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!

Everybody knows Barcelona as a cosmopolitan city for all kinds of tourists: whether for families, youth or old people; whether for Gaudí fans, museum lovers or people who just want to have a good time; or maybe for people who want to enjoy the Catalan sun on the beach, or taste the delicious Mediterranean food. There are an infinite number of possibilities, but what about the gay community? If you think they hide in dark bars, you are wrong! Come to Sitges, and discover the gay paradise!

Have you ever been to Barcelona on holiday? Do you think you have seen everything there? What would you say if I asked you if you have ever been to Sitges? Don’t you know this little village located 20 minutes from the city? If not, you don’t know what you’re missing! Apart from a beautiful town with amazing beaches, Sitges is the most important gay destination in Spain. This gay town stands out for its great attraction for gay people: they have all kind of bars and clubs, beaches, saunas and massage parlours, restaurants, hotels, cruising and spectacular events. In fact, they have everything they need there!

What better way to start the day than by going to a sauna to enjoy a relaxing massage? In Sitges there are more than eight saunas for gay people where they can find places to relax, to meet new people and to participate in many events, such as the “Sauna Bingo”, where they can win a “Bingo Boy”. And what does a “Bingo Boy” mean? Let your imagination take wing! After taking care of your well being, you’ll probably like to exploit your fashion side. For all the fashion victims, Sitges stands out for having many gay shops, where you’ll find the perfect outfit for a successful night. Most of the stores, whether by great designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Versace or Calvin Klein, or popular stores with low prices are spread throughout these streets: carrer Sant Francesc, carrer Parellades, carrer Major and carrer Jesus. Literature lovers will also find many gay bookstores.

After the shopping, you’ll need to rest a little bit. Why don’t you go to the beach? There you can sunbathe and meet some beautiful boys! There are several beaches according to different types of audience: Bassa Rodona Beach (for gay people), Las Balmins Beach (for gays and nudists), playa del Muerto Beach (this is only for gay people that are looking for cruising).

In addition, there are lots of cultural events especially designed for the gay community. Don’t miss the Sitges Carnival (February), the Sitges Bears week (April- May), the Santa Tecla Festival (September) or the summer parties and festivals in the Sitges beaches and clubs.

There is a huge range of offers to go party in the town: there are lots of gay bars and clubs with fantastic events and thematic nights such as the Eighties Night or Topless Night. For the gourmets among us this Catalan town is a paradise too. In recent years the number of gay restaurants has tripled. Here you can take a trip through many kinds of cuisines: Spanish, Catalan, Japanese, Thai, French and Chinese. And all of them are Gay friendly!

There are not so many places for lesbians as for gays, but girls can enjoy a great holiday in Sitges, too. In summertime many parties are held just for lesbian girls.

And what’s next? Has it left you with your mouth wide open? Travel to Sitges and rent Apartments in Barcelona. You’ll have an unforgettable experience there!

The eagerly awaited night finally arrived! Yesterday, the 81st Academy Awards in Los Angeles were held, where ‘Slumdog millionaire was the runaway winner, getting 8 of the 10 categories for which it was nominated, including Best Picture. The best movie stars paraded last night on the red carpet, including Penélope Cruz, which is the first Oscar-winning Spanish actress.

The Dany Boyle’s independent movie, ‘Slumdog millionaire‘, is at the top of the Oscar awards 2009 winners list. It has won 8 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Original Song for ‘Jai ho’. This English production was entirely shot in India with local actors. It tells the story of an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who goes to India’s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” quiz show. When he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees, the show is interrupted and the police arrest him on suspicion of cheating.

‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ did not have so much luck. It had 13 nominations, but it only won 3: Best Art Direction, Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects. The success of Boyle’s movie eclipsed completely Fincher’s movie, which was the film with the highest number of nominations.

Kate Winslet picked up the Best Actress award for her role in ‘The Reader’. She was the favourite to win the award after wining at the Golden Globes for the same role. The actress, who has been nominated on five other occasions, said pointing to her Oscar: “This would have been a shampoo bottle. Well it’s not a shampoo bottle now.”

Sean Penn scooped the Best Actor prize for his role as assassinated gay official Harvey Milk in ‘Milk‘ ahead of hot favourite Mickey Rourke. It is the second Oscar for Penn, who won the same award in 2003 with ‘Mystic River‘.

