2006, Shopping Year Picasso 2006 BCN

BARCELONA

PRESS FILE 2006

Turisme de Barcelona Rambla de Catalunya, 123 08008 Barcelona Tel. 93 368 97 00 Fax. 93 368 97 01 www.barcelonaturisme.com [email protected] [email protected]

INDEX

Statistics p. 3

Mediterranean Capital p. 4

Urban-Tourism Destination p. 5

Rankings p. 6

The city of culture p. 7

A hundred years ago: Picasso and Barcelona p. 7

Mediterranean Cuisine: pure attraction p. 8

‘Shopping’: what makes us different p. 11

Barcelona, a whole year for shopping p. 12

Cruises p. 12

Meetings: efficiency and creativity p. 13

Economic solidity p. 14

Sport p. 15

Health Tourism p. 16

The Latest p. 17

Infrastructures p. 20

Barcelona is Culture 2000-2004 p. 22

Gaudí International Year 2002. The Legacy p. 22

Barcelona increases the World's Heritage p. 23

Barcelona Forum 2004 p. 25

Turisme de Barcelona p. 26

Enjoy Barcelona p. 27

TOURIST ACTIVITY IN BARCELONA

1990 1995 2000 2002 2003 2004 2005

Tourists 1.732.902 3.089.974 3.141.162 3.580.986 3.848.187 4.549.587 5.061.264

Overnights 3.795.522 5.674.580 7.777.580 8.694.770 9.102.090 10.148.238 10.941.579

Average room occupancy 71,0% 63,6% 84,0% 78,2% 76,7% 75,5% 76.0%

Tourist according to purpose visit . Vacation 22,7% 35,3% 51,5% 49,8% 45,8% 47,1% 42,1% . Business, fairs and congresses 69,1% 55,9% 45,7% 46,6% 50,8% 50,1% 53.5% . Others 8,2% 8,8% 2,8% 3,6% 3,4% 2,8% 4.4%

Country of origin (*) . Spain 51,2% 37,0% 31,3% 32,9% 32,0% 32,0% 30.8% . United Kingdom 4,1% 7,2% 11,6% 10,5% 13,0% 13,6% 12,6% . Italy 6,1% 5,0% 6,2% 6,8% 6,6% 7,8% 8.4% . United States 5,9% 9,5% 14,5% 7,3% 7,4% 7,1% 7,6% . France 7,3% 7,7% 5,1% 6,5% 6,7% 6,6% 6,4% . German 3,4% 6,2% 5,7% 4,6% 5,0% 5,1% 5,2% . Others 22,0% 27,4% 25,6% 31,4% 29,3% 27,8% 29.0% (*) Source 1990 - 2000: Turisme de Barcelona. Source 2002 - 2004: Turisme de Barcelona y Idescat, con datos INE

Barcelona airport passengers traffic 9.048.657 11.727.814 19.808.812 21.347.664 22.752.820 24.558.411 27.095.754

Passengers on cruises 115.137 233.389 572.571 843.686 1.053.896 1.024.851 1.228.561

Visitors to places of interest - 9.103.586 14.052.339 15.918.390 15.965.533 17.198.994 n.d.

Bus Turístic passengers - 131.600 873.611 1.150.621 1.258.490 1.474.954 1.632.933

Hotels 118 160 187 215 232 255 268 Rooms 10.265 15.076 16.561 19.267 20.582 23.739 25.355 Beds 18.569 27.988 31.338 36.574 39.632 45.286 49.235

MEDITERRANEAN CAPITAL

Since Barcelona was founded over 2000 years ago it has pursued its vocation as a great Mediterranean metropolis. With its privileged location on the Iberian Peninsula, between the sea and the mountains, it is the cultural and administrative capital of Catalonia and the traditional gateway to Spain. Its mild climate throughout the year is an invitation to experience the city to the full, both by day and by night. Strolling through the captivating, lively streets, you can sense the hospitality and friendliness of its inhabitants. The old city, formed by the Gothic Quarter and the Ribera and Raval neighbourhoods, is famous for its historic buildings. A walk through its old streets is essential in order to understand the different periods in the history of Barcelona, to contemplate its monuments, the Roman wall among perfectly conserved Gothic buildings, the remains of the Jewish quarter, and above all, to enjoy its characteristic Mediterranean atmosphere.

There is no better place to get to know Barcelona than La Rambla, a colourful, bustling avenue that begins beside the sea at the Mirador de Colom and goes up to the Plaça de Catalunya, a meeting point and the centre of urban communications. Considered as the lively and dynamic heart of the city, it is essential to visit it from top to bottom. Street musicians, opera singers, mime artists, painters, human statues, flower stalls and bird sellers, the Boqueria market, the Gran Teatre del Liceu −restored at the end of 1999− and the countless shops and friendly cafés make up a unique and unforgettable walk.

Continuing towards the mountains, we come to the Eixample district: a unique European model of urban planning. Designed in 1860 by Ildefons Cerdà, it contains one of the largest collections of modernista [Catalan art- nouveau] architecture on the continent. The famous Passeig de Gràcia contains the most representative buildings from this movement. Antoni Gaudí, Puig i Cadafalch and Domènech i Montaner expressed their creativity in the residences of the Catalan bourgeoisie of that time.

Casa Batlló, Casa Amatller and Casa Milà –better known as La Pedrera [the stone quarry]− are just some of the buildings which bring together a host of almost unprecedented, exuberant colours and forms. Modernisme can be appreciated throughout the city. Spectacular buildings like the church of the Sagrada Família −an unfinished work by Gaudí−, the Palau de

la Música Catalana and the Park Güell make up, along with other buildings, a legacy of modernisme that can only be seen here. The Sagrada Família, the Casa Batlló, the Casa Vicens and the Colònia Güell have been designated World Heritage Sites, together with the Palau Güell, the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, the Park Güell and the Palau de la Música Catalana.

But the city does not live only through the past. Barcelona −an active and dynamic city− is in a constant process of renewal. In the last decade, it has experienced an impressive transformation. The holding of the 1992 Olympic Games −considered, at the time, the best in history− meant that the city was opened up to the sea, and provided with an infrastructure of roads incorporating the latest technology. The major 1992 event left a rich architectural legacy –Isozaki’s sports facility the Palau Sant Jordi, the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Ring− and a rich urban legacy which continue to grow with the great challenge of the 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures.

URBAN-TOURISM DESTINATION

Barcelona has established itself as one of the main urban-tourism destinations in Europe. The Catalan capital has every attraction for weekend breaks and two- or three-day visits. For over three years, holidaymakers have accounted for 50% of visitors to the city, a higher percentage than business trips, which have traditionally been Barcelona’s strongest visitor segment. This makes the city the ideal place for a short break.

