The first: the language. Of course! Enchanting for most people, intolerable for a few (who are probably not reading this post). You will also find different accents depending on where you find your house swap

Number two : the architecture. Unique, fantastic, stunning. You will discover from simple cottages to great castles.

Third: The French Riviera. You have probably heard of it and if you did not, then you are going to remember it. We are going to invite you to discover some of the different resorts that lie in the Côte d’Azur.

Along the way: food and wine (musts!)

Image: photo by Myrabella taken from Wikimedia Commons.

Our blog is going to continue offering ideas for your next house swap. A new country is ready to invite you to visit its Mediterranean jewels. After quite a detailed tour through the different pearls in the Spanish Mediterranean coastline, we are going to cross the borders and get some suggestions from the French cities that are bathed by the same delightful waters. Are you ready? Let’s go!

Park Güell (Parc Güell): A unique park that mixes monuments, artwork, buildings and green areas. It was designed by Gaudí, who even lived in the house that is now the Gaudi House Museum. Because Park Güell is located in a hill, it is a great spot to get stunning panoramic views of the city and the bay.

Palace of Catalan Music (Palau de la Música Catalana): This piece of Modernista architecture serves as a theatre and concert hall but is open to a reduced number of visitors every day.

The Magic Fountain: Created by Carles Buigas, it was destroyed during the Civil War and Buigas himself participated in its reconstruction. In the 1990s it was renovated to offer a light and sound show.

Here is a map to help you find the places mentioned in this post and other interesting areas worth a visit:

Map of Barcelona’s most interesting sights.

Remember:
- Museums: the National Museum of Art of Catalonia, the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, the Picasso Museum…
- The natural background surrounding Barcelona is perfect for adventure sports or simply enjoying an afternoon in contact with nature.
- If you can take your time to walk from place to place, you are going to be surprised by the small details and corners “hidden” among the masterpieces.
- For tourism alternatives near Barcelona follow this link.

Image: Public domain image (author Dennis N) - taken from Wikimedia Commons.

Gothic Quarter (or Roman City): it is the city’s nucleus and holds a myriad of buildings and monuments that stand as displays of the city’s rich history and culture. Since there is so much to visit in this area we are going to share an itinerary created elsewhere with maps and details:

- Sant Jaume Square area
- Cathedral area
- Via Laietana area
- Plaça Sant Felip Neri area

We also mentioned Barcelona’s Cathedral in previous posts, but there are other religious buildings that will be attractive to those who admire fine architecture, we will mention two that you should not miss:

The Sagrada Familia church (Temple of the Holy Family): Still under construction. Gaudi’s masterpiece continues to stand as a symbol of Barcelona, if not the main symbol.

Santa Maria del Mar church: It is the only church that has all its exteriors in Catalan Gothic style, but its interior design is delightful in its own with the highlight of its exceptional acoustics.

Reaching the end of this post we can say there is going to be at least a second part to Barcelona’s buildings and monuments

Image: Public domain image (author Germanramos) - taken from Wikimedia Commons.

Aquarium Barcelona - aquariums are always a nice place to visit with children, their fascination with animals makes adults become enthusiastic again. The Aquarium Barcelona has a diverse offer when it comes to entertainment and education activities, like interactive workshops, guided visits and theatre performances. It is the home of over 11000 animals from 450 different species waiting for you to discover them.

Barcelona Zoo - It portrays itself as more than a mere display of animals, trying to become a place for the conservation of biodiversity within the city, raising awareness on the current problems faced by the different species and issues related to climate change. It has a special area for children called “The Farm” (La Granja) where they can come in contact with farm animals as if they were in a real farm.

Barcelona Maritime Museum - Devoted to conservation and education of things related to marine culture, its educational programme alone makes it an  excellent place to visit with curious children.

Image: By Nadina (CC-BY-SA-3.0) - taken from Wikimedia Commons.

