Many people want to know about Barcelona’s facts since Barcelona is one of the top destinations for people who are not just fascinated by art but also cuisine, architecture, sports, and all things cultural. Here are some amazing Facts About Barcelona that you’ll love to read!
Barcelona is an amazing city brimming in history, traced to more than 5,000 BC. Barcelona is a living example of the notion that being authentic to oneself is a way to overcome the challenges of time. The city should be maintained rather than being changed or destroyed.
The appeal of Barcelona isn’t just highlighting its durability against the clock but also how it develops with technological advances that are constantly evolving. A few Barcelona facts could spark your curiosity about the mysteries that encase the city’s rich vibrancy.
Facts About Barcelona
The city is a tiny part of the entire metropolitan area.
The city of Barcelona is only 38 square miles of about 90 square kilometers of the metropolitan area, which is more than 2500 square kilometers. Still, it’s nonetheless huge with lots of incredible things to see in its corners.
Barcelona is sure to keep your palate happy.
If you’re interested in a culinary adventure If so, Barcelona is the best spot to be. Thanks to its twenty Michelin-starred eateries, the city is sure to keep you hungry. Additionally, with its fresh, local, and premium food items, Barcelona would truly turn your food expectations beyond what you could ever imagine.
It is a place that is biker-friendly
If you’re a cycling enthusiast, you’ll be impressed by the city’s the 180 kilometers of bike paths. Barcelona is among the cities with the highest number of bike lanes around the globe and currently ranks 11th on The 2015 Copenhagenize Index.
Also, read 82 Interesting Facts About Honduras
Hercules was the city’s founding father.
Hercules was believed to have established Barcelona. Barcelona, along with his brother Hermes accompanied Jason and Jason along with the Argonauts to search for gold-colored fleece. While there are plenty of theories to explain the city’s foundation, this theory is the most intriguing.
In the city, smoking marijuana is legal.
Spain has more than 700 marijuana clubs. In addition, Barcelona has half of the clubs that make the city a paradise for smokers. Tourists can enjoy cannabis. However, as the residents of Barcelona, they must adhere to legal rules and regulations.
Picasso is a product of Barcelona.
Pablo Picasso spent many years of his childhood in Barcelona and attended the prestigious art academy “La Llotja,” where his father was a professor. The Picasso Museum shows pieces from Picasso’s early years and a variety of pieces from his later artistic periods.
Barcelona is the home of legendary Chupa Chups lollipops.
Enric Bernat, the founder of the Chupa Chups lollipop company, worked for Granja Asturias, an apple jam manufacturing facility. The idea of making lollipops as the sweets that were made in the 1950s wasn’t suitable for children and could result in sticky fingers. Bernat became the new owner of the business in 1958 and changed the name to Chupa Chups. He designed the production equipment and also sold a bonbon with a stripe on a stick made of wood for just one peseta.
FC Barcelona is one of the oldest and most affluent football clubs.
Futbol Club Barcelona, also known as Barcelona, is among the oldest clubs of football that exist in Europe, with a rich history that dates up to 19 century. Together with Real Madrid, they are among the two clubs with the highest success across Europe, with a hefty collection of 91 trophies on their trophy collection. Barcelona has been awarded the 26 La Liga, 30 Copa Del Rey, five Champions League titles, and numerous other trophies from continental and domestic competitions.
Tibidabo offers a birds-ey perspective of Barcelona.
If you stand at the summit of Tibidabo mountain, you’ll feel like a magnificent bird with wings wide flying over the valley, overlooking Barcelona’s beauty. At 512m over sea level, Tibidabo can be described as the most awe-inspiring peak within the Collserola hills, which form Barcelona’s background.
The FC Barcelona Museum is the most frequented of the museums in the city.
There are more than 1,629,990 visitors who have been to the museum, which makes it the 3rd among the most frequented museum in Spain. Together with an assortment consisting of Swiss, British, Spanish, and Catalan footballers, Joan Gamper founded FC Barcelona in 1899.
Also, read 10 Interesting Facts About Pilgrimage
La Rambla is a combination of five streets merged.
