Viewing Barcelona
Features
Essence
Time Line
Peace & Quiet
Famous People
Orientating Yourself
Downtown Barcelona is divided into distinctive districts including La Ribera, today a popular museum quarter; El Raval (or Barri Xinès, China Town), a run-down area with a high crime rate (and perhaps best avoided); the bohemian 'village' of Grácia; Barceloneta, the former fishermen's quarter; and smart seafront developments - Port Vell, the Olympic village and port.
Inventive and innovative, radical and racy, Barcelona is one of Europe's most dynamic cities. Strolling through its streets is like wandering through a living museum, a legacy of its remarkable two thousand years of history. From the ancient maze-like Gothic quarter, built within the Roman city walls, to the astonishing regimental grid plan of the turn-of-the-19th-century Eixample district, studded with eye-catching jewels of Modernista architecture, and the space-age constructions for the 1992 Olympiad, the city contains some of the finest and most eccentric art and architecture in the world. Outstanding even by Barcelonan standards is Gaudí's extraordinary Sagrada Família - for many, reason enough to visit the city. Just as Modernisme - the movement that has made Barcelona unique - emerged at the end of the 19th century as a desire for change and renovation, so today the city is celebrating its past. Rather than suffer a post-Olympic slump, it is restoring its old buildings, introducing new art and architecture and eradicating some severe urban problems, while staying at the forefront of contemporary culture. As a result, Barcelona today is very much alive - a city bursting with new pride and self-confidence, which cannot fail to excite and delight. So before you leave, consider the city's motto - Barcelona Es Teva ('Barcelona Belongs to You') - and drink from the famous Canaletes fountain on La Rambla. It is said that after just one sip, you will fall under the city's spell and are sure to return again, and again…and again.
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