In recent years, the Catalan capital has become one of the favourite Mediterranean ports of the great cruise lines. The new ferry terminals which feature excellent services and are within easy access of the city, allow cruise passengers to take a stroll around the city while they enjoy its atmosphere and the best in shopping. This makes Barcelona an extremely attractive port of call. Culture is one of Barcelona’s main attractions and makes the city an urban- tourism destination par excellence. The stunning modernista legacy is an architectural treasure trove of the first order. The beautiful paintings from the Catalan Romanesque period, appreciated throughout the world, are another major attraction which the city combines with prestigious musical performances and theatre.

RANKINGS

• Barcelona is the only city in the world with nine buildings which are UNESCO World Heritage: la Pedrera, Park Güell, Palau Güell, Palau de la Música Catalana, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, Casa Vicens and Cripta de la Colònia Güell.

• Barcelona holds more international congresses than any other city in the world, according to the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), and is the seventh city in the world for convention tourism, according to the Union of International Associations (UIA).

• According to the magazine Lloyd’s Cruise International, Barcelona is Europe and the Mediterranean’s leading cruise harbour, with 1,228,561 cruise passengers a year.

• According to The Daily Telegraph, Barcelona is the world’s top urban tourism destination of 2003.

• Top weekend break destination 2002 according to the guide published for global airlines by Time Out.

• Top Spanish city 2003, according to the readers of El País El Viajero.

• Barcelona was named Gourmande city 2002. It is the only city outside France to have been awarded this culinary distinction.

• Barcelona hosts the world’s number 1 incentive, business travel and meetings exhibition, the EIBTM, from 2004 to 2008.

• According to British Airways, Barcelona is the preferred city-break destination for the British.

• Barcelona is the Spanish city where tourists from abroad carry out the most credit card transactions (18.5% of the total).

• According to a report by the European Tourism Leader Benchmark, Barcelona is the European city with the greatest growth in tourism on the Continent (over the past 10 years the number of overnight stays in hotels has doubled).

Tourism statistics from recent years are available on the Turisme de Barcelona website: www.barcelonaturisme.com

THE CITY OF CULTURE

Barcelona has always been a city with strong cultural and festive traditions. Its more than 50 museums and many art galleries stage permanent and temporary exhibitions that are part of a stimulating, year-round, calendar of events. The recently extended Museu Picasso; the Fundació Joan Miró; the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya-MNAC, with its unique collection of Romanesque art; the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona–MACBA; CaixaForum, housed in an old art-nouveau factory; or the Fundació Antoni Tàpies are must-see landmarks which trace culture throughout the ages.

Music in Barcelona is a fiesta. All the musical genres can be enjoyed in the city, from classical to contemporary music, from ethnic music to jazz. Modern concert venues −which are also landmark buildings− such as L’ Auditori, the Palau de la Música and the Gran Teatre del Liceu offer prestigious performances throughout the year. Theatre-going is another activity that enlivens the cultural life of Barcelona, which features prestigious internationally-known theatres. The opening of the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya consolidates the range of entertainment on offer in Barcelona.

Barcelona is a cultural hotspot. Every year, the city’s museums and cultural centres are a melting pot of people. Last year, Barcelona’s main museums attracted some 10,500,000 visitors, a figure which increases yearly at the same rate as hotel overnights. The Sagrada Família is the most popular cultural attraction and over two million people visited it last year. La Pedrera, also designed by Gaudí, and the new CaixaForum also proved popular with 1,500,000 visitors.

A hundred years ago: Picasso and Barcelona

On the centenary of the return of the brilliant painter to the Catalan capital, the city has brought together almost 600 of his works

The city is also planning Picasso 2006 BCN, a tribute to the Malaga-born artist marking the 125th anniversary of his birth. The initiative also commemorates the hundredth anniversary of Picasso’s return to the city, when he was completing his break with conventional artistic language. The anniversary will be marked with exhibitions, workshops and entertainments.

Throughout 2006, some 600 works by Picasso will be on display in the city. The Barcelona Walking Tours are a practical way of visiting the Barcelona where the genius lived.

Exhibitions, seminars and performances

For the first time Barcelona is showing works by the artist from the Picasso Museum in Paris and the Picasso Museum in Antibes, in a general program of three large exhibitions. Picasso. The passion for drawing highlights the primordial role of drawing in the genre and the development of the Picasso's artistic career. From 8 February to 8 May, 2006. The Picassos of Antibes shows the artist's most vital works, the result of Picasso's contact with the French Mediterranean region. From 4 July to 15 October, 2006. And, finally, Picasso and the circus highlighting the links between the brilliant artist and the world of the big top, a relationship that is present throughout his work. From 15 November, 2006 to 18 February, 2007. All these exhibitions can be viewed in the Picasso Museum in Barcelona.

The homage has also programmed the Gósol seminar: The Prologue of the Vanguard, on the influence his stay in this Catalan village had on Picasso's work. And also a ballet in the Gran Teatre del Liceu, based on three works on which Picasso had a decisive influence (Parade, Icarus and The Three- Cornered Hat); two scheduled concerts in the Auditori: a version of “The Three-Cornered Hat” and a newly created work by the composer Josep Maria Mestres Quadreny. Without forgetting three cycles of conferences on the brilliant artist from Malaga.

MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE: PURE ATTRACTION

The city lives up to its Mediterranean setting with its Catalan cuisine, one of the most auspicious expressions of the Mediterranean diet. The interest in gastronomy in Barcelona is reflected in a long and varied list of restaurants, some of them awarded Michelin stars, that suit the most varied tastes: local Catalan cuisine, international cuisine, exotic food, not to mention tapas and appetisers −the quintessence of Spanish cuisine−, or the world-famous cava. All the local know-how and flavours, all the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, come together in this culinary speciality, which also includes prestigious wines. We invite you to try it: the table is laid.

TIME TO EAT

Barcelona is the perfect place to get a great bite to eat. In our city you will find culinary delights which combine tradition and cutting-edge cuisine. Below you will find a one-day itinerary suggested by the food critic Pau Arenós .

Tourists only have to look at their watches to make sure they’re not missing out on any meals, although that precision device, the alarm-clock in their stomachs, lets them know when it’s time to eat. Whether they have a watch or not, tourists should take note of what to eat and where to eat during a great culinary day out in Barcelona, that edible and digestible city.

