Barcelona has a culture and history unrivalled in Spain, as
well as a modern cosmopolitan attitude that makes it a
special place to be.
It's perhaps because the Bourbons of Spain absorbed the
independent kingdom in the eighteenth century that the locals
of this city stubbornly hold on to traditions the way they do.
They refuse to stop speaking the Catalan language despite
pressure from the rest of Spain, they hold raucous festivals
to the patron saints of the city year 'round and they take
care that the monuments and remains from all the different
stages in the city's history still stand.
Barcelona is particularly proud of the Modernist architectural
genius Antonia Gaudi, whose buildings have been
designated as sites in the World Heritage List. Güell Park and
Palace and the the Mila Home are particularly revered in
Barcelona, as is the unfinished but stunning Church of La
Sagrada Familia.
The oldest region in Barcelona is the Gothic Quarter, an
oval-shaped region loaded with Gothic style buildings like its
Gothic cathedral, old City Hall Building, the Episcopal Palace
and the splendid Palace of the Generalitat, home of the
Catalan government. La Rambla, on the other hand, is the
most famous and typical street in Barcelona, and therefore
one of the places that is most frequented by visitors.
The best way to introduce yourself to Barcelona is to stroll
along the boulevard night or day and soak up the sights of
the meeting-plazas, the open-air markets, the florist stalls,
the historical buildings. Or you could just watch the world go
by from any one of the green plazas filled with locals and
guests.
