CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 MEET THE TEAM 3 EDITORS’ PICKS 5 TRAVEL TIPS 10 SIGHTSEEING 26 PARKS & BEACHES 54

ARTS & CULTURE 66 SHOPPING 78 SPORTS & ACTIVITIES 94 FOOD 100 EVENTS 110 BARS & CLUBS 116

FEATURE: Barcel OH! Na Oddities 7 FEATURE: Catalunya and Independence 23 FEATURE: España y Sudamerica 24 FEATURE: Spotted: Dogs 49 FEATURE: Barcelona: On Location 63 ¡Hola Amigos!

We are here to provide you with a budget version of Barcelona, without compromising on quality and fun! Whether you’re a student who has just left school, enjoying some time away from education, or simply a young person who fancies a city break, this guide is for you. Look out for our writers’ picks, where you can find a variety of activities to suit any budget and personality, ensuring you make the most of your trip in the vibrant city of Barcelona.

So you’ve landed in Barcelona and successfully navigated passport control – now what? We’ve got tips on cheap accommodation, how to get around the city’s metro system and how to stay safe: how to avoid pickpockets, what to do if you lose your phone and how to get medical treatment. Find this in our Travel Tips section.

Looking to live the student life with a Catalan twist? At night, Barcelona really comes alive. Cocktails for just 2.50€? We have it all in here. We can tell you which club is the best to visit depending on the night of the week, whether you’re looking for a chill night, or a memorable one (or not, depending on your alcohol intake!) We represent the eclectic bar and club scene, from salsa and jazz bars to the heaviest club nights.

The morning after the night before, heal that hangover on one of Barça’s beautiful beaches, or soak in some of the city’s unique architecture. Barcelona is brimming with a cosmopolitan mix of cultures, so take time to explore both the main landmarks and the lesser known nooks and crannies featured in this guide! Check out our Arts & Culture, Sightseeing, Parks & Beaches, Sports & Activities and Shopping sections for ideas. Foodies are also in luck – avoid touristy spots (generally anywhere with an English menu!) and sample some inexpensive, authentic Spanish cuisine.

Here at Spotted HQ we have been inspired by the lively and laid back nature of Catalan culture, which we have weaved throughout our guide. Barcelona isn’t a small city and can be pretty overwhelming, but our team has infiltrated the local scene to bring you the best and cheapest take on this diverse city and steer you away from the usual “Tourist Traps”. It hasn’t been easy and there have been some hit and misses but we have gained an acute know-how that we hope will come in useful.

Barcelona has the given our team the opportunity to come together and pool our talents to create this guide. With our help you can build your own, unique Barça experience.

All of our love, WELCOME TO THE GUIDE! ¡Gaudeix! The Team

1 2 MEET THE Kirsty, 20, Hannah, 20, Tal, 21, Tom, 20, Studying German and Literature student. Student. Barcelona Studying English Lit Spanish at the University of Keen traveler and advice - Don’t be at Northumbria. I trip theatre aficionada! TEAM! another brick in the wall. over air. A lot. St Andrews. Best moment: skydiving for charity!

Ellie, 20, Amy, 18, Rhian, 19, Alice, 19, Nadine, 25, Sean, 21, Studying History at Studying English & Studying at Bath Spa English Language and Finished Tourism Studying English Lit at Durham University. I History at the University University. My pet Linguistics student in Studies, now working Manchester University. love jewellery designing of St. Andrews. I’ve goldfish is named Mr. London. I’m a major as an Online Marketing Forced to learn Irish & salsa dancing! broken 4 toes from Squishy the Fishy. shopaholic. Assistant. Always got the dancing as a child, now pointe shoes. travel bug! I bring it out in clubs.

Lara, 25, Bilyana, 28, Tanja, 23, Kirsten, 18, Studying Spanish Social Science and Studying Media and Travelling Down Studies & German Spanish Culture at Cultural Studies I find Under, now planning Literature. Probably Ruhr-University of the best things when to study politics. Good the most clumsy Bochum, also Chef de getting lost - that parties tend to end in person in the world. cuisine at home. happens quite often. the hospital for me. 3 4 P. 123 7)KIRSTY : El Rabipelado

Top 14 P. 131 8) LARA : Our favorite sweeties... Tresflores

P. 27 P. 58 9)NADINE : 1) ALICE: Grácia Parc de la Ciutadella P. 40 P. 41 10) RHIAN: 2) AMY: Barcelona Zoo Fat Tire Bike Tours P. 120 P. 112 11) SEAN: 3) BILYANA : Bar Reset No.7 Picnic Elektronik P. 45 P. 102 12) TAL : 4) ELLIE : Montserrat Caj Chai Teteria P. 98 P. 35 13)TANJA: 5) HANNAH : Camp Nou The Magic Fountain P. 128 P. 106 14) TOM: 6) KIRSTEN : Nasty Caputxes Mondays Apolo

5 6 The question is, was this was really Gaudí’s comment? Or is it just a legend?