From 8 to 10 am: breakfast The Boqueria, the city’s main food market, features a mouth-watering array of produce. At the entrance to the Boqueria is the counter of the Bar Pinotxo, where Juanito will engage you in some of the liveliest conversation in town and his nephews serve you food that will really hit the spot. Cod dishes to revive you, capipota (brawn) with a new twist, or fish which is so fresh you’d think it was still swimming. A hearty breakfast for diners who like to try something a bit different. If tourists, with or without a watch, shy away from of this kind of wake-up call, they can make do with a more frugal repast at the nearby patisserie Escribà, where the croissants have a French accent.

From 12 noon to 1 pm: aperitif time La Vinya del Senyor is the place in Barcelona where you’ll be closest to heaven. The gates to the Gothic paradise of Santa Maria del Mar open up before you. Regardless of whether they’re wearing a watch or not, tourists should sit opposite this stunning façade, order a glass of wine (or open a special bottle if the occasion so demands), some walnut bread with foie gras, a small serving of peas from Llavaneres, some secallonas (cured sausages) made exclusively by a doctor in microbiology... It is only then, as you eat, drink and, in short, commune, that you become convinced that God does exist.

After your snack, it’s just a short walk to La Botifarreria where you can stock up on its unique range of local cured sausages, and just a few strides further to fill your basket with the memorable wines of the Viniteca.

1.30 to 4 pm: lunch You have two options, both taking you on a journey of discovery and involving the expertise of young chefs. The first: Barcelona has reinvented the tapa. This is perhaps the only cultural revolution the city has

experienced over the past hundred years. A three pronged fork: Estrella de Plata, Santa Maria and Comerç 24. Casual dining on small servings which will keep those hunger pangs at bay.

The second option: a foray into the world of the most cutting-edge, outstanding and serious restaurants. A generation of cooks, or a regeneration, who will secure Barcelona’s position as a gastronomic capital. The city’s restaurants are well worth noting down in any gourmet’s diary and underlining in chilli pepper red: Hisop, Saüc, Alkimia, Valentí, Ot, Colibrí... Catalan cuisine brought up to date, degreased and demystified.

5.30 to 6 pm: a snack In the belly of the Liceu –on the ground floor– there is a coffee shop which is the perfect showcase for the products of Sacha, a business which has made cake-making into one of the fine arts. A dazzling cast list of cakes, a complete repertoire of sandwiches, a symphony of pastries...

9 to 11 pm: dinner A gastronomic gala evening. The three stars of the Michelin Guide light up the city. After a day’s jogging with your culinary body in good shape, now is the time to finish off with a long-distance run. Six restaurants which will leave you floating on air: Gaig (with the chef Carles Gaig), Neichel (with Jean Louis Neichel), Jean Luc Figueras (with Jean Luc Figueras), Drolma (with Fermí Puig), Àbac (with Xavier Pellicer) and El Racó d’en Freixa (with Ramon Freixa). Gaig’s truffle cannelloni. Neichel’s lobster tartare. Figueras’ crispy suckling pig. Puig’s sea cucumbers with laurel-perfumed potatoes. Pellicer’s steamed foie gras. Freixa’s pea soup with pancetta. Whether they have a watch or not, tourists can go to bed safe in the knowledge that they have made the most of the day.

Restaurant Guide for Tourists Tourists who are interested in cuisine have at their disposal a new tool to help them enjoy their visit to the city. Turisme de Barcelona has published the Tourist guide to restaurants, gourmet shops & food markets, which gives tourists suggestions about the most interesting places to eat in Barcelona.

The guide features a selection of Barcelona’s 304 major culinary outlets (11 markets, 31 shops and 262 restaurants). The experts from the Catalan Culinary Academy have made this selection, which gives priority to the quality, uniqueness and interest of each establishment.

‘SHOPPING’: WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT

Shopping in Barcelona is a delight. The Catalan capital has its own unique shops where you will find quality goods at competitive prices, as well as top international designer names. Barcelona is the leading Spanish city in terms of sales to tourists from abroad. 18.5% of credit-card purchases in Spain are made in Barcelona, and the city accounts for almost 20% of the country’s ATM withdrawals.

The tourists who visit us appreciate the quality of the goods on sale in Barcelona’s shops, and its services. In addition, the city showcases Europe’s biggest shopping centre, the Barcelona Shopping Line. This 5-km thoroughfare stretches from the harbour to the uptown Diagonal district, via La Rambla, the old town, the Gothic Quarter and the Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla de Catalunya. The Shopping Line comprises a series of shops which turn the shopping experience into a pleasant stroll. It is a stimulating compendium of the retail outlets in the city, which has 35,000 shops in total.

The Barcelona Shopping Line, directs external demand to the shops that identify Barcelona and are part of its history. Shops which have blended tradition and modernity without losing their identity and offer visitors a rich and varied range of products, good value for money and first-class service. There are currently over 170 outlets associated with the Barcelona Shopping Line brand. Last year, it was joined by some of the city’s top shopping centres.

BUS SHOPPING LINE

The Bus Shopping Line is the most convenient way to enjoy the centre of Barcelona. The service operates on a specially designed route which runs from Plaça Catalunya to the Diagonal (Plaza Pius XII). Buses depart every seven minutes and connect the major stores, the city’s modernista landmarks (La Pedrera, the Casa Batlló, the Casa Amatller...), with a wide range of restaurants and city-centre cinemas. A trip round the heart of Barcelona.

Barcelona, a whole year for shopping

The Catalan capital lives the Year of Commerce with exhibitions, fairs and all types of events

In 2006, the city’s shops will be joining forces on the occasion of the Shopping Year. Over a 12-month period, the city will become a tempting proposition for shoppers, with an array of retail outlets combining leading international brands with Barcelona’s local shops, which have their own distinctive personality.

The program for the Year of Commerce, from March 2006 to March 2007, includes a series of events which include exhibitions that explain history of the city through commerce and trade, models of commercial urban development, commerce as seen through design, advertising and urban development. Furthermore, a plane will be set up in five city streets to present an audiovisual project on commercial activities and promote organised events. Finally, the International Trade Fair will round off this homage to commerce and shops in Barcelona.

EUROPE’S LEADING CRUISE HARBOUR

Barcelona has one of the most popular ports for cruise ships as well as for shipping companies. According to Lloyd’s Cruise International, Barcelona is the most important port for cruise ships in both Europe and the Mediterranean.

Barcelona harbour enjoys a prime location in the western Mediterranean, and meets all the requisites of the cruise companies who use it as their home port: a prestigious tourist city, a quality hotel infrastructure, an airport with international air connections and harbour facilities devoted exclusively to cruise ships. Barcelona is also the centre of a Euroregion with a great number of potential cruise passengers.

Barcelona harbour has seven cruise terminals which are perfectly equipped to cater to the great number of passengers who use them every year. The terminals are located in the heart of the city, and are well-served by public transport –buses and taxis-, which make it easy to reach any part of the city.

