Barcelona is a vibrant city, full of life the whole day. Art is in the streets, in centenary buildings or performed by artists at the touristic hotspots. Each quarter has a different personality and Barcelona’s streets captivate traveller’s gaze. That is why Barcelona is one of the most attractive cities for sightseeing. MBE Gotic is a franchise of Mail Boxes Etc., the multinational logistics and shipping company. We have settled down in one of the most important touristic destinations in Barcelona. Because of this, we can offer our services to thousands of tourists who need to make shipments from Barcelona.
About Barcelona
Barcelona is the second biggest and more populated in Spain, after Madrid. In Europe, it holds the 17th position in European population ranking. It is one of the most visited cities in the world. It has more than a million and a half inhabitants. Its nickname, “Ciudad Condal”, refers to its administrative status as the capital of the county of Barcelona during three centuries, since IX to XII.
Barcelona is an ancient city, with around 4,000 years old. At the History Museum of Barcelona, we can meet the remains of “Augusta Barcino” the ancient name that the Romans gave this location after they conquered the city. We can still find remains of the Roman wall, built during the III and IV century in some streets, as at the Carrer de la Palla.
Barcelona reached a splendour age due to its strategic location for commerce, and during the XIII and XIV centuries, was one of the most important cities in the western Mediterranean.
The industrial revolution in the late XVII, during XVIII, and mainly, during the XIX century, caused a big impact on Barcelona’s economy. During XIX, bourgeoisie’s flourishment had a keystone print in the city’s architecture.
Barcelona’s architecture
Barcelona has a huge architectural richness. The city possesses a large variety of architectural styles that range from the remains of the Augustus’ Temple to the most avant-garde skyscrapers like Agbar Tower. Many of these buildings are not to be missed.
The National Palace, in Montjïic, built because of the 1929 International Exhibition, is nowadays home to the National Art Museum of Catalonia. It is a classicist style building with a ground surface of 32,000 square metres.
The Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor, or Expiatory Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, is one of the most famous monuments in Barcelona. Seated on the Mount Tibidabo, it can gaze from many points of the city.
Blau Museum, in the Forum Park, is nowadays the Natural Sciences Museum of Barcelona. It was designed by Herzog and Meuron.
Near to the Blau Museum is the Diagonal Tower 00, that measures more than 100 metres high.
The German pavilion for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition was conceived by the famous architect Mies van der Rohe one of the main exponents of the modern movement.
Gerhy’s fish is a steel sculpture made by the artist Frank Gehry. It is next to the Mapfre’s Tower and Arts Hotel, near to the beach. It is a delicious show to contemplate when the sun shines on its metallic scales.
Barcelona, the capital of Modernism
The signature style of Barcelona is with no room for doubt, the Modernism. Barcelona is indeed considered the capital of Modernism. Gaudi’s evergreen imprint in the city is maybe the most attractive stimulus for millions of visitors in the city. Reus’ genius carried out some celebrated buildings like Calvert House, Batlló House and Milà House, all of them considered flagships of Barcelona nowadays and milestones in the international Modernism.
The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, or Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family is the culmination of an extraordinary artwork It is the unfinished church designed by Antonio Gaudí, stared in 1883 and still under construction. It will be the highest building in Barcelona when be finished in 2022.
The Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, or Hospital of the Holy Cross and Saint Paul, made by Lluís Domènech in 1930, is an incredible sight and it is one of the most relevant modernist constructions in the world. It is the biggest in its style and was a challenge for the construction techniques at its time. Nowadays it has no its original hospital functions, so we can visit it and enjoy this marvel.
The Palau de la Música Catalana (Palace of Catalan Music) is one of the major concert halls in Spain, with Modernist and Baroque style elements.
