Apartments in Barcelona

Barcelona is a thousand faces city: it is a collection of multi-faceted cultures and corners. It is a chameleonic city, which changes in every season. In summertime, Barcelona gets empty. The bustle of winter goes away and a mysterious calm seizes its streets, except the city centre which is always full of life. But don’t think you’ll get bored, quite the opposite! You will always find something to do in Barcelona and specially, in summertime. Every summer, the city offers a wide range of parties, festivals, concerts and exhibitions. Check out the `Festa Major´ in your neighbourhood, or the one in Gràcia – with such amazing decorations! Or maybe go to the beach and catch some sun... Then in September, a full week free party: La Mercé! Each summer, the city becomes a nucleus for the performing arts and music.

What’s on?

Grec Festival

From29^th June to2^nd August, the whole city becomes a showcase for the best in the performing arts, with the Grec Theatre as epicentre. The best groups and companies from the world, come to show their best proposals.

Summercase

From 18th to 19th July, the Summercase Festival, which is at the same time in Madrid and Barcelona, is the perfect festival for lovers of indie pop and rock music. This edition you can enjoy such important bands like the Sex Pistols, Blondie or The Breeders. They will be joined by other amazing groups like Kaiser Chiefs, Interpol, Ian Brown, Primal Scream, We Are Scientists, and Los Planetas. If you like electronic music, names such as M.I.A., CSS or Santogold will be there too.

B-Estival

From 9th to 29th July, this eclectic music festival will be developed in two main places: the stage in the main square of the Poble Espanyol and the recently opened Espacio Movistar. This year a variety line-up is presented: from the pop of the B-52s and Skye Edwars (Morcheeba); the soul of Macy Gray and Erykah Badú; the blues of Johnny Winter; the hip-hop of Marcelo D2; the Afro-jazz of Gerald Toto, Richard Bona and Lokua Kanza; the Brazilian dance of DJ Dolores; to the poetry of Kevin Johansen & The Nada and the rumba sounds of Muchachito Bombo Infierno and Peret. All types of music for all kinds of tastes!

Harley Days

From 10th to13th July, Barcelona will celebrate the Harley Davidson 105th anniversary.

An estimated 250,000 visitors are expected to turn up at this free event. It will offer a lot of activities, like the custom bike competition, the Anniversary Party and the flag parade through the streets of the city.

Festa Major de Raval

From 12^th to 14^th July, this party will take place at la Rambla del Raval, where an open air stage will be hosting open mike sessions, poetry performances and live bands from a fusion of nationalities. More than 8,000 visitors are expected.

Other proposals

The city has over 50 museums, showcasing permanent and non permanent collections. Artists like Picasso, Antoni Tàpies or Joan Miró have their own museums. At the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) you can see one of the world’s most important collections of Romanesque art. It also has famous collections of contemporary art housed in museums such as the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) and CaixaForum.

And that’s not all... You will also find areas where you can play sports in the open air and a whole host of leisure attractions. Barcelona is the perfect city for being entertained with countless cultural and recreational activities. If you want to enjoy any of these proposals, you just have to look for the perfect accommodation: rent apartments in Barcelona, the best way to spend your holidays in the city.

Barcelona is a tolerant and cosmopolitan city and it is also a reference point for thousands of homosexuals, tourists and locals. The city offers a wide range of culture and leisure activities for the gay community and it is considered one of the favourite gay tourist destinations.

Although it doesn't have a gay neighbourhood as well defined as Chueca in Madrid, it has the Gaixample area, where most of the gay pubs, clubs and shops are concentrated. It extends from Balmes street to Comte d'Urgell street, including crowded and central streets such as Gran Via, Diputació, Villarroel and Aribau. The area is integrated in the left Eixample, but unlike Chueca, it is not an exclusively gay neighbourhood. In fact, the multicolor flags wave here and there, mingling with the straight locals. Barcelona is an open minded city where everyone has his/her own space.

Lately, the gay leisure offer has multiplied, especially for girls. The Catalan night offers options for all tastes: here you'll find the most fashionable clubs, all kinds of bars and the classic locals that have been open for years. In fact, there are so many places to go, that sometimes it is impossible to choose a unique club/pub to spend the whole night in. There are locals for bears, locals for leathers, locals just for lesbians... These groups don't usually mix with each other, except in special events as the Circuit Festival, the Eurogames or in any of the mixed clubs of the city. Even the first gay declared hotel in Spain (Axel Hotel), has opened its doors in Barcelona.