One million cruise passengers In 2005, 689 cruise ships berthed in Barcelona harbour with 1,228,561 passengers. These results far surpassed all the predictions and strengthened the city’s position as a tourist destination.

The future looks bright for the cruise sector in Barcelona. This is borne out by the building of a new terminal in the city by the Carnival Group, the world’s most important cruise line.

MEETINGS: EFFICIENCY AND CREATIVITY

Barcelona is one of Europe’s favourite destinations for all kinds of scientific and business meetings: congresses, conventions, product presentations and incentive trips. Barcelona has excellent infrastructures for hosting such events: a trade-fair site with 200,000 m2 of indoor floor space, including the Barcelona Conference Centre; another, recently built, conference centre which can host 3,000 people; the Palau Sant Jordi , the jewel of the 1992 Olympic Games, which is equally suitable for launching a car or hosting a large banquet, as a fashion show or an indoor windsurfing competition. And to complete this range of facilities, since November 2004 the city has had a new Convention Centre (the CCIB), which can host major congresses for up to 15,000 people in a modern building equipped with the latest technology.

Barcelona’s excellent range of hotels, which offer 49,000 beds, and particularly its larger establishments, are perfectly suited to the requirements of business conventions and incentive trips. The countless historic and unique venues for receptions, gala dinners and parties are an added attraction for this sector. They include Catalan Gothic, rustic-style or ultramodern buildings as well as modernista landmarks, some designed by Gaudí.

Barcelona is also famous for design and creativity. This quality of many of the city’s professionals brings that special touch to social events and programmes which often bring together the history, culture and natural environment of the region.

Turisme de Barcelona has a specific programme to promote and assist this sector: the Barcelona Convention Bureau. It was founded in 1983, and has long-standing experience in advising meeting organisers.

ECONOMIC SOLIDITY

With a history dating back 2,000 years, Barcelona has become a dynamic, creative and imaginative city. The capital of Catalonia is a key economic point of reference on the European map. With a GDP of some 30,000 million euros, Barcelona ranks as the sixth best European city for setting up a business, and the city on the continent which offers the best standard of living for professionals (1). It also ranks as the second European city to attract international investment (2), and is located in Catalonia, the European region with the sixth biggest active population (3).

(1) According to the report European Cities Monitor by Cushman & Wakefield -- Healey & Baker (2001); (2) According to European Investment Monitor by Ernst & Young (2002); (3) According to Statistics in Focus by Eurostat

Port The port of Barcelona brings together the greatest number of logistic facilities on the Iberian Peninsula and in the south of Europe. The integration of all means of transport (port, airport, motorways, and railways) within a five-kilometre radius, and its location in a setting which offers the best services to the transport and logistic sectors, make the port one of the Mediterranean’s hubs for commerce, transport and distribution. It has an annual traffic of some 33 million tonnes, 1,425,000 container ships, 615,000 new vehicles and almost two million passengers. Info: www.apb.es

Airport Barcelona’s airport, El Prat, is one of the main European air hubs. It is perfectly connected to the main European markets, and has yearly passenger figures of 27 million. Info: www.aena.es

Fira de Barcelona Fira de Barcelona has become the most important organizer of professional and industrial trade fairs in Spain, and one of the first five in Europe in number of conventions. Of the total number of trade fairs which are held in Barcelona, 12 are a point of reference in Europe as they figure among the first five in their speciality. Info: www.firabcn.es

A CITY ON TOP FORM

Besides these outstanding events, the city’s annual sporting calendar includes many competitions of international scope. This factor, together with Barcelona’s renown as a tourism magnet, has led to the creation of the Barcelona Sports programme, geared to increasing the number of fans who attend major sporting competitions held in the city. This programme focuses particularly on international sporting events held in Barcelona, which make up the following sporting calendar.

BARCELONA SPORTS 2006

Dates Sport Event web 5th – 8th January Hockey 58th International Tournament Hockey de Reis www.rcpolo.com 6th March Athletics Barcelona Marathon www.maratobarcelona.es 24th – 30th Open SEAT Godó 2006 – 54th Conde de Godó April Tennis Trophy www.openseatgodo.com 5th – 7th May Sailing 18th Zegna Trophy www.rcnb.com 5th – 14th May Polo 38th International Polo Tournament www.rcpolo.com 12th – 14th May Motor racing 50th Spanish Formula One Grand Prix www.circuitcat.com 12th – 14th Sailing May 8th Regatta Freixenet www.rcnb.com 19th – 21st Sailing May 33rd Conde de Godó Trophy www.rcnb.com 26th – 28th Sailing May 14th Barcelona Regatta - 16th – 18th June Motorcycling G P Catalonia. World Championship of MotoGP www.circuitcat.com August Football 41st Joan Gamper Estrella Damm - F.C. Barcelona www.fcbarcelona.com 33rd Ciutat de Barcelona - R.C.D. Espanyol August Football Trophy www.rcdespanyol.com Aug 06/May 07 Football First Division Football Championship - 14th – 17th September Show jumping 95th International Show Jumping Competition www.csiobarcelona.com Final Samsung Super League 15th October Cycling 43rd Escalada a Montjuïc www.ecbarcelona.com 26th November Athletics 83rd Jean Bouin www.elmundodeportivo.es 2007 11th November Sailing Barcelona World Race www.barcelonaworldrace.com

BARCELONA IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

Barcelona is also a destination for healthcare. The city’s medical and health facilities enjoy great worldwide prestige. Barcelona Health Centre is the organisation promoting Barcelona as a destination of health and well-being.

The services offered by Barcelona Health Centre cover all the medical specialities: from a simple check-up to complex surgery. The programme offers customers a complete solution to their needs: information about all the medical centres, prior appointment, admission to the appropriate clinic, hotel booking as well a second-opinion diagnosis.

Barcelona Health Centre is run in association with Barcelona Medical Centre which comprises the following healthcare facilities: Centre d’Oftalmologia Barraquer, Cetir Centre Mèdic, Clínica de Cirurgia Plàstica i Estètica Planas, Clínica Quirón Barcelona, Clínica Sagrada Família, Centre Mèdic Teknon, Clínica Tres Torres, CRC Corporació Sanitària, Clínica Fundació FIATC, Clínica Corachán, Centre Cardiovascular Sant Jordi, Clínica Plató-Fundació Privada, Institut Diagnòstic per Imatge Domènech Clarós, Institut d’Otologia García Ibáñez, Laboratori d’Anàlisis Dr. Echevarne, Sabater- Tobella Anàlisis and Institut Oftalmològic de Barcelona.

