Montjuic Archive

X Games Barcelona

Published: May 14, 2013Posted in: Barcelona EventsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Barcelona will witness one of the most spectacular sporting events that have passed through catalan capital in the last decades. And the world’s biggest competition of action sports comes to Montjuic from 16 to May 19: the X Games Barcelona. A sporting event, billed as the Olympic Games of extreme sports, which come to Europe for the first time since 1995 after being celebrated in different parts of the United States.

X Games 2013 Barcelona

Last year, with the bet to expand globally by ESPN -producer who directs and manages the X Games-, Barcelona, along with Foz de Iguaçu and Munich, were selected, in addition to Los Angeles, to celebrate the X Games in 2013.
So, after the X Games become one of the most viewed sporting events with 80 million viewers, Barcelona will have the opportunity to see the best riders in the world compete for the medals made in 15 different ways. These patterns come in four disciplines spread- Skate, BMX, Moto X and RallyCross- which have their venue in the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium, Palau Sant Jordi, Montjuic Municipal Pool and the Esplanade of the Olympic Ring.
With regards to skate, the best skaters of the moment come to Barcelona to fight in the Park, Vert, SLS Street and Big Air. Of these two disciplines fit two data point. Regarding the Street and through an agreement signed with the Street League Skateboarding, the greatest concerning the discipline will be in Barcelona. As regards the Big Air, the organizacion builds a mega ramp never before seen in Europe with dimensions of 25 meters high and 100 meters long which will challenge both skaters and BMX riders. Precisely BMX fans will also have the opportunity to see the great specialists of disciplines Park, Street, Vert and Big Air.
If the show bikes and skates will be total, what about what will happen in the disciplines of motor. And in what refers to the bikes, the Palau Sant Jordi will have the best drivers in Best Whip, Freestyle, Step Up, Enduro and Speed & Style. Meanwhile, the RallyCross is a six-lap race in the Olympic Stadium in a circuit where skidding, overtaking and jumping cars will lift audiences from their seats.
And an event like this, how could it be otherwise, must have an exceptional list of drivers. So legends like Travis Pastrana (RallyCross), Robbie Maddison (Moto X), Nate Adams (Moto X), Bob Burnquist (Skate), Paul Rodriguez (Skate) or Ken Block (RallyCross), among others, will be in the X Games Barcelona. And beside them, local athletes as Moto X rider Dany Torres, who already knows what it is to get a medal at the X Games, Edgar Torronteras (Moto X), Sergio Layos (BMX Street) or Fran Molina (Skate) will everything possible to make stay at home medals.
But if all this were not enough, the X Games Barcelona also offer much more than sport. As is the case with X Music, a music festival to be held on May 18 at the Poble Espanyol and which will be attended by artists such as 50 Cent, Nach or Zedd. On the other hand, in the X Fest, which will be located on the esplanade of Olympic ring, fans can play with different activities and check the news of the principals brands of extreme sports. In addition, 25 local bands will put the rhythm this meeting point for fans and athletes. Look at the official web page.

Montjuic Olympic Venues

As you can see, the X Games Barcelona have all possible ingredients to become one of the historical events of the sport in Barcelona. So, do not let them know you and be also part of the history of the X Games. Come to Barcelona, where you can seee the best sport in the world. Ren Top Apartments offers you a luxury apartments selection perfect for all needs, located in the city center, by the sea or on the exclusive hills of the city. Our apartments are the top for a top holiday.

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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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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Barcelona 2013 Fina World Championship

Published: March 8, 2013Posted in: Barcelona EventsTags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

In 2013 the city of Barcelona will be host to the 15th FINA World Championships. Barcelona will be the capital of Planet Water and you can become one of its inhabitants. The 2013 Swimming Championship in Barcelona, from 19th July to 4th August 2013 will be a great happening and you’ll be able to live inside it, booking one of our exlusive accommodations in Barcelona.

Barcelona 2013 Fina World Championship

Swimmers, fans, water lovers, athletes, press, you all have an important date. You’ll be able to be part of this project and above all that you become the protagonists of everything that goes on.

During two weeks, thousands of people from different countries and cultures will join together. Barcelona and the world of swimming have a unique opportunity to once more surprise the world with what the city and sport have to offer. Your participation in these Championships will ensure that Barcelona 2013 become the best World Championships in history.

