Barcelona, a dynamic and welcoming city
Barcelona, the centre of a large metropolitan region, is a creative, modern, cosmopolitan and welcoming city with a long-standing industrial and trading tradition.
The capital of the Mediterranean region, it is one of the largest urban, economic and business centres in Europe and it is closely related to the markets of the EU, Latin America and the Middle East.
Thanks to its privileged location, essential for communication between Spain and France, and its economic, social, tourist-centred and cultural dynamism, its influence extends over a large part of southern Europe. It has been the headquarters of the Secretariat of the Union for the Mediterranean since 2008.
The Catalan capital has made innovation, technological and scientific development, design, shopping, gastronomy and high-quality services into basic elements of its identity, together with its significant historical, cultural, and architectural legacy.
Major events such as the 1888 Universal Exhibition and the 1929 International Exhibition, the 1992 Olympic Games and the 2004 Forum of Cultures have contributed to the development and modernization of the city and its large surrounding area.
Barcelona, a global city, is associated with a powerful brand that is renowned throughout the world.
World congress destination
Hotel beds
European technological hub
Best European city in terms of cultural infrastructures
Are you looking for a hotel?
Barcelona has a modern hotel infrastructure with more than 700 establishments of different categories and types (classical, modern, boutique, design, spa, etc.), as well as a wide range of tourist apartments.
Are you interested in sport?
The city is famous for its sporting tradition, and not just because of the 1992 Olympic Games. Don’t miss out on the chance to watch a live football match involving FC Barcelona or RCD Espanyol or to attend other sporting events (basketball, handball, tennis, athletics, motor sports, etc.).
Getaways
The climate of Barcelona is Mediterranean, with mild winters and warm summers. The city has more than four kilometres of beaches with facilities and it lies very close to the Costa Brava, Sitges, the Costa Dorada and the ski resorts of the Pyrenees.
Shopping
International firms, modern designer boutiques and traditional and classical establishments are part of Barcelona’s rich shopping experience. You can go shopping in the main commercial hubs and shopping centres and discover the municipal markets, antique shops and art galleries.
Culture
Museums devoted to Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Antoni Tàpies, the finest collection of Romanesque art in the world, contemporary art exhibitions, modernist routes, Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia church, opera and ballet at the Liceu, one of the great international theatres… Barcelona’s cultural activities are diverse and exciting.
Where to eat
Gastronomy constitutes one of the great attractions of Barcelona, due to the variety and quality of Catalan, Mediterranean and market-based cuisine and the new creative ideas of internationally renowned chefs. 30 restaurants in Barcelona have been awarded Michelin stars.
Where to have fun
Everybody is sure to enjoy themselves. Discovering the city by day is a wonderful adventure and enjoying it at night is an exciting experience, as a result of the wide array of pubs and bars with electronic music, jazz, rock, Latin music and flamenco.
Business city
Barcelona is one of the most popular cities for doing business, with a particularly high quality of life and great creative and entrepreneurial capacity. It occupies one of the leading positions in Europe in terms of technological innovation and development and it is regarded as one of the cities with the most powerful brands and the greatest future prospects.
Metropolis
Barcelona is the centre of a metropolitan region with more than five million people, the sixth largest urban agglomeration in the European Union. It has large infrastructures such as the port, the airport and high-speed trains, as well as a major network of universities, innovation and research centres and technological parks.