These clinics and medical centres have helped make Barcelona a world reference point in the field of healthcare due to the Catalan healthcare specialists, who enjoy worldwide prestige, and the quality of the city’s healthcare facilities.

Catalan medicine is among the most advanced of its kind in the world. It has been a pioneer in a number of scientific fields, such as kidney transplants and eye, thorax and heart surgery, as well as innovative surgical techniques. Barcelona welcomes many people from around the world who undergo preventive and curative treatments at its clinics and medical centres.

The Catalan capital is also the venue for a great many healthcare congresses. Approximately 35% of the congresses held in the city are related to the healthcare sector.

THE LATEST

NEW VENUES

Barcelona is constantly being updated. The city never ceases to grow with new spaces, which bring it greater competitiveness and appeal.

The Barcelona International Convention Centre The new Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB) is the biggest conference centre in the south of Europe. It has a surface area of 70,000 m2 and can host 15,000 people. It features a large exhibition hall of 11,500 m2 without columns, an extremely versatile space which is the result of the latest in cutting-edge technology.

The Convention Centre was designed by the architect Josep Lluís Mateo, and can host one or several events at the same time by means of a practical partitioning system. The logistic services of the CCIB are complemented with offices and quality hotels.

The buildings will be officially handed over on 1st November 2004. The first event is planned for the following morning, on 2nd November. Although the calendar of events cannot be advertised for reasons of confidentiality, we can reveal that, at the end of 2004, 120 events had already been confirmed, representing a volume of 250,000 participants for the period of the year 2005 to 2007.

Forum Building The Forum Building, one of the architectural jewels of the macromeeting, the Barcelona Forum 2004, is destined to be the city’s new visual landmark. An unusual structure, built on an equilateral triangle 180 metres along the side and 25 metres high, it was designed by the pioneering architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. The Forum Building alone is reason enough for visiting the city. You have now got one more excuse for enjoying Barcelona.

The Forum Building, together with the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB) and the esplanade, were the nerve centre for the activities of the Barcelona Forum 2004. Now that the event is over, both buildings, which are linked by an underground walkway, form a unit which caters to the high demand for congresses in Barcelona.

Gran Vía M2 (Fira de Barcelona) In 2007, Fira de Barcelona will become the second biggest trade fair site in Europe and the most outstanding in terms of architecture and layout, when work on the extension of its new premises, Gran Via M2, is completed. The new facilities are located just 2.5 km from Montjuïc, the trade fair’s traditional headquarters which will remain operational.

Torre Agbar Barcelona is proud of the great monument which holds leading place in the renovation work on one of its entrances, “Les Glòries” square. Jean Nouvel’s futuristic Torre Agbar is cylindrical in form and completely covered by glass. With a height of 142 metres, it can be seen from practically anywhere in the city. It is representative of Barcelona’s commitment to continue at the forefront of world architecture and it has become a tourist attraction, not only during the day (its viewpoint, at 142 metres high, is an enviable vantage point), but also at night (the tower is illuminated from top to bottom with a combination of various colours).

Mercado de Santa Caterina The new Santa Caterina market, designed by Enric Miralles, is already a part of the iconography of the centre of Barcelona thanks to its famous coloured roof. It is a structure as spectacular as it is modern – a feat of design which is even more astonishing when we take into account the fact that it is the second oldest market in the Catalan capital. Extensive improvements are still being carried out on the market and now, with some sixty stalls renovated, it receives 220,000 visitors a month and, like the nearby Boqueria market, is a highly popular tourist attraction.

CULTURAL PROJECTS

Over recent years new venues have been opened which bear witness to Barcelona’s cultural vibrancy.

The new MNAC 1,000 years of art The new MNAC takes visitors on an uninterrupted journey through a thousand years of Catalan art, spanning the 10th to the 20th centuries. It is one of the country’s foremost museums as it showcases a rich and varied collection of medieval art (Romanesque and Gothic). The MNAC’s holdings of Romanesque murals are unique, both in terms of the quantity and the quality of the paintings taken from church apses and recreated in situ. The 18

holdings of Renaissance and baroque art include, among others, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, formerly displayed in Pedralbes Monastery. Highlights of the modern art collection, which used to be housed in the Museu d’Art Modern, include works from such important movements as modernisme −Catalonia’s home-grown art nouveau− and the sculptural avant- garde. For the first time, the collection is showcasing photography from its origins to the present day. The museum’s holdings have also been expanded to include part of the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection of 19th- and 20th-century art. The coin collection traces the history of coinage from Classical Greek times onwards.

The MNAC is housed in a building constructed for the 1929 International Exhibition, now redesigned by the Italian architect Gae Aulenti. Besides the exhibition spaces, other highlights include the Oval Room (1,600 m2) and a restaurant boasting one of the finest panoramic views of the city. Info: 93.622.0376, www.mnac.es e [email protected]

CosmoCaixa A 100-million euro refurbishment has transformed the La Caixa Foundation’s Science Museum into CosmoCaixa, a totally new concept in museum design which seeks to make science an accessible and appealing discipline.

Located above the Ronda de Dalt ring road, CosmoCaixa is an extremely interesting museum: it is educational, interactive and attractive to look at. The museum visit begins with the Room of Matter which has four different areas: Inert Materials shows the beginning of the universe some 13,700 million years ago, the Big Bang and the creation of matter, energy, space and time; next comes Living Matter, which began around 3,800 million years ago with the origin of life; thirdly we find Intelligent Matter, which explores neurones and the way in which life responds to environmental changes; lastly we come to Civilised Matter, which spans the period from the Australopithecus, the first genus to walk on two legs, to today’s Homo sapiens, who learnt how to create matter.

Cosmocaixa isn’t a museum for the mere onlooker. Visitors are invited to try things out and this is why kids love it. The room which has the 65- metre Geological Wall, with all kinds of geological formations and rocks −some of them formed by erosion and sedimentation− even includes part of a Brazilian glacier. A 1,000 m2 exhibition room takes you to the Amazon rain forest, where you can experience tropical rain and 80% humidity levels, surrounded by the typical flora and fauna of the zone. The Planetarium

provides an unforgettable experience with its three-dimensional simulations of the planets and stars, whereas the Planetarium of Bubbles has been specially designed to awaken children’s curiosity about the world of astronomy. www.cosmocaixa.com

The Born Visitors to Barcelona now have a unique opportunity to see Barcelona as it was in the 18th century. Archaeologists have discovered remains of incalculable value, dating from 1714, under the Born Market, an impressive example of 19th-century wrought-iron Catalan architecture. The Born was the city’s first wholesale food market and is now being converted into a cultural centre, but while the archaeologists carry out work on the underground remains −until the middle of 2005− visitors will be able to see the excavation and discover what Barcelona must have been like at the time. Platforms have been installed to enable people to view the work in progress. Info: www.museuhistoria.bcn.es.

