The city expanded following the annexing of the old municipalities surrounding Barcelona. Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and famous for Gaudí and his Art Nouveau architecture, Barcelona is one of Europe’s trendiest cities. Pedraforca is the tallest mountain in the province, located on the north side as part of the Pre-Pyrenees. Some people find the more modern buildings along the Diagonal quite striking, but little of it can compare to the work of the Catalan sculptor and architect Antoni Gaudí, whose huge and elaborate Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Família) has become a symbol of the city itself. The capital of the province is the city of Barcelona, and the provincial council is based in the Casa Serra on the Rambla de Catalunya in that city. Futbol Club Barcelona is a professional futsal club based in Barcelona, Spain.It is a part of the FC Barcelona sports club.. Since the late 1970s, with the official recognition of the Catalan language and the granting of significant levels of regional self-government, cultural life has been revitalized, bringing with it a new awareness of the depth and variety of Catalan culture. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Eager for a live music show after months of social distancing, more than 1,000 Barcelona residents gathered Saturday to participate in a medical study to evaluate the effectiveness of same-day coronavirus screening to safely hold cultural events. For the visitor, the main attraction still tends to be in the city centre, particularly around the Ramblas. Mediterranean Seafront to Ronda de Sant Pere, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona Spain. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, an autonomous community of Spain.The city is situated in the northeast of Spain, close to France and the Pyrenees.. With 1.7 million inhabitants, Barcelona is the second most populous city after Madrid.The Metropolitan area of the city has 36 municipalities with a population of over 5 million. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). At the core of the city lies the Gothic Quarter. 33. You also have 2 additional supplements. The province is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Lleida, and Girona, and by the Mediterranean Sea. Barcelona, city, seaport, and capital of Barcelona provincia (province) and of Catalonia comunidad autónoma (autonomous community), northeastern Spain, located 90 miles (150 km) south of the French border. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. Originally FC Barcelona begun to play futsal in 1978, until it was disbanded in 1982. Tibidabo is the mountain that overlooks the city of Barcelona. Cerveceria Catalana is a tapas place great for families, with tons of options for even picky eaters. Even though Catalonia is part of the Spanish nation, it is a distinct region that, like any other, has its own customs that make it unique. Antoni Gaudí's Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Família), Barcelona, construction begun 1883. The final plans were based on geometric blocks, allowing for open spaces, greenery, and social areas. Liceu Barcelona Metro 5 min. (2011) 1,611,013; (2018 est.) By the mid-19th century the need for elaborate defenses had passed, and the city was bursting at the seams. It’s a hub of new trends in the world of culture, fashion and cuisine. It is a vibrant city that hosts thousands of tourists annually. Pop. Swiit (130) 3 min £ Cafe. Almost any restaurant will be set-up to accommodate children, and have plenty of options to chose from. And as you'd expect for somewhere this vibrant, there's plenty of choice when deciding where to stay in Barcelona. Please select which sections you would like to print: Corrections? It has over 4 million inhabitants. The skyline of the modern city inevitably reflects the style of the present age, but Barcelona has always attracted distinguished and original architects. Where others tinker at the edges, time and again Barcelona has reinvented itself. The city was heavily fortified and did not spread much beyond its medieval confines until the 19th century, a factor that contributed to the emergence of industrial satellite suburbs and towns around the city proper. Accordingly, plans were devised to extend the city. Barcelona, facing the Mediterranean to the southeast, is located on a plain generally confined by the Besós River (north), the Llobregat River (south), the rocky outcrop of Montjuich (567 feet [173 metres] high), and the semicircle of mountains of which Tibidabo (1,680 feet [512 metres]) is the highest point. Almost any restaurant will be set-up to accommodate children, and have plenty of options to chose from. Its area is 7,726 km2 (2,983 sq mi). Barcelona is a city, Capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, Located in the coast of northeastern Spain. Rental Cars See all Barcelona car hire. Catalonia and Barcelona has become one of the first tourist destination of Spain, it has everything to please the majority of visitors : with a history among the oldest in Europe, a capital, Barcelona, which never sleeps and an inland full of charm not to forget beautiful beaches in La Costa Brava. Torre Agbar skyscraper at night in Barcelona. You can reach Plaça de Catalunya (the epicentre of Barcelona) by metro in no more than 45 minutes maximum travel time from the furthest metro stop from the city centre. Its wider urban region is home to three-quarters of the population of Catalonia and one-eighth of that of Spain. 