Barcelona

Barcelona
La Barceloneta Casa Milà
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  Ciutat Comtal (Catalan) Ciudad Condal (Spanish) "Comital City" or "City of Counts" Cap i Casal de Catalunya (Catalan) 'Head and Hearth of Catalonia' Abbreviation(s): Barna, BCN
Location of Barcelona
Show map of Catalonia Show map of Spain Show map of Europe
Coordinates: 41°23′N 2°11′E / 41.383°N 2.183°E / 41.383; 2.183
Country	Spain
Autonomous community	Catalonia
Province	Barcelona
Comarca	Barcelonès
Districts	10 districts Ciutat Vella Eixample Gràcia Horta-Guinardó Les Corts Nou Barris Sant Andreu Sants–Montjuïc Sarrià-Sant Gervasi Sant Martí
Government
• Type	Main festivity	La Mercè
Patron saint	Eulalia of Barcelona
Website	www.barcelona.cat

Barcelona (/ˌbɑːrsəˈloʊnə/ ^ⓘ BAR-sə-LOH-nə; Catalan: [bəɾsəˈlonə] ^ⓘ; Spanish: [baɾθeˈlona] ^ⓘ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within city limits,^[8] its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the province of Barcelona and is home to around 5.3 million people,^[3] making it the fifth most populous urban area of the European Union after Paris, the Ruhr area, Madrid and Milan.^[3] It is one of the largest metropolises on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range.

According to tradition, Barcelona was founded by either the

Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is home to two of the most prestigious universities in Spain: the University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions. In addition, many international sport tournaments have been played here.

Barcelona is a major cultural, economic, and financial centre in

The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Baŕkeno, attested in an ancient coin inscription found on the right side of the coin in Iberian script as ,^[16] in Ancient Greek sources as Βαρκινών, Barkinṓn;^[17][18] and in Latin as Barcino,^[19] Barcilonum^[20] and Barcenona.^[21][22][23]

Other sources suggest that the city may have been named after the

The city is referred to as the Ciutat Comtal in Catalan and Ciudad Condal in Spanish (i.e., "Comital City" or "City of Counts"), owing to its past as the seat of the Count of Barcelona.^[26]

The origin of the earliest settlement at the site of present-day Barcelona is unclear. The ruins of an early settlement have been found, including different tombs and dwellings dating to earlier than 5000 BC.^[27][28] In Greek mythology, the founding of Barcelona had been attributed to the mythological Hercules.

According to tradition, Barcelona was founded by Punic (

In about 15 BC, the

Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of Faventia,[33] or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino^[34] or Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino. Pomponius Mela^[35] mentions it among the small towns of the district, probably as it was eclipsed by its neighbour Tarraco (modern Tarragona), but it may be gathered from later writers that it gradually grew in wealth and consequence, favoured as it was with a beautiful situation and an excellent harbour.^[36] It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens.^[37] The city minted its own coins; some from the era of Galba survive.

Important Roman vestiges are displayed in

The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include much of modern

The Bank or Taula de canvi de Barcelona, often viewed as the oldest public bank in Europe, was established by the city magistrates in 1401. It originated from necessities of the state, as did the Bank of Venice (1402) and the Bank of Genoa (1407).^[48]

In the beginning of the Early Modern period, Barcelona lost political primacy, but the economy managed to achieve a balance between production capacity and imports.^[49]

In the context of the wider early recovery of Catalonia from the 17th-century crisis in the second half of the century, increasing maritime activity since 1675 doubled traffic in the port of Barcelona compared to figures from the beginning of the 17th century.^[50]

In the late 17th and early 18th century, Barcelona repeatedly endured the effects of war, including the 1691 bombing, the sieges of 1697, 1704, 1705, 1706, and the 1713 blockade and ensuing 1714 siege and assault.^[51]

In the 18th century, the population grew from 30,000 to about 100,000 inhabitants, as the city became one of the key mercantile centres in the Western Mediterranean, with inland influence up to Zaragoza, and to the south up to Alicante.^[52] A fortress was built at Montjuïc that overlooked the harbour.

Much of Barcelona was negatively affected by the Napoleonic wars, but the start of industrialization saw the fortunes of the province improve.

