Places to visit - Barcelona

Visitor's tips:
Opening times Barça museum
Monday to Saturday from 2nd April to 7th October: 10:00 to 20:00
Monday to Saturday rest of year: 10:00 to 18:30
Admission price 2013
Adults: €23 at museum (€24 if you buy online)
Children up to 5 years: free, children 6 to 13 years: €17
Large family: €17, members: free.

Some pictures in this web page have been supplied by courtesy of Tourist Destinations. Niektóre zdjęcia zajdujące się na tej stronie zostały uprzejmie użyczone serwisowi English 4 Matura przez stronę Tourist Destinations.

HISTORY
Two different legends tell the story of the foundation of Barcelona. According to the first legend Barcelona was established by a mythological Roman god - Hercules. The latter attributes it to Hannibal's father - Hamilcar Barca, who named the city Barcino after his family in the 3rd century BC. However, it was the Romans who reorganised the city in 15 BC, initially as a military camp. Some important Roman ruins are exposed under the Plaça del Rei (King's Square), its entrance located by the city museum.

FACTS
Barcelona, which covers an area of 101.4 km²(39 sq mi), is the capital of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain after Madrid with its population over 1.6 mln. However, the urban area of Barcelona extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 4.5 mln within an area of 803 km²(310 sq mi), being the sixth most populous urban area in Europe. The region of Catalonia has two official languages, namely Catalan and Spanish (aka Castilian)

FAMOUS LANDMARKS
With its rich cultural heritage, sandy beaches surrounded by crystal-clear waters, fabled architecture and diverse nightlife Barcelona is undoubtedly in the top ten of tourist attractions in Europe. Here are only some worthwhile places to visit in Barcelona.

FACT FILE

City: Barcelona
Location: Spain
Population: over 1.6 mln
within administrative limits,
around 4.5 mln beyond
Area: 803 km2 (310 sq mi)
Mayor: Xavier Trias
Official languages:
Catalan and Spanish
Founded by: Romans 15 BC
Tourist attractions: La Sagrada Familia church, Magic Fountain show, Picasso Museum Barcelona, Las Ramblas street, FC Barcelona museum & Camp Nou stadium, Barrio Gotico area of Barcelona, Modernist Park Guell by Gaudi, Modernist buildings, Montjuic hill and Poble Espanyol Spanish village, Tibidabo hill.

Design by TM

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Tourist attractions in Barcelona.
Mapa atrakcji turystycznych Barcelony.

Video materials courtesy of Vagn Aage Haaning/dennyissaacs/WorldSiteGuides/brotheastyle from You Tube
Pictures courtesy of Travel Destinations and Iván Melenchón Serrano

La Sagrada Familia, which literally means The Holy Family, is an unfinished church designed by a famous architect Antonio Gaudi, and a destination for over 3 million visitors every year from various parts of the globe. The giant Basilica has been under construction since 1882 and is expected to be completed in 2026 - 100 years after Gaudi's death. Regardless of all the controversy surrounding La Sagrada Familia it is a truly magnificent building and an absolute must-see when you visit Barcelona.

Museu Picasso is a Barcelona based famous museum dedicated to Pablo Picasso's artistic life. The museum is lucky enough to have 3,500 pieces from all the periods of his career, from the melancholic Blue Period of his early years to the abstract Synthetic Cubism works for which he is renowned. Pablo Picasso spent most of his life in Spain and even though he was born in Malaga, he considered Barcelona to be his home town.

Visitor's tips:
Buy tickets in advance in order to beat 1-hour queues.
Admission fee: Basilica only €14.80,Basilica and Towers €19.30
Open all year, closed for certain services and religious events.

Visitor's tips:
Be early at weekends especially in summer due to long queues.
Opening hours: 10 a.m. To 8 p.m. Closed on Mondays and some
bank holidays. Free admission on Sundays after 3pm.
Admission fee: Museum + temporary exhibition € 11
Temporary exhibition: "Yo Picasso. Self-Portraits" € 6,60

Font Màgica de Montjuïc - The Magic Fountain of Montjuic - is is the main feature of the collection of waterfalls and ponds on Avinguda Maria Cristina. This brightly illuminated fountain dancing to the rhythm of the music was designed by Carles Buigasis. Its first performance was on May 19, 1929. The magic fountain is a spectacular display of colour, light, motion, music and water acrobatics - if you mix all these elements together in just the right combinations, you end up with pure magic! Highly recommended.

Visitor's tips:
Operating hours from 30th April to 30th September:
Thursday to Sunday, 9pm - 11:30pm
Musical displays: 9pm, 9:30pm, 10pm, 10:30pm and 11pm
Entrance Fee: Free

La Rambla - (also known as Las Ramblas) is a lively three-lined pedestrian mall in Barcelona which stretches for 1.2 kilometres between Barri Gòtic and El Raval, connecting Plaça de Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell. Tourist-friendly pavement cafés and restaurants, stalls and small local shops with numerous souvenirs are located along the streets. It's an excellent place for a long relaxing stroll. Enjoy the human heartbeat of Barcelona watching street performers in action.

Visitor's tips:
Beware of pickpockets in the streets and the Metro stations.
Always open and free.

FC Barcelona museum & Camp Nou stadium - is assuredly a must-see for all football fans. The museum features a magnificent collection of photos, documents and trophies from the club's amazing history of legendary teams and players. A recent addition is the jersey that Messi wore, when breaking Cesar's record of 232 goal. Admire your favourite footballers live buying a ticket for this unforgettable spectacle. Camp Nou also houses one of the largest Nike stores in Europe packed with Barca football merchandise.

SPEAKING & WRITING
MÓWIENIE i PISANIE

Now it is time to practice your speaking, writing, reading and listening. Click on a picture to open a selected section. You can work with the material on your own, with your friends or in a classroom.

Czas na poćwiczenie umiejętności mówienia, pisania, czytania i słuchania. Kliknij na wybrany obrazek pod opisem, aby przejść do wybranej sekcji. z przyjaciółmi lub w klasie.