Barcelona has always had a Mediterranean heart but now it will Mediterranean from head to toe. Since the Olympic Games in 92, Barcelona has opened itself up to the sea and from an urban standpoint has created new leisure and sporting areas, a city where the beach is now a focal point. Today the Barcelona coast is an emblematic place full of life, activity and fun.
The venues of the 2013 Swimming World Championship will be the same of the mythical Olympics Game of 1992, on the hill of Montjuic.

The historical sporting tradition and thousands of people who practice swimming in Barcelona mean that it’s a unique scenario worldwide.
The financial and political capital of Catalonia will put all its architecture, art, culture and sea at the service of the 2013 Swimming Championships with one aim in mind, to ensure that the Championships are an absolute success both in and out of the water. Vitality and elation will wash over the city of Barcelona, a wave of emotions will run down the streets, and we invite you to submerge yourself in it. All info about the Barcelona 2013 FIna World Championship on the official webpage.

Barcelona 2013 Swimming Championship accommodations

Barcelona is a city in love with the sport. From the incredible and historic 1992 Olympic Games, through the great successes of its football team, the link between Barcelona and sport is something unique. Do not miss the great festival of swimming, book one of our luxury apartments for your summer vacation in Barcelona.

Seduced by Art. Photography Past & Present

Published: February 14, 2013Posted in: Barcelona ExhibitionsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Obra Social “la Caixa”, in collaboration with the National Gallery in London, presents from 22 February to 19 May, ‘Seduced by Art. Photography Past & Present‘, an innovative exhibition on the relationship between the great masters of art history, photography of the mid-century XIX and the fascinating work of contemporary photographers developed in relation to its predecessors.

Seducidos por el Arte, Caixa Forum

What is the connection between the great masterpieces of painting, the first photographs and the work of some contemporary photographers? The exhibition shows the way in which the pioneers of photography adopted historical art as a point of reference and as a stimulus to their creativity. It also shows how today’s photographers take their inspiration from the same sources and rework the same themes, but by using new media that were unimaginable just a few years ago, and filtering them through a modern sensibility.
Photography first appeared in the 1830s, at a time when art was more accessible than ever before. Big exhibitions and public art galleries all helped to popularise the great works of painting and sculpture. With the aim of legitimising their art, photographers such as Roger Fenton, Julia Margaret Cameron, David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson took well-known images as their point of reference.

The public of the time thought that photography reproduced reality in an over-literal manner, far removed from the expressive, emotive synthesis achieved by paintings. But by looking closely at works of art, photographers gradually refined their perceptions and began to develop their own forms of expression. Nowadays, thanks to communication technologies, art can be found absolutely everywhere, but photographers no longer have to imitate or reproduce it relatively literally. They can borrow specific aspects from art works and play with the imaginary of the viewer and the role of the artwork in the cultural tradition, so as to create new meanings and excite new emotions.

Caixa Forum is on the Montjuic, close to Plaza España. All info on the official webpage of the museum.

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Cirque du Soleil for your winter holiday

Published: December 27, 2012Posted in: Barcelona Events, Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From December 26 to January 6, if you visit Barcelona, you will have the chance to see one of the greatest performing arts in the world. The Palau Sant Jordi arena, on the hill of Montjuic, will host in a specially adapted arena forma the return of the Cirque du Soleil with one of his popular show: Alegría.

Alegría show in Barcelona

Alegría is a mood, a state of mind. The themes of the show, whose name means “jubilation” in Spanish, are many. Power and the handing down of power over time, the evolution from ancient monarchies to modern democracies, old age, youth – it is against this backdrop that the characters of Alegría play out their lives. Kings’ fools, minstrels, beggars, old aristocrats and children make up its universe, along with the clowns, who alone are able to resist the passing of time and the social transformations that accompany it. Alegría is a baroque ode to the energy, grace and power of youth.

During your holiday in Barcelona, and despite the price, the show is a great experience, and occasion to enjoy a show that has already enchanted over ten million people worldwide. For tickets and more information visit the website of Alegría.

Cirque du Soleil Barcelona

The Cirque du Soleil, creator of the best circus shows in the world, has a fixed stop in Barcelona. Choose Barcelona for your Christmas holidays. A unique atmosphere in a wonderful city will make your experience unforgettable. Book one of our luxury apartments in the city center or one of our terrific villas and you will experience the most amazing Christmas of your life.

The Museum Explores. Works of art under examination

Published: December 24, 2012Posted in: Barcelona ExhibitionsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From 23rd of November 2012 to 24th of February 2013, the MNAC (Museum National Art of Catalonia) on the Montjuïc is hosting a truly original exhibition, where you can admire art works and the creative process that has formed them: The Museum Explores. Works of art under examination.