In the mid-1850s, Barcelona was struggling with population density as it became an industrial, port city and European capital. The city's density was at 856 people per hectare, more than double that of Paris. Mortality rates were on the rise and any outbreaks of disease would devastate the population. To solve the issue, a civil engineer named Ildefons Cerdà proposed a plan for a new district known as the Eixample. The citizens of Barcelona had begun to demolish the medieval wall surrounding and constricting the city. Cerdà thought it best to transform the land outside the walls into an area characterized by a scientific approach to urbanization. His proposal consisted of a grid of streets to unite the old city and surrounding villages. There would also be wide streets to allow people to breathe clean air, gardens in the centre of each street block, integration of rich and poor giving both groups access to the same services, and smooth-flowing traffic. Urban quality, egalitarianism, hygiene, sunlight, and efficiency were all major keys for Cerdà's vision. Not everything he imagined would be realized within the Eixample district, but the iconic octagonal superblocks with chamfered corners for better visibility are his direct brainchild and remain immensely helpful even 170 years later. The district and its ideals were not appreciated at the time. The city council awarded the design of the extension plan to another architect. The Spanish government was the one to step in and impose Cerdà's plan, laying the groundwork for many more tensions between the Spanish and Catalan administrations. Regardless, some of the upper class citizens of Barcelona were excited by the new plan and began a race to build "the biggest, tallest, most attractive house" in the district. Their interest and money fueled the rich diversity that we now see in the district's architecture. In the end, Cerdà's ideas would have a lasting impact on Barcelona's development, earning it international recognition for its highly efficient approach to urban planning and design.^[53][54]

During the

In 1992, Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympics. The after-effects of this are credited with driving major changes in what had, up until then, been a largely industrial city. As part of the preparation for the games, industrial buildings along the sea-front were demolished and 3 km (2 mi) of beach were created. New construction increased the road capacity of the city by 17%, the sewage handling capacity by 27% and the amount of new green areas and beaches by 78%. Between 1990 and 2004, the number of hotel rooms in the city doubled. Perhaps more importantly, the outside perception of the city was changed making, by 2012, Barcelona the 12th most popular city destination in the world and the 5th amongst European cities.^{[58][59][60][61][62]}

Supporters of Catalan independence in October 2019

Protest against independence in October 2017

The death of Franco in 1975 brought on a period of democratization throughout Spain. Pressure for change was particularly strong in Barcelona, which considered that it had been punished during nearly forty years of Francoism for its support of the Republican government.^[63] Massive, but peaceful, demonstrations on 11 September 1977 assembled over a million people in the streets of Barcelona to call for the restoration of Catalan autonomy. It was granted less than a month later.^[64]

The development of Barcelona was promoted by two events in 1986:

In July 2023, Barcelona was announced as the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for the 2024–2026 term. This means it will be the hub for discussion around global challenges including culture, heritage, urban planning and architecture. In addition to being the capital through 2026, it will also host the UIA World Congress of Architects for that year. The honour is befitting of Barcelona, as its history is peppered with architectural achievement and various iconic styles and influences. From its ancient Roman roots, to the Gothic and Modernisme movements, Barcelona has thrived through the way it ties together architecture and culture.[72]

A panoramic view of Barcelona

Barcelona is located on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Mediterranean Sea, on a plain approximately 5 km (3 mi) wide limited by the mountain range of Collserola, the Llobregat river to the southwest and the Besòs river to the north.^[73] This plain covers an area of 170 km² (66 sq mi),^[73] of which 101 km² (39.0 sq mi)^[74] are occupied by the city itself. It is 120 km (75 mi) south of the Pyrenees and the Catalan border with France.

According to the Köppen climate classification, Barcelona has a hot summer Mediterranean climate (Csa), with mild winters and warm to hot summers,^[76] while the rainiest seasons are autumn and spring. The rainfall pattern is characterized by a short (3 months) dry season in summer, as well as less winter rainfall than in a typical Mediterranean climate. However, both June and August are wetter than February, which is unusual for the Mediterranean climate. This subtype, labelled as "Portuguese" by the French geographer George Viers after the climate classification of Emmanuel de Martonne^[77] and found in the NW Mediterranean area (e.g. Marseille), can be seen as transitional to the humid subtropical climate (Cfa) found in inland areas.

Barcelona is densely populated, thus heavily influenced by the

Barcelona averages 78 rainy days per year (≥ 1 mm), and annual average relative humidity is 72%, ranging from 69% in July to 75% in October. Rainfall totals are highest in late summer and autumn (September–November) and lowest in early and mid-summer (June–August), with a secondary winter minimum (February–March). Sunshine duration is 2,524 hours per year, from 138 (average 4.5 hours of sunshine a day) in December to 310 (average 10 hours of sunshine a day) in July.[81]

According to Barcelona's City Council, the city's population as of 1 January 2016^[update] was 1,608,746 people,^[86] on a land area of 101.4 km² (39 sq mi). It is the main component of an administrative area of Greater Barcelona, with a population of 3,218,071 in an area of 636 km² (246 sq mi) (density 5,060 inhabitants/km²). The population of the urban area was 4,840,000.^[3] It is the central nucleus of the Barcelona metropolitan area, which relies on a population of 5,474,482.^[4]

In 1900, Barcelona had a population of 533,000,^[73] which grew steadily but slowly until 1950, when it started absorbing a high number of people from other less-industrialized parts of Spain. Barcelona's population peaked in 1979 at 1,906,998, and fell throughout the 1980s and 1990s as more people sought a higher quality of life in outlying cities in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. After bottoming out in 2000 with 1,496,266 residents, the city's population began to rise again as younger people started to return, causing a great increase in housing prices.^[87]

Spanish is the most spoken language in Barcelona (according to the linguistic census held by the Government of Catalonia in 2013) and it is understood almost universally. Catalan is also very commonly spoken in the city: it is understood by 95% of the population, while 72.3% can speak it, 79% can read it, and 53% can write it.^[88] Knowledge of Catalan has increased significantly in recent decades thanks to a language immersion educational system.

