El Born district has become one of the most delightful, surprising and enigmatic neighbourhoods of Barcelona. Anyone who has walked among its streets would have fallen completely under its spell. This is an exquisite neighbourhood that radiates beauty and magic everywhere you look: the Ciutadella Park, its intrinsic and winding streets, its wonderful Rambla, the fascinating church of Santa Maria del Mar or the modern market of Santa Caterina. Everything there is special!

What now is known as “el Born” was once called the “Ribera” (the Bank) neighbourhood of medieval Barcelona. It was so named due to a huge irrigation ditch that crossed the quarter and brought water in from the Besós River. In the Ribera neighbourhood merchants and sailors used to live together, but as time passed by palaces were built that nowadays are home to some important museums, such as the Textile and Clothing Museum (located in the Marquises of Llió Palace), the Barbier-Mueller Pre-Columbian art Museum (located in the Nadal Palace) or the famous Picasso Museum (located in the Aguilar Palace).

El Born is currently the most fashionable neighbourhood of Barcelona and it offers a wide range of leisure and culture: hundreds of pubs, design restaurants, unique boutiques, art galleries, museums, parks and theatres. In addition, it preserves its medieval structure almost intact.

El Born district is situated between Via Laietana and La Barceloneta Quarter. Its main street is the Paseo del Born, a beautiful boulevard flanked by bars, restaurants and shops and dominated by the square which is home to the Gothic cathedral Santa Maria del Mar, undoubtedly the most appreciated jewel of the neighbourhood.

Montcada Street houses, among others, some of the most visited museums in Catalonia such as the Picasso Museum. The adjacent narrow streets have an intense medieval air. There are many shops along with design and craft workshops.

The famous Palau de la Música Catalana, designed by the architect Domenech i Montaner, is also in located in this quarter. The beautiful modernist building is a compendium of the best architecture in Catalonia. Close to the Palau is the Santa Caterina market. This is the last market built in Barcelona by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue. The famous corrugated and colourful ceramic roof and the charm of the place have made it a mandatory stop for any visitor to Barcelona.

Finally, another of the great treasures of el Born district is the great Parc de la Ciutadella once a site of a former military citadel. It still retains some military installations such as the arsenal, the governor’s palace which is now a school, and the chapel. The huge park houses the Zoology Museum, in addition to the Barcelona Zoo, the Geology Museum, the Umbracle – a greenhouse made of brick and wood, and the Hivernacle – made of glass and iron that houses a café. In addition, there is a lake where you can hire small rowing boats and many fountains, one of them by Antoni Gaudí. Every year from April 1st the Spring Festival is celebrated here. There are workshops organized, shows, festivals, performances and games for both young and old.

Find out why el Born is the most beautiful neighbourhood of Barcelona and the most visited by tourists. Rent Apartments in Barcelona and enjoy the best district of the city.

Formula 1 has always been a sport with great emotions. High octane racing, thrills and spills, adrenalin and temperamental drivers have always been the order of the day in Formula 1 racing. On 8th – 10th May 2009 the Formula 1 Gran Premio de España will take place at the Catalonian circuit of Montmelo.  With the Spanish Grand Prix being next in line after last weekend’s Bahrain race, things are certainly hotting up within the F1 community.

With Ross Brawn’s diffuser having been given the all-clear by the FIA the race to provide a car that can compete with Team Brawn is well and truly on. With the Toyotas and Williams cars not too far behind that just leaves the McLarens, the Ferraris, Renaults and Red Bulls to get their game on in this thrilling season.

To be honest though, it looks like the McLaren cars will be catching up pretty quickly as they already had a car half built for the new diffuser but didn’t use it as they were still reeling by what happened two years ago involving the “Stepneygate” scandal. This was when Nigel Stepney, a senior mechanic at McLaren was “handed” some interesting technical documentation on the Ferraris. Whether McLaren used that information to their advantage is another matter. The other teams will probably have to build their cars from scratch as they all hoped that Ross Brawn’s diffuser would be banned by the FIA.

The Spanish Grand Prix at Montmeló has always been a favourite in the F1 calendar as it’s usually in May when it takes place. The weather in Barcelona is usually quite warm and it’s the 5th race in the calendar so the drivers are quite comfortable with their new cars and ready to take on the Catalan Montmelo circuit.

