~ Beautiful places of Barcelona and Catalonia

viernes, 22 de marzo de 2013

BARCELONA: CASTLE OF CARDONA

The castle of Cardona is made up of a series of structures which are the result of 2,500 years of human occupation of the hill. From its summit, 585 metres high, there is a fantastic view over the basin of the river Cardener and of the salt outcrop of Cardona, a fact which made it uniquely well situated to defend the salt mine of Súria and the salt trade through the Cardener valley.

Castle of Cardona

As it's easily imagined, the views from Cardona Castle are wonderful thanks to its privileged location on the top of a hill

The Castle of Cardona was the residence of the Lords of Cardona during the middle ages. On the right appears the Sant Vicenç collegiate church, a jewel of Catalan Lombard Romanesque

An overview of the external walls of Cardona Castle, where you can see the Tower of La Minyona

Arcade inside the castle of Cardona in Catalonia

In this picture you can see the previous Arcade behind the cloister of the House of Canons inside the Castle of Cardona

Gothic archs of the cloister of the House of Canons inside the Castle of Cardona

Beautiful corner beside the cloister of the House of Canons inside the Castle of Cardona

Overview of the cloister of the House of Canons inside the Castle of Cardona. On the right, the Atrium precedes the entrance to the church

A really well conseved bastion of Cardona Castle in Catalonia

Salt mine of Súria

A view of the well-know salt mines of Suria from Cardona Castle

Views from the Castle of Cardona

A fantastic view of Cardona and surroundings from the Castle

Finally, a panoramic view from the Castle of Cardona

Besides, if you like medieval architecture, clicking on the next links you will find more beautiful castles, villages and fantastic medieval monasteries in Catalonia:

- Medieval castles

- Medieval villages

Rupit and Tavertet

- Medieval Monasteries

Finally, clicking on the next link you will find links to other beautiful places in Catalonia.

sábado, 16 de marzo de 2013

BARCELONA: GREAT RESTAURANTS

Next I would like to recommend you some nice restaurants where you will enjoy your meal. These restaurants are located next to the most interesting places in Barcelona I have suggested you in previous posts. In all of theses restaurants either I of friends of mine had lunch.

Sagrada Familía

- El Xuletó

Restaurant - Brasserie specializing in grilled meat, paella and fish.

Address: C/ Sicilia 263
Phone: 93 457 52 66

Gothic Quarter and La Rambla

- Els Quatre Gats

A high quality restaurant in a modernist building. Here literary gathering took place where the members were modernist writers at the beginning of the 20th century.

Els Quatre Gats restaurant is located in this modernist building next to El Portal del Angel, in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona

Address: C/ Montsió 3

Phone: 933 024 140

Opening time: from 10am to 1am.

www.4gats.com

- Merce i Vins

Fantastic restaurant of typical catalan and spanish cuisine, although often there are dishes of other cuisines of the world. There is only menu. It's a small restaurant and very often is full, so it's advisable to book before.

Address: C/ Amargós 1

Phone: 93 302 60 56

Opening time: from 9am to 16pm

- Les Quinze Nits

Address: Plaza Real, 6

Phone: 93 317 30 75

Opening time: 13h - 15:45h and 20:30h a 23:30h (opens every day of the year)

- El Consulado

Typical mediterranean cuisine with a cozy and warm decoration.

Warm look of El Consulado Restaurant

Address: C/ Nou de la Rambla 95 (Metro L3 Paral·lel)
Phone: 934 419 828
Opening time: until 24h (friday and saturday until 1am)

Borne

- Pla de la Garza

Great restaurant specialized in catalan cuisine with a wide variety products of the country (cheese, wine, sausages, and so on) located in an old but restored small palace.

Address: C/ Assaonadors 13
Phone: 93 315 24 13
Fax: 93 268 13 20
Opening time: from 20h to 1h.
www.pladelagarsa.com

- La Llar del Filador

Good restaurant specialized in fondues.

Address: C/ Cortines 13 (Metro L1 Arc de Triomf, Renfe Arc de Triomf)
Phone: 93 315 24 13 / 676 376 046

- Sikkim

High quality restaurant with a beutiful oriental decoration located next to Born Boulevard.

Address: C/ Plaza Comercial 1 (Metro L1 Arc de Triomf, Renfe Arc de Triomf)
Phone: 93 268 43 13
Opening time: from 20:30h to 01:00 (opens every day of the year)

Les Corts

- Quaranta

Fantastic and cozy italian restaurant where you can enjoy delicious dishes

Restaurant Quaranta in Barcelona

Address: C/Nicaragua, 141 Local 2 (Pasaje Batista i Roca) (Metro L5 Estació de Sants and L3 Les Corts)
Phone: 93 419 16 10
Opening time: 13:00 - 16:00 and 20:30 - 23:00h (closed on sunday)
Website: www.quaranta.es

Hospitalet de Llobregat

- De Angelis

Large and delicious Pizzas and Pasta dishes.

Restaurant De Angelis in Barcelona

Address: Carretera de Collblanc, 48 - 08903 - L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Metro L5 Collblanc)
Phone: 934480676
Email: info@restaurantedeangelis.es
Website:www.restaurantedeangelis.es/

viernes, 1 de marzo de 2013

SHOPPING STREETS IN BARCELONA

Barcelona is really a shopping city, a paradise for those who love shopping. In Barcelona you will be able to go shopping walking along fantastic boulevards like Passeig de Gràcia or La Rambla. Apart from fashion stores or exclusive boutiques, you will enjoy beautiful modernist buildings designed by Antoni Gaudí and a lively atmosphere.

