World Travel Guide - Barcelona: World Travel Guide

Author: Chen Jinneng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-03-01
Features: "The World Travel Guide" is a comprehensive, richly informative, elegantly written, and beautifully designed practical travel guide. The series is planned by AA Publishing Company, a renowned British publisher of maps and travel guides. In just five years of publication, the series has become a sensation in Europe and America, selling 2.5 million sets, with multiple translations available in English, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and other languages. Zhonghua Book Company has now acquired the Chinese copyright and meticulously translated the series, with full-color printing to maintain the same level of quality as the original. It is now proudly launched, inviting you to explore the world's wonders and travel to exotic lands. The series not only depicts the renowned beauty of the United States and China but also introduces lesser-known attractions, highlighting the cultural significance that enhances the scenery. The wealth of practical information provided ensures that you can navigate foreign lands with ease and enjoy your travels.
Barcelona is located in the heart of Catalonia, a region in northeastern Iberia, facing the Mediterranean Sea and bordering France with the Pyrenees as its boundary. Catalonia is composed of Barcelona, Lleida, Girona, and Tarragona provinces, making it Spain's leading industrial and commercial region. Catalans are known for their diligence, simplicity, and adherence to tradition. Barcelona enjoys a Mediterranean climate with mild, spring-like weather year-round. It is not only the largest city on the Mediterranean but also one of Europe's most vibrant centers. Its modern architecture, fashionable styles, and design excellence are unparalleled. The city has given birth to the modernist architect Antoni Gaudí, the art master Pablo Picasso, the artists Joan Miró, the cellist Pablo Casals, the opera singer José Carreras, and the soprano Montserrat Caballé. To prepare for the 1992 Olympics, Barcelona underwent a major renovation, restoring and transforming many medieval buildings, ring roads, ports, and coastal areas.
Barcelona is Spain's second-largest city with a history spanning two millennia. Located on the Mediterranean coast, it has extensive waterways, serving as a major port for importing industrial raw materials needed by Spain. As a world-famous port city and tourist destination, Barcelona boasts a pleasant coastal climate, with sunny and mild weather, forming a series of picturesque bays. Its sunshine, beaches, romantic Spanish charm, and enchanting Mediterranean scenery attract millions of visitors from around the world each year.
Barcelona lies between the Tibidabo and Montju?c hills. One side retains its medieval old town, while the other features modern architecture, known as the Gothic Quarter. From the Puerta de la Paz Square to the Pla?a de Catalunya, centered around the cathedral, countless Gothic buildings stand. Las Ramblas is particularly lively, lined with shaded outdoor restaurants and flower shops, bustling with people in the evenings. The modern district, developed in the 19th century, is symbolized by its neatly arranged modern high-rise buildings. Blending Spain's warm, passionate, and friendly nature with France's romantic charm, the city has been called "Europe's Flower" by the world. The city thrives in art and music, with numerous galleries and the grand Liceo theater.
Barcelona has many food markets, with the most popular being La Boqueria (La Rambla), Conceptio (Aragon Street), Ninot (Mallorca Street), and Santa Caterina (Catedral Avenue). These markets sell fish, meat, eggs, and vegetables. Another traditional scene in Barcelona is the "loscolmados" food stores, which can be found in El Ensanche, offering a wide variety of goods such as wine, sausages, cheese, fruits, eggs, canned foods, biscuits, and other groceries. Each neighborhood has a bakery, and in the Forn district, many shops specialize in dried fruits, nuts, vegetables, wheat, cod, biscuits, nougat, and cheese. Excellent herbal stores can also be found on Mercaders Street (Vidre, Xucla, Princesa, Travesserade Gracia, and many other locations). Here, you can enjoy authentic local cuisine, as well as trendy restaurants run by university students offering "modern cooking."
There are two historic, century-old establishments of great significance: "Can Cullaretes" on Quintana Street and "Les Set Portes" on Pla?a del Palau. International restaurants offer a variety of cuisines, including Arabic, Argentine, Korean, Japanese, German, French, Chinese, and more.
The World Travel Guide: Barcelona by Zhonghua Book Company covers all the information you need for your trip to Barcelona, making it convenient and practical.