Jensen Button has it all to do and he could well be the surprise champion of this year’s competition if all goes to plan. The British driver has not had the best of times in F1 either. It’s a case of a great driver not getting the right car. A similar thing is happening with Fernando Alonso. The double world champion has not had a decent drive for two years now and last year could almost be called a sabbatical year for him as the Renault cars were just not competitive enough to make a dent on the championship. Let’s hope the Renault’s can perform a bit better for him this year!

Montmelo should certainly see some changes in most of the top cars as it’s almost always been a reference for the F1 teams whereby they’ve “ironed out” most of the defects and troubles that the cars usually present at the start of the season.

Are you up for the thrill of motor racing and the excitement of Formula 1? Of course you are! Why not rent apartments in Barcelona and enjoy what could be one of the most thrilling races this season.

On April 23rd Catalonia celebrates one of its holidays with most character; the famous and charming day of Sant Jordi (St George’s day). In one way or another, this day has always been closely linked to the literary traditions, and in 1996 UNESCO declared the “International day of the Book “. But April 23rd is not only famous for the Sant Jordi legend; it also commemorates the death of two great writers, Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare, and the death of Jorge de Cappadocia (patron of Catalonia) in the year 303.

St George’s day is like St Valentine’s Day in Catalonia. This way, many couples exchange books and roses as a token of love. Normally, the man gives the lady a rose, and she, in return, offers a book to the gentleman. But over time this practice has modernized and everybody gives both presents to the people they love.

It is believed that the tradition of giving a rose to the beloved woman goes back to the fifteenth century. Some versions match this practice with the Fair or the Roses that took place in Barcelona in the summer. But the most popular and beloved theory is about the Catalan knights, who went eastwards and who wrote many stories about Sant Jordi. The legend tells that Saint George fought against a wicked dragon to free a queen that was to be eaten by the beast. He defeated the dragon and from the animal’s blood produced a rose as a sign of love and friendship. Since then, the men usually give a rose to the women and the women, as a sample of their gratefulness, a book.

This day has a strong testimony of the Catalan culture. There are lots of Senyeras (the red and yellow striped autonomous Catalan flags) waving everywhere. In fact, all the roses of Sant Jordi are accompanied by a Senyera and a wheat spike.

Moreover, the fact that April 23 has been named World Book Day will help with the promotion and sale of books in all cities in Catalonia all throughout the festival of the Diada. For example, in Barcelona hundreds of book stalls are assembled where people buy all kinds of books and where many authors sign their novels. Many cultural and activities are also held as well as outdoor concerts and all kinds of workshops.

Do you like literature and books? Why not enjoy this beautiful festival in Catalonia and rent the best Apartments in Barcelona and at the best possible rates. You’ll love it!

Sonar 2009, a great line-up of performers

Get your ears in tune because this year’s Sónar is going to be full of the best names in Electronic music as some new proposals from lesser well known bands. The 16th Festival of advanced music and multimedia art of Barcelona has a date: 18th 19th and 20th June 2009. Last year’s Edition of Sonar Barcelona saw around 80,000 people enjoying the best in live music along with world famous DJ’s from the world of Dance, Trance and House music to name but a few types. This year’s festival promises a great line up along with an audience to beat last year’s figures.

With still a few months to go until the festival, tickets have gone on sale at 140€. The Sónar 2009 ticket includes the Day entrance (CCCB, MACBA) to the festival from Thursday 18th to Saturday 20th June 2009 and the evening entrance ( Fira Gran Via M2) from Friday 19th till Saturday 20th June 2009. A Sónar day ticket will cost you 30€ and a Sónar evening ticket will set you back 48€. Lastly the tickets for the Lars Horntveth + BCN216 concert cost 18€ and will take place at the L’Auditori de Barcelona.

This year, the Sónar image takes the form of a short film. The central characters are surreal majorettes from the world of dreams, who have lost their bearings in the land of the living as a result of calls from a fiendish telephone booth. Check out the short video clip below.

Sonar Barcelona 2009 has selected the best emerging bands to be heard like Ray Fever, Crystal Castles, Micachu and the Shapes, Deadmaus5 or Mujava. Many of the groups coming on stage use the internet as the only means of spreading their music the festival and see the festival as their potential springboard to fame.

But there is also space for the heavyweights of the electronic music scene. One of the most eagerly awaited is that of the U.S. band Animal Collective, who are playing their only concert in Spain at this year’s Sonar festival. They will play in the SonarClub on Saturday night, just before the stellar performance of Orbital. With Orbital at the helm, the festival has been recognized as a pioneer of electronic sounds and the group which is the father of the 90’s electronic music, returns to the stage to revive some of its big hits and to introduce some of their new stuff.

