Barcelona offers its visitors a wide range of leisure and relaxation activities. A good way to get to the heart of this cosmopolitan city is to lose yourself in Las Ramblas. Located between the Plaza de Catalunya, in the centre of the city, and the old port, it contains a host of businesses, restaurants, press stands and street actors. From here you can also admire the El Liceo theatre, La Boquería market or the Virreina Palace.
This route ends when you reach the old port, right by the statue commemorating Christopher Columbus. Near this port is the Maritime Museum, a must-see attraction for those interested in exploring the naval history of the Mediterranean.
Returning to Las Ramblas, the historical centre is very close by. Barcelona Cathedral, the Plaza de San Jaime or the gothic suburb are some of the architectural delights to be admired.
Barcelona is one of the European cities with most to offer in cultural terms, both with temporary and permanent exhibitions.
Museums: The Sagrada Familia museum is the most visited museum in the city. It is a neo-gothic building created by the architect Antonio Gaudí, who was also responsible for La Pedrera, a construction of irregular walls which attracts many tourists. The FC Barcelona museum is another of the most popular museums in the capital. Its whole collection is related to the king of sports, football.
Güell Park. This was one of the unfinished works of Gaudí. The initial plan was to urbanise the area, although it ended as the current park. The flights of stairs leading to the park are the aspect which attracts most attention from visitors, since they give the impression of dividing into streets. The Doric temple and the Greek theatre are also major attractions in the park.
Ciutadella Park, one of the largest green spaces in the city, located next to the Olympic Village. It houses some of the most important buildings for public life in Barcelona, such as Barcelona Zoo, the Parliament of Catalonia, the Zoology Museum, the Geology Museum, the Verdaguer Institute, the Umbracle and the Hivernacle.
The Gothic Cathedral was built in the 16th century, although the façade and the dome date from the 19th century.
The Main Royal Palace originally belonged to the Counts of Barcelona. The story goes that this is the building where Christopher Columbus met the Catholic Kings on his return from America.
The Episcopal Palace, built in a late Romanesque style, dates from the 17th century.
The Archdeacon's House, location of the city's historical archive, was built in the 15th century on Roman fortifications.
The most striking features of the Generalitat Palace, whose façade mixes the gothic and renaissance styles, are its gothic stairways and patios.
The City Hall Palace also presents a mixture of styles, with its gothic patio and Neoclassical façade. The Chronicles Room also attracts much interest.
The Catalan Music Palace, work of the architects Domenech and Muntaner, is notable for its modernist style concert hall.
 The lands of Barcelona have been the base for settlers since the 7th century BC. However, it wasn't until the 8th century that it began to grow as a city, remaining one of the main Mediterranean powers for centuries, alongside Genoa and Venice.
During the 15th century it suffered a major decline due to the tensions generated with Castile following the marriage of Fernando of Aragon and Isabel of Castile. This decline lasted for several centuries, until at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, the industrialisation of Barcelona began. The economic, cultural and social peak came with the first Universal Exhibition which was held in Barcelona in 1888, after which the city leaders came to see that a good way to develop the city, attract visitors and become known around the world was to organise these types of events.
Therefore, at the end of the 19th century, the residents of Barcelona became immersed in new ways of life and leisure based around sports. At this time, clubs such as FC Barcelona, RCD Espanyol and the Barcelona Royal Tennis Club came into existence.
Barcelona paid a heavy price for its support of the Republicans during the war, in which it was bombed, a situation which was upheld by the subsequent dictatorship, with the prohibition of all expressions related to Catalan and its culture.
Following the Barcelona 92 Olympic Games, the city grew and re-developed. This event provided an economic boost, and many new buildings were constructed and reforms carried out. Barcelona is currently a modern and cosmopolitan city attracting culture lovers from both Spain and abroad.
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