GALICIA • ASTURIAS • CANTABRIA • BASQUE COUNTRY NAVARRA • ARAGON • LA RIOJA • CATALONIA

WITH ITS ATLANTIC climate, the north coast is surprisingly green. The Pyrenees make a wonderful setting for rustic retreats, and, to the east, there are a few still unspoilt fishing villages on the Costa Brava. Northern Spain offers a vast choice of accommodation, from mountain hideaways, village inns and country mansions to palaces and converted monasteries, seaside villas and resort hotels. The great selection from the state-run parador network ranges from crenellated hilltop castles with vaulted rooms to handsome modern buildings. In Barcelona, the principal city of the north, are many large hotels, some ultra-modern, others with simpler old-world charm.

BARCELONO HOTELS

AGUILAR DE CAMPÓO

Posada Santa María la Real Typical of the region’s Romanesque architecture, this timbered Cistercian monastery has been thoughtfully converted. Much of the original craftsmanship has been preserved, with duplex bedrooms.

Parador de Alcañiz Also called Parador de la Concordia, this 12th-century hill castle combines the romance of the past – Gothic walls, cloisters, medieval murals – with the comforts of the present – white-walled bedrooms with carved furniture and tiled floors. Generous meals are served in a massive beamed dining hall.

ARGÓMANIZ

Parador de Argómaniz An ideal stopover, a handsome old building with a cavernous dining hall and sober, well-equipped bedrooms.

ASTORGA

Gaudí Excellent tapas are served in the bar of this elegant modern hotel (marble floors, chandeliers) on the main square.

ARTIES

Besiberri Modern variation on the Swiss chalet theme. Cosy, and family-run, it provides all comforts after a hard day on the ski slopes.

ARTIES

Parador Don Gaspar de Portolá By the smart ski resort of Baqueira-Beret, a parador littered with hunting trophies and comfy chairs.

AMANDI

La Casona de Amandi At the foot of the Asturias, yet only ten miles from the beaches, La Casona has the look and feel of a much-loved home. Surrounded by a huge flower-packed garden, it has several small sitting rooms inside, with good antique furniture, where you can always find a corner to yourself. At the time of going to press the hotel is for sale.

BARCELONA HOTELS

Claris A Neo-Classical façade masks a dazzling interior of pillars and sweeping marble floors, and at the top is a rooftop pool. It is not all uncompromising modernity though: Roman mosaics decorate walls and some bedrooms have Chesterfields and antiques. There is also a small museum of Egyptian treasures.

Arts Hotel Barcelona Stylish contemporary hotel with a waterfront location. Sophisticates flock to the minimalist 44-storey building, its grounds dwarfed by a gigantic gold whale sculpture. There are splendid vistas of city and sea from the bedrooms, suites and duplex apartments which top the luxury scale.

Condes de Barcelona In the heart of the ‘Modernisma’ or Art Nouveau area, this sleek, glossy hotel attracts an equally slick and glossy clientele. It occupies two 19th-century former palaces, facing each other across a quiet side street. A roof terrace, plunge pool and tempting restaurant are bonuses.

BARCELONA

Rivoli Ramblas Art Deco building and avantgarde design are combined in a great location. Spectacular views from the roof terrace.

BARCELONA

Le Méridien The curved lines of the 1930s recur throughout this lavish five-star hotel. Despite its size, it is warm and welcoming.

Duques de Bergara The airy foyer of this ornate Art Nouveau building has a distinctly Edwardian feel, with its imposing marble staircase, smart tiled floor and potted plants. Renovated in 1998, the decoration and furnishings are appealing thoughout. Suites have private terraces. The restaurant is Catalan.

Ritz Hotel Barcelona The name alone conjures up an image of luxury and elegance, realized in each imposing salon and restaurant. Though splendid, it is not intimidating, largely due to the professional yet friendly staff. The Barcelona Ritz opened in 1919; both public rooms and bedrooms blend original fittings with modern facilities.

Gran Hotel Havana The 19th-century façade belies the avant-garde design inside. The Havana has a great central location and a lively atmosphere. Live music is played each evening in the bar-lounge built around an atrium. Meticulous attention to detail is evident in the elegant bedrooms. Pool currently being built.

Aigua Blava A hotel that puts a tasteful slant on the idea of the holiday village. It is located over pine-covered cliffs and flower-filled gardens, at the head of a picturesque creek, and its group of pristine whitewashed buildings contain everything you could possibly need.

BAYONA

Villa Sol Antiques, pictures and books fill the tall rooms of this grand villa in a lush garden, home to the hospitable Rodríguez family.

BAQUEIRA-BERET

Gran Melia Royal Tanau At Spain’s most elegant ski resort, a swanky five-star hotel with luxurious bedrooms.

BAYONA

Parador de Turismo de Bayona Huge, with impressive amenities and a terrific site within a pre-Roman wall on the Monte Real peninsula.

BESNES

La Tahona A cobbled track ends at this hotel with mountain views. Inside it has Spanish flair: beams, whitewashed walls and red tiles.