The queen of the festival will be Grace Jones, singer, model, actress and muse of the 1980’s. She will sing songs from her latest album, “Hurricane” (2008), as well as previous albums. This year there will also be a space reserved for local talent such as Joe Crepúsculo, La Orquesta del Caballo Guillamino and also space called “Mechanics” for musicians who make their own instruments.

But undoubtedly the main novelty of this edition is the SónarKids, a day dedicated to children that will take place on June 21st at the CCCB. With this new initiative intended to bring children to the forefront of music, many artists have added their names to the list of this event including: Mala Rodríguez, Beardyman, Laurent Garnier and Miqui Puig to name a few. Besides concerts, children can enjoy the hip-hop puppets of Puppetmastaz and participate in workshops such as DJ, skate, fingerskate, and beatboxing.

Once again, Barcelona will become the capital of electronic and experimental music and from 18th to 20th June the Catalan city awaits you with open arms. Rent the best apartments in Barcelona and enjoy your stay to the full while at the same time discovering one of the best music festivals in the world – Sonar Barcelona 2009!

Chinatown, Red Light District, Arrabal, Little Islamabad, Rawal or Ravalkistán: these are just a few of the nicknames for which the Raval quarter in Barcelona is known. This was once a suburb or district outside the city of Barcelona.

The district of El Raval has been one of Barcelona’s less reputable areas for years. During the night, the neighbourhood was once a refuge for prostitutes, drugs and criminals and during the daytime, was home to immigrants, smelly factories as well as a prohibited and dissolute area. Its name seems to be predestined to obscurity, but this is where we draw the true Raval character from.

Today, the Raval is one of the neighbourhoods of Barcelona with most character. It’s one of the fashionable districts, along with Borne area. The range of leisure and culture is astounding along with the latest in ethnic fusion restaurants, bars, pubs, clubs, museums and art galleries. The modern bars and clubs of the Barcelona night have moved to this area to coexist with the older style found in the Raval area. It is a modern and cosmopolitan neighbourhood that still has traces of what was here in the past – a neighbourhood of low funding, immigration and women of the night.

La Rambla del Raval is new to the neighbourhood. When you walk through this pleasant avenue, it is inevitable to look at the multitude of Arab immigrants that are dotted here and there. Most of the local people here are of Moroccan or Pakistani origin. Hence, the Raval has been known affectionately as Little Ravalquistan or Islamabad. In the rest of the neighbourhood you will find foreigners living, especially from Pakistan, Morocco, The Philippines, India, China, Bangladesh, Ecuador and The Dominican Republic to name a few places.

Today, the upper part of The Raval hosts numerous universities, the Centre for Contemporary Culture in Barcelona, the FAD (Promotion of Decorative Arts) and the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Barcelona (MACBA), which has become a great public gathering for skateboard fanatics.

One of the most famous streets in the neighbourhood is La Calle Cera. This was once a main artery where gypsies once predominated. Its name comes from the rivers of wax formed by the numerous wax candles placed before the Virgin of this particular street to protect themselves against the plague. This is the same community that gave birth to the famous rumba Catalana.

One obligatory stop for a break is the legendary Bar Marsella on Calle Sant Pau. At the beginning of the century it was an elegant café for ladies that after became the epicentre of prostitution. Also, in the street of Sant Pau, you’ll find a hidden gem tucked away: the beautiful modernist decor of the rooms of the Hostal España, designed by Domenech i Muntaner.

Raval has much to offer. The best way to discover it is by walking around its many intricate alleys and backstreets, or as they say in Barcelona, ‘ravaleando’. Why not rent apartments in Barcelona to experience the authentic flavour of the Raval.

Buskers on the streets of Barcelona

Before I went to study with the legendary Erasmus programme in Barcelona, I saw the typical Barcelona movie for all foreign students “L´auberge espagnole”.

And then I asked myself “Is Barcelona really such a crazy city” – Yes, it is!

Barcelona entices you with a very special atmosphere and the first thing that I noticed was the huge variety of buskers who are flooding the streets and little alleys of this special city. Sure that almost everyone knows the famous Ramblas and its artists who are dressed up like football-players, actors or important historical characters, such as Che Guevara. But the most fascinating thing to do is just going for a walk in Barcelona, especially in the districts of the historical centre, such as El Gótico or El Born where a lot of buskers play a variety of different instruments, from the typical Spanish guitar to drums constructed from simple plastic buckets and also very extraordinary instruments, such as a bouzouki.

