Barcelona captivates visitors with its whimsical architecture and vibrant street life. It blends ancient history with modern style perfectly. Furthermore, it boasts a unique identity as the capital of Catalonia. Consequently, this Mediterranean jewel offers surprises around every corner. Explore these fascinating details about the City of Counts.
Barcelona
The Sagrada Família has taken longer to build than the Pyramids. Specifically, construction began in 1882 and continues today. In contrast, ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramid in just 20 years.
Barcelona’s beaches are completely artificial. Before the 1992 Olympics, the seaside was an industrial wasteland. Therefore, the city imported sand from Egypt to create the coastline we see today.
The Columbus Monument points in the wrong direction. Although he should point west towards America, he points east towards Mallorca. Simply, builders thought it looked better for him to point at the sea.
A magic square on the Sagrada Família reveals a secret number. Every row and column on the Passion Façade adds up to 33. Crucially, this number represents the age of Jesus Christ when he died.
Gustave Eiffel originally pitched his tower to Barcelona. However, the city rejected the design because it was too ugly. Consequently, he took his plans to Paris, where it became a global icon.
Barcelona holds the only Royal Gold Medal for architecture. Uniquely, the Royal Institute of British Architects awarded this honor to the entire city in 1999. Usually, only individual architects receive this prestigious prize.
Drivers use a grid system with cut-off corners. Engineer Ildefons Cerdà designed the Eixample district with chamfered corners. Smartly, this allowed steam trams to turn easily and increased visibility for traffic.
Saint George’s Day is their version of Valentine’s Day. On April 23rd, men give women roses, and women give men books. Thus, the streets fill with flower stalls and book markets to celebrate love.
Camp Nou is the largest stadium in Europe. It holds nearly 100,000 screaming football fans. Therefore, it dwarfs other famous arenas like Wembley and the Allianz Arena in capacity.
Antoni Gaudí died after a tram hit him. Tragically, passersby mistook the famous architect for a beggar because of his shabby clothes. As a result, he did not receive immediate medical care.
A supercomputer lives inside an old church. Surprisingly, the MareNostrum computer sits within the Chapel of Torre Girona. It creates a stunning contrast between 19th-century stone and high-tech glass.
La Rambla is actually five different streets connected together. Although tourists see it as one promenade, locals know it changes names. Hence, the plural name “Las Ramblas” is actually more accurate.
You can explore ghost stations underground. The city metro system hides twelve abandoned stations. Occasionally, the city opens these spooky time capsules for special history tours.
Barcelona has more than 1,000 civil war bomb shelters. During the Spanish Civil War, locals built a massive network of tunnels. Today, visitors can still enter Refugi 307 to see how they survived.
Finally, legend says Hercules founded the city. While historians credit Hamilcar Barca, myths claim the Greek hero established it. He supposedly named it “Barca Nona” after his ninth ship.
