The End

The route has now come to an end,
I hope you have enjoyed it and
it has helped you to learn more about the amazing city of Barcelona.

The route has had things for many types of travellers, and there is something for everyone;
there is

sightseeing
some shopping
a beachday
museums
an amusement park
amazing buildings and views
cuisine
activities.

Museums

If you're interested in art, culture amd history, here are some museums you might want to visit.

~The MACBA (the museum of modern art)

~The CCCB has good exhibitions on every month.

~MNAC (museum of Catalan art) has a beautiful exterior as well as interior.

~The Caixa Forum is another museum which has different kinds of art exhibitions every month.

~There are also Picasso and permanent Dali exhibitions in the Gothic quarter.






If you like culture and history you may also want to visit the Gothic Cathedral in the Gothic quarter.

The events

Barcelona has many events to offer, and there are many music venues for different audiences.

There is Razzmatazz which is a huge club with also live music. There are five distinct spaces with different music, and the program is different on different weekdays. See the website to get more information about the performances and prices.

There is also Bikini club which has different nights and events. The rooms are playing hip hop, lounge and Latin music.

A place called London Bar also offers live music every night. This bar was once frequented by Picasso and Hemingway.

A different kind of venue is Gran Teatre del Liceu, a opera house which has an elegant and decorative 2,292-seat auditorium. Here you can listen and watch opera performances. See the website for more information about the shows and prices.
The opera house is located on La Rambla -street.

Other places you may want to visit in Barcelona

Parc de la Ciutadella

A large park close to the centre of Barcelona. There are wide promenades, flowerbeds, palm trees, fountains and sculptures. There is also a zoo, several museums and a spot where you can hire a rowing boat.
You could easily spend a 7th day here.
You can get here by taking a bus to the central bus station (Estacio del Nord)
or take a metro L1 line to the "Arc de Triomph" station.

Placa Reial

Placa Reial is a square that is located just off to Ramblas. (Hotel Kabul is also located on this square.) The square is surrounded by several bars and pubs so both the tourists and the locals gather the on the night time to eat or drink and to socialize.
You can get here by taking the L3 Metro line (green line) to the "Liceu" station.

Museu Picasso

If you're interested in learning more about Picasso and his life and work.
You can get there by taking a metro either to
-"Arc de Triomph" station, L1
-"Liceu" station, L3
-"Jaume I" station, L4

Museu de Futebol

Barcelona football museum on Camp Nou, F.C. Barcelona's home stadion.

Barri Gótic - the old town own Barcelona / Ciutat Vella

Barri Gótic is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. It goes from La Rambla to Via Laietana and from the Mediterranean seafront to Ronda de Sant Pere.
Ciutat Vella is what they call the old city of Barcelona and it refers to the oldest neigbourhoods in Barcelona.

Santa María del Mar church

A Gothic church built in the 1300s, located in the Ribera district of Barcelona.
Ice bar

The Ice Bar is a lounge that is completely made of ice. If the weather get too hot, you can go there to cool off. There are coats provided for the customers so it won't get too cold.
The Ice Bar is located right next to the Somorrosto beach. You can get there by taking the metro L4 to "Vila Olimpica".

Shopping in Barcelona

In Barcelona you can find stores from the luxurious brands to the affordable chainstores.

-Shopping centres, such as:

Maremagnum, L'Illa, Glories and Diagonal Mar.

-Passeig de Gracia and Portal del Angel streets. There are also some highstreet brand shops on Las Ramblas (at the Placa de Catalunya end).

-El Corte Ingles
The department store that you can find from many cities in Spain. You can find everything from fashion to electronics, toys and things to decorate your home with from here.

-You can also check out the city markets in Barcelona. There are food, fleas and book markets in the city.


Useful information
The shops and shopping centres are usually open from 10 am to 8.30pm/9.30pm. Some shops close at 2pm for siesta and open again at 4.30pm.

The winter sales usually are from the second week of January until the end of February, whereas the summer sales usually are from the 1st of July until the end of August.

Other accommodation options

Keeping the student budget in mind...