If you want to enjoy a little journey through the different styles of music, you only have to switch off your Ipod and just stroll around the streets of Barcelona.

If you start your little walk at the Plaza Cataluña, first you will see a group of Peruvian dressed up as Indians and playing the pan pipes. Just a few steps forward, a Reggae Band encourages you to dance to their songs which are similar to the music of Manu Chao. From a distance you can already hear the lyrics “De Alto Cedro voy para Macané, Luego a Cueto voy para Mayarí” and when you take yourself to the Catedral de Santa Eulalia, you can already listen to the music of an older band similar to the music group Buena Vista Social

Club, and you get the impression that you were in Cuba. And when you see the older couples dancing to the Cuban music, your heart will leap for joy. If you follow the little alleys in the historical district of the Barrio Gótico, we can already hear the rhythm of entre dos aguas, and getting closer, the guitarist presents you the famous and most important songs of Rumba and Flamenco. Take a few more steps towards the direction of the port and the Godfather of Soul is waiting for you, or to tell the truth his imitator and you can’t avoid singing along with some lines of Sexmachine.

So, the journey through the different types of music seems to be endless and each day you discover a new musician on the streets of Barcelona, the city with special atmosphere. Volando voy, volando vengo vengo… The main problem is in finding Barcelona Apartments because there is a lot of demand and very few offers no matter what music we play.

Barcelona Apartments Says:
Barcelona is a charming and magic city. Almost everyone has heard about it, whether it’s because they have read something about it in a book or because they’ve seen it in a film or maybe on television, or maybe because they have been there before. Barcelona is one of the most touristic cities in the world due to Antoni Gaudi’s work, to some memorable streets such as La Rambla or Passeig de Gràcia and to its rich culture. As any other important capital, Barcelona is a bit expensive.

For this reason, some tourists avoid it and travel to smaller cities where the money is not a problem. But Barcelona hides a side to it that only a few people know about: Barcelona’s most friendly and cheap side – sometimes totally free! Discover it! If you are an art lover, don’t pay large amounts of money to visit Barcelona’s most famous museums.

Barcelona has lots of galleries and museums you can visit without paying a Euro! Just a few people know that some important museums are free once a week. The MNAC (the National Art Museum of Catalonia) is the largest art museum in Catalonia. It houses from Romanesque Catalan art up to modern art. The admission to the MNAC Museum is free on the first Sunday of every month.The Picasso Museum is the most visited one in Catalonia and it has also free admission on the first Sundays of every month. It houses early Picasso paintings and sculptures. The Caixa Forum Foundation is totally free and has a permanent contemporary art collection and two temporary exhibitions. On the Pedrera’s first floor (the famous modernist building by Antonio Gaudí), there are temporary exhibitions of renowned artists that you can visit free of charge. Many other museums offer significant discounts with different cards, such as the Student Card. In addition, all the museums are free on May 18th, the Museum’s Day.

Another free activity in Barcelona is “the cinema”. Many cultural centres, libraries or civic centres offer cinema and documentaries free of charge: take a look at the CCCB schedule and to the Elizalde House or to the Goethe-Institut programming.

To discover the most authentic Barcelona you should not miss the following neighbourhoods: Gràcia, the Raval Quarter, ant the Gothic Quarter. Through them you’ll discover a multicultural and fascinating city. Gracia has a huge leisure and cultural offer: there are restaurants, cinemas, bars and pubs everywhere you look at.
Its nerve centre is Verdi Street. Around it there are some beautiful squares filled with lovely terraces and street life. The Raval is a historic, old and traditionally poor district that has become fashionable. This is a historic, authentic area, full of life and personality. It is an active and multicultural neighbourhood that offers a wide variety of cafes, restaurants and bars. The Gothic Quarter is the heart of Barcelona, where the city was born and where the main government buildings are located. It offers a mix of alleys and squares with character and charm. It is full of shops, bars and restaurants too.

Apartments Barcelona
Barcelona Apartments recommend joining the Facebook

-“Travel and feel at home all over the world” group. There you can meet other people to share apartments. You can contact all the backpackers that go to Barcelona in order to get a cheaper apartment. In addition, discover how to move around without spending money with the following
websites:

Barcelona Gratis and
Sindinero.Com