Penélope Cruz took the award for best Supporting Actress for her amusingly volatile performance in Woody Allen’s film, ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona‘. Cruz is the first Oscar-winning Spanish actress. She dedicated her prize to her friend Pedro Almodóvar, to Woody Allen, and to other Spanish directors such as Fernando Trueba and Bigas Luna. This is the second Oscar nomination to the Spanish actress. She said she was so nervous she thought she might faint, but she didn’t. She gave part of her speech in Spanish.

Finally, Heath Ledger won best supporting actor for his performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. His family picked up the award for him.

If you love cinema, you should travel to Spain and learn more about the best Spanish movies, actors and directors. Rent Apartments in Barcelona and discover where ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona‘ was shot.

Antoni Gaudi is one of the greatest figures in the history of Spanish and Catalan architecture. Seen as the genius of the Modernist movement (Art Nouveau), his work was not only a product of the social context of the time, but also of his own personality and devotion to the Catalan culture.

He was born in Reus in 1852 and received his Architectural degree in 1878. Almost his entire professional life took place in Barcelona, where the greater part of his work is. Gaudi’s biography is closely related to the Güell family, which had huge prestige in artistic circles at this time in Barcelona. For this reason, he built for them some of his most important works such as the Palau Güell, the

Park Güell or the Colonia Güell.

One of his most important aspects was his capacity as a designer: he wanted to create architectural space using wrought iron, stained glass, furniture, sculptures, mosaics, ceramics, etc – within an organic decorative concept.

This added an important element to his buildings which is often overlooked by architects, the use of colour. Gaudi’s work was greatly influenced by forms of nature and especially by the sea, which was one of his favourite inspirations. The absence of symmetry is an important characteristic in Gaudi’s work. As in nature, nothing in his buildings or furniture is absolutely identical, thus giving the impression that it is made of a plastic material.

His most well-known works of architecture are:

Sagrada Familia: he dedicated his life to carrying out this ambitious project which he left unfinished in 1926 when he died – and it’s not expected to be completed for another 30 to 80 years. This monumental church dedicated to the Holy Family is Gaudi’s most famous work and a worldwide symbol of Barcelona.

Parc Güell: it was commissioned by Eusebi Güell, who wanted to create a stylish park for Barcelona’s aristocracy. It is a magical park with amazing buildings, sculptures, and tile work. Watch out for Gaudi’s old home in the Park which is now open to the public as a small museum. UNESCO declared Parc Güell a place of World Heritage in 1984.

Casa Batlló: Casa Batlló and La Pedrera are the two great buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi on Passeig de Gracia. The colourful Casa Batlló is known for its elaborate decoration and forms derived from nature. From the outside the façade of Casa Batlló looks like it has been made from skulls and bones.

Casa Milá: better known as La Pedrera because of its cliff-like walls was built between 1906 and 1910 for the Milà family. Casa Milà was classified as World Heritage in the 1984 UNESCO Catalogue. It has an aquatic feel: the balconies resemble seaweed and the undulating façade the sea, or rocks washed by it.

There are some of Gaudi´s lesser-known, beautiful contributions that you shouldn’t miss such as the Gigantic Fountain (Parc de la Cuitadella), the Three Graces Fountain (Plaça Reial) and the amazing wrought-iron embellished street lamps that line the streets in the heart of the city (Plaza Reial, by Las Ramblas, Passeig de Gracia and the old port entrance).

Antoni Gaudí died in Barcelona run over by a tram on 10th June 1926. Probably some of Gaudi’s greatest works are the most visited attractions in Barcelona. They have deeply influenced the face of Barcelona Architecture and you will see Gaudi’s work all over the city. Do you want to discover it?

Rent Apartments in Barcelona and enjoy these superlative and original works of architecture.

Lomography in Barcelona

Let’s travel back to Russia and the old city of Leningrad in 1982, at the end of the Cold War. The Russian general Petrowitsch Igor Kornitzky is showing off a brand new model of Japanese to the magnate of Russian cameras, Lomo. Soon after, the communists decide to build the model, but supposedly better. Thus was born the Lomo Kompakt camera that inadvertently became in charge of documenting the last vestiges of the communist era. The legend also states that the spies of the KGB used these cameras for capturing potentially interesting documents and as they did not require flash were ideal for working in the dark. Whatever was the case, the only thing we for sure is that every respectable Russian citizen had a Russian Lomographic camera in their home.

