This year is special for the Festes de la Mercè: it’s the 150th anniversary of Barcelona’s main festival since the city council started organising it. It was in 1871 that a celebration for the people of the city with cultural activities was established. To celebrate this anniversary, popular culture plays an important role in this year's programme.
Barcelona is a representation of the Mediterranean sea and has a seafaring tradition with centuries of history. When the city was named Olympic host city in 1986, it launched an ambitious project to restore its coastline.
Since July 2, the Barcelona Bus Turístic buses are rolling again through the streets of the city. Getting on board one of these vehicles is an experience that is not to be missed if you come to Barcelona, and which awaits you again like you've never seen it before . You’ll travel through the most emblematic streets and you’ll be able to see the most special monuments and sites from a different perspective.
If you want to relax in Barcelona and isolate yourself from the urban noise, a perfect choice is to visit the city's parks and gardens. There are plenty to choose from, but here are eight that you may not know about and which are not to be missed.
Barcelona has green areas, such as parks and gardens , to enjoy nature in the heart of the city, and large natural spaces to walk around and breathe . In the municipality of Barcelona, which includes the Serra de Collserola, there are over 1.4 million trees. The most common are holm oaks, white pines, London planes and stone pines. This information comes from the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications and the Urban Forest Effects Model.
Spring is already here, and in addition to enjoying the flowering of the city's flowers and trees , we also have a few days off for Easter, a perfect time to rediscover Barcelona. We suggest you see the city from a bird's eye view with the Montjuïc Cable Car , which is offering discounted tickets to celebrate the explosion of colours of this season.
Whether you prefer hot or cold weather, taking in Barcelona while walking around in the open air is always a good plan. The Catalan capital has many interesting open spaces to enjoy culture, exercise or simply let yourself get carried away. Now that due to Covid-19 we must avoid closed spaces and crowded places, we invite you to put on your mask and find out how to have a good time outdoors during your stay in Barcelona.
Barcelona is like a world unto itself due to the number of experiences it offers for the senses. But if you don’t venture outside that world you’ll be missing the cosmos that lies beyond the city limits.
The Barcelona Bus Turístic is temporarily not operating. Soon we will be running the official hop-on hop-off tour service to enjoy the city's most emblematic places and buildings. Meanwhile we explain you why it is an experience you will not be able to miss when we will see you again!
In addition to its rich heritage, Barcelona and Catalonia in general, have important cultural traditions that we invite you to discover. Centuries of history have shaped festivals, traditions and popular celebrations that are still deeply rooted in the territory and its people today. We want to share this with all those who visit us! Currently, the health crisis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus prevents us from celebrating our festivities in normal circumstances; however, we hope that very soon we will be able to celebrate again as we have always done.
