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Barcelona: A City For Great Holidays

Barcelona: a vibrant, chic, stylish city bursting with history and class. Its very name evokes a picture of epic grandeur and power, of Gaudi architecture, of a zesty, sprawling city. The centrepiece of the city has to be the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s monumental Roman Catholic church on which construction first began in 1882 and still goes on over a century later. Designed in the architect’s own words to be “the last great sanctuary of Christendom”, the church is rich with Christian symbolism, with three grand facades, depicting the Nativity, the Glory and the Passion. It is an awe-striking world wonder; one of those sights that quite simply has to be seen to be believed.

Along La Rambla, a bustling, cosmopolitan street popular with tourists and locals alike, stretched from the Placa de Catalunya towards the Mediterranean harbour, you will find cafes, market stalls and street performers. Barcelona is a neat blend of old Gothic architecture and modern skyscrapers such as the Hotel Arts and the Torre Mapfre.

But Barcelona is not all crowded streets: a tenth of the city is made of parkland. The 203-hectare Montjuic is the largest, whilst Ciutadella Park, situated where the old military citadel stood, houses both the Parliament building and the zoo! Meanwhile, the city’s seven beaches make great places to enjoy the Spanish sunshine.

Very popular with tourists from across the world on their holidays, Barcelona offers a rich cultural heritage. Barcelona has a great many venues for live music and theatre, such as the world-famous Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house, the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya and the Palau de la Musica Catalana concert hall, and hosts the renowned Sonar Music Festival. It has a range of galleries housing great works of Spanish and Catalan art.

Barcelona is a city which offers great holidays whoever you are. What’s more, many low-cost airlines like Monarch offer cheap flights. Young or old, bohemian or businessman, art lover or party animal, you will certainly find something for you in Barcelona.