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Conference Location
The conference will be held in the Hotel
Barceló Sants, Barcelona, Spain.
How
to Get to Barcelona
Catalonia is 1 of the 17 Autonomous Communities that
make up Spain.
Known as one of Europe's playgrounds, with a wide array of beaches for
the holiday-maker and a mass of places to visit, Catalonia has
something to offer every visitor. The region benefits from a mild
climate and a culture all of its own.
In a privileged position on the northeastern coast of
the Iberian peninsula and the shores of the Mediterranean, Barcelona
is the second largest city in Spain in both size and population. It is
also the capital of Catalonia.
There are two official languages spoken in Barcelona:
Catalan, generally spoken in all of Catalonia, and Castillian Spanish.
Barcelona is the cultural and industrial capital of
Catalonia and is well worth a visit. Pilgrims may go to Montserrat for
its scenery and religious background, known as the religious centre of
Catalonia.
Barcelona
contains monuments and remains from all the different stages in its
history, and therefore is a very old city with a rich and varied past.
Most places of historic interest are to be found in the confines of
the old town, which is a maze of narrow streets, easy to navigate by
foot.
The old
town spreads northwest from the harbour and at its heart is the Barri
Gòtic, the medieval nucleus of the city where you will find the
Cathedral and several of the major museums.
At the western
edge you will find the Ramblas, Spain's most famous street, a series
of five, short, lively streets that combine to make a broad avenue.
The Ramblas is a
highlight to any trip to Barcelona and is lined with cafes, shops and
restaurants as well as being the location for several important
buildings and monuments.
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The
medieval streets continue on either side of the Ramblas,
reaching northeast through the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter),
past the Museo Picasso and southwest to the fortress-topped
hill of Montjuic where the city's best museums and the Olympic
stadium are located.
The
historic centre is imbued with a bohemian atmosphere which you
can discover as you walk through the Gothic Quarter, and the
Ribera and Raval districts. This is one of the world’s
best-preserved medieval quarters. However, if Barcelona is
famous for anything, it must be the buildings in the
Eixample. If you take a walk around this neighbourhood you
will be able to admire architectural masterpieces such as the
Sagrada Família and La Pedrera, among other wonders inherited
from Antoni Gaudí and the other architects of the city’s
home-grown art-nouveau movement, modernisme.
Top
tourist attractions in Barcelona include
the Parc Güell, Las Ramblas, the Parc de la Ciutadella, Temple
Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia, the Casa Milá and The
Eixample. |
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There
are also many important museums and art galleries in Barcelona and the
most popular is Barcelona's Picasso Museum.
Among the things
to watch for in the old town is the Placa de Catalunya, a large square
with gardens, fountains and seats.
Barcelona is
without doubt one of the most exiting cities to visit in the
Mediterranean, and with glorious beaches and a history stretching back
over 2,000 years, Barcelona deserves to be seen and enjoyed.
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