La Rambla street is a well-known tourist destination. Also called the Gothic Quarter, it is the center of Barcelona. At least 150,000 pedestrians walk through this avenue every day. It is also a place with various restaurants serving Spanish food and souvenir shops. It comprises smaller parts, including Rambla de Canaletes, Rambla dels Estudis, Rambla de Sant Josep (or de the Flores), Rambla dels Caputxins and Rambla de Santa Monica.
Barcelona has 12 abandoned metro stations to go ghost hunters.
Surprisingly, many travelers who are huge fans of the supernatural and adventure will travel to Barcelona to see and discover its spooky metro stations, in contrast to the city’s colorful display of famous artworks and breathtaking architecture. Many myths and stories lurk within the city, such as stories of the haunted spots available on tours for free if you’re looking to spend a night of terror with your loved ones.
Does Casa Mila look alive?
One of Gaudi’s greatest works, the Casa Mila, is a stunning design with a structure that bends, meanders, and swims and looks like a living being. Gaudi designed Casa Mila exclusively with natural shapes and didn’t have one right angle. Additionally, he placed lifts on every 2nd floor to allow the residents of the flats to meet one another. Additionally, he wanted the residents living on different floors to get an opportunity to get to know each other.
The city is also the only city globally that has received a royal gold medal.
Barcelona was the only city awarded the Royal Gold Medal for architecture in 1999. The Royal Institute of British Architects has given this distinction to architecture each year since 1848 in the name of the British monarch to mark the significance of an individual’s or a significant contribution to the world of architecture. Its architectural style has had an enormous influence on contemporary architecture across the globe.
La Sagrada Familia is still a way off from being completed.
Gaudi, who designed the structure, believed that the top point of the city should be a god-made natural structure about Montjuic, the highest mountain in Spain. Montjuic was 984 feet higher than sea level. The building on La Sagrada Familia took around 200 years to complete using the latest technology.
They have their version of Valentine’s Day.
The people of Barcelona celebrate Saint George Day every April 23 by sharing books and presenting roses to one another. It’s an official national holiday. Catalan holiday that’s a variation to Valentine’s Day.
Barcelona has two official languages.
While Barcelona is situated in Spain, It is also the capital city of Catalonia. Spain is split into 17 autonomous regions, and Catalonia is among the 17 autonomous regions. Catalan isn’t a dialect but is a distinct language distinct from Spanish is among the languages that you can find on menus, on signs for transportation, in public spaces, and in museums throughout the city.
Barcelona is older in comparison to Rome
The city is a great spot in the Mediterranean for settlements, but the precise dates of the first settlements are not known, even though ruins have been discovered dating before 5000 BC.
Barcelona has many air-raid shelters.
Barcelona is home to around 1,400 bomb shelters built in the city and surroundings. Refugio 307 was one of the biggest and the most extravagant shelters since it could accommodate nearly 2,000 persons.
Barcelona beaches are made of artificial.
Did you know that Barcelona did not have beaches before 1992? With the city’s decision to host its first Olympic Games, the renovation of its beaches became the priority, leading to the import of a large amount of sand from overseas as the city decided to improve its industrial coastline to accommodate visitors. The city sourced the sand that was sourced from Egypt, and, today, they’re listed among the top beaches worldwide according to National Geographic.
Also, read 10 Interesting Facts About Tokyo
Its beaches are the best all over the world.
Even though it’s made of artificial sand, National Geographic still voted Barcelona’s beaches one of the best ten beaches worldwide. However, it is noted that the beaches of Barcelona are losing 6 to 10 meters of sandy beach per year. The Area Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) has studied the issue and has concluded that every year, there are decreasing amounts of sand for tourists and residents to lay on and take a stroll.
Barcelona is home to the most unique bar anywhere in the world.
The beach-goers are likely to think of sunny and sandy entertainment bars along the beach. However, did you have the knowledge that Barcelona is the first beach-side ice bar in the world? The Ice bar is located at El Somorrostro beach.
The nightlife scene in Barcelona is not boring.
Barcelona’s nightclubs are guaranteed to keep you dancing throughout the night. There are many bars and clubs in Barcelona that you can go to with your friends or with strangers.
Barcelona has resisted the Eiffel Tower.