INFRASTRUCTURES

Over 14,000 new hotel rooms Barcelona’s tourism sector is planning to increase its hotel capacity with some 14,000 new hotel rooms over the period 1998 to 2006. The city will thus adapt to growing external demand at a rate of over 1,000 new rooms a year. 8,771 rooms were added during the period 1998 to 2004, and a further 4,480 will be added between 2005 and 2008.

Third runway and new terminal at Barcelona airport Since last September, the third runway at El Prat −Barcelona airport− has been operational, as envisaged in the Barcelona airport expansion plan. Following this improvement, Barcelona airport can now operate 90 flights an hour, compared with 52 halfway through the year. By 2015, the airport is expected to be able to handle 40 million people a year. www.aena.es Expansion of the port The fourth expansion phase of the port of Barcelona is set to establish the harbour area as the core of the main Euro-Mediterranean logistics platform and one of the nerve centres in the European communications network. The project will increase the maritime surface area from 374 to

786 hectares, and the land surface area to 1,265 (currently 558). The quayside will expand from 17,766 linear metres to 29,702.

Forecasts regarding the development of international trade suggest that by 2015 the port of Barcelona will have doubled its overall traffic which will total almost 60 million tonnes.

High-speed train Barcelona expects to be connected to the high-speed train network over the coming years. At the present time, a new high-speed train service runs between Madrid and Lleida, cutting the journey time to the Spanish capital to four and a half hours. The journey will be reduced even more when the rest of the track between Lleida and Barcelona opens. At a later date, the Catalan capital will be connected to the European network through France (2011).

CITY PROJECTS

Activity District 22@bcn Barcelona has drawn up a plan to develop a new urban model for the future. The Poblenou district will be the site of an area where state-of-the-art services, technological productions, generation of knowledge, artistic creation, training organisations, and quality housing coexist. The Activity District 22@ is the challenge Barcelona has set itself in order to become a city prepared for the future, and is considered the most important strategic decision the city has taken in recent decades.

The Activity District 22@bcn will be located in Poblenou, a neighbourhood by the sea, which is the heir to a rich industrial tradition. The district will cover an area of de 198.26 ha, and have a potential floor space of 4,000,000 m2 approximately, 3,200,000 m2 of which will be devoted to manufacturing activities. Furthermore, there will be 4,000 new dwellings, 75,000 m2 of new green spaces and 145,000 m2 allotted to new amenities. The plan, which involves an investment of 162.3 million euros, will create over 100,000 new jobs. Further information: www.bcn.es/22@bcn

‘BARCELONA IS CULTURE 2000 – 2004’

Barcelona is known throughout the world as a city of cultural interest with an important heritage and dynamic, ongoing activities. The inhabitants of Barcelona are the people who mainly benefit from this vitality, but many visitors also consider Barcelona as a first-rate international cultural reference point.

Over a five-year period, the city gave impetus to its range of cultural attractions with new initiatives. Each year was devoted to a discipline in a programme which culminated in 2004 with the Universal Forum of Cultures 2004.

The year 2000 was devoted to music, and 2001 to art, when the city hosted the triennial event Experiences. Barcelona Art Report 2001 and the International Congress of Museums. In 2002, Barcelona consolidated its international position when it held Gaudí International Year, which put the city at the forefront of world culture.

In 2003, sport and design were the main themes of the events in the city, and obtained excellent media coverage, particularly in the case of sport. The World Swimming Championships, the main competition of the year, closed with 14 new world records. It was the most important sporting event held in Barcelona since the 1992 Olympic Games. This explains why it had an estimated audience of 645 million people. The World Police and Fire Games, the Euroleague Basketball Final Four and the European Hockey Nations Cup were the other main sporting fixtures of the year.

Gaudí International Year 2002. The Legacy

Following the year 2002, which was entirely devoted to Gaudí, the world has discovered the many architectural treasures of Barcelona with renewed interest and in greater depth. At the same time, the opening of some of Gaudí’s buildings to the public has given us a better insight into the work of this genius. From now on, the Casa Batlló will be open on a permanent basis. This jewel of Catalan art-nouveau architecture is located just a short distance from the Casa Milà –also known as La Pedrera– on the Passeig de Gràcia. We can see the entry hall, the stunning staircase, the first floor, which showcases some of the furniture designed by Gaudí, and the inner courtyard, a true oasis of beauty.

As building work on the Sagrada Família progresses at a steady rate, we will be able to discover the schools set up by Antoni Gaudí inside the church, which had not been restored until 2002. Their undulating roofs and architectural elements are well worth a thorough look, as is the Palau Güell, the house Gaudí built for his patron, Count Güell, close to La Rambla.

A walk through Barcelona also takes us to Bellesguard, a private property consisting of arches and exterior shapes which inspire the senses. Not far away, we find the Park Güell and the Càtedra Gaudí: the latter is a centre devoted to research into Gaudí and his work, and is housed in a stable building designed by the architect. At the entrance, a giant wrought-iron dragon welcomes us, while guarding the magnificent garden of the Hesperides.

And after Gaudí Year, we can visit the Colònia Güell, which has been refurbished in such a way that visitors can enjoy viewing the Güell crypt while placing it in its context as part of a model industrial village built at the end of the 19th century. The Colònia Güell is located just a few kilometres outside Barcelona and is well worth a visit. The calendar of activities in Gaudí’s home town of Reus is also of interest. The town has decided to extend the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of his birth. So, the party continues.

Barcelona increases the World's Heritage

UNESCO has honoured four more buildings in Barcelona

The streets and neighbourhoods of the Catalan capital are a permanent open-air showcase of the most representative architecture throughout the ages. In this cosmopolitan city, born on the shores of the Mediterranean, visitors can find relics of the most ancient civilisations, spanning the medieval period, to the more recent splendour of Catalan art nouveau, or modernisme, and the new skyscrapers. Barcelona is basically an architectural city, with unique landmark buildings, which stand alongside superbly preserved examples from our past.