Catalunya
A 2-star hotel located near La Rambla -street and Placa de Catalunya.
Also near Passeig de Gracia and the famous Gaudí-buildings on the street.
Since Placa the Catalunya is right next to the hotel, you hav great transport connections to the airport and other places, where ever you want to go to.
Also lots of cafés and shopping possibilities around the hotel.

Hostal La Palmera
Also a 2-star hotel, located 100m from La Rambla -street.
Placa de Catalunya is 600m away from the hotel.

Lullaby Hostel Rambla Catalunya
A hostel located on the La Rambla -street and very near the Placa de Catalunya.

Barcelona Urbany Hostel
Located next to The Sagrada Familia -cathedral.
300m from a metro station so easy to access.



And these are just a few examples of your options.
There are so many hostels and hotel from all price ranges that you can choose what is most suitable for you.

Cuisine

In Barcelona you can find many kinds of cuisine from around the world, so there is something for everyone; for those who want to stick with the familiar food and for those who want to experience new tastes.
The Catalan cuisine includes mostly seafood, meat, fish and fruit.

Seafood is definitely an important part of the Catalan cuisine as the city is located on the coast.

Tapas is also very popular in Barcelona as well as in the whole of Spain.

There is an original paella called Catalan Paella which is cooked with a Catalan recipe.

Meat also belongs to Barcelona's cuisine.



In Barcelona, the people there usually eat lunch at 14:00
and dinner at 22:00.

There are some great tapas restaurants around the Barceloneta.

You should also check out the markets, for example La Boqueria on Las Ramblas.

Antoní Gaudí

Antoní Gaudi was born on 25 June 1852 in Riudoms, Spain.
As a child child he suffered from an illness that forced him to spend a lot of time resting at home. He used this time to observe nature and this time was an important period in his life.
Gaudí moved to Barcelona in 1869 and first he enrolled at the Middle School as a free student to learn more about the elements of physics and natural history. In 1878 he obtained the official architecture diploma from the Barcelona Province School of Architecture.
After school he worked on different places with landscaping and architecture.
Gaudí’s first official commission was received from Barcelona Council, to design street lamps part of the urban equipment of the city.

He had more work as an architect after 1883 when he was commissioned with the construction of Casa Vicens, Villa El Capricho in Comillas and the continuation of the work on Expiatory Church of La Sagrada Familia.After that he was given his first major commission from Eusebi Güell, who first gave him the building of the pavilions at the Güell Estate, and then the construction Palau Güell, in Carrer Nou de la Rambla.

---And later, of course, the construction of Parc Güell.

Antoní Gaudí’s biggest projects were:

-       La Sagrada Familia

-       Parc Güell

-       Casa Batlló

-       Casa Milà

These attractions are all part of the route, and more information of them is given on those sections.

Antoní Gaudí died on 7 June 1926 after being knocked down by a tram.

Gaudí wasn’t really appreciated while he was alive, but it was after his death when his work got the appreciation it deserved. His work has become one of the most important things of the city, and Gaudí’s legacy has also been declared as UNESCO World Heritage, which will make sure his work will remain important and appreciated.

Useful information about Barcelona

• Note that Barcelona is a quite expensive city, especially if you compare with the other cities in Spain.
• The currency in Spain is Euro.
• Even though Barcelona is visited all year round, the best time (weather-wise) would be to visit it during the summer. However, you should avoid travelling there on August because that's the time when the city is full of tourists and not may locals. Autumn and winter time is the time the rainfall is highest so you might want to avoid that season.

Transport information

Here are some prices and other useful information about the different transport methods you can use in Barcelona.


Buses
There are TMB (Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona) buses that run every few minutes from 5am/6am to 10pm/11pm. Many of the routes pass through Placa de Catalunya and Placa de la Universitat. These buses cost 2€ per journey.
Metro
The TMB runs also the metro system. There are seven coulour-coded lines. A ticket for one journey (you can change the lines as many times as you want) costs 1.40€. You can buy tickets from the metro stations.
Taxi
Taxis charge 1,75€ flagall, plus meter charges of 0,78€ per kilometre.
If you are travelling to or from the airport, a further 3€ charge is added.
You can get a taxi by stopping it if you see one that is free or you can call a taxi:
93 225 00 00 / 93 300 11 00/ 93 303 30 33 / 93 322 22 22 / 704 101112.
If you decide to call a taxi, you will have to pay 3.09€ extra as a call-out charge.

