Barcelona

Canaan - CC BY-SA 4.0 Vl41175 at English Wikibooks - Public domain Cementiris de Barcelona, S.A. - Attribution Enfo - CC BY-SA 3.0 SBA73 from Sabadell, Catalunya - CC BY-SA 2.0 Enric - CC BY-SA 4.0 Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA - CC BY-SA 2.0 Vipimages - CC BY-SA 4.0 SBA73 from Sabadell, Catalunya - CC BY-SA 2.0 Canaan - CC BY-SA 4.0 SBA73 from Sabadell, Catalunya - CC BY-SA 2.0 Mirkaah - CC BY-SA 3.0 thierrytutin - CC BY 2.0 David.gaya - CC BY-SA 2.5 Enfo - CC BY-SA 3.0 Txllxt TxllxT - CC BY-SA 4.0 Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England - CC BY 2.0 Jun Seita - CC BY 2.0 Manuel pino - CC BY-SA 3.0 Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England - CC BY 2.0 - Public domain Mikipons - CC BY-SA 3.0 es Pere Ramon - CC BY-SA 3.0 Bert Kaufmann from Roermond, Netherlands - CC BY-SA 2.0 David.gaya - CC BY-SA 2.5 Didier Descouens - CC BY-SA 4.0 SBA73 from Sabadell, Catalunya - CC BY-SA 2.0 default Canaan - CC BY-SA 4.0 SBA73 from Sabadell, Catalunya - CC BY-SA 2.0 Jun Seita - CC BY 2.0 Enric - CC BY-SA 4.0 Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England - CC BY 2.0 Vl41175 at English Wikibooks - Public domain SBA73 from Sabadell, Catalunya - CC BY-SA 2.0 ChristianSchd, Xavier Badia Castellà, Amadalvarez, Balou46 - CC BY-SA 3.0 Espencat - CC BY-SA 3.0 Petergm_official - CC BY-SA 4.0 Enfo - CC BY-SA 3.0 Oh-Barcelona.com from Barcelona, Spain - CC BY 2.0 Txllxt TxllxT - CC BY-SA 4.0 Ralf Roletschek - GFDL 1.2 Andrew Bone from Weymouth, England - CC BY 2.0 Thomas Ledl - CC BY-SA 4.0 Bert Kaufmann from Roermond, Netherlands - CC BY-SA 2.0 Enric - CC BY-SA 4.0 Mikipons - CC BY-SA 3.0 es Enfo - CC BY-SA 3.0 es Enfo - CC BY-SA 3.0 default Enfo - CC BY-SA 3.0 Tim Lloyd from Chester, England - CC BY 2.0 Kippelboy - CC BY-SA 3.0 No images

Context of Barcelona

 

Barcelona ( BAR-sə-LOH-nə, Catalan: [bəɾsəˈlonə], Spanish: [baɾθeˈlona]) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within city limits, its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the Province of Barcelona and is home to around 4.8 million people, making it the fifth most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, the Ruhr area, Madrid, and Milan. It is one of the largest metropolises on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range.

Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital...Read more

 

Barcelona ( BAR-sə-LOH-nə, Catalan: [bəɾsəˈlonə], Spanish: [baɾθeˈlona]) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within city limits, its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the Province of Barcelona and is home to around 4.8 million people, making it the fifth most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, the Ruhr area, Madrid, and Milan. It is one of the largest metropolises on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range.

Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After joining with the Kingdom of Aragon to form the confederation of the Crown of Aragon, Barcelona, which continued to be the capital of the Principality of Catalonia, became the most important city in the Crown of Aragon and the main economic and administrative centre of the Crown, only to be overtaken by Valencia, wrested from Moorish control by the Catalans, shortly before the dynastic union between the Crown of Castile and the Crown of Aragon in 1492. Barcelona became the centre of Catalan separatism, briefly becoming part of France during the 17th century Reapers' War. It was the capital of Revolutionary Catalonia during the Spanish Revolution of 1936, and the seat of government of the Second Spanish Republic later in the Spanish Civil War, until its capture by the fascists in 1939. After the Spanish transition to democracy in the 1970s, Barcelona once again became the capital of an autonomous Catalonia.

Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is home to two of the most prestigious universities in Spain: the University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments.

Barcelona is a major cultural, economic, and financial centre in southwestern Europe, as well as the main biotech hub in Spain. As a leading world city, Barcelona's influence in global socio-economic affairs qualifies it for global city status (Beta +).

Barcelona is a transport hub, with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe's principal seaports and busiest European passenger port, an international airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, which handles over 50 million passengers per year, an extensive motorway network, and a high-speed rail line with a link to France and the rest of Europe.

More about Barcelona

Basic information
  • Native name Barcelona
Population, Area & Driving side
  • Population 1660122
  • Area 101
History
  •  
     
     
    A marble plaque in the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat de Barcelona, dated from around 110–130 AD and dedicated to the Roman colony of Barcino
    Pre-history

    The origin of the earliest settlement at the site of present-day Barcelona is unclear....Read more

     
     
     
    A marble plaque in the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat de Barcelona, dated from around 110–130 AD and dedicated to the Roman colony of Barcino
    Pre-history

    The origin of the earliest settlement at the site of present-day Barcelona is unclear. The ruins of an early settlement have been found, including different tombs and dwellings dating to earlier than 5000 BC.[1][2] The founding of Barcelona is the subject of two different legends. The first attributes the founding of the city to the mythological Hercules. The second legend attributes the foundation of the city directly to the historical Carthaginian general, Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who supposedly named the city Barcino after his family in the 3rd century BC,[3] but there is no historical or linguistic evidence that this is true.[4] Archeological evidence in the form of coins from the 3rd Century BC have been found on the hills at the foot of Montjuïc with the name Bárkeno written in an ancient script in the Iberian language. Thus, we can conclude that the Laietani, an ancient Iberian (Pre-Roman) people of the Iberian peninsula, who inhabited the area occupied by the city of Barcelona around 3 – 2 BC, called the area Bàrkeno, which means "The Place of the Plains" (Barrke = plains/terrace).[5]

    Roman Barcelona

    In about 15 BC, the Romans redrew the town as a castrum (Roman military camp) centred on the "Mons Taber", a little hill near the Generalitat (Catalan Government) and city hall buildings. The Roman Forum, at the crossing of the Cardo Maximus and Decumanus Maximus, was approximately placed where current Plaça de Sant Jaume is. Thus, the political center of the city, Catalonia, and its domains has remained in the same place for over 2,000 years.

    Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of Faventia,[6] or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino[7] or Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino. Pomponius Mela[8] mentions it among the small towns of the district, probably as it was eclipsed by its neighbour Tarraco (modern Tarragona), but it may be gathered from later writers that it gradually grew in wealth and consequence, favoured as it was with a beautiful situation and an excellent harbour.[9] It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens.[10] The city minted its own coins; some from the era of Galba survive.

     
     
    The Mare de Déu de la Mercè statue on the Basílica de la Mercè

    Important Roman vestiges are displayed in Plaça del Rei underground, as a part of the Barcelona City History Museum (MUHBA); the typically Roman grid plan is still visible today in the layout of the historical centre, the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter). Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have been incorporated into the cathedral.[11] The cathedral, Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Barcelona, is also sometimes called La Seu, which simply means cathedral (and see, among other things) in Catalan.[12][13] It is said to have been founded in 343.

    Medieval Barcelona

    The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early 5th century, becoming for a few years the capital of all Hispania. After being conquered by the Arabs in the early 8th century, it was conquered after a siege in 801 by Charlemagne's son Louis, who made Barcelona the seat of the Carolingian "Hispanic March" (Marca Hispanica), a buffer zone ruled by the Count of Barcelona.[14]

    The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include much of modern Catalonia, although on 6 July 985, Barcelona was sacked by the army of Almanzor.[15] The sack was so traumatic that most of Barcelona's population was either killed or enslaved.[16] In 1137, Aragon and the County of Barcelona merged in dynastic union[17][18] by the marriage of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronilla of Aragon, their titles finally borne by only one person when their son Alfonso II of Aragon ascended to the throne in 1162. His territories were later to be known as the Crown of Aragon, which conquered many overseas possessions and ruled the western Mediterranean Sea with outlying territories in Naples and Sicily and as far as Athens in the 13th century.

