Guide to Barcelona [antikvár]

I. INTRODUCTION Barcelona, capital of Catalonia, Is situated on a site bathed by the Mediterranean sea and bordered at either end by the Llobregat and Besos river deltas. It is surrounded by the Sierra de Collserola, whose highest point is Mount Tibidabo (512 m). Another of the mountains looking down on the city is Montjuic, rising over the sea. Barcelona is made up of the old centre, the Eixample district (built during the period of expansion in the 19th century) and the peripheral areas enveloping the first two zones. The climate here is typically Mediterranean, with hot summers and mild winters and annual average temperatures of 16°C. The enormous economic strength of this large, dynamic city comes in part from its privileged geographical position, added to which is the traditionally enterprising nature of its inhabitants. Its continuous expansion perfectly reflects the desire to perfect the city and the outward-looking character of the Barcelonans. A cosmopolitan metropolis, Barcelona affords visitors a warm, sincere welcome. A veritable crossroads, Barcelona both takes to its heart and transmits cultural and artistic currents of all types and is an inexhaustible source of creative power. Proud of its culture and traditions, Barcelona jealously conserves its signs of identity (language, culture, folklore) and projects them beyond its frontiers. Barcelona's organisation of the 1992 Olympics, considered by many to be best in the history of the Games, provided the chance, eagerly seized, of regenerating this dynamic city and launching it confidently towards the future.