Trixis
The three-wheeled cycle taxis can take 2 passengers at a time and it will cost 10€/30min or 18€/1h.

DAY 7

The seventh day is dedicated for the amusement park of Tibidabo.

Tibidabo is a mountain overlooking Barcelona. There is an amusement park and a Catholic church called Temple de Sagrat Cor.


You can get to the amusement park by taking a Touristic bus T2A from Placa de Catalunya. The bus runs from 10.15am every day the park is open.
A single ticket costs 2.80€.See their website for more information.

DAY 6

On the sixth day you will visit Camp Nou which is the home stadion for F.C. Barcelona.


You will also go to the Placa d'Espanya and see what it and its surroundings have to offer.
There is an old bullfigting arena, Arenas de Barcelona, which has now only a facade left but there is a shopping centre inside it.
There are also the two Venetian towers that are 47 meters tall and lead the way to MNAC via Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina.
You can also see to the Montjuïc from here.

The view from the roof of the shopping centre (Arenas de Barcelona)

You can see the two Venetian towers and behind those you can see som of the Montjuïc.

                                                       The old bullfighting ring which is now a shopping centre.

DAY 5

The plan for the fifth day is exciting...

First, we're heading towards the marina, which is not far away from the hostel. You can get there by foot in 5-10 minutes.

When you arrive there, the first place you will go to is..

L'Aquarium

L'Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in Europe. There is also a 80m long glass tunnel through which you can walk and see the fish, sharks and eels really close. There is a series of 35 tanks, 11,000 animals and 450 different species. It is also the most important marine leisure in the world concerning the Mediterranean .

And after the aquarium...
you can go to the next building which is a shopping centre called Maremagnum.

At Maremagnum you can find clothing shops such as Mango, Bershka, Blanco, Desigual, H&M, Oysho and Pimkie... There are also some restaurants and cafés where you can eat if you're hungry.

There is also a cinema within this area so you can go there to watch a movie in Spanish.

                                          This picture was taken outside the Maremagnum.

DAY 4

This day is for relaxing and enjoying the sun!

We are heading to Port Olimpic which was built for the 1992 Olympic Games. There are lots of bars, restaurants, modern sculptures and leisure facilities. Here you can also see the marina and the beaches. This day is dedicated for sun worship. Enjoy! So the day will be spent walking around Port Olimpic but mostly lying on the beach of Barceloneta which is right next to the Port Olimpic area.

DAY 3

Say Hello to...

La Sagrada Familia

La Sagrada Familia, the church that has been on the  process of building since 1882 and still isn’t ready. This is another building designed by Antoni Gaudí. The building of the church still follows Gaudí’s plans, even if he isn’t there anymore to lead it himself. Sagrada Familia is also one of the most important sites in Barcelona and millions of visitors go to see it every year.

Admission charges: Basilica visits are 13€ (if you want a guide or an autoguide it costs 17€). However, with a student discount it would be 11€ (without the guiding), 15€ with a guide or 14€ with an autoguide.
The admission charge only includes admission to the church, it does not include the lift up to the towers.

How to get there?

By metro; you need to take the blue line (L5) or or purple line (L2) and get off at Sagrada Familia.

Opium Mar

Located on the beach of Barceloneta as well (like Shoko club), Opium Mar is a  restaurant, a bar, and a disco. You can first have dinner here and later have drinks at the bar. There are many other bars/clubs along the beach so you can change places if you don't want to spend the whole night at the same place.

DAY 2

On the second day the trip continues to...

Parc Güell

Parc Güell is one of Antoni Gaudi’s most known creations. It is also one of the things that Barcelona is known for. The building of the park was commissioned to him by Eusebi Güell (in 1900), a Catalan industrialist who wanted to turn the area into a residential garden village. Gaudi worked on the garden village until 1914 when the project turned out to be a failure, as Güell failed to sell any houses. A few years later the property was transferred to the city and it was opened to the public as a park in 1922.