UNESCO has once again sought to honour some of the treasures which, far from concealing them, Barcelona shows off with pride and pleasure. This is why it has designated four of Barcelona’s buildings as World Heritage Sites. 600 delegates, from 180 countries, have once again acknowledged Antoni Gaudí’s important legacy to the city of Barcelona, so that the people of Barcelona, as well as the millions of people who visit the city every year, can see his works at first hand. The crypt and the Nativity façade of the Sagrada Família, the Casa Vicens, the Casa Batlló and the crypt of the 23

Colònia Güell have taken their rightful place on the UNESCO list. In this way, the organisation vouches for the outstanding contribution made by Gaudí’s works to the evolution of architecture and building techniques in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Sagrada Família is a special case in Barcelona, because it has become the city’s major icon. This explains why it is the most visited cultural attraction in Spain, ahead of the Museo del Prado in Madrid and the Alhambra in Granada. The Nativity façade is the only part of the Sagrada Família built under Gaudí’s direct supervision. The church, which houses the architect’s tomb in the crypt, received 2.5 million visitors last year, representing a sixth of all visits to the city’s cultural landmarks. The Casa Vicens is also a representative example of Gaudí’s architectural career. It was built between 1883 and 1885 for a family that owned a cement factory, and was one of the earliest works by this world-renowned architect.

There is an anecdote behind the construction of the Casa Batlló. It was built between 1904 and 1906 for a textile manufacturer and met with initial opposition from the municipal authorities. Today it is another of Barcelona’s architectural attractions. The crypt of the Colònia Güell, located on the outskirts of Barcelona, in the small town of Santa Coloma de Cervelló, is one of the spaces designed by Gaudí which has the most personality. It features on the Catalunya Bus Turístic’s Penedès route, making it easily accessible for visitors.

The listing of four more Gaudí buildings as World Heritage Sites now brings to nine the number of architectural works to have been granted this distinction. In 1984, it was the turn of the Casa Milà (popularly known as La Pedrera), the Parc Güell and the Palau Güell. UNESCO, however, has also turned its sights on another of the city’s great architects: Domènech i Montaner. In 1997, the Palau de la Música Catalana and the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau joined the select band of landmarks on the UN list. Barcelona has almost doubled its number of World Heritage Sites and there is no doubt that this is another reason to visit a city that has been able to preserve its landmarks in order to make them accessible to the rest of the world.

Information: www.barcelonaturisme.com

FORUM BARCELONA 2004

A new world event

In the year 2004 Barcelona launched a new-format international event which ran from 9th May to 26th September: the Universal Forum of Cultures, which centred on the core themes of cultural diversity, sustainable development and conditions for peace. The Forum was a multidisciplinary event featuring debates, entertainments, concerts, festivals, exhibitions, etc., and attracted many members of the community, and over 3,230,000 visitors. Few events register such large visitor numbers as those achieved in the last week of the event, when 349,000 people visited the Forum site. 900,000 of the total number of visitors were tourists, making the Forum a great complement to the city’s tourist attractions in 2004.

The event involved the participation of 6,396,000 people, including the members of the community who visited the site and those who took part in the activities organised in Barcelona within the framework of the Forum.

The Forum can be assessed according to its visitor numbers, but also from the viewpoint of the appeal of a new idea, which the Mexican city of Monterrey will be in charge of bringing to fruition in 2007, and which is being studied by Amsterdam, Fukuoka, Durban and Suwon for the year 2011.

The Forum, the exhibition of the people and values, has established Barcelona as an international benchmark of culture and leisure. Among the events of 2004, the community and tourists alike were able to enjoy four major exhibitions: Voices, which focused on human communication and linguistic diversity ; Inhabiting the World, about the relationship between humans and their environment; Cities, Corners, a reflection on cities and their social, economic, cultural and political function; and the Terracotta Warriors of Xi’an, the largest exhibition of Chinese funerary art ever organised in Europe. Out of all the exhibitions, the latter proved to be the most popular with the public and received 1,116,430 visitors.

The city’s’ cultural facilities, museums, theatres and concert halls, were also Forum venues. The exhibitions hosted as part of the Forum programme in the city attracted over one million visitors.

47 congresses for debate The Forum venue hosted 47 dialogues (congresses), which discussed the main problems facing humankind. A total of 67,423 people took part in the 25

discussion sessions, 32.1% of them from other countries. Of the 2,371 speakers, we highlight the participation of Mikhail Gorbachov, Salman Rushdie and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.

The Forum was a new event based on a new format which Barcelona has brought to the world. It has bequeathed to Barcelona the ability to practice culture, tolerance and dialogue. According to the organisers, the Forum visitors gave the event well-above-average ratings, and three out of four people said they would visit again.

The Forum has also left a vast legacy in the shape of an impressive array of public buildings and infrastructures, such as the Barcelona International Convention Centre, the Forum Building and the Plaza, which won the prize for the project that best integrated public space sustainably with the city’s infrastructures at the last Venice Biennale.

The Forum was organised by Barcelona Municipal Council and the Catalan and Spanish governments, under the auspices of UNESCO.

For further information: www.barcelona2004.org

TURISME DE BARCELONA

Turisme de Barcelona is a consortium created by Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Shipping and the Barcelona Promotion Foundation in order to promote our city as a tourist destination

Turisme de Barcelona carries out promotional, communication and marketing campaigns in the principal international source markets, targeting different world market segments which fall within its sphere of interest (conventions, cruises, holidays, cultural activities, etc.). It provides the tourist sector in the city with the chance to participate actively in its promotions by providing services and by presenting its products internationally. This strategy is reflected by the considerable growth in overnight stays, which has risen from 4.7 million in 1994 to 11 million in 2005.

Turisme de Barcelona also markets a wide range of products which are available through tour operators, or directly through its tourist information offices, so that visitors can enjoy Barcelona to the full.

ENJOY BARCELONA

BARCELONA BUS TURÍSTIC Discover the city at your own pace on the Barcelona Bus Turístic’s fleet of double-decker vehicles. The service runs on two routes and you can get on and off as many times and for as long as you like with the same ticket. One- or two-day tickets are available and are issued with a discount voucher booklet offering reductions at the city’s main sights. A courier travels on board the bus to assist with any questions you may have.

CATALUNYA BUS TURÍSTIC The Catalunya Bus Turístic takes you to the cities of Figueres/Girona and on the Montserrat,Winery & Sitges itinerary, on buses which depart from the Catalan capital. The new service offers two routes which operate with the same philosophy as the Barcelona Bus Turístic, as the service is complemented with discounts and free offers at most of the cultural facilities at the cities visited, as well as shops and restaurants.

The trips run every day, except on Monday, and depart at 8.30am from the Plaça Catalunya, and return to Barcelona in the evening. Tickets for the two routes cost 60 euros each, and include guides, free admission and discounts at most cultural venues, shops and restaurants at the cities visited. Tickets are sold through travel agents, and at the Sarfa and Alsa bus ticket offices and Turisme de Barcelona information offices.

BARCELONA CARD Card featuring free travel on public transport, discounts and free offers at museums, leisure facilities, night-clubs, shops, restaurants and on entertainments, other services and means of transport. Valid for two three, four or five days.