After Catalan and Spanish, the most spoken languages in Barcelona are those from North Africa, such as Amazigh and Arabic, followed by Bengali, Urdu, Panjabi, Mandarin Chinese, Romanian, English, Russian and Quechua, according to data collected by the University of Barcelona.^[89]

Barcelona is one of the most densely populated cities in Europe. For the year 2008 the city council calculated the population to 1,621,090 living in the 102.2 km² sized municipality, giving the city an average population density of 15,926 inhabitants per square kilometre with Eixample being the most populated district.^{[90][full citation needed]}

In the case of Barcelona though, the land distribution is extremely uneven. Half of the municipality or 50.2 km², all of it located on the municipal edge is made up of the ten least densely populated neighbourhoods containing less than 10% of the city's population, the uninhabited Zona Franca industrial area and Montjuïc forest park. Leaving the remaining 90% or slightly below 1.5 million inhabitants living on the remaining 52 km² (20 sq mi) at an average density close to 28,500 inhabitants per square kilometre.^{[90][full citation needed]}

Of the 73 neighbourhoods in the city, 45 had a population density above 20,000 inhabitants per square kilometre with a combined population of 1,313,424 inhabitants living on 38.6 km² at an average density of 33,987 inhabitants per square kilometre. The 30 most densely populated neighbourhoods accounted for 57.5% of the city population occupying only 22.7% of the municipality, or in other words, 936,406 people living at an average density of 40,322 inhabitants per square kilometre. The city's highest density is found at and around the neighbourhood of

In 1900, almost a third (28.9 percent) of the population were children (aged younger than 14 years). In 2017, this age group constituted only 12.7% of the population. In 2017, people aged between 15 and 24 years made up 9 percent of the population; those aged between 25 and 44 years made up 30.6 percent of the population; while those aged between 45 and 64 years formed 56.9% of all Barcelonans. In 1900, people aged 65 and older made up just 6.5 percent of the population. In 2017, this age group made up 21.5 percent of the population.[91]^[92]

In 2016, about 59% of the inhabitants of the city were born in Catalonia and 18.5% coming from the rest of the country. In addition to that, 22.5% of the population was born outside of Spain, a proportion which has more than doubled since 2001 and more than quintupled since 1996 when it was 8.6% and 3.9% respectively.^[86]

The most important region of origin of migrants is Europe, with many coming from Italy (26,676) or France (13,506).^[86] Moreover, many migrants come from Latin American nations such as Bolivia, Ecuador or Colombia. Since the 1990s, and similar to other migrants, many Latin Americans have settled in northern parts of the city.^[94]

There exists a relatively large Pakistani community in Barcelona with up to twenty thousand nationals. The community consists of significantly more men than women. Many of the Pakistanis are living in Ciutat Vella. First Pakistani migrants came in the 1970s, with increasing numbers in the 1990s.^[95]

Other significant migrant groups come from Asia as from China and the

In 2007, most of the inhabitants stated they are

The Barcelona metropolitan area comprises over 66% of the people of Catalonia, one of the richer regions in Europe and the fourth richest region per capita in Spain, with a GDP per capita amounting to €28,400 (16% more than the EU average). The greater Barcelona metropolitan area had a GDP amounting to $177 billion (equivalent to $34,821 in per capita terms, 44% more than the EU average), making it the 4th most economically powerful city by gross GDP in the European Union, and 35th in the world in 2009.^[104] Barcelona city had a very high GDP of €80,894 per head in 2004, according to Eurostat.^[105] Furthermore, Barcelona was Europe's fourth best business city and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17% per year as of 2009^[update].^[106]

Barcelona was the

Borsa de Barcelona (Barcelona Stock Exchange) is the main stock exchange in the northeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula.

Barcelona was recognized as the Southern European City of the Future for 2014/15, based on its economic potential,

The World Trade Center Barcelona

The Palau de Congressos de Barcelona

It also has several congress halls, notably

An important business centre, the World Trade Center Barcelona, is located in Barcelona's Port Vell harbour.