1,620,343. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Barcelona has set out to change that. Ciutadella / Vila Olimpica This newly developed area with its beautiful beach and interesting modern architecture houses the most popular clubs in the city. Taxis are quick, available and cheap. The Barça star has scored 644 goals for FC Barcelona, one more than the Brazilian netted for Santos. Part One: Cars dominate cities. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Catalonia had a distinct history of its own long before it became part of Spain. Omissions? Jaume I Barcelona Metro 3 min. The Ramblas form one of the most delightful aspects of the city, their broad, tree-lined centre strips given over to a series of stalls and kiosks selling items such as flowers, pets, and books and newspapers. Some other cities and towns in Barcelona province include L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Badalona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Martorell, Mataró, Granollers, Sabadell, Terrassa, Sitges, Igualada, Vic, Manresa, Berga. Barcelona, city, seaport, and capital of Barcelona provincia (province) and of Catalonia comunidad autónoma (autonomous community), northeastern Spain, located 90 miles (150 km) south of the French border. Barcelona is a very family-friendly city, and great for kids of all ages. Thousands of pro-independence supporters from Spain ’s northeastern region of Catalonia are pouring into Barcelona for what will be the fifth day of protests. The city’s oldest neighborhood, with narrow streets, great shopping, and a booming nightlife, is truly iconic to Barcelona. The autonomous community of Catalonia occupies a triangular area in the northeastern corner of Spain. One option for travelling to and from the airport to the docks is to catch a taxi. Barcelona is a province of eastern Spain, in the center of the autonomous community of Catalonia. Interesting facts Geography and demography. However most of the time your metro journey to the city centre will be considerably less than this - typically 10 to 15 minutes. Located in northeastern Spain, Barcelona is one of the country’s top travel destinations because it offers everything tourists look for in a European city from historic architecture to lively shopping, vibrant culture and buzzing nightlife. Cerveceria Catalana is a tapas place great for families, with tons of options for even picky eaters. Elegant Tarragona's Roman ruins and amphitheater add to its historical appeal. The largest city in Spain, as is to be expected, is Madrid, with a total of 3,141,991 inhabitants – the only one in the country with two million or more, since the second-largest, Barcelona, is home to 1.6 million and the country’s third city, Valencia, is a long way behind with just 786,000. Cars completely swamped cities in the 20th century, bringing with them congestion, air … Its area is 7,726 km (2,983 sq mi). Precipitation amounts to about 23 inches (600 mm) per year. Taxi to Barcelona airport from the cruise port. Located between the Ramblas, a series of connected boulevards, going southeastward to the sea, and the Via Laietana, it is a close-packed maze of narrow streets punctuated by magnificent medieval buildings. Area city, 38 square miles (98 square km); metropolitan area, 1,249 square miles (3,235 square km). Barcelona city is actually a lot smaller than you might imagine. For the similarly-named province in Venezuela, see, Map of Spain with Province of Barcelona highlighted, Barcelona: Población por municipios y sexo, Indicadors geogràfics. It is Spain’s major Mediterranean port and commercial centre and is famed for its individuality, cultural interest, and physical beauty. Superfície, densitat i entitats de població, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Province_of_Barcelona&oldid=998744496, Geography articles needing translation from Spanish Wikipedia, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with Catalan-language sources (ca), Articles with Spanish-language sources (es), Pages using infobox settlement with no coordinates, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. This blending of cultures makes the city of Barcelona a truly fascinating place to visit. Being the 2nd largest city in Spain, Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia province. 22 Dec 20 Latest Galleries. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. The famous promenade is separated from L’Eixample by the monumental Catalunya Square, and it leads down to the port and the Portal de la Pau Square, where the Christopher Columbus monument stands in commemoration of the discovery of America and the explorer’s announcement of it in Barcelona. Other architects, such as Luis Doménechi Montaner, produced remarkable structures in the modernist style, such as the Music Palace, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. Best nearby. This combination of a concentrated core with a highly developed industrial belt has made Barcelona one of the most congested cities in the world. This vitality combines with the striking physical setting of Barcelona—between scenic mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, with a benign climate that fosters street life—and its significance as an economic power and a major port to create a city of infinite variety. Barcelona is known as the second capital of Spain after Madrid. 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