This is one the places you will have to visit when you are in Barcelona. At park Güell you can see:

               The terrace walls, bird nests built by Gaudí. The walls imitate the trees planted on them.

                                               The main terrace & Gaudí's mosaic work.

                                                             The  view from the park.

The mosaic dragon fountain at the main entrance of the park.

                                                                                                  The main entrance

                                                              The Gaudí house museum.

                                               The two buildings at the entrance of the park.

There are also some tables where you can eat and have a little picnic or you can have coffee at the café in the park. Hopefully the day will be a bit sunnier than at the times the pictures were taken.

How to get there?

-By metro, you need to take the green line (L3) get off at either Vallcarca or Lesseps.

-By bus, you need to take the bus number 24 and it will stop next to the park so just keep your eyes open so you won't miss the stop.

Passeig de Grácia

Passeig de Grácia is a shopping street with a few sights to see and visit as well. Passeig de Grácia is part of the 5km shopping line. You can find Gaudi's Casa Batllo and La Pedrera on this street.

Casa Batllo

Casa Batllo is one of Gaudí’s masterpieces and it is an important landmark in Barcelona. It is located on Passeig e Grácia. The house is now working as a museum and is open for public. The entrance fee is 18.15€ per person. The price includes an audio guide for you.

Casa Batllo is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.


How to get there?

You need to take bus number 6, 7, 17, 22, 24 or 28
You can also take the metro to the station Passeig de Grácia or Diagonal. These are on the green line (L3).

                                         The facade of Casa Batllo, designed by Antoni Gaudí.

Shoko club

A glamorous-looking club right next to the beach (On Paseo Maritimo de Barcelona). One of Barcelona's well-known clubs. Shoko works as a restaurant in the evening time so if you want you can have dinner there as well. The menu offers a fusion of Asian and Mediterranean cuisine.

How to get there?

By metro; You need to take the yellow line (L4) and get off at the Ciutadella Vila Olïmpica.

DAY 1

The route begins...

The route officially begins from the Hostel Kabul. The travellers are heading first to see the street

of Las Rambla and its surroundings. When you walk to the Placa de Catalunya, there is a Hard

Rock Café you may want to visit. On the plaza there is also a big department store called El Corte

Ingles. On the plaza there is also a well-known café called Café Zurich where you could be having

lunch. After shopping you can return to the hostel and rest for a while and start getting ready for a

night out. One of the big clubs in Barcelona is Razzmatazz. That is the place you should go on your

first night out in Barcelona.

La Rambla

This busy street is located right next to the Hostel Kabul where you will be staying at. It is a 1.2km walkway that

stretches from Monument a Colom to Placa de Catalunya. Thousands of people promenade through this lively

street. There are lots of stalls, restaurants, bars and street performers along the street.

Transport

There is a metro station at the end of the street called Placa de Catalunya and another station in the middle of

the street called Liceu.

                                                           Street performers on La Rambla

Placa de Catalunya (Catalonia Square)

This large plaza is located in central Barcelona, at the other end of the La Rambla street, so after a short

promenade on the La Rambla you will arrive at the plaza. There are many cafés and restaurants on the

plaza and there are also some interesting sculptures, and shopping places around the plaza, such as the big

department store called El Corte Ingles (there can you find clothes from High Street brands to expensive

designer clothes and cosmetics etc) and Sfera.

Transport

There are bus stops and metro stations around the plaza so it is easily approachable.

However, you can easily walk there from your hostel.

Razzmatazz

Razzmatazz is a well-known club and it is also one of the biggest clubs in Barcelona with 5

rooms playing different music so everyone should be able to find a room they like. The atmosphere at the club is

great.

The club has an entrance fee of 15 euros and the price includes a drink.

How to get there?

>20min walk from Placa de Catalunya

>5min taxi ride from Placa de Catalunya

>3 metro stops from Placa de Catalunya (L4, get off at Bogatell)

More about the route...

The route takes you to...