    Barcelona was the leading slave trade centre of the Crown of Aragon up until the 15th century, when it was eclipsed by Valencia.[19] It initially fed from eastern and balkan slave stock later drawing from a Maghribian and, ultimately, Subsaharan pool of slaves.[20]

    The Bank of Barcelona or Taula de canvi, often viewed as the oldest public bank in Europe, was established by the city magistrates in 1401. It originated from necessities of the state, as did the Bank of Venice (1402) and the Bank of Genoa (1407).[21]

     
     
    Barcelona in 1563
    Barcelona under the Spanish monarchy

    The marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in 1469 united the two royal lines. Madrid became the centre of political power whilst the colonisation of the Americas reduced the financial importance (at least in relative terms) of Mediterranean trade. Barcelona was a centre of Catalan separatism, including the Catalan Revolt (1640–52) against Philip IV of Spain. The great plague of 1650–1654 halved the city's population.[22]

     
     
    The fortress at Montjuïc, the most southerly point from which measurements were made when calculating the meridional definition of the metre

    In the 18th century, a fortress was built at Montjuïc that overlooked the harbour. In 1794, this fortress was used by the French astronomer Pierre François André Méchain for observations relating to a survey stretching to Dunkirk that provided the official basis of the measurement of a metre.[23] The definitive metre bar, manufactured from platinum, was presented to the French legislative assembly on 22 June 1799. Much of Barcelona was negatively affected by the Napoleonic wars, but the start of industrialisation saw the fortunes of the province improve.

    The Spanish Civil War and the Franco period
     
     
    Barcelona was the capital of the Republic of Spain from November 1937 until January 1939.[24][25] During that Spanish Civil War period, both Barcelona and Madrid were still under the rule of the republic. In the image Azaña and Negrín on the city outskirts.

    During the Spanish Civil War, the city, and Catalonia in general, were resolutely Republican. Many enterprises and public services were collectivised by the CNT and UGT unions. As the power of the Republican government and the Generalitat diminished, much of the city was under the effective control of anarchist groups. The anarchists lost control of the city to their own allies, the Communists and official government troops, after the street fighting of the Barcelona May Days. The fall of the city on 26 January 1939, caused a mass exodus of civilians who fled to the French border. The resistance of Barcelona to Franco's coup d'état was to have lasting effects after the defeat of the Republican government. The autonomous institutions of Catalonia were abolished,[26] and the use of the Catalan language in public life was suppressed. Barcelona remained the second largest city in Spain, at the heart of a region which was relatively industrialised and prosperous, despite the devastation of the civil war. The result was a large-scale immigration from poorer regions of Spain (particularly Andalusia, Murcia and Galicia), which in turn led to rapid urbanisation.

    Late twentieth century

    In 1992, Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympics. The after-effects of this are credited with driving major changes in what had, up until then, been a largely industrial city. As part of the preparation for the games, industrial buildings along the sea-front were demolished and 3 kilometres (2 miles) of beach were created. New construction increased the road capacity of the city by 17%, the sewage handling capacity by 27% and the amount of new green areas and beaches by 78%. Between 1990 and 2004, the number of hotel rooms in the city doubled. Perhaps more importantly, the outside perception of the city was changed making, by 2012, Barcelona the 12th most popular city destination in the world and the 5th amongst European cities.[27][28][29][30][31]

