Art & Mediterranean

Barcelona

Gaudí, Streets & Sunshine

The pulsating metropolis of Spain on the Mediterranean combines gothic charm with modernist architecture – from Sagrada Família and Park Güell to Casa Batlló and the lively La Rambla. Barcelona is a city where art, culture and joie de vivre coexist side by side.

Discover places

0 Residents

0 km² Area

0 M Tourists per year

1117 Founded

Barcelona – The City on the Mediterranean

About the City

Barcelona – The City on the Mediterranean

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia and, with around 1.6 million residents, the second-largest city in Spain. It lies on the Mediterranean coast and stretches over 101 square kilometres between the coastal hills and the hills of Park Güell. For over 2,000 years Barcelona has been the cultural, economic and political centre of eastern Spain.

The city was founded by the Carthaginians in the 3rd century BC as Barcino and developed over the centuries into one of the most important trading centres in the Mediterranean. In the 19th century Barcelona experienced a massive industrial revolution, and in the early 20th century Modernisme – with Antoni Gaudí as its greatest icon – shaped the entire cityscape.

World-famous are the modernist architecture, the Gothic Quarter, the lively streets, the stunning beaches and the unmatched joie de vivre. No wonder the city attracts around 10 million international visitors every year.

Places