Gaudí famously said, “My client isn’t in a hurry,” (referring to God) when asked how FEATURE long it would take him to complete the Sagrada Familia.

Kylie - The video clip of Kylie Minogue’s song, Slow, was taped in 2003 in the swimming Barcel-OH!-na...Oddities pool Bernat Picornell on Barcelona’s house on Montjuïc Mountain. Barcelona When and how Barcelona developed is unclear. There are two legends about FC Barcelona - One man’s joy is another man’s sorrow! For FC Barcelona the changing of the its formation: The first one says that it was built by Hercules around 1153 before Pope is definitely a symbol of luck. Every time there has been a changing of the Christmas, so 400 years before Rome was established. Pope, the soccer club wins with a 4:0 score. The second legend talks about Hannibal Barkas; it’s told that he captured the region during the third century before Christmas, and he built the city Barcino. The city For the first time this phenomenon happened on the 26th of October, 1985 against name Barcelona was derived from his family name. their arch rival Real Madrid (the 28th of October Pope Johannes XXIII was elected), for the second time on 14th of October 1978 against UD Las Palmas (two days Gaudí afterwards, Johannes Paul II was elected). - Antonio Gaudí was not the original architect of the Sagrada Familia. Although the church is classified as one of Gaudí’s masterpieces, the construction was started And last but not least, the 12th of March in 2013 the serial continued: Barcelona won in 1882 by another architect - Francisco de Paula del Villar. He started with the 4:0 against AC Milan in the round of sixteen - after the reign of Benedikt XVI was in construction of the crypt. In 1883 Gaudí took over the construction and radically full swing. changed the architectural style and the appearance of the Sagrada Familia after Villar was dropped from the project. “Money, money, money, must be funny - On the 8th of June in 1926 Gaudí was killed in a rich man’s world...” by a tram. Rumour says that due to his scruffy Not everyone aims to follow the low-budget way clothes, several cabdrivers refused to drive of life in Barcelona, as we tried to do! him to a hospital because they thought that he was a homeless person. Someone brought This chart shows the average spend per person, him to the Hospital de la Santa Creu, a per day of people from different countries. hospital for poor people. Nobody recognized the hurt artist until his friend Doménech (info from http://barcelona.de/de/barcelona- Sugranyes finally found him there after three statistiken.html) days. When Gaudi was offered a transfer to a more comfortable hospital, he declined Lara Voelter saying, “My place is next to the poor people”. That same day he died of the grave injuries.

7 8 However, for those eager to escape the hustle and bustle, the gardens dotted about Montjuïc provide a retreat away from the Catalan calor. Here you can sit FEATURE back and relax with a book, enjoy a picnic or grab a beer in one of several cervezerias. And when you’re tired of all that loafing around, be sure to go for a stroll to soak up the breath-taking views of the city from the heights Green places in Montjuïc of this hilly paradise. Laribal Gardens: lose yourself in the history and “soak up the tranquillity of this leafy part of the city. breath-taking views of The most famous Address: Pg. de Santa Madrona, 2 Opening Times: Daily until dusk the city from the heights garden of the barrio, Metro: Parallel Funicular Website: www.bcn.cat/aparcat/en/ of this hilly paradise.... the Jardi Botànic de Price: Various. Laribal Gardens free Barcelona, is located close to the castle and cable car, so may be best for retreating to for a few hours after morning sightseeing. Entrance is reasonably priced at 3.50€, but for a cheaper option visit Los Jardins Laribal, where the views are just as beautiful. Once partially belonging to wealthy lawyer Joseph Laribal, the gardens retain a sense of Eden-like forbiddenness where a gentle walk seems a little intrusive, as though entering a private garden without permission. The gardens are closest to the Funicular, which will take you from Parallel metro station to Avenue de Miramar. When you arrive, turn left on the main road towards Los Jardins Laribal.