Lined with trees, decorated with an wave-like pavement design and a mosaic by Joan Miró, entertained by street performers, serviced by cafes, restaurants, kiosks, flower stands, street markets and souvenir shops, the Ramblas are active from dawn until long after dusk.

Strolling down the Ramblas and the side streets you can find other points of interest like the Gran Teatre del Liceu (the Licee’s Grand Teatre), the Palau de la Virreina, the Centre d’Art Santa Mònica (Santa Monica Art Centre), the Palau Moia, Barcelona’s Cathedral, the Boqueria Market (Mercat de Sant Josep), the Maritime Museum, the Contemporary Art Museum, the Centre of Contemporary Culture, the fountain of Canaletes, the Drassanes, and several beautiful squares like Royal Square, Saint Jaume Square and Catalonia Square.

Image: by Srsteel [CC-BY-2.5 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons.

The Spanish F1 Grand Prix is one of the international motor sports events that takes place at the Catalonia Circuit in Barcelona. The first Spanish edition held in the Catalonia Circuit was on September 1991 and has been an annual event since, along with the current Grand Prix of Catalonia which is part of the Motorcycling World Championship.

The Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell Conde de Godó Trophy is an ATP World Tour 500 event that for its 60th edition will have the top Spanish tennis players and foreign contestants in the court giving their best to end Rafael Nadal’s winning strike.

Barcelona 2012, the World Junior Athletics Championships, will receive in the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium on Montjuïc over 2000 young athletes from around the world.

Dates for 2012:
-> Spanish F1 Grand Prix - 11-13 May.
-> Grand Prix of Catalonia (Moto GP) - 1-3 June.
-> Tennis - Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell Conde de Godó Trophy: 21-29 April.
-> Athletics - 14th IAAF World Junior Championships 2012: 10-15 July.

Image: David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Speaking of sports, football (soccer for our US readers) is the main attractive in the city these days with Barcelona FC, one of the best teams in the world, playing each week for the local tournaments or international championships with world renowned stars delighting fans in the field like Messi, Xavi or Iniesta. Barcelona FC displays all its many trophies in a museum that can be accessed by paying a ticket that includes the privilege of visiting their stadium, the Camp Nou (New Field), the largest in Europe.

Golf courses: golf is a sport that has conquered many fans worldwide in the last decades, and Barcelona is not behind to cover the needs of its residents and visitors when it comes to offering good golf courses, some with stunning views of the Mediterranean or in more quiet nearby towns.

Image: Phaitoon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Barcelona is the largest European metropolis bathed by the Mediterranean Sea. As such, it is active in every field of human activity: commerce, entertainment, science, arts, sports, communications and, last but not least, leisure.

We will start with the relaxing beaches. Barcelona has seven main beaches that from east to west are: Sant Sebastia, Barceloneta, Nova Icaria, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella and Llevant. The Olympic Harbour separates Barceloneta and Nova Icaria and marks the division between the eastern older, largest and more popular beaches and the newer ones opened as result of the changes made when the city hosted the 1992 Olympic Games. We are inclined to recommend you pay at least one visit to Barceloneta or San Sebastia to enjoy their calm waters and golden sand, but all of them have good services to ensure a comfortable stay and the Mediterranean waters will do the rest.

Image: public domain image taken from Wikimedia Commons.

View from Mount Tibidabo

Some of the things to enjoy in Barcelona:

The Gothic Quarter
La Rambla
Sagrada Familia Church
Park Güell
Palau de la Musica Catalana
Museums: the National Museum of Art of Catalonia, the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, the Picasso Museum
Beaches: seven main beaches in over 4 Km of coastline, including the artificially maintained ones opened to host the 1992 Olympic Games.
Sports: the main attraction would be Barcelona F.C., one of the top football teams in the world, but the natural surroundings are suited for adventure sports and enjoying nature as well.
Aquarium Barcelona

There are 560 homes in Barcelona registered in HomeForHome, are you ready to plan you next holiday? Your Mediterranean vacation may be just a few clicks away.

Image: Oliver-Bonjoch - taken from Wikimedia Commons.