BARCELONA WALKING TOURS Gothic Quarter A guided tour of the Gothic Quarter, Barcelona’s historic and political centre, led by a professional guide. The tours depart from the Turisme de Barcelona information office in Plaça Catalunya and take in the streets and squares of the Gothic Quarter.

Picasso A guided tour of the bohemian Barcelona where Picasso lived at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. A walking tour which retraces the stories, anecdotes and events that influenced the artist’s life and career. The tour ends at the Picasso Museum which showcases the most important collection of works from Picasso’s youth and formative years.

Gourmet A trip around the old quarter of the city which reveals, little by little, the ingredients which are indispensable in Barcelona gastronomy. On this trip, the visitor will become familiar with the products used in Catalan cuisine, from fruit and vegetables to “pa amb tomàquet” and “butifarra” as well as the coffee, the turrones and the chocolate.

Modernism A tour of the “Quadrat d’Or” the “Ensanche”; a special area which, at the end of the XIX century and coinciding with the modernism movement, became the centre for the affluent middle-class of Barcelona. This is a fascinating tour around a real open air museum, visiting the modernist buildings of Gaudí, Domènech & Montaner and Puig & Cadafalch among others.

MIRADOR DE COLOM A great monument built in 1888 for the Universal Exhibition, which commemorates the discovery of America. The lift inside the iron column goes up to the viewing gallery at the top, 60 metres above the city. You will enjoy breathtaking views from the sea to the mountains, and see the city’s historic buildings, new seafront, roadways and skyline.

BARCELONA BICI Barcelona Bici is a sustainable public transport service that offers an alternative means of sightseeing in Barcelona, at a human pace. This bicycle hire system has been designed with the city’s community and visitors in mind, and is available by the hour, for half a day, a full day or a weekend. The principal added value lies in the fact that Barcelona bici users can design their own tailor-made itineraries through the city, as the bicycles can be returned to any of the hire points. Ciclo 10: a card allowing bicycle hire by the hour, in a format making it possible to use bicycles on different days, at specific times, until the total of 10-hours hire time have been used up.

BARCELONA AND THE SEA A trip by sailing boat along the capital’s seafront, combining sightseeing with an introduction to the sport of sailing. The activity takes place on “Raquero” sailing boats, five metres in length. An instructor who gives explanations on how to sail the boats accompanies each group of five people. After an introductory session at the port, the boat sails out to sea for a practical sailing class, supervised at all times by the instructor.

TOURISM PRODUCTS AVAILABLE ON LINE

Turisme de Barcelona is now selling its products and services on line through its website (www.barcelonaturisme.com). This new initiative is designed to help visitors make the most of their visit to the Catalan capital and offers them the possibility of putting together their own tailor-made travel package, combining their stay with the purchase of products and room reservations.

The website www.barcelonaturisme.com. features comprehensive information about this new service. We recommend you visit the site to discover new ways of visiting Barcelona. The Barcelona Bus Turístic, Barcelona Walking Tours, and the Barcelona Card are the first products which can be purchased on-line. The website also features a comprehensive list of the city’s hotels.

The web is the best tool in order to plan a visit to Barcelona at long distance. This year, it will also include a new section which will enable visitors to make hotel reservations in Barcelona. It offers a daily service offering complementary information which will provide anyone interested in making a booking with all the necessary details to plan their stay: locating the hotel; airport connections, port, motorways and railway stations; proximity to health services, restaurants, cultural facilities... The page also informs users of the site that they can complete their hotel booking by telephone, fax, e-mail and even via a chat room hosted by professional couriers.

TOURIST ATTENTION

Turisme de Barcelona has seven tourist offices staffed by information officers who will help visitors with any questions they have about the city and its sights. The offices also sell publications by Turisme de Barcelona

and other products, such as tickets for the Bus Turístic, the Barcelona Card, Walking Tours, public transport passes, and gifts in the BCN Original shop.

TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES:

PLAZA DE CATALUNYA Pl. Catalunya, 17 underpass Tel. information: 93 285 38 34 Fax: 93 285 38 36 e-mail:[email protected] Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 9:00 to 21:00

PL. DE SANT JAUME C/ Ciutat, 2 Tel. information: 93 285 38 34 Fax: 93 285 38 36 e-mail: [email protected] Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9:00 to 20:00 Saturday: 10:00 to 20:00 Sunday and holidays: 10:00 to 14:00

SANTS STATION Pl. Països Catalans s/n. Station lobby Tel. information: 93 285 38 34 Fax: 93 285 38 36 e-mail: [email protected] Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 8:00 to 20:00 Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 8:00 to 14:00 (from 24th June to 24th September: Monday to Sunday: 8:00 to 20:00)

BARCELONA AIRPORT Offices: Terminal A and Terminal B Aeropuerto del Prat Tel: 93 478 47 04 (T. A) 93 478 05 65 (T.B.) Fax: 93 478 47 36 93 478 05 68 Opening hours: Monday to Sunday: 9:00 to 21:00

INFOPISTA MONTSENY Área de Autopista del Montseny sud, km 117, autopista A-7 (E-15) Llinars del Vallès Tel: 93 841 34 24 Fax: 93 478 05 68

RAMBLA OFFICE Rambla dels Estudis, 115 (Poliorama) Daily from 9:00 – 21:00.

Mobile Information Booths

SAGRADA FAMILIA BOOTH Pl. Sagrada Família Daily from 10:00 - 16:00. (from July to September from 10:00 - 20:00)

COLOM BOOTH Portal de la Pau, s/n Daily from 9:00 – 19:00.

PL.ESPANYA BOOTH Pl. Espanya Daily from 10:00 – 16:00. (from July to September from 10:00 – 20:00)

ESTACIÓN NORTE BOOTH Estación del Norte Ali-bei,80 Monday to Saturday from 9:30 – 14:30

PL. CATALUNYA BOOTH Pl. Catalunya Daily from 10:00 – 20:00.

BARCELONETA BOOTH Pg. Joan de Borbó, s/n (Almirall Cervera) From June to September daily from 10:00 – 12:00. From October to May from 10:00 – 20:00. Weekends and holidays.

WTC BOOTH Moll de Barcelona, s/n (opposite South Terminal) Opening hours according to the arrival of cruise ships.

CRUISE TERMINAL

North Terminal (World Trade Centre) South Terminal (World Trade Centre) Terminal A, B, C and D (Adjacent Quay) Opening hours according to the arrival of cruise ships.

To find out more about...

History www..bcn.es/english/laciutat/barcelona/welcome.htm Catalan culture www.cultura.gencat.es Economy www.cambrabcn.es Architecture www.bcn.es/urbanisme Picasso www.museupicasso.bcn.es Miró www.bcn.fjmiro.es Tàpies www.fundaciotapies.org