pockets, so just be careful there with that. Public transport is actually very good and cheap, just tap a credit card on the pay station on the buses, so if you can't walk far you can safely use public transport if you are careful with your belongings.
The best place to stay in Barcelona
This depends on your reason for your visit. The port area if you are going on a cruise is obviously a good idea. We stayed in an Airbnb apartment half way between La Rambla and La Sagrada Familia, which meant we could walk everywhere! It felt a safe area. In fact La Rambla has the most crime in Barcelona, but not violent crime, just pick pockets, so just be careful there with that. Public transport is actually very good and cheap, just tap a credit card on the pay station on the buses, so if you can't walk far you can safely use public transport if you are careful with your belongings.
For more information on Barcelona see this official tourist information.