    Recent history
     
    Supporters of Catalan independence in October 2019
     
    Protest against independence in October 2017

    The death of Franco in 1975 brought on a period of democratisation throughout Spain. Pressure for change was particularly strong in Barcelona, which considered that it had been punished during nearly forty years of Francoism for its support of the Republican government.[32] Massive, but peaceful, demonstrations on 11 September 1977 assembled over a million people in the streets of Barcelona to call for the restoration of Catalan autonomy. It was granted less than a month later.[33]

    The development of Barcelona was promoted by two events in 1986: Spanish accession to the European Community, and particularly Barcelona's designation as host city of the 1992 Summer Olympics.[34][35] The process of urban regeneration has been rapid, and accompanied by a greatly increased international reputation of the city as a tourist destination. The increased cost of housing has led to a slight decline (−16.6%) in the population over the last two decades of the 20th century as many families move out into the suburbs. This decline has been reversed since 2001, as a new wave of immigration (particularly from Latin America and from Morocco) has gathered pace.[36]

    In 1987, an ETA car bombing at Hipercor killed 21 people. On 17 August 2017, a van was driven into pedestrians on La Rambla, killing 14 and injuring at least 100, one of whom later died. Other attacks took place elsewhere in Catalonia. The Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, called the attack in Barcelona a jihadist attack. Amaq News Agency attributed indirect responsibility for the attack to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[37][38][39] During the 2010s, Barcelona became the focus city[citation needed] for the ongoing Catalan independence movement, its consequent standoff between the regional and national government and later protests.[40]