These are the most important shopping streets in Barcelona:

Passeig de Gràcia
El Portal de l'Angel, Portaferrissa and Cucurulla streets
La Rambla and Rambla Catalunya
Carrer Pelai
Avinguda Diagonal
Carrer de Sants

Passeig de Gràcia

If you are searching for exclusive boutiques, then you should go shopping along Passeig de Gràcia, which starts in Plaça Catalunya and ends at Avinguda Diagonal. In addition to buying, you will enjoy the fabulous façades of some of the most impressive modernist buildings in Barcelona, like La Casa Milà or Casa Batlló (designed by Antoni Gaudí).

Passeig de Gràcia Shopping Street in Barcelona

El Portal de l'Angel

Around Portal de l’Àngel, Portaferrisa and Cucurulla streets you can find a lot of fashion stores. I recommend walking through this area, especially around its narrow streets belonging to the Gothic Quarter, where there are small shops with their own designs.

Portal del Angel shopping street in Barcelona

Portal de l’Àngel is one of the favorite shopping streets of the citizens of Barcelona

Portaferrissa Street

Portaferrissa street, near the end of El Portal de l'Angel, is a popular shopping street in Barcelona

La Rambla and Rambla Catalunya

La Rambla is not only the most lively street in Barcelona, but also one of the most important shopping streets you can find in this fantastic city, especially near Plaça Catalunya.

La Rambla in Barcelona

Carrer Pelai

Also in the city center, but now next to Plaça Universitat, you can find more shops to buy clothes, especially along Pelai Street.

On the right you can see Pelayo Street, one of the most interesting shopping streets in Barcelona. Walking along this street you will arrive at Plaça Catalunya and La Rambla

Avinguda Diagonal

Besides, from the top of Passeig de Gràcia, where it crosses Avinguda Diagonal (Plaça de Joan Carles I), to Plaça de la Reina Maria Cristina in this avenue, you will find another large shopping area where you will find department stores, shopping arcades, many designer fashion shops and shopping malls like L'Illa Diagonal, El Corte Inglés or Pedralbes Centre.

Avinguda Diagonal in Barcelona near El Corte Inglés and Pedralbes Centre shopping malls

Carrer de Sants

If you prefer to visit another neighbourhood of Barcelona, it would be interesting walking through La Carretera de Sants and Badal. This area is plenty of shops where you can buy shoes and clothes. Besides, La Carretera de Sants begins in Plaça Espanya, next to Montjuïc, where Las Arenas Mall has recently opened its doors.

Carrer de Sants is a really long shopping street in Barcelona

Finally, in addition to the previous Shopping Streets, you can enjoy shopping in one of the several Shopping malls and Outlets in Barcelona like Las Arenas Shopping Mall or Viladecans The Style Outlet.

martes, 19 de febrero de 2013

ANDORRA - VALLNORD: ARINSAL AND ARCALIS

In Andorra there are mainly two large ski domains, which are actually the sum of several ski resorts that have finished growing up linking facilities to form two large areas: Grandvalira and Vallnord.

Recently I spent a weekend in Andorra la Vella and I enjoyed two sunny days. We were truly lucky because these days were lovely while in the previous weekends the weather was cloudy and snowy. The first day we went to Arinsal and the second one we skied in Arcalís.

Vallnord Arinsal

Reaching Arinsal Ski Resort in Andorra is easy because you can drive to the village of Arinsal and park next to cablecar. With the cablecar in 5 minutes you are in the Arinsal Ski Resort.

For me, a beginner in ski, the drawback of Arinsal is that there are few green slopes and these are a bit narrow to go staggering and turn easily.

Ready to start our ski weekend in Andorra Vallnord

On saturday we skied in Arinsal ski resort, belonging to Andorra Vallnord

As you can see the day in Andorra Vallnord Arinsal was lovely

Panoramix restaurant in Arinsal ski resort in Andorra

Pyrenees from Arinsal ski resort in Andorra

Fantastic view from Panoramix restaurant in Arinsal ski resort in Andorra

Inside the restaurant of Arinsal ski resort in Andorra Vallnord

Vallnord Arcalís

In the ski resort of Arcalís I found a fantastic green slope for me wide a moderate slope. Here there is Megaverda slope too, a really long green slope.

However, to reach the area of beginners in Arcalís we have to take a free shuttle bus (every fifteen minutes) from the parking.

Another drawback is that Arcalís is not accessible by cable car, so you have to drive 15 km from La Massana.

On sunday we went to Arcalís ski resort and it was a lovely day too

Arcalís ski resort in Andorra Vallnord

A break in the restaurant of Arcalís in Andorra Vallnord

A last picture before going to the restaurant of Arcalís ski resort in Andorra

Other ski resorts in Andorra where you can ski or enjoy a snowshoes activity are:

Grandvalira (Pas de la Casa - Grau Roig) (www.grandvalira.com)
Vallnord (Pal - Arinsal - Arcalis) (www.vallnord.com)
Naturlandia (www.naturlandia.ad)

You can find more pictures of Andorra clicking on the following links:

Finally, if you liked these landscapes, clicking on the next links you will find links to other fantastic places in the Pyrenees of Catalonia and France, like:

- Catalonia:

- France:

viernes, 25 de enero de 2013

BARCELONA: LA RAMBLA

La Rambla is one of the most lively and nice places to walk along in Barcelona. Walking along this boulevard is the best way to go from Plaça Catalunya to the Port Vell and the beach.

Artists, interesting buildings, florist's and kiosks give a colourful and bright look to this boulevard, which is also a perfect starting poing to discover two beautiful medieval districts in Barcelona: the Gothic Quarter and El Raval.

Star sights along La Rambla: