Barcelona what to do Archive

The Grec Festival 2013

Published: May 8, 2013Posted in: Barcelona Events, Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Grec Festival of Barcelona 2013 is about to begin! The Grec Festival of Barcelona is an international theatre, dance, music and circus festival. Over the course of its history, this long-standing event, which will take place for the thirty-seven time in 2013, has become not only the major summer attraction in Barcelona, but also a reference on the European performing arts calendar.

Grec Festival 2013

The festival takes its name from its main venue: an open-air theatre (the Teatre Grec) built on Mount Montjuïc for the 1929 Universal Exhibition. At first, this “Greek Theatre” was the only venue used for festival productions, but, today, the Grec programme embraces many other theatres, cultural facilities and public spaces all over the city of Barcelona.
The festival, which will take place from July 1 to 31, will include several new initiatives, including a season aimed specifically at family audiences: this MiniGrec, as it is known, will feature thirteen productions at seven Barcelona theatres, including such shows as “El petit Dalí” and “Perduts a la Viquipèdia”.

A circus show with music by Shostakovich? That is what we can look forward to in “Opus”, by Circa, a company that our city has taken to its heart and which will open the festival at the Teatre Grec on July 1 and 2 this year. In this show, the Australian company explore the language of the circus, their breath-taking acrobatic skills accompanied by the Russian composer’s string quartets, performed live by Quatuor Debussy.
But “Opus” is just one of the shows on the Grec 2013 programme revealed in the first advance preview. Audiences at the Teatre Grec will enjoy a choral show starring one hundred anonymous Barcelona women (“100Femmes”, July 19); whilst Marc Rosich and Josep M. Pou will take them on a journey into the intimate world of Marguerite Yourcenar in “Fuegos” (July 26-28); and the venue will also host a show created by theatre schools from three major European cities (“Utopies”, July 9).
The festival dance programme sees the return of one of the international choreographers most acclaimed by Barcelona audiences: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, whose “Puz/zle” (Teatre Grec, July 15 and 16) speaks to us, through dance, about the beauty of fusion. In another outstanding choreography, “L’ADN de l’ànima”, the Catalan dancers Mudit Grau and Ramón Giménez will explore the world of feelings (Teatre Grec, July 6 and 7).
Turning now to music, the Municipal Band of Barcelona will team up with the Catalan actress Lloll Bertran in a truly unusual concert entitled “Bandalismes” (Teatre Grec, July 12). The festival programme also features such renowned artists as: Diego “El Cigala” (Teatre Grec, July 10); Jorge Pardo (Teatre Grec, July 22), Kiko Veneno (Teatre Grec, July 31); Buika (Teatre Grec, July 21); and Wynton Marsalis with The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, celebrating the band’s twenty-fifth anniversary at the Teatre Grec on July 17. Catalan music will be represented by Blaumut (Teatre Grec, July 30) and Ja t’ho diré (Teatre Grec, July 3), a band returning to Barcelona as part of a short one-off tour.
The Grec 2013 programme will also include activities aimed at professionals in the theatre world, including the International Performing Arts Meeting, whose purpose is to boost the Catalan theatre internationally. Amongst educational events, we can highlight the Sala Beckett’s summer workshop, held at a new venue in Poblenou this year, and taking anger as its theme; as well as activities aimed directly at audiences, such as the “Spectator Workshop”, which offers fresh insight for theatre-goers; and “Explica dansa” (“Modern Dance Speaks!”), presented by the choreographer Toni Jodar.
Festival-goers are reminded that tickets for shows at the Teatre Grec will be available online and at Tiquet de Rambles box offices in the Palau de la Virreina from May 2. The full festival programme will be revealed in late-May, when tickets for all other productions will also go on sale, at www.bcn.cat/grec.

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Barcelona is a movie setting

Published: May 2, 2013Posted in: Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Barcelona is currently one of the most attractive cities in Europe for visitors. A broad and varied range of leisure attractions, culture, shopping and gastronomy has enabled Barcelona to establish itself as one of the world’s favourite city tourism destinations.
In recent years, Barcelona as also become a favourite location and showcase for the world’s filmmakers.

Barcelona is a movie setting

There has been a spectacular increase in the number of feature films, for cinema and television, filmed in the city’s streets and environs, firmly establishing Barcelona as a movie city. As part of this interconnected framework of city, tourism and film, Turisme de Barcelona and the Escola Universitària d’Hoteleria i Turisme CETT-UB, are launching a series of themed itineraries about films shot in Barcelona and aim to expand them at a later date to include all kinds of information about Barcelona and film.
The themed itineraries, called Barcelona Movie Walks, offer a whole host of information about the film in question: synopsis, cast and crew, the main awards won and a “Did you know?” section including snippets of information and anecdotes about the film. Each tour has a map featuring the locations/tourist attractions on the route. The map also provides the following information about each of the tourist attractions:

• Historic information about the landmark/attraction: detailed information about the location.
• Get to know the area in greater depth: complementary information about the area where the landmark/attraction is located.
• Description of scenes from the film: summary of the scenes filmed at each attraction.
• Did you know?: snippets of information and anecdotes about filming.

Actually, the six Barcelona Movie Walks are about the directors Woody Allen and his successful film “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and Pedro Almodóvar and his multi-award-winning film ”Todo sobre mi madre”. “Salvador” (Puig Antich) a cinematographic project that wants to recover the historical memory of some tragic facts. “Perfume“, the story of a murderer, one of the most successful European co-productions of recent years. “Manuale d’amore 2″, the second part of a hilarious Italian comedy about love which proved even more successful than the first. And “L’auberge espagnole“, one of the most successful French films of recent years, which was particularly popular among young audiences.
Barcelona Movie is a space created for anyone interested in Barcelona, film and cultural tourism. Look at the official webpage for all details.

Barcelona Movie Walks

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Mnac: National Museum of Catalonia

Published: April 30, 2013Posted in: Barcelona Exhibitions, Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The hill of Montjuïc hosts some of the most interesting cultural attractions of Barcelona. In addition to all the Olympic space, where you can visit the stadium of Barcellona’92, swimming pools and trampolines, the famous tower of Calatrava and Palau Sant Jordi, the most important museums in the area are the Joan Miro Foundation and the National Museum of Catalonia (MNAC).

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The Palau Nacional, the emblematic building of the 1929 International Exhibition, is the home of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. It is situated on the mountain of Montjuïc, a privileged site from where you can enjoy a magnificent and unique view of the city of Barcelona.

The MNAC embraces all the arts (sculpture, painting, objets d’art, drawing, engraving, posters, photography and coinage) and has the task of explaining the general history of Catalan art from the Romanesque period to the mid-twentieth century. With regard to the Renaissance and Baroque collections, the works included lead to a more international discourse, with the work of great painters, such as El Greco, Zurbarán, Velázquez, Cranach, Rubens… The MNAC art collections from the end of the nineteenth century and the early decades of the twentieth century are once again mostly made up of the work of Catalan artists, forming a discourse which explains Modernisme, Noucentisme and the Avant-garde, always taking into account all the arts.

From April 19th to September 15th 2013, the Mnac hosts the exhibition of the immense canvas The Battle of Tetouan (1863 – 1865), realised by Marià Fortuny, has become an icon of our cultural imagination. On occasion of the 175th anniversary of the artist’s birth, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya joins the acts of commemoration with an exhibition providing the viewer with a range of perspectives in understanding the richness and complexity of this great composition. More than 130 pieces occupy the space where Fortuny’s great work has been displayed since 2004.
A further section is dedicated to Salvador Dalí, author of a version of the Battle of Tetouan which was exhibited alongside the homonymous work by Fortuny in the Saló del Tinell in the year 1962.

A series of photographs of Dalí’s work and some of his preparatory drawings recall this event. In addition, the exhibition features major loans from important public and private collections, like those of the Real Biblioteca de Madrid, the Fundación Lázaro Galdiano, el Museo Nacional del Prado or the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí of Figueres. All info at the official webpage of the Museum.

National Museum of Catalonia MNAC

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Espaisucre, the sweetest restaurant in Barcelona

Published: March 22, 2013Posted in: Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , ,

Barcelona, but Spain as whole, is a place where food is art. But Barcelona is not only tapas or Ferran Adría. Barcelona is a sweet city and it could not miss a restaurant exclusively dedicated to sweeten the palate.

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Espaisucre is the caprice of Jordi Butrón and partners’ Xano Saguer, Guillem Vicente and Reme Butrón, all promoters and developers of a new way of conceiving restaurant-style pastry cooking.
This team opens in February 2000 the only dessert restaurant in the world, marrying this risky but meditated idea with the school of restaurant-style desserts. Here, taste becomes the absolute priority, the remaining variables (technique, arrangement on the plate, aesthetics, etc.) are vehicles, means and not ends. Espaisucre should mark tastes being true to the original taste.
Flavour is the priority. The other variables are complementary means of increasing quality, remaining faithful to the original flavour.
Contrasted flavours are distinguished to tone down the different sugar components. The range of tasty possibilities is widened (sweet, salty, bitter, acidity, spicy, sweet and sour…).
The use of new techniques, products and tools, permit a better control over the flavour (mycryo, oveneve, roner, gels, dried fruit paste, dehydrated, paco-jet…). In addition, to the old pastry techniques and the respect for tradition. Choosing the right technique for each ingredient is crucial, bearing in mind the specific food components.

The restaurant dessert, Espaisucre, not only is the perfect conjunction between flavour, technique and arrangement on the plate valued, but there are intangible elements that may transform it into something more complex.
This team conceives pastry as a permanent training either technically or gustatorily, always according to an innovative attitude, but at the same time to respect towards tradition understood as an indispensable ingredient of progress.
Espaisucre restaurant is at calle princesa 53, in the Born Quarter. All info and the sweet menú on the official webpage of Espaisucre.

Espaisucre the dessert restaurant

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The El Corte Inglés Race

Published: March 19, 2013Posted in: Barcelona Events, Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The El Corte Inglés Race is one of the most important popular races in the world. On Sunday, 7 April, the El Corte Ingles Race celebrates its thirty fifth edition with the goal of maintaining its European leadership, strengthen its global second position in the international ranking of popular athletic races, and overcome the magic number of two million of participants throughout its long history. The race stars from Palaza Catalunya.

El Corte Inglés Race

In this edition, the Race consolidates its solidarity nature, initiated in 1986, with the partnership with the Stroke Foundation, Malaltia Vascular.
Anonymous participants are the protagonist of the race and that is the reason becouse the El Corte Inglés Race continues to generate an admirable collective illusion. This is his a great success.
The El Corte Inglés Race held its first edition in 1979, with the participation of 17,184 people, of which approximately 85% were amateur participants. In 1994 the participation was of 109,457 people, a number that still remains unbeaten today, setting a Guinness record still unsurpassed. In its latest edition, the El Corte Inglés Race was attended by 54,795 people. In total there were 1,724,078 people who have run the race over its 30 year history.

The El Corte Inglés Race has become an international prestige sport happening, becouse it perfectly combines the usual festive nature of a so massive event with rigor, control and reliability that is required to any athletic competitions, that in this case is supported by the Catalan Federation of Athletics. All info on the official webpage of the race.

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Spring Break in Barcelona

Published: March 18, 2013Posted in: Barcelona Events, Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Spring is probably the best season to visit Spain and Barcelona in particular. A pleasant climate, away from the really hot summer, in Spring during the day the temperature can reach the 25 degrees celsius, allows you to enjoy long days outdoors. In addition, in Spring there are some of the most fun and interesting events in Barcelona, more over that the Easter celebrations.

Each year, the calçot, a sweet onion variety similar in appearance to the leek, is harvested all over Catalunya just before Spring and served by the dozens in restaurants and on dining room tables across the region. Translated, the tradition known locally as la calçotada would be something like, “the eating of the spring onion”. That doesn’t quite capture it, though. It ‘s a real ritual, in which the onions are cooked on the grill and you have to eat it, accompanied by a delicious and mysterious sauce.

Sant Jordi 2013 in Barcelona

April 23 is the Saint George or Sant Jordi day, the patron saint of the six million inhabitants of Catalonia. Known as “The Day of Lovers,” La Diada de Sant Jordi is often compared to Valentine’s Day, but with some uniquely Latin twists. The main event is the exchange of gifts between sweethearts — men give their novias roses, and women give their novios a book to celebrate the occasion. Due to popular legends about Barcelona, roses have always been associated with this day since medieval times. However, the giving of books as a gift is a more recent marketing twist prominent of our times.
Even though La Diada de Sant Jordi is not an official non-working holiday, most romantics ditch the office to take a stroll through the beautiful Mediterranean streets and enjoy the sultry springtime weather. The whole city is celebrating, full of stalls selling roses and books and many famous writers meet readers to sign their books.

In the same Spring days, from Friday 26th Abril to Sunday 5th May 2013 , Barcelona celebrates the Fira de Abril de Catalunya at Parc del Forum, in the Diagonal Mar district of Barcelona. The Feria de Abril in Barcelona is a feast of colour, music, food, dancing and fun fair attractions. That is the Barcelona version of the renowned Andalusian ferias, the most famous of which, is in Sevilla every year in April. It’ s not the same, but it is undeniably a very colourful and festive event. The Feria de Abril in Barcelona has an fairground with a big ferris wheel and plenty of the usual fairground attractions, directly on the seafront of Barcelona. At the Feria de Abril, you can find endless traditional opportunities, where you can taste delicacies from all over Spain. But most of all, you can dance. Each big tent it houses a restaurant and a dance floor for the sevillana, a typical dance from Andalusia. There will also be a lady in traditional dress wishing to teach you to dance…

Feria de Abril 2013 in Barcelona

Finally, 22 to 26 May, at the Primavera Sound Festival, you will find all the best bands of independent international music scene.

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Swing to Barcelona

Published: March 18, 2013Posted in: Barcelona Events, Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

BarSWINGona festival was created by Carmen & Lluís on may 1998 and has been run by the barSWINGona team which has been continuously renovated. BarSWINGona main party dates are March 28th, 29th, 30th & 31th at the fabulous Casino de l’Aliança del Poblenou, that will be the major dance hall of the BarSWINGona’13.

Swing to Barcelona

Since the beginning, BarSWINGona purpose has been to allow dancers from everywhere share the passion for swing dancing and music with people from Barcelona and the rest of the world.
BarSWINGona is a not-for-profit event although the budget has been consistently increasing every year. Some years the festival did quite well whereas some others it did not and needed some private support to survive. BarSWINGona is struggling to get public support and private sponsors as well with just minor successes so far.
BarSWINGona is a bunch of lindy hoppers from Barcelona and other communities that are working as hard to make BarSWINGona an unforgettable swing event for you.
The organization also offers the possibility to enroll in short, but intense courses to learn dancing swing.
The courses are organized in many levels to avoid mixing dance levels in the same class and guarantee a progressive work in class. There will be auditions associated to each level. All classes will focus on steps and technique for Social dancing of lindy hop except one that will work on a lindy hop routine that will be danced by those who wish to do so in the final swing party. All levels, but the beginners one, will get all the Lindy hop Masters. Each couple of teachers will develop the steps in their own personal style. Each level will get 3 classes a day of these top couple teachers, therefore you’ll get 9 track classes in total. In addition there are Open classes that you can take. All info on the official webpage of Barswingona Festival.

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Barceloneta, beyond the beach

Published: February 21, 2013Posted in: Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Barcelona is a puzzle of little villages, each piece is a district. Barceloneta is one of these piece. One of the most fascinating and one of the least known, at least with respect to the area beyond the beach and the restaurants touting for trade on Passeig de Joan de Borbó.

Barcelona holiday on the sea

La Barceloneta was constructed during the 18th century for the residents of the Ribera neighborhood who had been displaced by the construction of the Ciudadela of Barcelona, where now there’s a park. The neighborhood is roughly triangular, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea. La Barceloneta‘s beach gained notoriety as “the best urban beach in the world” and overall “third best beach in the world”, according 2005 Travel Channel show Worlds Best Beaches.
La Barceloneta is known for its sandy beach and its many restaurants and nightclubs along the boardwalk. Amongst the attractions on Barceloneta‘s beach are German artist Rebecca Horn’s “Homenatge a la Barceloneta” monument, and, where the beach gives way to the Port Olimpic, Frank Gehry’s modern “Peix d’Or” sculpture.