DAY1
1) The Hostel Kabul
This is where you will be staying during your stay in Barcelona. It is located near everything you will need and there are metro and bus stops within a walking distance. If your up for some serious partying, this the place to be!
2)La Rambla
This is one of the places you have to see in Barcelona and luckily, our hostel is located next to it! There are lots of stalls, restaurants, bars and street performes along this lively street.
3)Placa de Catalunya - El Corte Ingles - Hard Rock Cafe - Cafe Zurich
Located near the hostel, and this is the main bus stop near the hostel. Lots of cafes in and around the plaza.
4)Razzmatazz
This is a well-known club and also one of the biggest clubs in Barcelona.

DAY2
5)Parc Güell
Parc Güell is one of the famous architecture, Antoni Gaudi's creations. This one of the places you have to visit when you go to Barcelona.
6)Passeig de Grácia
This is a shopping street with a few sights to see and visit as well. Passeig de Grácia is part of the 5km shopping line. You can find Gaudi's Casa Batllo and La Pedrera on this street.
7)Casa Batlló
Another masterpiece designed by Gaudi. It is now working as a museum so feel free to go and see the interior as well.
8)Shoko club
A really nice-looking club located next to the beach! One of Barcelona's well-known restaurants/clubs.

DAY3
9)Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia is a church that has been built for 130 years and is still in process of construccion. It is also Designed by Antoni Gaudí.
10)Opium Mar
Another club to check out. Opium mar is located along the Barceloneta beach and it also has a restaurant.

DAY4
11)Port Olimpic
Was built for the 1992 Olympic Games. There are lots of bars, restaurants, modern sculptures and leisure facilities. Here can you also see the marina and the beaches. This day is dedicated for sun worship. Enjoy!

DAY5
12)L'Aquarium
This is one of the largest aquariums in Europe. There is also a 80m long glass tunnel through which you can walk and see the fish, sharks and eels really close.
13)Maremagnum
Right next to l'Aquarium is the shopping centre Maremagnum. They are located at the marina. This place is also at walking distance from the hostel.
14)Montjuïc & Anella Olimpica
Walk up towards the Font de Montjuïc, and continue your way up to see the Anella Olimpica (the Olympic Ring). This is a great place to be and watch the sunset.

DAY6
15)Camp Nou
Visit the stadion where F.C. Barcelona has its home games!
16)Placa d'Espanya
Here can you find the old bull-fighting ring of Barcelona. Now there's only a facade left but inside you can find a shopping centre. The plaza should be visited at the night time as it is lit up with the Magic Fountain in front.

DAY7
17)Tibidabo
Here is an amusement park.

More about the hostel...

More about the hostel

There are three reasons why the Hostel Kabul is the accommodation for this route.

1)   Hostel is a cheaper option than a hotel would be.

2)   The Hostel Kabul has an excellent location, near the shops, Las Rambla and bus stops and metro stations.

3)   The Hostel Kabul is known as a backpacker place so it is a great place to meet other international people.

                                                                            

The downstairs of the hostel is a common area with a pool table, a bar and some computers and tables. That is a good place to get to know other travellers. The price of a bed also includes dinner and breakfast at the hostel.The hostel also organizes transport to different clubs on different nights. So the accommodation is well worth its price.

Welcome to the route

If you are an international student wanting to experience the different sides of Barcelona, this trip is intended for you.  The route consists of the all different cultural sites and experiences Barcelona has to offer. This includes architecture, museums, amazing parks, shopping and meeting interesting people from around the world as the accommodation is a well-known hostel for backpackers. Because the route is for students the trip is intended to be as economically profitable as possible, even though Barcelona is a quite expensive city compared to other cities of Spain.

From Barcelona’s airport there is a bus that will take the passengers to Placa de Catalunya, which is located right next to the street of La Rambla. The airport bus will cost you 5.30€ for a single ticket or 9.15€ for return (this will be valid for 9 days). After arriving to Placa de Catalunya you need to walk to the La Rambla street until you see Plaza Real on the left. The hostel is on this little plaza. When all the travellers have arrived at the hostel the trip can officially begin!