The city is known for hosting well as world-class conferences and expositions, including the 1888

Barcelona was the 20th-most-visited city in the world by international visitors and the fifth most visited city in Europe after London, Paris, Istanbul and Rome, with 5.5 million international visitors in 2011.^[113] By 2015, both Prague and Milan had more international visitors.^[114] With its popular tree-lined pedestrian street, Les Rambles (Las Ramblas), Barcelona is ranked the most popular city to visit in Spain.^[115]

Barcelona is an internationally renowned tourist destination, with numerous recreational areas, one of the best beaches in the world,^[116][117] mild and warm climate, historical monuments, including eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 519 hotels as of March 2016^{[update][118]} including 35 five-star hotels,^[119] and developed tourist infrastructure.

Due to its large influx of tourists each year, Barcelona, like many other tourism capitals, has to deal with pickpockets, with wallets and passports being commonly stolen items. Despite its moderate pickpocket rate, Barcelona is considered one of the safest cities in terms of security and personal safety,^[120] mainly because of a sophisticated policing strategy that has dropped crime by 32% in just over three years and has led it to be considered the 15th safest city in the world by Business Insider in 2016.^[121]

While tourism produces economic benefits, according to one report,^{[citation needed]} the city is "overrun [by] hordes of tourists". In early 2017, over 150,000 protesters warned that tourism is destabilizing the city. Slogans included "Tourists go home", "Barcelona is not for sale" and "We will not be driven out". By then, the number of visitors had increased from 1.7 million in 1990 to 32 million in a city with a population of 1.62 million, increasing the cost of rental housing for residents and overcrowding the public places. While tourists spent an estimated €30 billion in 2017, they are viewed by some as a threat to Barcelona's identity.^[122]

A May 2017 article in the British online daily

Manufacturing sector

Industry generates 21% of the total gross domestic product (GDP) of the region,[126] with the energy, chemical and metallurgy industries accounting for 47% of industrial production.^[127] The Barcelona metropolitan area had 67% of the total number of industrial establishments in Catalonia as of 1997.^[128]

Barcelona has long been an important European automobile manufacturing centre. Formerly there were automobile factories of

National Pescara, Nacional RG, Nacional Rubi, Nacional Sitjes, Automóviles Nike, Orix, Otro Ford, Patria, Pegaso, PTV, Ricart, Ricart-España, Industrias Salvador, Siata Española, Stevenson, Romagosa y Compañía, Garaje Storm, Talleres Hereter, Trimak, Automóviles Victoria, Manufacturas Mecánicas Aleu.^[129][130]

Today, the headquarters and a large factory of

Nissan factory in the logistics and industrial area of the city.^[131] The factory of Derbi, a large manufacturer of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds, also lies near the city.^[132]

As in other modern cities, the

pharmaceutical, motor, electronic, printing, logistics, publishing, in telecommunications industry and culture the notable Mobile World Congress

, and information technology services.

Fashion

Main article: Fashion in Barcelona

The traditional importance of textiles is reflected in Barcelona's drive to become a major fashion centre. There have been many attempts to launch Barcelona as a fashion capital, notably Gaudi Home.^{[citation needed]}

Beginning in the summer of 2000, the city hosted the Bread & Butter urban fashion fair until 2009, when its organizers announced that it would be returning to Berlin. This was a hard blow for the city as the fair brought €100 m to the city in just three days.^[133][134]

From 2009, The Brandery, an urban fashion show, was held in Barcelona twice a year until 2012. According to the Global Language Monitor's annual ranking of the world's top fifty fashion capitals Barcelona was named as the seventh most important fashion capital of the world right after Milan and before Berlin in 2015.^[135]

Government and administrative divisions

See also: Municipal elections in Barcelona and List of mayors of Barcelona

Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya

As the capital of the autonomous community of

executive branch, the parliament, and the High Court of Justice of Catalonia. The city is also the capital of the Province of Barcelona and the Barcelonès comarca

(district).

Barcelona is governed by a city council formed by 41 city councillors,

public safety. It also gives a special economic regime to the city's treasury and it gives the council a veto in matters that will be decided by the central government, but that will need a favourable report from the council.^[136]

The Comissió de Govern (Government Commission) is the executive branch, formed by 24 councillors, led by the Mayor, with 5 lieutenant-mayors and 17 city councillors, each in charge of an area of government, and 5 non-elected councillors.^[139] The plenary, formed by the 41 city councillors, has advisory, planning, regulatory, and fiscal executive functions.^[140] The six Commissions del Consell Municipal (City council commissions) have executive and controlling functions in the field of their jurisdiction. They are composed by a number of councillors proportional to the number of councillors each political party has in the plenary.^[141] The city council has jurisdiction in the fields of city planning, transportation, municipal taxes, public highways security through the Guàrdia Urbana (the municipal police), city maintenance, gardens, parks and environment, facilities (like schools, nurseries, sports centres, libraries, and so on), culture, sports, youth and social welfare. Some of these competencies are not exclusive, but shared with the Generalitat de Catalunya or the central Spanish government. In some fields with shared responsibility (such as public health, education or social services), there is a shared Agency or Consortium between the city and the Generalitat to plan and manage services.^[142]