    ^ Servei d'Arqueologia of Institut de Cultura de Barcelona. "Caserna de Sant Pau del Camp". CartaArqueologica (in Spanish). Ajuntament de Barcelona. p. Description and Historical Notes. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016. ^ Montaña, M. M.; O. V. Campos; R. Farré (2008). "Study of the Neolithic Excavation Site of the Sant Pau del Camp Barracks". Quarhis. II (4): 3. Retrieved 2 May 2016.[dead link] ^ Oros. vii. 143; Miñano, Diccion. vol. i. p. 391; Auson. Epist. xxiv. 68, 69, Punica Barcino. ^ Cite error: The named reference Corporation1957 was invoked but never defined (see the help page). ^ "From Barcino to Barcelona". ^ Plin. iii. 3. s. 4 ^ Inscr. ap. Gruter, p. 426, nos. 5, 6. ^ ii. 6 ^ Avien. Ora Maritima. 520: "Et Barcilonum amoena sedes ditium." ^ Paul. Dig. 1. tit. 15, de Cens. ^ "Roman walls, Barcelona". Bluffton.edu. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2009. ^ Welcome page in Catalan Archived 15 May 2019 at the Wayback Machine, Cathedral of Barcelona, (in Catalan). There is an English version of this page and website, as well as a Spanish one, but the word seu seems to be explained better in the Catalan version... [Retrieved 14 September 2019]. ^ "Seu" Archived 4 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine, entry in the Diccionari Alcover-Moll, (in Catalan). [Retrieved 14 September 2019]. ^ "GSM Barcelona - Barcelona History". GSM Barcelona. Retrieved 11 October 2022. ^ The Usatges of Barcelona: The Fundamental Law of Catalonia, ed. Donald J. Kagay, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994), 7. ^ Collins, Roger (2012). Caliphs and Kings, 796–1031. Blackwell Publishing, p. 191. ^ Bisson, T. N. (1986). "II. The age of the Early Count-Kings (1137–1213) (The Principate of Ramon Berenguer IV 1137–1162)". In Clarendon Press – Oxford (ed.). The medieval Crown of Aragon. A short story. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-19-820236-3. ^ Cateura Benàsser, Pau (2006). Els impostos indirectes en el regne de Mallorca (PDF). ISBN 978-84-96019-28-7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 October 2008. Retrieved 24 April 2008. El Tall dels Temps, 14. (Palma de) Mallorca: El Tall, 1996. ^ González Arévalo (2019). "La esclavitud en la España Medieval. (siglos XIV-XV). Generalidades y rasgos diferenciales". Millars. Espai I Història. Castellón de la Plana: Universitat Jaime I (47): 16–17. ISSN 1132-9823. ^ González Arévalo 2019, p. 17. ^ The Bankers Magazine, volume 11, page 595, J. Smith Homans Jr., New York 1857. ^ Payne, Stanley G. Chapter 15: A History of Spain and Portugal,[dead link] ^ Adler, Ken (2002). The Measure of All Things: The Seven-Year Odyssey that Transformed the World. Abacus. ISBN 978-0-349-11507-8. ^ MHCB, City Council of Barcelona, Institute of Culture, SECC (2006). Juan Negrín 1892–1956. Barcelona, capital de la República. Barcelona. ISBN 84-96411-13-3. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) ^ Canal, Jordi (2015). Historia mínima de Cataluña. Madrid: Turner Publicaciones S.L. ISBN 978-84-16142-08-8. ^ Decree of 5 April 1938. ^ "Barcelona (Spain)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived 13 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine ^ Taylor, Adam (26 July 2012). "How The Olympic Games Changed Barcelona Forever". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017. ^ Usborne, Simon (18 August 2008). "After The Party: What happens when the Olympics leave town". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017. ^ Brunet i Cid, Ferran (2002). "The economic impact of the Barcelona Olympic Games" (PDF). Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2009. Retrieved 19 August 2017. ^ "Legacies of the Games" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. December 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017. ^ Mock, Steven (29 December 2011). Symbols of Defeat in the Construction of National Identity. Cambridge University Press. p. 274. ISBN 978-1-139-50352-5. Retrieved 22 October 2017. ^ Friend, Julius W. (19 June 2012). Stateless Nations: Western European Regional Nationalisms and the Old Nations. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-230-36179-9. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2017. ^ Parkin, James; D. Sharma (1 January 1999). Infrastructure Planning. Thomas Telford. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-7277-2747-3. Retrieved 22 October 2017. ^ Abebe, Ngiste; Mary Trina Bolton; Maggie Pavelka; Morgan Pierstorff (19 November 2013). Bidding for Development: How the Olympic Bid Process Can Accelerate Transportation Development. Springer. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4614-8912-2. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2017. ^ The proportion of the population born outside of Spain rose from 3.9% in 2001 to 13.9% in 2006. "Guies Estadístiques: Barcelona en Xifres" (PDF). Ajuntament de Barcelona. November 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2010. ^ "At least 13 dead in van crash in Barcelona city center: media". Reuters. 17 August 2017. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2017. ^ Ward, Victoria. "Barcelona scene". telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2017. ^ "Barcelona and Cambrils: 'Bigger' attacks were prepared". BBC News. 18 August 2017. Archived from the original on 11 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018. ^ "Diez años de Diada mediática". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 11 September 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
    Read less
Stay safe
  •  
    Stay safe Pickpockets

    Pickpocketing is the most pressing issue for visitors to Barcelona. Never keep your wallet, cash or important documents in trouser pockets or in bag pockets: a money belt is an easy and inexpensive way to prevent being robbed. As always, be alert in crowded places, such as public transport, train and bus stations, La Rambla and Raval. If you are in a crowd, beware of anyone suspiciously or with no intention deliberately coming close to you.

    Pickpockets usually work with more than one people, with one person using all kinds of tricks to distract you as their accomplices take action. The following are a few common methods:

    ...Read more
     
    Stay safe Pickpockets

    Pickpocketing is the most pressing issue for visitors to Barcelona. Never keep your wallet, cash or important documents in trouser pockets or in bag pockets: a money belt is an easy and inexpensive way to prevent being robbed. As always, be alert in crowded places, such as public transport, train and bus stations, La Rambla and Raval. If you are in a crowd, beware of anyone suspiciously or with no intention deliberately coming close to you.