The chocolate museum - yes really!

The Chocolate Museum is open to the public from Monday to Saturday, 10 am – 7 pm and on Sundays, 10 am – 3 pm

The museum is closed on Tuesdays except for bank holidays.

• Single ticket: 4,30 €
• Group ticket: 3,50 €

Comerç, 36

08003 Barcelona

Tel. 93.268.78.78

Natural Science Museum - Free

The Museum of Natural Science at Ciutadella Park is a public institution of science serving the community. In the year 2000, the Geology Museum and the Zoology Museum merged, forming the current Museum of Natural Science.

Address : Parc de la Ciutadella, s/n

08003 Barcelona

Telephone : (+34) 93 319 69 12

The Picasso Museum - Free on the first sunday of each month

• Address: Montcada 15-23
• 08003 Barcelona
• Tlf. (+34) 93 256 30 00

Museu-Monestir de Pedralbes - Free on the first sunday of each month

Baixada del Monestir, 9

Tel. 93 256 34 34

Fax. 93 203 94 08

more to come...............stay tuned

Agua

Passeig Marítim 30

Let down by some front-of-house chaos that means a long wait even with a booking, Agua is otherwise one of the freshest, most relaxed places to eat in the city, with a large terrace smack on the beach and an animated sunny interior. The menu rarely changes, but regulars never tire of the competently executed monkfish tail with sofregit, the risotto with partridge, and fresh pasta with juicy prawns. Scrummy puddings include marron glacé mousse and sour apple sorbet.

Alkimia

C/Indústria 79

A great way to explore what this Michelin-starred restaurant has to offer is to sample the gourmet menu, which offers four savoury courses, including complex dishes that play with Spanish classics – for instance, liquid pa amb tomàquet with fuet sausage, wild rice with crayfish, strips of tuna on a bed of foamed mustard – and a couple of desserts. An excellent wine cellar adds to the experience.

Bauma

C/Roger de Llúria 124

Bauma is an old-style café-bar that’s perfect for lazy Sunday mornings, with its battered leather seats, ceiling fans and an incongruous soundtrack of acid jazz. Along with well-priced, substantial dishes such as baked cod, and wild boar stew, there’s an impressive list of tapas and sandwiches.

Botafumeiro

C/Gran de Gràcia 81

Love it or hate it (and the size, racket and overwhelmingly arriviste diners mean no one leaves undecided), there’s no denying Botafumeiro’s success, and its literally dozens of tables are rarely empty for very long. The speciality is excellent Galician seafood, served with military precision by the fleet of nautically clad waiters. Non-fishy dishes include a rich caldo gallego (cabbage and pork broth) and lacón con grelos (gammon with turnip tops).

Can Paixano

C/Reina Cristina 7

It’s impossible to talk, get your order heard or move your elbows, yet the ‘Champagne Bar’, as it’s invariably known, has a global following. Its smoky confines are always mobbed with Catalans and adventurous tourists making the most of dirt-cheap house Cava and sausage bocadillos (you can’t buy a bottle without a couple). A must.

Gaig

Hotel Cram, C/Aragó 214

Housed in the 1980s-style steely grey decor of the Hotel Cram, Carles Gaig’s cooking never fails to thrill, from the crayfish tempura amuse-gueule, served with a dip of creamed leek salted with a piece of pancetta, through to a shot-glass holding layers of tangy lemon syrup, crema catalana mousse, caramel ice-cream and topped with burnt sugar (to be eaten by plunging the spoon all the way down). All this pleasure comes at a price, however.

DECEMBER 6th of december Constitution Day (Día de la Constitución) 8th of december Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Inmaculada Concepción) 25th of december Christmas Day (Navidad) 26th of december Saint Stephen's Day (San Esteban)

During the month of december there are expositiones of christmas cribs and other Christmas decoration. There is a fair of belenes around the cathedral with artisan works for sale as well as Christmas trees and decorations.

31st of december New Years Night (Noche Vieja). In the night of the 31st of december there are parties all over the city. A lot of people get together on the Plaça Catalunya to welcome the New Year. Everyone that night all over Spain carries 12 grapes for the last 12 seconds of the year and you have to eat each second a grape for the next 12 months of good luck.