BENASQUE

Aragüells In winter the lively bar is packed with locals and visiting skiers. Attic rooms are prettiest, but all have great views.

BIELSA

Parador del Monte Perdido In a remote valley of streams and stunning scenery is this modern parador with rustic rooms.

Hotel Ciria This central family-run hotel is one of the best in the popular skiing area of the Benasque valley. It has excellent facilities, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Local lamb and game dishes are the specialities at the splendid restaurant, El Fogaril. The most attractive bedrooms are the ones in the eaves.

BOLVIR DE CERDANYA

Torre del Remei Up in the Pyrenean forest, Josep María and Loles Boix have created a five-star winner in their stylish Belle Epoque summer palace. Exquisitely decorated with Grecian marble, Italian furniture and Tibetan carpets, it also boasts an exceptional restaurant. Golf, riding and mountain-climbing nearby.

BILBAO

López de Haro Don’t be put off by the somewhat severe architecture; inside the old HQ of the republican newspaper El Liberal lies a hotel that is both luxurious and vibrant. It is also handy for the Guggenheim Museum. Guests can choose from a clubby English-style bar, a salón de té with live music and the trendy Club Náutico restaurant.

BURGOS

Landa Palace The 1960s realization of a Gothic fantasy, described variously as charming and pretentious. Its origins lie in a 14th-century tower, bought by a restaurateur, who had it dismantled and rebuilt on the Madrid road. Around it, he built the rest: vaulted pool and dining room, spiral stairs and sumptuous suites.

Méson del Cid On a square opposite the cathedral, this literary-themed hotel has been decorated with great style and sensitivity.

BOLVIR DE CERDANYA

Chalet del Golf On a golf course and popular with enthusiasts, this newish chalet has an abundance of wood in snug rooms.

CAMBADOS

PT del Albariño Built around a courtyard garden with palm trees and a fountain, the parador offers cool and relaxed accommodation. Swimming pool.

COMILLAS

Casal del Castro Grand drawing rooms reflect the past of this 17th-century house in a beach resort popularized by King Alfonso XII.

CAMPRODON

Edelweiss Standing in the heart of a pretty Pyrenean town, with hills rising behind it, is this four-star hotel with a pleasing brick façade and balconied, white-shuttered windows. Inside are public rooms with panelled walls and ceilings, dotted with tasteful reproduction furniture. Swimming nearby, and shiatsu by arrangement.

CASTELLO DE AMPURIAS

Allioli The charm of this 200-year-old Catalan farmhouse eclipses its less-than-ideal location in a dip below a main road. Inside, its character is enhanced with well-placed lamps, antiques and flowers, and huge hams hanging to dry over the snug bar. The beamed, whitewashed bedrooms have a country elegance; spotless bathrooms.

CARDONA

Parador de Turismo de Cardona Commanding panoramic views in every direction, this mellow medieval fortress seems to grow out of the rocky hilltop. The interior is equally impressive, with a sense of period evoked through the solid oak furniture and rich fabrics. Imaginative regional cuisine is served in the fine dining room.

CASTRILLO DE LOS POLVAZARES

Hostería Cuca la Vaina In this tranquil spot, only birdsong or the morning rooster are likely to disturb your peace. A new hotel in a medieval town, it was purpose-built to reproduce the local architecture. The result is harmonious and stylish. All the rooms are decorated differently; even corridors are brightened with plants or flowers.

L’ESPLUGA DE FRANCOLÍ

Hostal del Senglar Simple, whitewashed hotel in a pretty garden. Food is hearty.

COSGAYA

Hotel del Oso A traditional-style house, with . flowered balconies and arched veranda. Tennis court and pool, cosy rooms.

CORNIDE-CALO

Casa Grande de Cornide A pretty garden, with pool, encircles this antique-filled house, with fine paintings and a library.

ESCAIRÓN

Torre de Vilariño A 17th-century rustic stone house in an off-the-beaten-track village. Antonio García Beltrán is a genial host.

COLLIA ARRIONDAS

Posada del Valle Nigel and Joanne Burch have transformed a late-19th-century ‘priest’s farmhouse’ on a rock outcrop with stunning views over the Picos into a cosy, friendly family hotel. There’s a garden for guests, set in an organic farm with wildflower meadows, cider apples and sheep. Walk, surf, fish and canoe to your heart’s content.

DONAMARIA

Donamariako Benta In one of the least spoilt parts of the Pyrenees, on a secondary pilgrim route to Santiago, this rough-stone inn is a perfect retreat for jaded town dwellers in search of a rural idyll. It is a hospitable place, too. There are two sitting rooms, furnished with originality, and modest bedrooms in an annexe.

COVARRUBIAS

Arlanza Ask for a room on the cobbled square and watch village life go by. An old nobleman’s house, the Arlanza’s dark, beamed interior is done out in rustic style, with a fine tiled staircase and modestly furnished bedrooms. Meals are the highlight: soup so hot that it has to be eaten with a wooden spoon, and local wild boar.