    Pickpockets usually work with more than one people, with one person using all kinds of tricks to distract you as their accomplices take action. The following are a few common methods:

    At certain tourist hotspots, there are people who will try to show you a 'magic trick'. This involves tying a piece of string around your finger. While you are distracted (and your arm is effectively disabled), your wallet is stolen. These people may also pose as a person looking for spare change, policemen who wishes to check your wallet for ID, or as tourists asking for directions. In the subway, a group of men will come out of seemingly nowhere while you attempt to enter a subway car and block your entrance and exit in a coordinated manner, effectively pinning you against the doors. They will act as if the car is just crowded and they are trying to get on as well, but, in reality, they have already gone through your pockets. They will quickly return to the platform just as the doors are closing, making you effectively trapped in the departing train. A more serious crime includes a person deliberately jamming the entry gate by inserting his subway card just as you are about to pass. His accomplice tries to 'help' you as the others are on your back snatching your items. Under no circumstances should you leave your items unattended. While you are eating outside, a guy may babble near you asking for change with an unreadable poster in his hands and getting closer and closer to your smartphone until he eventually picks it up and passes it to a second guy that will run away with it.Scams See also: Common scams

    People in Barcelona are often very friendly and love to practice their English, so don't be unfriendly. That said, you should be suspicious if someone approaches you in a touristy area speaking your language and asking you for help. This should put your guard up immediately. Do not be tempted to sign their petition, give them directions, or help them with their problem. You don't know anything about where you are, since you're a tourist, so you won't be able to help them in any case.

    Professional scam artists exhibiting a high degree of coordination are active in many areas of the city. Be careful in tourist areas. A variety of methods are employed, including the No-change trick. A common scam involves fake cops who will show up ask to see your passport, then take your belongings at the first opportunity. The story varies, but they are almost certainly not real ones. When it happens, the best strategy is to just walk away instead of starting any sort of conversations with them. Another trick is that one seemingly confused person will ask you for directions, diverting your attention and then suddenly fake police will appear asking for your ID. This is a co-ordinated move to divert the attention and steal whatever is possible. If such incident happens, just walk away, without listening to any of their conversation. Stay alert, especially in busy tourist area near the Sants station and Plaça d'Espanya.

    Another popular scam happens in the metro. A group of scammers (often middle-aged women) will take advantage of the fuss while people are entering the metro and surround a tourist, frantically asking for directions. Most tourists won't know what to say while one of the scammers empties their pockets. They will try to confuse the tourist while the metro stays in the platform, and will get out just before the doors are closed. When you realize you've been scammed, the train will have already left and they will be safely outside with your belongings.

    The bird excrement scam is also common. One or more accomplices will secretly spray or throw a smelly liquid on you. When you look up thinking a passing bird has pooped on you, they will run up to you and tell you that they saw a bird poop on you. They will offer to help you clean up, and while you are cleaning they will go through your pockets and any bags you have set down. It is wise to beware of anyone who is attempting to touch a complete stranger.

    A version of Three Card Monte is one of many common scams played on Les Rambles. There are also people holding petitions to install a wheelchair lift in locations with a lot of stairs. Once your signature is obtained they will then aggressively ask for a donation. Sometimes there can be crowds of children demanding money with hardly anyone else in the area, making it difficult to get away.

    Violent crimes

    In 2019 there was a surge in violent crimes around Barcelona: in just the summer, there were almost as many violent deaths as there were for the whole previous year. While tourists are very rarely targeted, so for the regular tourist this should be not a concern, many of these deaths are either drug-related or take place during drunken fights, so you are best advised to avoid such situations.

    Football

    Local club FC Barcelona (also known as "Barça", a term used by locals to refer strictly to the club and not the city) is seen as a symbol of Catalan nationalism, and has a very heated and politically-charged rivalry with Real Madrid, which is seen as a symbol of the Spanish state and ruling establishment, and violent confrontations between the supporters of both clubs have been known to occur. Avoid wearing Real Madrid jerseys while you're in Barcelona, especially on matchdays, as that could result in you being singled out for violence by local fans.

    On the other hand, wearing an Atlético Madrid (the other Madrid club) jersey might get you some stares and some harmless teasing, but certainly no violent reactions.

