The city’s fortunate location by the sea and protection by mountains in land result in a mild and sunny climate. A far-sighted town planning has provided sandy beaches all the way to the centre of the old town.

The city has plenty of cultural offers for both children and grown ups to ensure several weeks of exciting entertainment. It is known as one of the worlds leading food centres and is known for it’s abundance of good and reasonably priced restaurants.

As a consequence of the above it is easy to move around the city in busses and even easier with the underground system, which is one of the worlds biggest.

Lately cycling is being promoted with bicycle routes laid out along the car traffic. If renting a bike make it a collapsible one as bikes are not safe to leave outside at nighttime – even if they are securely locked.

If this is the first visit to Barcelona the tourist busses are recommended. They drive in a closed circle by the major attractions of town. This makes it possible to get off and on where you please and hereby see a lot in a short time.

This showy display of wealth is the result of an unusual powerful economic boom about 100 years ago. The dominant style of this period - called Art Nuveau – is unusually well represented in Barcelona.The Catalans themselves calls this period for “Modernista”.

Also medieval and gothic buildings are found in rich numbers in the old city facing the port. Actually Barcelona is the city with the highest number of gothic houses in the world. If one takes a stroll in the old part of town one will see numerous examples of houses and churches with elegant slender columns and restrained façade decoration. Features which the Catalan gothic architecture are well known for.

If you are a lover of architecture it is recommended to visit the Pueblo Español on the side of the Mont Juic mountain - right next to the large Olympic sport arenas. In here the best examples of Spanish architecture have been taken down stone by stone and re-erected it in what seems to be a small village. This makes it possible to follow the traces from the old Moorish architecture up to Barcelona’s distinct architectural culture.

The easiest is to take a taxi from the airport (approx 20-25€ incl. airport fee and 1€ per bag) directly to the apartment. It's best to check the estimated price with the driver before going. Best is probably to take the train at rush hours between 8-10am and 5-7pm to avoid the congested roads.

The cheapest is the train service that stops on Barcelona Sants station, Paseo de Gracia and Estacion de Francia. A single trip costs around 2,70€ and trains leave approximately every ½ hour. Here you can find the time table. Beware of pick pockets when the train gets crowded and when your hands are filled with luggage. The train is often delayed, so best is to aim for a train earlier when you want to catch the flight home.

Another option is the airport bus right outside from the terminal. It costs around 4€ (they don't receive larger than 20€ notes) and it will bring you to Plaza España and Plaza Catalunya. However, be careful when arriving to the end destination. Pickpockets are known to go for your hand luggage in the confusion of arriving. While you are at Plaza Catalunya you can save some time by going to the tourist information (under ground close to the airport bus stop). Here you can pick up maps and other information.

Metro and bus tickets are purchased in newspaper stands, tobacconists, or metro stations. The best buy is probably to buy a 10 tours card (approx. 7 €) - it gives you 50% discount.