ESCALANTE

San Román de Escalante A refined 17th-century house is the setting for this restaurant with rooms, plenty of class and a Michelin star. Guests who stroll in the lovely garden will encounter modern sculptures, while the period-style rooms are filled with paintings, old and new.

FUENTE DÉ

Parador Río Deva The stupendous panoramic setting, high in the Picos de Europa, makes up for the dull rooms at this modern parador.

LECUMBERRI

Ayestaran This friendly hotel, with tennis court, is split between summer and winter buildings. Both are simple but with welcoming rooms.

HARO

Los Agustinos Old monastery with vast beamed sitting room. Plain bedrooms.

LENA

Hostería del Huerna Modest mountain hotel, a favourite with Madrileños seeking a cheap weekend break. In winter, the snug salon has an open fire. Rather small bedrooms.

Mas Pau Just outside Figueras, home to the Dalí museum, stands this 17th-century farmhouse in mature grounds. The public rooms are done out in modernista style (Spanish Art Nouveau), with mirrors, wicker chairs and ferns; old photographs jostle for space on stone walls. The seven suites are restful in pale shades.

FORMIGAL

Villa de Sallent There is no off-season for this hotel at the foot of a Pyrenean ski resort: in summer, it’s a base for walkers. A modern building of stone and slate, it has a wood-panelled interior full of pine furniture that lends it a Scandinavian feel. The owners are restaurateurs so satisfying meals are guaranteed. Three- and four-star rooms.

FIGUERAS DEL MAR

Palacete de Peñalba This confection of a house, built in 1912 by a follower of Gaudí, is now a national monument. Signs of its eccentric Art Nouveau style are much in evidence: the curved double stairs to the entrance, the glazed and tiled atrium, and the original furniture that has been preserved. Meals can be taken in the owners’ waterfront restaurant. Nearby golf club.

LA GARRIGA

Termes La Garriga In a spa town 35km (22 miles) north of Barcelona, this is ideal for the energetic or those keen to get into shape: there’s a health centre, a pool, bikes for guests’ use and golf nearby. Even if keeping fit leaves you cold, the yellow-painted hotel with light, elegantly decorated rooms is a comfortable base.

LLANARS

Grèvol A well-equipped Pyrenean base, which reinvents the classic Swiss chalet. Pool and sauna.

LLANES

Gran Hotel Paraíso In the lively main street close to the seafront, this contemporary hotel has standard rooms and small apartments.

La Arquera Modern B&B with bright, cheerful exterior and mountain views, handy for the pretty port of Llanes and its beaches.

MUNDAKA

El Puerto A simple, traditional house with shady garden, much-loved by surfers who flock to this part of the Basque coast.

GRANOLLERS

Fonda Europa In a pleasant market town, behind a distinctive orange façade with blue and white panels, is this delightfully traditional Catalan hotel. It has been in the capable hands of the Parellada family since 1714. They have furnished the hotel with taste and refinement, and provide unfailingly courteous service.

HONDARRIBIA (FUENTERRABIA)

Obispo This elegant Renaissance house has been converted with restraint. The traditional stone and wood interior, set about with period furniture, has been softened by light, floral fabrics and each bedroom designed with style. There is a terrace with views over the bay, two sitting rooms and a cafeteria.

A GUARDA

Convento de San Benito Behind its simple exterior, the interior of this 16th-century convent has been restored with sympathy and flair. Reception is in the old portico, where ornate detailing has been preserved. Also intact are the cloister, fountain and turnstiles, which gave the nuns access to the outside world. The converted cells make charming bedrooms.

OVIEDO

Hotel de la Reconquista Sumptuous salons and bedrooms behind an impressive façade.

PUEBLA DE TRIVES

Casa Grande de Trives This distinguished 18th-century house has an elegant interior.

PERATALLADA

Castell de Peratallada Medieval castle with splendid vaulted dining room and tented beds.

PONT DE MOLINS

Molipark This old mill, furnished with antique-shop bargains, has a fine restaurant and a few modestly priced bedrooms.

In the zone of the Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (ca. 630 km²) live more than 3.16 million persons. This amalgamation of 36 cities and communities is in the field of the agglomerate ions of Barcelona (ca. 800 km²), in that about 3.9 million persons live. In the Metropol region Barcelona (Regió urbana de Barcelona) live ca. 5.3 millions of inhabitant.

Geography

Barcelona lies in the northeast of the Iberian peninsula that is limited by the mountain chain Collserola and the rivers Llobregat in the south as well as Besòs in the north. The Pyrenees lie ca. 120 kilometers north of the city.

The Collserola, part of the coast mountains, forms the softly rounded background of the city. Its highest point, the Tibidabo, is 512 ms high and is surpassed of the 288.4 m high and largely visible envoy tower Torre de Collserola. The city is gotten through of small, usually cultivated hills, that gave the quarters erected on them the name: Carmel (267 ms), Monterols (121 ms), Putxet (181 ms), Rovira (261 ms) and Peira (133 ms). The mountain Montjuïc (173 ms) lies in the south west and looks over the harbor. On it, also the fort lies out of that 17th and 18th century that controlled the city as a replacement for the Ciutadella. Today the fort is a military museum, and the mountain harbors some Olympic and cultural arrangements as well as well known gardens.