The executive branch is led by a Chief Municipal Executive Officer which answers to the Mayor. It is made up of departments which are legally part of the city council and by separate legal entities of two types: autonomous public departments and public enterprises.^[143]

The seat of the city council is on the Plaça de Sant Jaume, opposite the seat of Generalitat de Catalunya. Since the coming of the Spanish democracy, Barcelona had been governed by the PSC, first with an absolute majority and later in coalition with ERC and ICV. After the May 2007 election, the ERC did not renew the coalition agreement and the PSC governed in a minority coalition with ICV as the junior partner.

After 32 years, on 22 May 2011, CiU gained a plurality of seats at the municipal election, gaining 15 seats to the PSC's 11. The PP hold 8 seats, ICV 5 and ERC 2.

Districts

Main article: Districts of Barcelona

See also: Street names in Barcelona

Since 1987, the city has been divided into 10 administrative districts (districtes in Catalan, distritos in Spanish):

• Ciutat Vella
• Eixample
• Sants-Montjuïc
• Les Corts
• Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
• Gràcia
• Horta-Guinardó
• Nou Barris
• Sant Andreu
• Sant Martí

The districts are based mostly on historical divisions, and several are former towns annexed by the city of Barcelona in the 18th and 19th centuries that still maintain their own distinct character. Each district has its own council led by a city councillor. The composition of each district council depends on the number of votes each political party had in that district, so a district can be led by a councillor from a different party than the executive council.

Education

Main article: Education in Spain

Barcelona has a well-developed higher education system of

Toulouse Business School and the Open University of Catalonia

(a private Internet-centred open university) are also based in Barcelona.

The city has a network of public schools, from nurseries to high schools, under the responsibility of a consortium led by city council (though the curriculum is the responsibility of the Generalitat de Catalunya). There are also many private schools, some of them Roman Catholic. Most such schools receive a public subsidy on a per-student basis, are subject to inspection by the public authorities, and are required to follow the same curricular guidelines as public schools, though they charge tuition. Known as escoles concertades, they are distinct from schools whose funding is entirely private (escoles privades).

The language of instruction at public schools and escoles concertades is Catalan, as stipulated by the 2009 Catalan Education Act. Spanish may be used as a language of instruction by teachers of Spanish literature or language, and foreign languages by teachers of those languages. An experimental partial immersion programme adopted by some schools allows for the teaching of a foreign language (English, generally) across the curriculum, though this is limited to a maximum of 30% of the school day. No public school or escola concertada in Barcelona may offer 50% or full immersion programmes in a foreign language, nor does any public school or escola concertada offer International Baccalaureate programmes.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Barcelona

Barcelona's cultural roots go back 2000 years. Since the

dictatorship of Franco) has been promoted, both by recovering works from the past and by stimulating the creation of new works. Barcelona is designated as a world-class city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network.^[146] It has also been part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a City of Literature since 2015.^[147]

Entertainment and performing arts

Main article: List of theatres and concert halls in Barcelona

Barcelona has many venues for

Primavera Sound Festival. The city also has a thriving alternative music scene, with groups such as The Pinker Tones receiving international attention.^[149] Barcelona is an international hub of highly active and diverse nightlife with bars, dance bars and nightclubs staying open well past midnight.^[150]

Media

El Punt Avui (in Catalan), by nationwide newspapers with special Barcelona editions such as El País (in Spanish, with an online version in Catalan) and El Mundo (in Spanish), and by several free newspapers like 20 minutos

and Què (all bilingual).

Barcelona's oldest and main online newspaper VilaWeb is also the oldest one in Europe^{[citation needed]} (with Catalan and English editions).

Several major FM stations include Catalunya Ràdio, RAC 1, RAC 105 and Cadena SER. Barcelona also has a local TV station, Betevé, owned by city council. The headquarters of Televisió de Catalunya, Catalonia's public network, are located in Sant Joan Despí, in Barcelona's metropolitan area.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Barcelona

Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc (Barcelona Olympic Stadium) built for the 1936 Summer Olympics named People's Olympiad

, main stadium of 1992 Summer Olympics

Barcelona has a long sporting tradition and hosted the highly successful

particular interest, but there are other Barcelonan football clubs in lower categories, like CE Europa and UE Sant Andreu. FC Barcelona's basketball team has a noted rivalry in the Liga ACB with nearby Joventut Badalona

.

