Barcelona's Heart: Getting to know the city

In a privileged 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 Spanish. The city of Barcelona has a population of 1.510.000, but this number spirals to more than 4.000.000 if the outlying areas are also included.

The capital of Catalonia is unequivocally a Mediterranean city, not only because of its geographic location but also and above all because of its history, tradition and cultural influences.

Brief introduction to Barcelona's history

As you may know, the city of Barcelona's been so far one of the most important cities in the Mediterranean Sea. But, where does it all come from?

The origins of the city are unclear. The coastal plain near Barcelona conserves remains from the late Neolithic and early Chalcolithic periods. Later, in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, the area was settled by the Laietani, a Thracian-Ιberian people, at Barkeno on the Táber hill ( in the present-day Ciutat Vella or “Old City”), believed to have been located on Montjuïc.

At around the same period, a small Greek colony, Kallipolis (Καλλίπολις), was founded in the region, though its exact location is unclear.

The area was occupied in 218 BC, at the start of the Second Punic War, by Carthaginian troops under the leadership of Hamilcar Marca. Up until this point, the northern limit of the Punic territories had been the Ebre river, located over 150 Km to the south. This military occupation is often cited as the foundation of the modern city of Barcelona.

During middle ages it was referred with multiple names like Barchenona Barchinona, Barchelona, and Barcalona, etc.

Barcelona's culture

Culture of Barcelona is enriched with two-thousand years' old varied heritages. Basically the city of Barcelona is known as a bi-lingual state. Barcelona natives are very much used to both Catalan and Spanish languages, and both of these languages are treated as the official language of Barcelona, whereas, in Catalonia region Catalan is the dominant native language.

The most important from a tourist point of view are:

Sardanas: Traditional Catalan dance. People meet in front of the cathedral on Sundays to dance it.

Castellers: The "castells" are impressive human towers of up to 9 "floors". They originated in the Tarragona region, although they can be seen in popular festivals in Barcelona, especially during the "Mercè".

Saint George (Sant Jordi), patron saint of Catalonia: On 23 April the Catalans celebrate Saint George's day by offering a rose and/or book, and the main shopping streets of Barcelona are filled with book stands.

Eve of Saint John's: On the 23 June, the summer solstice is celebrated with big bonfires, firecrackers and fireworks, and people eat the traditional "coca de Sant Joan" (a pastry).

La Mercè festival: This is the festival for Barcelona's patron saint, held in the week of the 24 September, the day of La Mercè. All kinds of activities are organized, for all tastes and all ages. Of particular interest is the "correfoc" (fire-breathing dragons from all over Catalonia), and the pyrotechnical music show (fireworks and classical music next to the Montjuïc fountains).

1 January: New year's day
6 January: Epiphany
April: Easter
23 April: Saint George's day
27 April: Mare de Déu de Montserrat
1 May: May Day
19 May: Whitsun
24 June: Saint John's day
15 August: Assumption Festivities of Gracia
11 September: La Diada (Catalan national holiday)
24 September: La Mercè
12 October: Columbus Day
1 November: All Saints' Day
6 December: Constitution Day
8 December: Immaculate Conception
25 December: Christmas
26 December: Saint Stephen's Day

The climate

Barcelona's location on the shores of the Mediterranean means that it enjoys a warm, welcoming climate and pleasant temperatures all year round. Here we have the average temperatures in each month in Barcelona capital:

January: 10°C
February: 13°C
March: 13°C
April: 14°C
May: 18°C
June: 21°C
July: 25°C
August: 25°C
September: 22°C
October: 18°C
November: 16°C
December: 12°C