In the north, the city borders lies on the communities Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs, in the south at L’ Hospitalet de Llobregat and Esplugues de Llobregat, in the southeast the Mediterranean Sea and in the west, Montcada i Reixach and Sant Cugat del Vallès as well as Cerdanyola del Vallès lie.

The story Barcelonas begins 2000 years ago with the Iberian settlement Barkeno. .

Origins
Over the origins of Barcelona is only little well known. Out of the time before the conquest of the Iberian peninsula through the Romans, Barcelonas artefacts are found on the plain out of the boy stone Age and the copper stone Age. Later, in the 3rd and 2nd before Christian century, the landscape became of the Laietani, an Iberian people, settles, lived that in Barkeno at the Táber hill (the current Ciutat Vella) and in layman (or Laiesken) at the Montjuïc. Both settlements stamped coins that yet are received today. Around the same time, a small Greek colony was erected by the name of Kallipolis in the region, whose exact situation is unknown however. 218 v. Christ, at the start of the second Punischen war, was conquered the area of the Karthagern under the leadership Hannibal Barkas’. Until at this time, the north boundary of the karthagischen territories passed at the Ebro, therefore 150 km south. This military occupation is designated often as a foundation of Barcelona.

Foundation legends

There are at least two further versions over the foundation Barcelonas, that have its origin with historians out of the fifteenth century. One attributes the foundation the karthagischen general Hamilkar Barkas, the father Hannibals,. It should the city around 230 v. Christ as a Barkenon, Barcelino or Barci novelties established have. Yet in spite of the resemblances of the karthagischen dynasty Barkas and the current city generally is supposed that Barcelona is due to the Iberian Barkeno. The second version (undoubtedly out of the empire of the myths) maintains that the demigod Herakles the city around 1153 v. Chr established has (therefore approximately 400 years before the foundation of Rome). During the fourth of its works, Herakles Jason and the Argonauten joined in its search for the golden fleece, that in nine ships the Mediterranean Sea bereisten. When one of the ships got lost because of a storm at the catalan coast, the hero made himself on the search after that and found destroys it in a small hill, to be sure however with rescued team. This would be fascinated been by the beauty of the area so that it a city by the name of Barca Nona (ital. Ninth ship) established. On the other hand speaks that to this time on the Iberian peninsula neither latin nor the romance languages (to that the Italian language counts) were spoken, that first with the distribution of the vulgar latin through the Roman empire many centuries later emerged.

Under the Romans

There is unfortunately only a few information over the period between 218 v. Christ to the turning point in history. The Roman republic received first of all the inspection over the landscape and conquered after that the remaining Iberian peninsula in the Kantabrischen getting, that under Augustus 19 v. Christ concludes became. The northeast of the peninsula was served the first region that fell under Roman inspection, and therefore as a basis to the further conquest. Although the Romans established themselves to be sure in Barcino, it was much less significantly as the capitals Tarragona and Caesaraugustia. The name Barcino became at the end of the domination of Augustus, Rome first emperor, concluded. It was the short form for the 133 v. Christ established Colonia Faventia Iulia Augusta Pia Barcino. As a colony, it was looked in addition to allocate country for retired soldiers. The Roman Geograph Pomponius Mela reports of Barcino as an amount of smaller ansi Eden lungs under inspection Tarragonas (Taracco). Nevertheless the strategic position of the city permitted its economic development at an arm of that via Augusta, and it enjoyed so tax freedom.

Barcino had at the time the emperor Augustus the appearance of a castrums (therefore a military warehouse) with its usual right-angled main streets, the Cardo in north south and the Decumanus in east west direction. The forum (today the Placa de Sant Jaume) lay on the Mons Taber, that today the highest elevation of the Barri Gòtic is. The walls covered a length of 1.5 km and closed 12 hectares on. In the second century, the city had grown already to a correct oppidum and had a population of 3500 to 5000 persons. The economy was based on the cultivation of the surrounding country and the wine building. The archeological findings of this period (sculptures, Mosaike, Amphoren) attest a relatively rich population although the city possessed none of the important public buildings, how an amphitheater or a Circus that existed in more important Roman cities such as Tarragona. There was only a public building, and to be sure the temple that was consecrated Augustus and was constructed probably at the beginning of the first century. It was rather largely – measured by the size Barcinos – 35 ms long and 17.5 extend and of korinthischen columns surrounded.

When the decline of the empire approached, it came also to first Germanic ideas around the year 250 whereon the reinforcement plants in the later years of the third century were reinforced under Claudius II.. The new double wall was at least 2 meters high (at many places up to 8 meters) and of 78 piling up gesäumt, that were high 18 meters. These new plants were the strongest in this Roman province and should be important later for the increasing meaning Barcinos in comparison with Tarragona.