Barcelona has three

Estadi Cornellà-El Prat, with a capacity of 40,500. Furthermore, the city has several smaller stadiums such as Mini Estadi (also owned by FC Barcelona) with a capacity of 15,000, Camp Municipal Narcís Sala with a capacity of 6,563 and Nou Sardenya with a capacity of 7,000. The city has a further three multifunctional venues for sports and concerts: the Palau Sant Jordi with a capacity of 12,000 to 24,000 (depending on use), the Palau Blaugrana with a capacity of 7,500, and the Palau dels Esports de Barcelona

with a capacity of 3,500.

Barcelona was the host city for the 2013 World Aquatics Championships, which were held at the Palau San Jordi.^[152]

Circuit de Catalunya/Circuit de Barcelona, race track of Formula 1 and MotoGP

on the suburb of Barcelona

Several

500 Series tennis tournament, is held annually in the facilities of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona. Each year on Christmas Day, a 200-meter swimming race across the Old Port of Barcelona takes place.^[153] Near Barcelona, in Montmeló, the 107,000 capacity Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya racetrack hosts the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix, the Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix, the Spanish GT Championship and races in the GP2 Series. Skateboarding and cycling are also very popular in Barcelona; in and around the city there are dozens of kilometers of bicycle paths.^{[citation needed}

]

Squatter movement

Barcelona is also home to numerous

anti-work philosophy, often freely fixing up new houses, cleaning, patching roofs, installing windows, toilets, showers, lights and kitchens. In the wake of austerity, the squats have provided a number of social services to the surrounding residents, including bicycle repair workshops, carpentry workshops, self-defense classes, free libraries, community gardens, free meals, computer labs, language classes, theatre groups, free medical care and legal support services.^[155] The squats help elderly residents avoid eviction and organize various protests throughout Barcelona. Notable squats include Can Vies and Can Masdeu.^{[citation needed}

]

Transport

Main article: Transport in Barcelona

Airports

Barcelona–El Prat Airport

as seen from the air

Barcelona is served by

Barcelona Airport railway station

) and scheduled bus service. A new terminal (T1) has been built, and entered service on 17 June 2009.

Some low-cost airlines, also use

Lleida-Alguaire Airport, about 150 km (93 mi) to the west, of the city. Sabadell Airport is a smaller airport in the nearby town of Sabadell, devoted to pilot training

, aerotaxi and private flights.

Seaport

The

Barcelona Free Port). The port is undergoing an enlargement that will double its size thanks to diverting the mouth of the Llobregat river 2 km (1 mi) to the south.^[158]

The Barcelona harbour is the leading European cruiser port and a very important Mediterranean turnaround base.^[159] In 2013, 3.6 million pleasure cruise passengers used the Port of Barcelona.^[157]

The Port Vell area also houses the Maremagnum (a commercial mall), a multiplex cinema, the IMAX Port Vell and one of Europe's largest aquariums – Aquarium Barcelona, containing 8,000 fish and 11 sharks contained in 22 basins filled with 4 million litres of sea water. The Maremagnum, being situated within the confines of the port, is the only commercial mall in the city that can open on Sundays and public holidays.

National and international rail

Barcelona is a major hub for the Spanish rail network. The city's main

Estació de França

terminus serves a secondary role handling suburban, regional and medium distance services. Freight services operate to local industries and to the Port of Barcelona.

RENFE's AVE high-speed rail system, which is designed for speeds of 310 km/h (193 mph), was extended from Madrid to Barcelona in 2008 in the form of the Madrid–Barcelona high-speed rail line. A shared RENFE-SNCF high-speed rail connecting Barcelona and France (Paris, Marseille and Toulouse, through Perpignan–Barcelona high-speed rail line) was launched in 2013. Both these lines serve Barcelona Sants terminal station.^[160][161]

Metro and regional rail

Barcelona is served by an extensive local public transport network that includes a metro system, a bus network, a regional railway system, trams, funiculars, rack railways, a Gondola lift and aerial cable cars. These networks and lines are run by a number of different operators but they are integrated into a coordinated fare system, administered by the Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (ATM). The system is divided into fare zones (1 to 6) and various Integrated Travel Cards are available.^[162]

The Barcelona Metro network comprises twelve lines, identified by an "L" followed by the line number as well as by individual colours. The Metro largely runs underground; eight Metro lines are operated on dedicated track by the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), whilst four lines are operated by the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) and some of them share tracks with RENFE commuter lines.

In addition to the city Metro, several regional rail lines operated by RENFE's Rodalies de Catalunya run across the city, providing connections to outlying towns in the surrounding region.

Tram

The city's two modern tram systems,

Funicular del Tibidabo.^[164]

Funicular and cable car

Barcelona's metro and rail system is supplemented by several aerial cable cars, funiculars and rack railways that provide connections to mountain-top stations. FGC operates the

Torre Sant Sebastià

over the port.