The Museum Explores. Works of art under examination

Surprise, discovery, revelation, confirmation or disappointment are some of the emotions and experiences specialists are subject to when they venture into the scientific and technical study of works of art. In the course of its history, the MNAC has added to the understanding of the works in its collections and other related works, with results that are sometimes frustrating, often curious and also, from time to time, spectacular. The public, however, does not usually get the chance to see the results of this research, which is shared amongst keepers of collections, art historians, conservators, restorers and scientists. Using a display of works from different periods, all of which have been subjected to examination –painted panels and polychrome sculptures, painting on canvas and various techniques on paper–, the exhibition aims to stir the public’s curiosity and arouse interest in the complex work involved in expertising art.

In recent years, the keepers and restorers at the MNAC have exposed the works to visible and invisible electromagnetic radiation with which they have been able to identify the materials used, penetrate the layers they are made up of and discover how the artists worked and the materials, tools and techniques they used, as well as their procedures.

The original works are presented alongside the images obtained using different types of radiation and with an account of the main contributions by science. Elements will be revealed that are not at first sight obvious and that are fundamental for identifying an artistic period, an artist or the history of a work. The public will discover revealing testimonies or artists’ amusements that have been preserved on the hidden face, the reverse, of works that are only known from their face or front. It will also be possible to observe the way in which artists worked during the creative process, on the preparatory drawing or when making changes to the composition. The show sets out to explain the changing fortunes and the different alterations some works of art have seen in their lifetime and how the experts can distinguish between an original, a copy, a forgery or a hyper-restoration. The entry is free and you can find all information on the official webpage of the MNAC.

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SEVC: Southern European Veterinarian Conference 2012

Published: October 10, 2012Posted in: Barcelona CongressTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

AVEPA, in collaboration with the NAVC, will again host the Southern European Veterinarian Conference – SEVC at the Fira de Barcelona (Montjuïc) from 18 to 20 October, 2012.

SEVC Southern European Veterinarian Conference 2012

Since 2007, the SEVC has been building its reputation as a conference whose scientific programme provides an outstanding continuing education opportunity for veterinarians all over the world. Again in 2012, more than 200 lectures by more than 100 world-wide experts will cover every aspect of companion animal veterinary care from diagnosis to therapy, including specific topics such as anaesthesia, behaviour, dentistry, dermatology, practice management, emergency/critical care, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, pain management, Small Animal Medicine and Feline Medicine.

The SEVC’s mission is to present the veterinary community with the latest advances in animal care in a professional, but fun, environment. This year’s social events will include the not-to-be-missed Grand Fiesta.
Spanish and English are the SEVC’s official languages and simultaneous translation will be provided at all lectures. At some lectures, simultaneous translation into French, Russian, Portuguese and Polish will also be provided.

The Mission of the Southern European Veterinary Conference (SEVC) is to take the European companion animal veterinary community to the highest level of performance.
The Vision of the Southern European Veterinary Conference (SEVC) is to be the leading companion animal veterinary practice information and continuing education event in Europe.

The conference is an ideal opportunity for professionals to organise state-of-the-art, innovative, hands-on, continuing education programmes, including workshops and small groups interactive sessions, based on current, practical scientific information that can be applied immediately to companion animal practice. And event to display the latest products, services and equipment in the largest veterinary commercial exhibition in Europe.

Fira Barcelona accommodations

So come to Barcelona and take place in one of the best conference facilities in Europe that will provide the ideal environment for an outstanding professional experience.
We can offer you a wide selection of top accommodation on our Fira apartments, very close to Fira Barcelona venue of Montjuïc. We also offer top apartment accommodation in the city center, only at 10 minuts metro ride from the Southern European Veterinary Conference (SEVC). All information on the official website of SEVC 2012.

Joan Miró and Jackson Pollock in Barcelona

Published: October 8, 2012Posted in: Barcelona what to doTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One of the best museums in Barcelona it is certainly the foundation dedicated to the great Catalan artist Joan Miró. The Joan Miró Foundation is located in one of the most beautiful places of the city, the promontory of Montjuïc.

The Joan Miró Foundation at Montjuïc Barcelona

Joan Miró was born in 1893 in the historic centre of Barcelona, between the Ramblas and the Plaça Sant Jaume, near the Gothic quarter. His childhood was spent among the hustle and bustle of one of the most cosmopolitan streets in the world, and the historical weight of an area housing the Cathedral, the City Hall and the Government building.