The first Christians

The first Christian partnerships in the province Tarragonas were established during the third century. The diocese of Tarragona emerged in 259 when its bishop who were killed holy Fructuós and the deacons Augurus and Eulogus by order emperor Valerians. The Christian community of Barcino seems constructed become in the later half of the third century to be. The pursuit of the Christians under Diokletian at the start of the 4th century led to a martyr in the region Barcinos, the holy Cucufato. Nominally of African descent, Cucufato in some zones of the province (Barcino, Egara – today Terrassa – and Iluro worked – today Mataró) before it was crucified in the Castrum Octavium (the current Sant Cugat del Valles in the vicinity Barcelonas). The holy virgin Eulalia should be also a martyr from Barcelona. The Edikt of Milan under emperor constant that large (313) granted the Christian freedom of religion in the Roman empire and concluded jedwede pursuit. The first well known bishop Barcinos was visited Pretextat (died around 360), that the synod of Sofia in 347. The holy Pacia and Lampi (died 400) followed it after (310–390). Pacia is especially for its works de baptismo (“over the baptism”) and Libellus exhortatorius ad poenitentium (“over the penance”) well known. The first church that constructed became Basilica de la Sant Cruz at the end of the modern cathedral, at the end of the fourth century.

Under the Westgoten

At the end of the fifth century, the case of the west Roman empire of peoples Germanic by some heavy attacks began to be outlined, that attacks committed on the empire. Rome was conquered 410 under the Westgoten Alarich 1ST. Alarichs Stiefbruder and successor Athaulf led the west gothic troops after Südgallien, and after the defeat against the Roman military forces in Narbona (414) flea he over the Pyrenees into the province of Tarragona. Athaulf erected its seat in Barcino where it was murdered by its own troops 415.

Death Athaulfs changed the relations between Romans and Westgoten. Under Walia (415–19), they became confederates in order to control the other Germanic tribes in Spain. Walia was therein so successful that emperor Favius Honorius expanded the zone of the Westgoten around the provinces of Aquitania and Gallia Narbonensis. Walia had its seat in Tolosa (today Toulouse). Barcino remained however an important center of the west gothic kingdom, based on its outstanding defense wall.

After death of Alarich II. in the battle of Vouillé against the francs (507), made its successor Gesaleic (507–11) Barcino to the capital of its empire. Barcino returned to its roll as a province city with the elevation Toledos to the capital under Leovigildus 573. The Westgoten represented only a minority of the municipal population, possessed however the power positions. The first rulers were first of all Arianer, tolerated however that most inhabitants were Catholic. The religious center changed la Santa Cruz (that to an arianischen temple became) of the Basílica de the church Sant just. Catholic councils were held off 540 under bishop Nebridi and 599 under Ugern in the again consecrated Basilica. The at that time spoken colloquial language was undoubted vulgar latin that was supposed also by the west gothic rulers. Slowly the Latin Barcino (for example Barcinone, Barcinonem, Barcinonam, Barchinona) changed.

Under the Mauren

The troops of the Mauren of reached the Iberian peninsula in the year 711: After the destruction Tarragonas in 717, Barcelona arose and was preserved through it from larger destruction. The domination of the Mauren in Barcelona lasted less than a century. The cathedral was transformed into a mosque, and the taxes for heterodox were increased.

Barcelona in the Spanish mark

Ludwig the pious, son of Charlemagne, conquered 801 Barcelona after a more month siege. The city should be the most southern of its conquest of the Mauren because it was repulsed in Tortosa and in the rivers Llobregat and Cardener. This bordering region was designated as Spanish mark. It was administered of several counts, who were used by the king. Barcelona became the seat of a count. The first karolingischen counts Barcelonas were only few more than a royal official, but in the course of the time, its position won at power and independence of the headquarters force and the weak karolingischen kings. Moreover several zones were allotted a count.

The last count Barcelonas that was used by the Karolingern was Wilfried 1ST, the hairy. Before that it had been already count of Cerdanya and Urgell and received 878 the counties of Barcelona, Girona and Besalú. When it died 897, Wilfrieds possessions became under its two sons Wilfried II. and Miro the boy divided, what the introduction of the inherit nobility in the Spanish mark meant.

Wilfried II. the last count, who had to swear the karolingischen yard faithful, was, although that fiefs actually first 1258 in the contract was abolished by Corbeil. The predominance of the counts of Barcelona under the rulers of the Spanish mark the consequence of its military capacities was in part by what means it succeeded them to conquer further territories of the maurischen rulers. They tried moreover to establish again inhabitant in the inland, whose inhabitants had been diminished through two centuries war. Barcelona with its easily to defending and excellent defense plants bloomed through the increasing power of its rulers while the other counties had only little very promising outlooks.

Under the crown Aragóns

Through the marriage contract between Ramon Berenguer IV., count of Barcelona, and the first one-year Petronella, heiress of the crown Aragoniens, developed from 1137 Aragonien and the countries extensively identical in the 12th century with Katalonien of the counts by Barcelona a country partnership that is well known as a “crown Aragonien”. Through further dynastic connections as well as conquest, it became in the high Middle Ages and late Middle Ages the leading power of the western Mediterranean Sea room. Your economic and cultural center was the catalan part of the country partnership, that Prinzipat Katalonien, whose trade fleet had the western Mediterranean theater controlled and trade representations in numerous harbors. Barcelona was to that time already the largest Ansiedelung Kataloniens and an important source of income of the country.