Gustave Eiffel planned to have the Eiffel Tower in Barcelona. It was an excellent idea. However, the city was against it out of worry that it could become an eye-sore for the skyline. Therefore, the architect had to find an alternative location. Eiffel discovered a new home to build his tower within Paris, but it still received critique from Parisians and even dubbed asparagus. It has faced many criticisms but it has remained among the top well-known human-made monuments around the globe.
Barcelona is a city that has many accidents involving vehicles.
The people of Barcelona might say they are among the most dangerous drivers around since accidents occur once every 19 minutes. The majority of the population would rather get out of their cars and stroll through the city.
It is the Port of Barcelona is among the busiest ports in the world.
Barcelona is known as a destination for cruisers and that’s not a lie. Alongside its 2,000-year-old long history and culture, the port also has seven cruise terminals worldwide that have served 2.7 million people.
Barcelona is an eco-friendly city.
The city is covered by more than 68 parks and green spaces, therefore, it is certain that the air is fresher when compared with other cities across the globe. Parc de Collserola is the largest park in the world and is 22 times bigger than New York’s Central Park.
More than 8 million visitors come to the country each year.
The city is adorned with breathtaking and beautiful views as well as exquisite tapas bars. It also houses Gaudi’s most famous work. It’s the reason why people visit the city. Barcelona is among the cities that are most popular in Spain.
What is the most famous holiday that is celebrated in Barcelona?
The city hosts Fiestas de la Merce each year on September 24. It is a celebration to honor The Virgen of La Merce as the city’s patron saint and protector. This festival is held in 1687, in the middle ages, when Barcelona was plagued with an epidemic of locusts.
Also, read 82 Incredible Facts About Venezuela
Flamenco is not a common dance performed in Barcelona
Spain is proud of its renowned Flamenco dance, however, Barcelona prefers its more traditional dance called Sardana. The city hosts a number of Flamenco shows, however, the majority of the population prefers Sardana to it.
Barcelona has been banned from bullfighting
Catalans do not like bullfighting since they believe it is to be a violent game and has banned it from the city. Spain is a major place to practice bullfighting between March and September, but it’s not just the province of Barcelona that enjoys it.
Islamic faith was once the most dominant religion in the city.
While the majority of people in Barcelona declare themselves to be Roman Catholics today, that isn’t always the reality. In 2014, 322,698 people living within the region of Barcelona declared themselves to be Muslims with 217,405 of them being immigrants and more than 105,293 Spanish citizens.
La Sagrada has different architects
Gaudi wasn’t the first designer of the stunning La Sagrada Familia church, but architect Francisco de Paula del Villar was the first person chosen to create the church. It will likely require many more architects to complete it.
Barcelona has various climates
Barcelona is a city with Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate that is warm and dry winters and dry summers. The average winter temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 deg C) as opposed to summer temperatures that range from 68 degrees (20 20 degrees).
Barcelona is the city of literature.
UNESCO has declared April 23 as World Book Day. If you are visiting Barcelona with your partner on this date it is a wonderful idea to stop by cafes and bookstores because flowers, as well as books, are all over the city.
It is welcoming to LGBTQ+
Barcelona introduced the anti-homophobia law in 2014 and also legalized gay weddings to promote equality. The city has been celebrating the Pride celebrations every year in June.
The city is a magnet for tourists during all seasons.
Many people believe that the most ideal time to visit the city is during springtime however every season is different and has its own advantages and drawbacks. It is ideal for a trip during autumn, summer and winter, too.
Barcelona is home to one of the strongest supercomputers found in Southern Europe
The MareNostrum 4, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe located at The Barcelona Supercomputing Center – Centro Nacional de Supercomputacion (BSC-CNS). A chapel known as Torre Girona was turned into an actual location a few years ago in order to make room for this new technology. The Latin word Mare Nostrum is translated to “our sea,” and it weighs in the vicinity of 40,000 kg.
Also, read 50 Fun Facts About Massachusetts
Barcelona isn’t the capital city of Spain no more
Barcelona was the capital city of Spain from 1937 until 1939. The city may not be the capital of Spain in the future however it is still the capital city of Catalonia. Madrid remains the capital city of Spain and Barcelona is considered to be the capital city of Catalonia, the autonomous community of Spain.