At the gardens you can hide under the shade, inhaling the perfume of abundant bay trees and flowers. Spot the lazy pods hanging from wooden verandas and follow the trickle of water features down the steps towards Teatre Grec, where you can enjoy an ice-cold beer at the cervezaria which overlooks the cityscape. Don’t miss the 19th century picnic site and chic restaurant at the Font del Gat (the Cat’s Spring) or Teatre Grec’s open-air stage which is used as part of the Barcelona Festival (barcelonafestival.com) on summer evenings.

Ellie Catherine & Alice Owen

Other nearby gardens: Jardins de Mossèn Costa i Llobera, Jardins de Miramar Montjuïc has much to offer and is a great option for the end of a vacation when penny-pinching becomes general Be aware that Los Jardins Laribals closes practice! There are many opportunities for sightseeing if at dusk you are feeling energetic: the Montjuïc Cable Car, the There are garden wardens in case you need Fundació Joan Miró, the grand Palau Nacional home to any help the Museu Nacional d’art de Catalunya, the Olympic stadium and Montjuïc Castle Bring enough cash with you, as you may are all great places to immerse yourself in Barcelona’s history and art. struggle to find a cash machine 55 56 Inner City Bliss An Oasis in the City Turo Parc Parc de la Ciutadella Address: Avda. de Pau Casals, 19 Price: Free Address: Pg. Picasso 21 Opening Times: 8:30am - 10pm Metro: L6 La Bonanova/Muntaner Opening Times: Every day Metro: L1 Arc de Triomph Price: Free There are few places near the centre of Barcelona where the sound of nature is louder than that of urban life; Turo Parc is one of those places. Having been toe to toe with Barcelona’s tourists on the pavements and metro there is no better feeling than grass beneath your feet shared almost exclusively with a few locals and the rather tame sparrows. Judging by the brands of the nearby shops the park lies in a relatively well off part of the city so a bit of retail therapy is not out of the question after sun bathing in the park. What keeps this park so peaceful is its distance from any metro stops, but if you are willing to walk it is well worth it. Telling everyone about it is almost a shame, but sharing is caring. Hosting a wide range of activities and attractive sights, the free Parc de la Ciutadella Thomas Seaman is highly recommended. With large open spaces and grand waterfalls, the park creates a calming oasis within the tightly-packed city of Barcelona. Whether you are Little House in the Country sipping lemonade opposite the waterfall, or exploring the space by Segway, the park Parc del Laberint d’Horta is bound to provide something that everyone can enjoy. Address: Passeig dels Castanyers, 1 Price 2.23€ Metro: L3 Mundet Opening Times: 10 am - 7 pm everyday The highlight of the park, for me, was the lake just past the waterfall, where you could rent a rowing boat for 30 minutes. Regardless of your rowing ability, at the budget- Barcelona’s oldest park located to the north of the city friendly price of 6€ for two people, the activity provides a different and enjoyable view out of reach of most tourists is home to an eclectic mix and exposes you to a variety of wildlife and foliage that adorn the shallow waters. of landscaped gardens and architecture dating from You might even catch sight of a baby turtle paddling around the edge! 1792 onwards. A limit of 750 visitors per day has been in place to preserve the beauty of the park though it The waterfall, too, is very picturesque. Decorated with gold and white statues, it is extremely unlikely that you’ll be sharing it with even creates a luxurious ambience, yet does not cost a single euro to visit. Contrasted 50. The centre piece is an 820m long labyrinth however there are plenty of other with this golden glow is rich vegetation which converts the waterfall into a paradisiac hidden corners to be explored all around the park and romantic gardens. If you setting, which contributes to the park’s many photo-taking opportunities. However, go on a Saturday the peace might be slightly interrupted by some stereotypically if upon leaving the park you are still feeling in need of activity, the surrounding area over-the-top Spanish football commentary from is encapsulated by a string of culture; the zoo is helpfully signposted throughout the the nearby pitches, though deeper into the park park, and Parlament de Catalunya is a short walk away, not forgetting the titanic Arc the birds and tinkling of streams take over. Take de Triomf that stands tall in front of the metro station. a picnic and get away from Barcelona’s broiling streets. At 2.23€ it’s a cheap day out. Alice Owen Thomas Seaman 57 58 FOOD Spanish Sins Caj Chai Teteria Relevant Bar Bernie‘s Diner HANDY PHRASES la comida – lunch el desayuno - breakfast la cena - dinner Bodega La el restaurante - restaurant para llevar – to take away Plata – to eat in para tomar aquí ensalada - salad Caputxes pescado - fish Goliard carne - meat el café - coffee Txapela agua - water vegetariano - vegetarian