In the Spanish monarchy

The wedding Ferdinand II. of Aragonien with Isabella 1ST of Kastilien in 1469 united the two king sexes of Spain. Through it the political center to Madrid and degraded shifted themselves the former crown Aragonien to the province. In addition Barcelona must how many Spanish cities at the Mediterranean Sea, a powerful trade decline and meaning loss accept through the discovery of America.

In the conflict between Spain and France middle of the 17th century Katalonien party seized for France, sat however then in the peace settlement of 1659, the Pyrenees peace, between all chairs and became split: The catalan zones north of the Pyrenees (Nordkatalonien) got lost at France.

In the Spanish succession war (1700–1713), in that it around the succession after death of the childless remained Karl II. went, seized Katalonien party for the Habsburger throne claimant ore duke Karl and against the bourbon Philipp of Anjou – later than Philipp V. well known. The Philipp V followed in the peace by Utrecht as victor. Katalonien punished for that hard: Barcelona was occupied 1714 of French troops, and the catalan institutions were dissolved wherewith the catalan autonomy ended.

The city was in the 19th century scene of several uprisings. Among other things it came in November 1842 too protests against the loads imposed by the Spanish government. In the city, the rebelliouss recovered stretched the waiter hand, the military on the fort at the Montjuïc. By order of regent Baldomero Espartero, a gunfire of the city that lasted 12 hours began on the 3rd of December 1842. It led to considerable destructions and cost about 100 persons life. At the day on that the rebels arose and were disarmed.

Barcelona developed in the course of the industrialization to a city, in which the Spanish anarchism found especially many followers. It was in the ’1890′s of attacks numerous anarchistic scene. So a bomb attempt committed here on the 24th of September 1893 of the anarchist Pallas on Arsenio Martínez Campos, with which several persons were killed and were wounded. Pallas was placed on the 5th of October before an Erschießungspeloton. In order to avenge its execution, a further attempt was committed on the 7th of November in a presentation in the Gran Teatre del Liceu, with which 23 persons were killed and about 40 were injured.

At the end of the 19th century experienced the city an economic upswing and became a center of the industrial development of Spain by what means wealth and political influence returned into the region. Barcelona was 1888 host of the World Fair who led to a large expansion of the city area of the Parc de la Ciutadella to Barceloneta. 1897 were designed six surrounding villages eingemeindet and the new city district Eixample (literal: “expansion”). The prosperity of the city led also to its rebirth as a cultural center. With the Exposición Internacional de Barcelona a second large international display was organized 1929, that led to the urbanization of the area around the Plaça d’ Espanya and to the building of the SUBWAY.

The second republic and the civil war

After the election victory of the Spanish left, that had merged itself 1936 to the Frente Popular (to the “popular front”,), Barcelona should become venue of some people Olympic Games, an against organization to the Olympic games of Berlin in the national socialistic Germany. With the outbreak of the Spanish of civil war in July 1936 the contests had to be declined however. Some of the athletes joined in the consequence the socialistic, communist and anarchistic militias to the defense of the Spanish republic, that became a germ cell of the later international brigade.

In Barcelona, a stronghold of republican powers, the rebellious troops became quickly of militia and government scatter smash associations of the Guardia Civil. It came 1937 in the city then however to an armed discussion within the republican warehouse, between anarchist and links marxists on the one hand and communists and socialists on the other hand – the so-called May events of Barcelona, a civil war in the civil war that could be concluded first after days and hunderten by dead.

In 1938, Barcelona was itself the goal of numerous heavy air attacks through the rebelliouss, at which also German airplanes of the legion Condor of involved. With that near end military breakdown of the II. The nationalistic associations reached republic end 1938 the boundaries of the city that on the 26th of January 1939 under the inspection of the troops Francos fell.

Under Franco

The massive resistance Barcelonas against the coup Francos had devastating consequences after the defeat of the republican government for Katalonien. The autonomous institutions of the region – like the Generalitat de Catalunya – were abolished and the use of the catalan language in the public, that suppresses education and the publishing house being, by what means Barcelona forfeited its roll as a political and cultural center. Nevertheless it remained one of the economic and industrial centers of the country and pulled many immigrants out of poorer Spanish regions in the following decades at (above all from Andalusia and Galicia). The climb of the population led to an accelerated urbanization, to the development of the SUBWAY- and street network however also to the building of large sleep cities at the outskirts. In addition the immigration of Spanish speaking population strata reinforced the repression operated by the Franco regime of the catalan culture in Barcelona, a development of which the city speedily recovered after end of the Franco era.

Modern Barcelona

Death Francos in 1975 led found to a democratization movement in Spain, the Transición, the support wide especially also in Katalonien. In 1977, it came in Barcelona to a largely demonstration with over a million persons who demanded in the course of the political renewal of Spain the restoration of the catalan autonomy. This became already shortly on that with the return of Josep Tarradellas – the president of the Generalitat in the French exile – and the law the autonomy regulation Kataloniens, that Estatut arranged de Autonomia, again.