Bus

Buses in Barcelona are a major form of public transport, with extensive local, interurban and night bus networks. Most local services are operated by the TMB, although some other services are operated by a number of private companies, albeit still within the ATM fare structure. There are 21 night lines, 19 of them go through Plaça de Catalunya, where you can change to other lines. The frequency is 15/20 minutes between 22:20 and 06:00. A separate private bus line, known as Aerobús, links the airport with the city centre, with its own fare structure.

The

Estació del Nord

(Northern Station), a former railway station which was renovated for the 1992 Olympic Games, now serves as the terminus for long-distance and regional bus services.

Taxi

Barcelona has a

taxi ranks, hailed on street, called by telephone or via app.^[165][166]

On 22 March 2007,[167] Barcelona's City Council started the Bicing service, a bicycle service understood as a public transport. Once the user has their user card, they can take a bicycle from any of the more than 400 stations spread around the city and use it anywhere the urban area of the city, and then leave it at another station.^[168] The service has been a success, with 50,000 subscribed users in three months.^[169]

Roads and highways

B-20 motorway

in Barcelona

Barcelona lies on three international routes, including

European route E09 to Paris. It is also served by a comprehensive network of motorways and highways throughout the metropolitan area, including A-2, A-7/AP-7, C-16, C-17, C-31, C-32, C-33, C-60

.

The city is circled by three half

Ronda del Litoral (B-10) (along the coast) and Ronda del Mig (separated into two parts: Travessera de Dalt in the north and the Gran Via de Carles III), two partially covered^[170]

fast highways with several exits that bypass the city.

The city's main arteries include

Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, which crosses the city from east to west, passing through its centre. The famous boulevard of La Rambla

, whilst no longer an important vehicular route, remains an important pedestrian route.

Main sights

The

Barri Gòtic (Catalan for "Gothic Quarter") is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan modernista architecture (related to the movement known as Art Nouveau in the rest of Europe) developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. Several of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be seen throughout the city. His best-known work is the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, which has been under construction since 1882 and is still financed by private donations. As of 2015^[update], completion is planned for 2026.^[171]

Barcelona was also home to Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion. Designed in 1929 for the International Exposition for Germany, it was an iconic building that came to symbolize modern architecture as the embodiment of van der Rohe's aphorisms "less is more" and "God is in the details".^[172] The Barcelona pavilion was intended as a temporary structure and was torn down in 1930 less than a year after it was constructed. A modern re-creation by Spanish architects now stands in Barcelona, however, constructed in 1986.

Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture,^[173] the first (and as of 2015^[update], only) time that the winner has been a city rather than an individual architect. Barcelona is the home of many points of interest declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO:^[174]

Historic buildings and monuments

Further information: List of Modernista buildings in Barcelona

See also: Category:Buildings and structures in Barcelona

• Minor basilica of Sagrada Família
  , the symbol of Barcelona.
• Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, included in the UNESCO Heritage List in 1997.
• Works by Antoni Gaudí, including Park Güell, Palau Güell, Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Casa Vicens, Sagrada Família (Nativity façade and crypt), Casa Batlló, crypt in Church of Colònia Güell. The first three works were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1984. The other four were added as extensions to the site in 2005.
• The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia (Gothic)
• Gothic basilica of Santa Maria del Mar
• Gothic basilica of
  Santa Maria del Pi
• Romanesque church of Sant Pau del Camp
• Counts of Barcelona, later Kings of Aragon
• The Royal Shipyard (gothic)
• Monastery of Pedralbes (gothic)
• The Columbus Monument
• The Arc de Triomf, a triumphal arch built for entrance to 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition.
• Expiatory church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the summit of Tibidabo
  .
• The Historic Building of the University of Barcelona

Museums

Main article: List of museums in Barcelona

Romanesque painting

.

Barcelona has a great number of museums, which cover different areas and eras. The

Barcelona City History Museum (MUHBA), the Museum of the History of Catalonia, the Archeology Museum of Catalonia, the Maritime Museum of Barcelona, the Music Museum of Barcelona and the privately owned Egyptian Museum. The Erotic museum of Barcelona is among the most peculiar ones, while CosmoCaixa is a science museum that received the European Museum of the Year Award in 2006.^[175]

The

Botanical Institute of Barcelona

too.

