Anyone who has ever wandered the streets of Catalonia’s capital, knows that Barcelona shows off its rich history and art-centric culture with justifiable pride. Wherever you look you sense there’s a story to tell – from the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Canaletes fountain to the jaw-dropping Sagrada Familia, this is a city that needs more than a weekend break to truly discover. Visitors looking for total historic immersion in the city are well suited to the more than a century of stories behind the doors of the neo-classical Hotel Continental. Here’s a few of our favourite historical curiosities. Embracing Change – In 1931 when the Malagarriga Vallet family acquired the hotel from the…
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Spring & Summer Things To Do
Spring & Summer Things To Do in Barcelona. With temperatures hitting the high twenties and evenings getting longer, spring and summer Barcelona is the best time for after sunset dining, Cava in the sunshine and evening street strolls. To ensure you get the most of your visit and see Barcelona like a local, here’s a few pointers on what’s not to be missed. Parks & Gardens Park Güell – Easily reached by metro or bus, Park Guell is not just a popular destination for visitors in search of the most Instagram-worthy shot, it’s also a bit of a hot spot with the locals. The park designer Gaudi, a well renowned…
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3 Things You Didn’t Know About The Spanish Civil War
Go back in time, a little over eight decades, and Spain was beginning one of the most tumultuous periods of its history. And while visitors coming for the paella, tapas and flamenco might not know all the details, La Guerra, continues to have a long-lasting impact on the nation. What began as a military coup in 1936 became a three-year civil war resulting in the death of nearly half a million people and dramatically changing the political climate in Spain. While the fighting was essentially two-sided, a battle between democracy and fascism, it was far from that simple. The parties involved were a mix of ideologies and political perspectives including…
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Unmissable Architecture In Barcelona – Alternative Guide
It’s no surprise Barcelona is a Top 10 Most Instagrammed City again in 2017. With some of the most iconic, beautiful and surprising streets in Europe, Barcelona is an architectural wonder. Old blends in with new or juxtaposes in dramatic fashion as you round the corner. Take a walk through the streets of Barcelona and discover bold Gothic mansions and distinctive and unique Modernista masterpieces all within a block. Whether you’re planning an architecture homage or just wanting to join the crowds and get your own like-worthy photos, here’s our architecture unmissable guide for Barcelona. The guide is designed to highlight some of the Barcelona jewels of architecture that go…
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5 Facts About Eixample You Should Know
The Eixample district is undoubtedly the most iconic of the elegant city of Barcelona, with a diverse offering in terms of shopping, nightlife and restaurants. The distinctive Modernista architecture that occupies the streets of Eixample is unlike any other, with many famous works by Antoni Gaudí (father of the Spanish Art Nouveau movement), in addition to many works by lesser known Modernista architects. 1. Who cut off the corners? Eixample’s street plan and architecture is as unusual as it is distinctive. It was urban planner Ildefons Cerdà that designed the street plan of Eixample in the middle of the 19th century. The grid system with it’s characteristic 45º angled corner…
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Barcelona for Christmas | Catalan Traditions
CATALAN TRADITIONS FOR CHRISTMAS Christmas is a special season in Barcelona: the lights cover the city and despite the chilly weather, the city invites to take a stroll along the streets. If you are staying in Barcelona for this holiday season, here we give you the best tips to understand Catalan traditions! CITY OF LIGHTS AND MARKETS Although the Christmas period officially starts the 8th of December with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Christmas lights normally turn on during the end of November, illuminating the entire city with beautiful colors. Is the time to strolling around Barcelona streets with a warm chocolate in your hands or going to…
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The Definitive Barcelona Park’s & Gardens Guide
Are you tired of always finding the same places when searching for Parks in Barcelona? Don’t worry, there are other nature spots besides Park Guell and Parc de la Ciutadella. Autumn is one of our favorites seasons to discover Barcelona city parks, when all the red, oranges, and browns spread around the city and the ground is covered by leaf rugs. If you want to hide from the big crowds, read our Definitive Barcelona Park’s Guide! Joan Brossa Gardens If you plan to go up to Montjuïc (and surely you should), take a stroll to Joan Brossa Gardens. Located on the hill and next to other city attractions such as…
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Autumn Music Festivals in Barcelona you can’t miss
Autumn is a great time to visit Barcelona. While slowly greeting colder temperatures the city is bustling of cultural activities aimed to reach the local public as well as visitors. You will find some of the best indoors music festivals to ward off the chill at the most representative concert halls and bars of Barcelona where you will be able to mix with the local crowd. 1 – Festival del Mil·leni When November 2017-May 2018 Where Palau de la Música , Gran Teatre del Liceu , Sala Apolo, BARTS (Barcelona Arts on Stage), Sala Razzmatazz, Teatre Tívoli, Palau Sant Jordi, Auditori Forum, El Molino If you are an eclectic music…
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Top Things to Experience Barcelona in Autumn & Winter
Barcelona is a great city for enjoying in autumn and winter. Due to its good weather conditions and cultural life, the Catalan city will inspire you to live a perfect getaway. At Hotel Continental we celebrate the arrival of chilly weather with a 4-part series, exploring our favorite ways to experience Barcelona during these seasons. Whether you are a culture fan, foodie, music lover or sports enthusiast, the city will inspire you to get the most of it. Explore the Vibrant Cultural Life Barcelona is very well known by its active cultural life, but the autumn season is especially effervescent, with a good number of cultural exhibitions and music festivals…
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The Largest Manga in its History
Next weekend October 29, in the aftermath of Barcelona Oktoberfest, it will take place the XXII Barcelona Manga Fair. In Plaça Univers as well as in the same area known as the exhibition center of Montjuïc -one of the world’s most emblematic urban venues. From our Hotel Continental Barcelona and Continental Palacete it takes barely 20min to reach Pl.Espanya (Metro L3). Although tickets for that weekend are already sold out, don’t panic, the fair will continue until Tuesday 1. (And the tickets offices will open Monday 31st and Tuesday 1st). No matter how much the venue grows in square meters every edition, because year after year the Manga Salón is…
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Señorito: The Art of Andalusian Tapas in Barcelona
Step out the district of Raval, all the way left from our two Hotels Continental in Barcelona, we find Sant Antoni neighbourhood. This area is the legacy of the former Sant Antoni Marketplace –which still exists nowadays but renovated into an open air market like the Boqueria even larger and not so crowded. After the reopening of the market, the neighbourhood was awakening. Old bookstalls, cards and stamps booths and all sort of unusual products were conforming the local offer. Sant Antoni had so much to be delighted by back then. Even today, the mentioned legacy of such a market is the gastronomy in there. In a very short period of…
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Barcelona’s Festival “La Mercè” 2016
La Mercè is the local festival of Barcelona. These days you may certainly hear about it. La Mare de Déu de la Mercè (The Virgin of Grace) is the patron saint of the archdiocese of Barcelona, and co-patroness—along with Saint Eulàlia—of the city. Normally religious in nature, La Mercè is more like a compendium of Catalan popular culture nowadays. In a week! From next Thursday 22nd to Sunday 25th September some of the main spots of Barcelona will become alive with street shows such as: Next Thursday 22 at 7pm The inaugural Sardanas in Cathedral Ave. Next Sunday 25 at 8:30pm Correfoc de La Mercè Route: Antoni Maura Sq., Via…