This itinerary will follow some of the places Miró frequented as a child, but also the places where he was formed as an artist and as a person. For the young Miró, Barcelona could also offer the collection of Romanesque paintings he was able to admire at the Museu de Belles Arts (then in the Ciutadella Park), and Antoni Gaudí‘s art; it was the city where he would come and go from Paris, Mont-roig or Palma, and the home of some of his early friends with whom he shared a studio, drawing classes and the fun of going out at night to the various haunts around the Paral·lel and the old town. Barcelona was his birthplace and the city where he wished to leave his imprint.

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The Miró legacy is evident throughout Barcelona: at the airport, a work to welcome people arriving by air; on the ground, a 30-metre monument to welcome people arriving by road (at present Woman and Bird, situated at the Parc Joan Miró); a mosaic at the Pla de l’Os, in the Ramblas, for people entering the city by sea; and a Centre for Contemporary Art Studies, at the Fundació Joan Miró, as a door to the future and a place for international cultural exchanges.

The Joan Miró's mosaic at the Barcelona airport

From 24 October 2012 to 24 March 2013 the Joan Miró Foundation offers to its visitors, the exhibition dedicated to another great genius of the twentieth century: “Explosion! The legacy of Jackson Pollock”.
Pollock was undoubtedly the greatest exponent of “action painting”. Through this exhibition, the Fundació Joan Miró investigates the structure of influences and connections that were produced from this art technique, the interest of which lies in the fact that artists confer the same importance on the creative act as the result itself, and which leads to an experimental and conceptual attitude towards painting. This exhibition includes several works ranging from the forties to the present day, and offers samples from artists such as Jackson Pollock, Yves Klein, Niki de Saint Phalle, Jean Tinguely, Allan Kaprow, Andy Warhol, Lynda Benglis, Murakami, Bruce Nauman, John Baldessari, Paul McCarthy and Francis Alÿs.

This is a great opportunity to enjoy a holiday in Barcelona, taking advantage of its extraordinary artistic and cultural offer. Rent one of our luxury apartments in the city center or one of our amazing penthouses with breathtaking view and live an unforgettable experience.

Mercè 2012, the Festival of Festivals

Published: September 17, 2012Posted in: Barcelona EventsTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

La Mercè is the Festival of Festivals, the mother of all parties of the city. La Mercè is the Festival of Barcelona. From september 16 to 24 the city will be full of events and, in particular, in the weekend several big shows will take place throughout the city, ending with the traditonal fireworks show in front of the magic fountain of Montjuïc.

Mercè 2012, Barcelona, The Festival of Festivals

This year’s event is much more decentralized, happening all over Barcelona during the day and night. Too Parc de la Ciutadella and the Castell de Montjuïc will provide a mirror to reflect the unique excitement of the circus, dance and street arts here in Barcelona. And from lots of stages around the city, from Plaça de Sant Jaume to Parc del Fòrum, will come the latest sounds of music “made in Catalonia”, which compares favourably with anything heard on the most innovative stages in Europe.

After Pope Pius IX declared the Virgin of La Mercè the patron saint of the city, Barcelona began to celebrate a festival in the month of September. La Mercè really took off in 1902, when under the impulse of Francesc Cambó, the festival became the model the those that are currently held all over Catalonia. However, the history of La Mercè would suffer many high and low points that extended throughout the Civil War and the years of Franco. With the arrival of democracy, La Mercè became a truly popular celebration thanks to the participation of organisations from all over the city.

La Mercè today it is a festival held in a large number of public places with a programme centred on Mediterranean culture. In less than a week Barcelona brings together a huge programme of events which forces you to choose between them: street arts, street processions, concerts, traditional dances… The most traditional activities of the Mercè Festival are a compendium of popular culture from all over Catalonia. There is the Gironese Sardana, the human castles and devils from the Camp of Tarragona, dances that still survive today all over the Catalan lands. But the great Barcelona speciality is its street parades, originating from the spectacular processions which took place centuries ago for the celebration of Corpus Christi. Find all the information on the official web of La Mercè 2012.

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La Mercè is more than a festival: it is a journey that begins in our past and leads us towards a tomorrow shaped by the talents, capabilities and efforts of an entire people. So you can not miss this unique event, let’s book in one of our beautiful and comfortable apartments located throughout the city, from the city-center, to the sea and the hills, and you’ll enjoy the Mercè 2012.

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