The FC Barcelona Museum is the third most popular tourist attraction in Catalonia, with 1,51 million visitors in 2013.^[178]

Parks

Main article: Parks and gardens of Barcelona

La Barceloneta

Barcelona contains sixty municipal parks, twelve of which are historic, five of which are thematic (botanical), forty-five of which are urban, and six of which are forest.^[179] They range from vest-pocket parks to large recreation areas. The urban parks alone cover 10% of the city (549.7 ha or 1,358.3 acres).^[74] The total park surface grows about 10 ha (25 acres) per year,^[180] with a proportion of 18.1 m² (195 sq ft) of park area per inhabitant.^[181]

Of Barcelona's parks, Montjuïc is the largest, with 203 ha located on the mountain of the same name, and includes the Botanical Garden of Barcelona, the Mossèn Costa i Llobera Gardens, and more.^[74] It is followed by Parc de la Ciutadella (which occupies the site of the old citadel and which houses the Parliament building, the Barcelona Zoo, and several museums); 31 ha or 76.6 acres including the zoo), the Guinardó Park (19 ha or 47.0 acres), Park Güell (designed by Antoni Gaudí; 17.2 ha or 42.5 acres), Oreneta Castle Park (also 17.2 ha or 42.5 acres), Diagonal Mar Park (13.3 ha or 32.9 acres, inaugurated in 2002), Nou Barris Central Park (13.2 ha or 32.6 acres), Can Dragó Sports Park and Poblenou Park (both 11.9 ha or 29.4 acres), the Labyrinth Park (9.10 ha or 22.5 acres), named after the garden maze it contains.^[74] There are also several smaller parks, for example, the Parc de Les Aigües (2 ha or 4.9 acres). A part of the Collserola Park is also within the city limits. PortAventura World, one of the largest resort in Europe, with 5,837,509 visitors per year, is located one hour's drive from Barcelona.^[182][183] Also, within the city lies Tibidabo Amusement Park, a smaller amusement park in Plaza del Tibidabo, with the Muntanya Russa amusement ride.

Beaches

La Barceloneta

Barcelona beach was listed as number one in a list of the top ten city beaches in the world according to

National Geographic^[116] and Discovery Channel.^[184] Barcelona contains seven beaches, totalling 4.5 km (2+3⁄4 mi) of coastline. Sant Sebastià, Barceloneta and Somorrostro beaches, both 1,100 m (3,610 ft) in length,^[74]

are the largest, oldest and the most-frequented beaches in Barcelona.

The

Olympic Harbour separates them from the other city beaches: Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella and Llevant. These beaches (ranging from 400 to 640 m (1,310 to 2,100 ft) were opened as a result of the city restructuring to host the 1992 Summer Olympics, when a great number of industrial buildings were demolished. At present, the beach sand is artificially replenished given that storms regularly remove large quantities of material. The 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures

left the city a large concrete bathing zone on the eastmost part of the city's coastline. Most recently, Llevant is the first beach to allow dogs access during summer season.

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Spain

Barcelona is twinned with:^[185]

• Antwerp, Belgium (1997)
• Athens, Greece (1999)
• Boston, United States (1983)
• Busan, South Korea (1983)
• Cologne, Germany (1984)
• Dublin, Ireland (1998)
• Gaza City, Palestine (1998)
• Havana, Cuba (1993)
• Istanbul, Turkey (1997)
• Kobe, Japan (1993)
• Monterrey, Mexico (1977)
• Montevideo, Uruguay (1985)
• Montpellier, France (1963)
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1972)
• San Francisco, United States (2010)
• São Paulo, Brazil (1985)
• Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (2000)
• Shanghai, China (2001)
• Tunis, Tunisia (1969)
• Valparaíso, Chile (2001)

Suspended twin towns / sister cities agreements

• Saint Petersburg, Russia (1985, suspended in 2022)^[186]
• Tel Aviv, Israel (1998, suspended in 2023 until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza)^[187][188]

Partnership and friendship

Barcelona also cooperates with:^[185]

• Amman, Jordan
• Guangzhou, China
• Isfahan, Iran
• Kyoto, Japan
• Lampedusa, Italy
• Lesbos, Greece
• Maputo, Mozambique
• New York City, United States
• Ningbo, China
• Paris, France
• Rosario, Argentina
• Saïda, Algeria
• Seoul, South Korea
• Tétouan, Morocco
• Turin, Italy

Notable people

Further information: Category:People from Barcelona

See also

• Outline of Barcelona
• Architecture of Barcelona
• Urban planning of Barcelona
• Street names in Barcelona
• List of markets in Barcelona
• List of tallest buildings in Barcelona
• Parks and gardens of Barcelona
• Public art in Barcelona
• Mobile World Congress
• OPENCities

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Sources

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1854–1857). "Barcelona". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
• "Barcelona". Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana. Barcelona: Ed. Enciclopèdia Catalana S.A.
• Busquets, Joan. Barcelona: The Urban Evolution of a Compact City (Harvard UP, 2006) 468 pp.
• Marshall, Tim, ed. Transforming Barcelona (Routledge, 2004), 267 pp.
• Ramon Resina, Joan. Barcelona's Vocation of Modernity: Rise and Decline of an Urban Image (Stanford UP, 2008). 272 pp.

External links

• Official website of Barcelona
• Official website of Barcelona in Spain's national tourism portal