The development Barcelonas was promoted in the following years through two important events: that joins Spain to the EU 1986 and the Olympic summer games 1992: The city developed to a popular tourist goal with steadily increasing numbers of visitors. Because many families pulled out of the thickly cultivated inner cities into the suburbs, the population in the last two decades of the 20th century sank around 17 percent, has climbed for the turn of the millennium on the basis of a strong immigration (above all out of Latin America and Morocco) however again on. The city structural development of the city is marked in the last years of numerous large projects, that have an improvement of the infrastructure and the quality of life as a goal, like for example the rehabilitation of the beaches, the new construction of the quarter diagonally Mar on the occasion of the international forum of the cultures 2004 and the building of the high speed track AVE of Madrid over Saragossa and Barcelona to France.

Politics

Mayor of the city has been since the 8th of September 2006 Jordi Hereu of the PSC, the catalan state association of the socialistic worker party of Spain. It was selected of the city advice to the successor of its party colleague Joan Clos, that had been appointed to the Spanish industry minister.

Culture and sights

In the city center

the center of the city the Plaça forms are as a traffic junction de Catalunya, from here on foot the Roman ruins to reach the medieval city and the modern plan city Eixample, that for its quadratic house blocks with the beveled corners (kat. Xamfrans; chip. Chaflanes) and the many Modernisme constructed is well known. The old town areas are mainly just, that lie newer quarter on the other hand at the cliffs in the upper part Barcelonas, so that some streets remind one there something of San Francisco.

In the Barri Gòtic, the gothic quarter and historic City Center, stand today yet numerous quite architectural testimonies of the medieval king city and trade city such as La Catedral, the cathedral of the holy Eulàlia, the king place (Plaça del Rei), the Frederic-Marés-museum and the city hall (Ajuntament). The well best known street and stroll mile is La Rambla (or majority kat. Harvest Rambles), a wide avenue that leads from the center to the harbor. There numerous flower salesmen and bird salesmen, newsstands, street musicians, acrobat, café and restaurants as well as the well known market Mercat are found de la Boqueria and the Plaça Reial with its arcades and palms trees as well as typical local and the world-famous opera house Gran Teatre del Liceu. At the harbor turned away end of the Rambles, the drink well Font is de Canaletes that is repeated, that every that drank once from that loses, its heart at Barcelona and its life long always comes back

At the end of the promenade, at the old harbor (kat. “Port Vell”), stands the statue of Christoph Kolumbus. There also the medieval dockyards, that harbor Drassanes (Drassanes Reials = royal shipyards), that today the shipping museum Museu Marítim, are. It tells the story of the catalan voyage in the Mediterranean theater and places served among other things the 1:1-Nachbau of the galley actually, the flagship the Juan d’ Austria in the lake battle of Lepanto (1571), from.

The old harbor harbors the modern leisure time center and shopping center Maremagnum that contains also the largest Ozeanarium dedicated to the Mediterranean Sea in addition to numerous discotheques, boutiques, movie theater (and a. an IMAX movie theater). Barcelona was called of the catalan themselves until Olympia 1992 as a “the city with the back to the sea” (catalan: “ciutat d’ esquena al mar”). Industrial areas blocked visibility and access to the sea. In the course of the organization measures for the Olympic summer games 1992, then sufficient moneys were available in order to open the inner cities in the area of the old harbor and the north east of adjacent littoral over the old fisherman quarter Barceloneta out with an extend designed, attractive beach vis-à-vis the sea.

Barcelona and the Modernisme end of the 19th century emerged in Barcelona an own form of art nouveau that is named Modernisme. Your most prominent representative is Antoni Gaudí that lived and worked in Barcelona. Of it, some famous buildings are to be seen. In addition the Casa Milà (La Pedrera), the Palau Güell count under other, that park Güell, that Casa Batlló, that Casa Vicens, that Casa Calvet and the yet unfinished church Sagrada Família, at which since 1882 constructed becomes. Since 1984 and/or 2005 these buildings to the world culture heir of the UNESCO have belonged. Since 1997 Barcelona with two has constructed of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, that hospital get de Sant Pau and the Palau de la Música Catalana, further world heir new generation.

Further sights

Further sights are above all the Font Màgica, an impressive fountain of large size with color accompaniment and music accompaniment, the Museu Joan Miró, the Museu Picasso with numerous, less well known works of Pablo Picasso, and the Museu Nacional d’ type de Catalunya, that contains important romance wall paintings and other medieval works of art, or also the Torre de Collserola / Collserola tower the TV tower sketched futuristic by Sir Norman Foster), the Torre Telefónica of That first in Torre Agbar placed futuristic 2004 ready with 142 ms height.

The German pavilion to the World Fair 1929 represents an architectural master work of world rank. A reconstruction of the building of Ludwig Mies van the raw is at the foot of the Montjuïc, beneath the Poble Espanyol, a small Spain, that was also part of the at that time World Fair terrain.

