Barcelona - Convergence of Old and New

Barcelona loves to indulge in the incredible. From the urban pageant that is Las Ramblas to buildings with no straight lines, the city pushes the limits of style in everything it does, and gets away with it. As the center of the whimsical and daring Modernism architectural movement, Barcelona holds fairy-tale creations that are unlike others in the world; as home to three of the most well-known Surrealist painters, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, and Joan Miró, even the most famous art of Barcelona is grounded in a reality alternative.

The time is ripe for Barcelona. In the quarter-century since the end of Franco's oppressive regime, Spain has blossomed, with Barcelona at the forefront. It has led the autonomous region of Catalunya in an esoteric and unique resurgence of culture. The city's major makeover of the late 1980s and early 1990s, intended as preparation for the 1992 Olympics, was so successful that the Barcelonese has continued to reinvent their home. The result is a vanguard city squeezed between the mesmerizing blue waters of the Mediterranean and the green Tibidabo hills, flashing with vibrant colors and intense energy.

In an advantaged position on the northeastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula and the shores of the Mediterranean, Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain in both size and population. It is also the capital of Catalonia, 1 of the 17 Autonomous Communities that make up Spain. There are two official languages spoken in Barcelona: Catalan, generally spoken in all of Catalonia, and Castillian Spanish.

The capital of Catalonia is unmistakably a Mediterranean city; not only because of its geographic location but also due to it's because of its history, tradition and cultural influences. The documented history of the city dates back to the founding of a Roman colony on its soil in the second century B.C. Modern Barcelona encountered stunning growth and economic revival at the onset of industrialization during the second half of the 19th century. The 1888 World's Fair became a symbol of the capacity for hard work and the international outlook projected by the city. Culture and the arts flourished in Barcelona and in all of Catalonia; the splendor achieved by Catalonian modernism is one of the most patent displays.

Barcelona, more than just a single city, is really a collection of multi-faceted and diverse cities. The visitor unfamiliar with its history might be surprised that such a modern and enterprising city preserves its historic Gothic center almost intact, or by the curious contrast between the maze of narrow streets and the grid-like layout of the Eixample, the urban planning "Enlargement" project of the end of the 19th century.

With a balmy year round climate it is not surprising that Barcelona is attracting an increasing number of visitors. Barcelona has entered the millennium as one of Europe's most popular short break destinations. In Barcelona the old and new architectural styles harmoniously combine. Barcelona is the kind of city where a contemporary glass and steel office block can rest happily within striking distance of a gothic cathedral, a city where the old port has been rejuvenated without losing any of its charm.