In 1991, shortly after the fall of the Berlin wall, a wave of Austrian art students took advantage of the opening up of Eastern Europe and went on holiday to Prague. There they discovered some Lomographic cameras. On developing the films inside the cameras they found a collection of photographs around the size of 10×15 with brown edges and faded colours. Some of them were blurred, others surprised the students with their bright colours, and others captured movement. What appeared to be a toy camera had become a social and cultural movement of the most experimental kind. The Lomographical society was then setup and its main objective was to promote this new philosophy and lifestyle. This Lomographic spirit tries to capture the spirit of our everyday lives and turn them into works of art. The result is surprising which also enables us to create all sorts of textures and colours, as well as awaken our hidden poetic and melancholic spirit or our more cheerful and witty personality.

The year 1994 arrived and the first exhibitions devoted to Lomographics simultaneously took place in the cities of New York and Moscow. Since then the movement spread throughout the world and Barcelona, a vanguard city par excellence, inaugurated its first Lomographic cameras store. Tucked away in a street in the lovely Born area of Barcelona we find the charming Lomoshop (c / 2 Mirallers left. Vigatans). The visit is almost mandatory for photography or art followers.

You will surely come out of the store with a Lomographic camera in hand, and you’ll be pushed to remember the exact moment you decided to buy as the packaging and designs of the cameras are simply irresistible. If you’re tired of the conventional photo album and you’d like to have an unforgettable memory of the city of Barcelona, we recommend that you get yourself a Lomographic camera, and start capturing the beautiful people of Barcelona, its mysterious streets of the old quarter, its emblematic monuments, the sea and its beaches through the lens of an original Lomo. Furthermore, it is not necessary to be an expert in photography; all you have to keep in mind is the golden rule of motion – always carry your Lomo camera and shoot!

Thanks to the wonderful climate and weather that Barcelona enjoys, it hands us the opportunity to walk and play around with our new camera. After a long day photographing the city you can relax in one of the best apartments in Barcelona. You will find many different options available at apartments in Barcelona.

Barcelona will once again host on 21st, 22nd and 23rd January the most important trade fair for street fashion and urban informal wear worldwide. Wednesday will open the season of autumn and winter with Bread & Butter and thousands of visitors from around the world will flock to the city to not miss out on the trendiest show at the moment. Many repeat their visit and it is the most important street and urban wear trade fair in this particular sector.

Each year thousands of people visit the Bread & Butter to witness the recent trends in this sector of fashion. The Bread & Butter trade fair, in fact originated in Berlin, but since a few years ago, Barcelona has played host city because of the incredible success of its first edition. Since then its success has been continued and is growing.

At the Bread & Butter trade fair expect to find a myriad of brands and labels: A-Style, Pepe Jeans, Custo, DNKY, Converse, Onitsuka, Reply, G-Star, Calvin Klein … among others. Nevertheless, Bread & Butter is a space dedicated to the art and fashion world in general. The site becomes a place full of activities and performances that will leave you begging for more: Fashion shows, conferences, shows, exhibitions, flea markets, live music, private parties and many more surprises!

Also, visitors can sample the delights of celebrity chef Philippe Lemoine which come directly from the restaurant Borchard which is located in Mitte, one of the most alternative neighbourhoods of Berlin.

And if you thought that B & B had no space for the little ones, you would be wrong. B & B has the Kid Club, an area for children to play all they want under the supervision of specialists of course.

The highlights of the events schedule for this year fall / winter 2009 are as follows although there are surely many more that you will love to see:

Wednesday January 21st

• G-Star catwalk show at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and 15:00
• Exhibition Andy Warhol Collection by Pepe Jeans from 10:00 to 19:00
• Dj Telonius will spin discs from 15:00 – 19:00.
• Party at Club Fellini

Vintage from 00:00
• Party at Shoko at 23:00

Thursday January 22nd

• Seminar

MixMasters at 14:00
• Session Dj.Werd from 14:30 to 19:00
• André Langenfeld session from

14.30 to 19:00
• Otto Zutz, Shoko and Fellini Club to continue the party late into the night.

Friday January 23rd

• Seminar The Zeitgeist: a user’s manual, at 14:00
• Creative R’evolution Exhibition open from 10:00 to 19:00
• Session Lady Klick Klack of 14:00 18.00
• Closing Party at Club Broadbar from 22:00.

What are you waiting for? Each edition of Bread & Butter is a unique and unrepeatable in which only the fortunate can attend. Get moving and buy a ticket. And if you concerned about accommodation, this will no longer present a problem: choose apartments in Barcelona and find the apartment that best suits your tastes and needs.

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