But inside the neighborhood there are many little treasures and an authentic atmosphere, made up of fishermen and port workers, which it’s difficult to breathe in others parts of the city.
Negra y Criminal, a book shop specializing in crime and Noir novels, is one of that treasures. Building on the inter¬national popularity of local crime writers such as Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, they organize the annual BCNegra festival taking place this year from February 1st through 9th, bringing international authors to Barcelona to celebrate the genre. Fans of the dark and grisly are well catered for here, and if a crime author isn’t available in this shop, they’re probably not worth reading. The owners are knowledgeable and passionate, and it’s everything a good bookstore should be. Every Saturday morning they offer fresh mussels and white wine to visitors.

Barceloneta neighborhood

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Barcelona for Business

Published: February 19, 2013Posted in: Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Barcelona is not just a tourist destination for holidays and party. Barcelona is a city made for business. The capital of Catalonia is the main business city of the Mediterranean area, with a strong mercantile vocation that comes from its history made of port and sea. Barcelona is the capital of the fourth industrial motor in Europe and, thanks to its mild climate and its beauty, is the ideal place for conventions and international conferences.

Barcelona for business

The Barcelona Chamber of Commerce describes itself as “one of the most relevant institutions in Catalan social and economic circles”. It says Barcelona is Southern Europe’s business capital, “the driving force of Southern Europe”. Barcelona is a metropolis which is fully equipped to host meeting venues.
It is one of the cities in Europe and the world which host the greatest number of international congresses. Barcelona gets third position in the ICCA ranking and eighth position in the UIA ranking for the year 2011. Leading multinationals choose Barcelona for their conventions and product presentations. Furthermore, in recent years, Barcelona has proved itself to be one of Europe’s most attractive and dynamic cities, and this has made it one of the preferred incentive trip destinations.

The Barcelona Convention Bureau is a specialised programme of Turisme de Barcelona, the organisation set up by Barcelona Municipal Council, the Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Shipping, and the Barcelona Promotion Foundation. It also receives contributions from companies in the private sector and has as its basic aim the promotion of the city as a venue for congresses, conventions and incentive trips. The BCB has two distinct functions: Advisory service for business planning and organisation and promotional activities geared to fostering the organisation of meetings in Barcelona. The BCB currently has more than 300 associated members. They have all been subjected to a process of analysis, selection and quality control which guarantees their professionalism and level of specialisation in congresses, conventions and/or incentive trips.

Business in Barcelona

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The Roman Barcelona

Published: February 6, 2013Posted in: Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

There are many ways to visit Barcelona. You can take a tour of Gaudí creations, a tour of the Middle Ages, a gastronomic or artistic tour. But for the real history lovers, we need to start from the beginning: The Roman Barcelona.

Secrets of Barcelona

A tour of the Roman Barcelona is a box of surprises containing archaeological remains dating from the time the city was established. Barcino, the Roman city founded in the 1st century BC, has left us a valuable legacy, which can be found in the Gothic Quarter, the site of the early walled city.
A route exploring the perimeter of the Roman wall reveals the ancient remains in places such as the Plaça Ramón Berenguer, Carrer Tapineria and the Plaça Nova. The latter is the former site of one of Barcelona’s gates. Two towers from the wall bear witness to the fact that carriages and pedestrians once entered the city through here. On one side, adjoining the Casa de l’Ardiaca, or Archdeacon’s House, is a section of a modern replica of one of the city’s aqueducts. This marked the beginning of one of the main roads in the Roman colony, the former Cardus, today Carrer del Bisbe, which was bisected by the Decumanus a few metres ahead, now Baixada de la Llibreteria.

The Roman Forum stood at the junction of both roads, and is now the site of the Plaça de Sant Jaume. The imposing remains of four columns from the Temple of Augustus can still be seen on Carrer Paradís, in the premises of the ramblers’ association, the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya. Nearby, in the Plaça del Rei, the Museu d’Història de Barcelona showcases the interesting archaeological ensemble of the ancient Roman colony of Barcino. The Plaça Villa de Madrid, which stands outside the walled precinct, contains 70 tombs from the city’s ancient necropolis.

The Roman Barcelona

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