Las Ramblas
La Rambla is one of the arterial roads in Barcelona. It is about 1.3 kilometres long and connects the Plaça de Catalunya (Plaza de Cataluña) with the ancient seaport. It is a touristic hotspot, visited by thousands of tourists every day to enjoy the lively environment of Barcelona. Artists, terraces, and a promenade surrounded by different architectural style buildings make these streets mandatory for those who visit Europe. Next to Las Ramblas it is situated the Plaça Reial (Plaza Real, or Royal Square), a neoclassical style square in the Gothic Quarter (Barrio Gótico, in Spanish en español o Barri Gòtic, in Catalonian).
The Gothic Quarter, the heart of Barcelona
The Barri Gòtic, or Gothic Quarter, in the Ciutat Vella (“ancient city”), is the historical quarter of Barcelona, and one of the most beautiful places in the city. It is located on the remains of the ancient Roman city. As the medieval city, you can walk through this quarter along narrow labyrinthine streets, where every corner hides small secrets for History and architecture enthusiasts.
The King Square (Plaça del Rei) was the original location of the Royal Palace during the Middle Ages. It is surrounded by many mediaeval constructions. Among these buildings, we can find the History Museum of the City, very interesting for those keen on learning about the origins of Barcelona.
A few metres further there are some of the most important historical monuments, that is why is so advisable to go for a stroll in the Gothic Quarter, especially interesting are streets like Carrer de Bisbe, from Plaça Sant Jaume (Saint James Quarter) to the Cathedral.
The Cathedral of Barcelona, or Cathedral of the Holy Corss and Saint Eulalia (Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia) is a Gothic cathedral of the XIV century. It is very close to the Plaça Nova, with two Roman towers.
MBE Gotic, the franchise of Mail Boxes Etc. in the Gothic Quarter, we have taken the name from one of the most ancient places in Barcelona. You will fund us to help you with your shipments, photocopying and scanning, or even collecting goods in our private mailboxes.
Some other districts that well deserve a tour
La Barceloneta, folky and picturesque
A colourful quarter in Barcelona, next to the city’s beach, a seafaring village inside a cosmopolitan metropolis.
Port Olímpic the nocturnal life in a renewed Barcelona
Puerto Olímpico (Olimpic Port), for those young and adults, eager to enjoy Mediterranean street and night culture, this is the place to be. Perfect to hang around and have dinner while watching the sea. Puerto Olímpico is plenty of pubs and discos in an enviable surrounding.
Montjüic, Barcelona’s best scenery
Mount Montjüic allows us to watch Barcelona in an unparalleled way. You can arrive by cable car from Barcelona Port, built on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition. In Montjüic you can visit Joan Miró’s foundation where there are some of his best artworks.
Do not overlook Plaça Catalunya, Barcelona’s cbc, Plaça Sant Jaume nor Plaça de Espanya.
Tips to visit Barcelona
Here, we include some valuable tips to visit Barcelona.
First of all, you should know that Barcelona is one of the most expensive cities in Spain, so, when laying out your plan, take this into account.
Be careful with pickpocket at Las Ramblas. Since Las Ramblas are usually very crowded, it is a place where larceny flourishes.
For those who want to visit the inside of the Sagrada Familia, it is highly recommended to buy your tickets online in order to avoid huge queues. It is the most visited monument in Barcelona, therefore queues can take several hours.
Mail Boxes Etc.’s services for tourists
We know about hustle and bustle of travelling, visiting monuments, doing the check-out and arriving at the time to the airport. If you forget anything at your hotel, contact us, we can send this item to you. We are in a privileged location, so we provide many services to lots of tourists.
If you come from abroad and you want to buy art, with MBE Gotic you can ship artworks, craftsmanship or any kind of fragile objects. You can rely on our professional packaging or our shipping insurance.
Maybe you have purchased lots of souvenirs, fashion clothes in Carrer Portal de L’Angel, in the Gothic Quarter. Do not worry about the overweight at the airport, you can send your suitcases with Mail Boxes Etc. Send any piece of luggage from Barcelona, you will have it in your home whenever you need.
Finally, of course, if you need to print your airline tickets while sightseeing Barcelona, come and see us.
