Going to Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress?

One of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, history-rich Barcelona has so much to discover and experience that it warrants an extended visit. But if your time there is limited, here are some highlights and suggestions to at least give you a taste of the best of Barcelona.

Key Sites

La Rambla: One of the best-known and most popular attractions in the city. Stroll this street, replete with historical and architectural landmarks, the famous Christopher Columbus memorial, colorful shops and open marketplaces. The end of the street rewards you with the popular giant iMax and iMax 3D theater, the largest seaquarium in Europe, and spectacular sea-side views.

Sagrada Familia: This must-see architectural masterpiece is an imposing cathedral on an almost unparalleled scale designed by the famous architect Antonio Gaudi. It has been under construction for more than 125 years, and construction is expected to continue for several more decades. It is visited by more than two million awe-filled tourists a year.

Magic Fountain of Montjuic: A fountain on a majestic scale. With more than 3500 coordinated jets of water and more than 4500 colored lights, this is a spectacle on a grand scale that can hold you spellbound with stunning and ever-changing water creations and daytime and nighttime special effects.

Museums: For a city with over two millennia of history, it is not surprising that Barcelona has more than 50 public and private museums for almost all interests. Some of the most compelling are: National Museum of Art, Miró Museum, Picasso Museum, Barcelona FC (Football) Museum.

Barcelona’s Beaches: Another thing that Barcelona is famous for… More than four and a half kilometers of gleaming sandy beaches and clear Mediterranean water await you only minutes from the main areas of the city.

Barcelona Wine Tours: For wine connoisseurs, we recommend half-day and full day tours to some of the world’s most famous vineyards and wineries, right outside of Barcelona. Taste outstanding white and red wines.

Food and Drink

Barcelona is famous for its quality food and beverages. Here are some key points (and terms) you might want to be familiar with:

Catalan Cuisine: Traditional local cooking is renowned as Catalan cuisine. Naturally enough, it stresses foods that are native to and abundant in the local area. These include local vegetables such as tomato, garlic, pepper and artichoke, legumes, pastas, olive oil, cheese, poultry, pork, lamb, and rich and varied seafood dishes. An outstanding feature of Catalan cuisine is specialized sauces for meat, poultry and seafood.

Tapas: Barcelona offers an attractive and popular alternative to going to a restaurant for a full meal: going to a tapas bar. Tapas are foods that compliment local wine, sherry or cocktails. You will usually be presented with a wide variety of tapas to choose from, but there is no ironclad rule as to what will be included in the selection, so expect to be surprised to some degree. Among the foods in front of you will find some or all of the following: olives, vegetables, cubes of lamb, ham, poultry, cheese, snails, stuffed peppers, mini-sandwiches on bread or toast, and much more. Tapas are not appetizers – tapas constitute your full meal – eaten in one place, or eaten in two or more bars through the evening.

Spanish Beverages: Spain is the third-largest wine-producing country in the world, and its world-class sherrys and wines win consistent acclaim internationally. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy some of the best wines on their home turf.