Barcelona

Sightseeing of Barcelona

AM H/D CITY TOUR OF BARCELONA Placa Catalunya, Via Laietana, the Cathedral and its cloister, the Gothic Quarter, Plaza Sant Jaume (Generalitat and Town Hall). Continue on to the Vila Olimpica (athlete’s residential complex during the Olympics) and the Port Olimpica (harbor), which you will tour on foot. After this you will go up the Montjich Mountain, which offers a panoramic view of the city and the Port. Tour the Stadium, Plau Sant Jordi and Calatrava Tower. Then enjoy a visit to the Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village) which reproduces the most typical regional architectural styles of Spain. At the same time you will be able to taste the famous Catalan Cava (sparking wine). On the way back to the terminal a stop will be made at the “Hard Rock Café”. Daily Departure from Bus Terminal located at 5 Ronda Universidad at 9:30 am

PM H/D CITY TOUR OF BARCELONA- GAUDI & PICASSO Passeig de Gracia, bus tour to see Gaudi’s famous buildings like Casa Batlló, and Casa Milá, and a visit to the world renown Güell Park declared an artistic monument and mankind’s heritage by the UNESCO. Then on to admire the famous “Sagrada Familia” (Holy Family) Cathedral – an unfinished masterpiece of the world famous archect Gaudi. Also you will visit Barcelona’s Monumental Bull Ring and the Picasso Museum – which exhibits works from this world-famous painter’s “blue” and “pink” periods. On Sundays and Mondays the Picasso Museum is closed to the public, so you will visit the “La Ciutadella” or Santa Maria del Mar instead. Daily Departure from Bus Terminal located at 5 Ronda Universidad at 3:30 am

FD TOUR OF BARCELONA Combination of tours 1 & 2 plus lunch in restaurant located in the Spanish Village. Daily Departure from Bus Terminal located at 5 Ronda Universidad at 9:30 am

AM H/D MONTSERRAT FROM BARCELONA Situated at 38 miles from Barcelona, Montserrat is the holy mountain of Catalonia. This is a peculiar rocky outcrop, smoothed into round shapes by the rain and wind throughout the millenniums. A Benedictine Monastery stands on the mountainside which is the guide to Catalan spiritual like, and is also a homage to the Virgin of Monserrat, the patroness of Catalonia. Montserrat has also the oldest boy’s choir in Europe which sings everyday at 1pm and 6:30pm, except in July due to the vacations of the Coral. Drive through picturesque little villages to Monsterrat which holds the famous Verge Moreneta, a 12th century Romanesque carving. On the way back to Barcelona, stop will be made for those people who wish to visit the Aquarium, restaurants, shops and cinemas may do so on their own, the bus will then proceed back to the terminal. Daily Departure from Bus Terminal located at 5 Ronda Universidad at 9:30 am

H/D MONTSERRAT & MODERNISMO FROM BARCELONA Arrival at Montserrat and visit of the Basilica. Arrival back in Barcelona for the Modernismo tour of the city. Daily Departure from Bus Terminal located at 5 Ronda Universidad at 9:30 am

On Sundays & Mondays, the Picasso Museum is closed. So on Sundays you will visit the Church of Santa Maria del Mar and on Mondays the Ciudadela Park.

History of Barcelona

In a privileged position on the northeastern coast of Spain and the shores of the Mediterranean, Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain in both size and population. It is also the capital of Catalonia, an Autonomous Community within Spain. There are two official languages spoken in Barcelona: Catalan, generally spoken in all of Catalonia, and Castilian Spanish. The documented history of the city dates back to the founding of a Roman colony on its soil in the second century B.C.

Barcelona is a collection of multi-faceted and diverse cities. The visitor unfamiliar with its history might be surprised by the fact that such a modern and enterprising city preserves its historic Gothic center almost intact, or by the curious contrast between the maze of narrow streets and the grid-like layout of the “Eixample”, the urban planning “enlargement” project of the end of the 19th century; or that beside a modern high-rise, we can also find a quaint square where the most outstanding decorative element is a chimney, an echo of the old factories that were installed there in the past.

Barcelona has many museums (closed Sunday afternoon and all day Monday) like the Picasso and Joan Miro Museums as well as works by the famous Architect, Antonio Gaudi. One can visit his unfinished “Sagrada Familia”, the Casa Batllo or his fantastic “Guell Park”. Other places of interest are: the Spanish Village, *Montjuic, overlooking the harbor (see below) and the Olympic Village and of course the famous “Ramblas” of which its most famous part is the Rambla de les Flors, full of lovely flower stalls and other attractions.

For those interested in Jewish history, It is well known that the most important Jewish Community for various centuries was founded and lived in Sefarad (the Jewish name for Spain). Toledo in fact had the reputation of the “Jerusalem de Sefarad”. Barcelona, Gerona, Zaragoza, Tudela, Seville, Cordoba, Lucena and a few other cities united to Jewish history.

In these cities lived some of the most important poets, writers etc. like Jua Halevi, Samuel Ibn Nagrel, Solomon Ibn Gabirol, Moises Ibn Ezra and many others. Plus, very significant philosophers like, Maimonides, Najmanides and Crescas.

In Barcelona’s Hebrew quarter, it’s few remains can be found between the Generalitat Palace and the Cathedral; the Carrer del Call (Street of the Jews) and the stone tablet encrusted in one of the walls of the Calle Marlet are surely areas of great interest. A visit to *Montjuic (Mountain of the Jews) was once the site of the Hebrew cemetery. The Museum of the History of the City in the Plaza del Rey is also recommended for it has scale models, maps and Hebrew liturgical objects. 

Further a field is the town of Figueras and the city of Gerona. Home to the “Dali” Museum - odd but interesting. Also Figueras is famous for it’s Episcopal Museum of Vich which conserves works by Yojanan Levi. Gerona (Girona in Catalan), a Roman town & capital of the province, it lies on the river Oñar. Walk through the old streets, like the Carrero de Sant Lorenc and the calle de Santa Maria de Pera and Forca, which are imbued with extraordinary beauty and flavor. The last synagogue in the city was on the Carrero de Sant Lorenc, where the Isaac el Cec Center stands today. Near the cathedral, now outside the Call (old quarter) are what are known as the Moorish Baths, considered by some to be Jewish. In the Archaeological Museum on the site of the old Sant Pere de Galligants Monastery, about twenty Hebrew tablets from the Jewish cemetery are on display, one tablet commemorating the dedication of one of the town’s synagogues.

Local transport: Metro (there are five subway lines). Buses: The buses mostly run from 5:30 am – 11 pm. Trains: Local trains depart from Placa de Cataluyna and the other line departs from Placa de Espanya to areas further away.

Other areas North of Barcelona of interest are Blanes, Lloret de Mar, Tossa de Mar, Platja d’Aro, Roses and Cadaques (Dali’s coastal retreat) to name a few, all making up the famous Costa Brava