    ATMs

    Barcelona offers ATMs in many locations. Many provide a wide range of services (withdrawals, transfers, mobile credit recharges, ticketing, etc.), and most accept ATM/debit/credit cards of various banks. Choose an ATM in a secure or highly-public space (e.g., in a bank lobby or airport terminal) to avoid machines modified by criminals to skim/video your card data or where you might be robbed after use. Ensure early in usage that the ATM supports a language you understand. For a full discussion of safe/effective charge/debit/ATM card usage and their cost trade-offs, see Money.

    Areas of caution

    Be very careful in the Barcelona Sants train station where thieves prey on new arrivals, even on the platforms. In general, try to stay away from suburban trains (cercanias in Spanish or rodalies in Catalan) late in the evening, as you may encounter young louts that disturb passengers, smoke, break windows and vandalize equipment. Don't rely too much on the railway security staff, as they prefer not to get involved, and by all means avoid messing with those troublemakers.

    Women travelling alone should exercise caution while exploring the more isolated parts of Montjuïc. The city beaches, particularly the ones adjoining Barceloneta, have proven to be quite lucrative for bag snatchers. Anything that you would rather not lose is best left, locked, in your accommodation

    Men traveling alone should expect the prostitutes on Les Rambles, St. Antoni, and Raval in the early hours to be very aggressive and in league with pickpockets and robbers.

    Also, people need to be careful when leaving the bars of the Olympic Port late as there are many pickpockets around.

    Be wary of wearing exposed jewelry such as gold chains and necklaces. People walking down a street may be attacked from behind by a snatch-and-run thief. Be especially careful of seedy looking men on bicycles, as snatch-and-run assaults can occur.

    In the event of such a robbery, people will need to find the local police station to report the incident, especially if a travel insurance claim is going to be made. Don't expect any police action beyond the report, though, as these types of events are par for the course and arrests, even when made, almost never lead to prosecution due to a slow, antiquated, and overburdened legal system.

    Parts of Barcelona are covered by closed circuit TV surveillance, but only the more popular spots.

    Anti-tourism movement

    Many Barcelona residents have the impression that there are too many tourists in Barcelona and that it has increased living costs, as landlords prefer to rent to tourists and not to locals to make more profit. Also, a lot of local shops have closed to make way for souvenir spots, so many locals feel they are being expelled from areas they have lived their whole life. In some areas, particularly the ones next to the beach where drunken tourists often stroll in swimming suits, there were anti-tourism demonstrations by locals, which had the backing of the Mayor of Barcelona. By October 2019, this movement had nearly disappeared.

    Cars

    Tourist drivers may attract special attention, such as Red light bag snatch or Flat tire scams

    Public transportation

    Besides being a particular pickpocket hot spot, there are plenty of fare evaders who will stick to you when crossing a fare barrier. Do not even attempt to block their way and let them pass, as many of them can be quite aggressive. Although stations are full of surveillance cameras, they are seldom used to either enforce fare payment or as a proof for filed assault charges, except in the most severe cases. Lack of staff in many stations and few ticket inspections effectively mean carte blanche for them. The fare evasion fine is just €50 if paid on spot, no matter how many times the culprit has previously been caught, and many fines remain unpaid because payment enforcement is legally cumbersome.

    Reporting crimes

    If you need to report a crime (for example, to claim on travel insurance), be prepared for the reality that in the downtown police station, officers generally do not speak English, even though the theft report form is in English, Spanish, and Catalan. The police station most often used to report theft is the one underneath Plaça Catalunya beside metro station, where they have some translators for common languages.

    Read less

Phrasebook

Hello
Hola
World
Món
Hello world
Hola món
Thank you
Gràcies
Goodbye
Adéu
Yes
No
No
How are you?
Com estàs?
Fine, thank you
Bé gràcies
How much is it?
Quant costa?
Zero
Zero
One
Un

Where can you sleep near Barcelona ?

Booking.com
1.127.355 visits in total, 9.261 Points of interest, 405 Destinations, 3.183 visits today.