The architect Richard Meier sketched the in any case architecturally extraordinarily worthwhile Museu d’ type Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA, 1992-1995) in the old town.

To be able to hold La Ciutadella: around the rebellious catalan better in chess, let erect Philipp V. here 1716 a citadel. A large part of the plant had to yield 1868 to a park, took place in that 1888 the World Fair. The zoological garden (Parc Zoológic) uses the largest part of the Ciutadella park.

A special sight is the harbor rope train Barcelona which connects the Torre Jaume I with the Torre Sant Sebastià.

Organizations 1888: World Fair 1929: World Fair, together with Sevilla 1982: Soccer world championship among
other things expedited in the camp Nou and in the Estadio Sarriá 1988: Away game of the finale of the UEFA cup 1987/88 1989:
Final game of the Europe cup of the country master 1988/89 1992: Olympic summer games in Barcelona 1999: Final game of the
UEFA champions League 1998/99 2004: From May to September the international forum of the cultures

Squatter scene

Barcelona has possessed for many years one of the most active squatter scenes of Europe. An essential cause is to be seen for this in the fact that over 80% the housing units Barcelonas condominiums – and therefore for youth and young adult prohibitively expensive – are. In 2000, approximately 70 houses in the room Barcelona were occupied, above all in the quarters adjacent at the old town Sants and Gràcia. Today the speech, of which to be sure only round one-quarter are led as social centers, culture centers and organization centers – therefore as open houses – is of up to 200. in this find regularly organizations place, that are announced also in a jointly led, weekly updated and publicly posted appointment calendar and are retrievable also on the Internet.

Religion see: Ore diocese Barcelona

Economy and infrastructure

Traffic

Public transportation of Barcelona is an important junction of the RENFE, the Spanish country railroads. The most important station for suburb trains is Sants Estació. The AVE high speed stretch became from Madrid recently to to Barcelona expanded. A further high speed stretch should produce the connection until 2010 at the French TGV network. RENFE and the catalan country train Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC) operate a widely ramified S-train-network (named Rodalies).

The traffic business of Barcelona, carrier Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), is the operator of a dense network of SUBWAYS and penances. Barcelona possesses also two different, not together connected streetcar networks, named Trambaix and Trambesòs. Since the year 2007 there has been also a network of public bicycle rent stations with bicing.

The except municipal train network is restricted not only to the RENFE, but rather special for the hinterland behind the Tibidabo the Ferrocarrils are de la Generalitat de Catalunya responsible.

Private transportation of the freeway network all around Barcelona is not extraordinary thick and (except a fraction of the C-16 directions Terrassa) mautpflichtig. The street network has in the inner cities a checkerboard structure, the Tibidabo is to be seen everywhere well. The Avinguda is one of the most important streets diagonal, stretches that diagonally through the entire city. Barcelona has are to be sure considerable problems with the traffic density, i.e. obstruction in the inner cities sooner the rule than an exception.

The prevailing style of driving is somewhat sporting and impatient, but nevertheless fairly and respectfully. A considerable part of the street network is designed as a system of one-way streets, are with alternating opposed direction, through it navigation systems in these streets as a rule useless.

If one would like to travel with the motor home, one should use the park-and-Ride-offer of the city and should park outside of the inner cities.

In the inner cities, the park rooms are limited very and the many undergrounds garages only for AUTOMOBILE useful. Correspondingly the parking fee are above average high.

Airport Barcelona is not only over the own airport el Prat that the Spain second largest is, but rather to reach also over the airports of Girona and regrets sufficiently quickly.

Ferry on the Balearen and to Genoa existed of the Estació Marítima out of one Fährverbindung associating at least daily – usually at night.

Yachtsman and yacht owner are rejected in the harbor, the Marina is instead in the Olympia harbor.

Development

Barcelona has four public universities:

Universitat de Barcelona (UB) (gegr. 1450) Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (PRACTICED) (gegr. 1968) Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
(UPC) (gegr. 1971) Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) (gegr. 1990) in addition yet various private universities come. see also list of the
universities in Barcelona

Education for immigrants and exchange students Barcelona harbors many German immigrants and controls acquired will can therefore school Barcelona, at that the general university maturity after Bavarian curriculum.

For a foreign semester in Barcelona, for example at the Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya or the Universitat car grandma de Barcelona (in Cerdanyola del Vallès), are speak about knowledge of the catalan advantage because the courses are held often on catalan. Also lectures are offered to be sure in Spanish as well as isolated in English.

The FC Barcelona, whose stadium camp Nou is simultaneous the largest stadium of Europe, and Espanyol Barcelona that plays in the Olympiastadion are sport of both sports club most important. The expanse have taken place since 1991 regularly Formel-1-Rennen on the Circuit de Catalunya north of Barcelona. The hand ball branch of the FC Barcelona is that until society team most successful today of the world, it won among other things seven times the champions League. The home games are expedited in the Palau Blaugrana, one ca. Arena grasping 8,100 spectators. Barcelona applies moreover as a “Mecca” to Skateboarder, it Skateboarding organizations find in the city regularly place.