Barcelona - wikipedia Barcelona This article is about the city in Spain. For other uses, see Barcelona ( disambiguation ). City and municipality in Catalonia, Spain Barcelona City and municipality Flag Coat of arms Nickname ( s ) : Ciutat Comtal ( ca ) / Ciudad Condal ( es ) `` City of Counts '' Cap i Casal de Catalunya ( ca ) `` Head and Hearth of Catalonia '' Abbreviation ( s ) : Barna, BCN Barcelona Location of Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona ( Spain ) Barcelona Barcelona ( Europe ) Show map of Catalonia Show map of Spain Show map of Europe Show all Coordinates : 41 ° 23 ′ N 2 ° 11 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 41.383 ° N 2.183 ° E ﻿ / 41.383 ; 2.183 Coordinates : 41 ° 23 ′ N 2 ° 11 ′ E ﻿ / ﻿ 41.383 ° N 2.183 ° E ﻿ / 41.383 ; 2.183 Country Spain Autonomous community Catalonia Province Barcelona Comarca Barcelonès Seat Barcelona City Hall Districts 10 Ciutat Vella Eixample Gràcia Horta - Guinardó Les Corts Nou Barris Sant Andreu Sants -- Montjuïc Sarrià - Sant Gervasi Sant Martí Government Type Mayor -- council Body Barcelona City Council Mayor Ada Colau Ballano ( Barcelona en Comú ) Area City 101.4 km ( 39.2 sq mi ) Elevation ( AMSL ) 12 m ( 39 ft ) Population ( 2017 ) City 1,620,809 Rank 2nd Density 16,000 / km ( 41,000 / sq mi ) Urban 4,840,000 Metro 5,474,482 Demonym ( s ) Barcelonan, Barcelonian barceloní, - ina ( ca ) ' barcelonés, - esa ( es ) Postal code 080xx Area code + 34 ( E ) 93 ( B ) INE code 08 0193 City budget ( 2014 ) € 2.5 billion Official language Catalan and Spanish Main festitivity La Mercè Patron saint Eulalia of Barcelona Website www.barcelona.cat Barcelona ( / ˌbɑːrsəˈloʊnə / BAR - sə - LOH - nə, Catalan : ( bəɾsəˈlonə ), Spanish : ( baɾθeˈlona ) ) is a city in Spain. It is the capital and largest city of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within city limits, its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the Province of Barcelona and is home to around 4.8 million people, making it the sixth most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr area and Milan. It is the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range, the tallest peak of which is 512 metres ( 1,680 feet ) high. Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona continued to be an important city in the Crown of Aragon as an economic and administrative centre of this Crown and the capital of the Principality of Catalonia. Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world - class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments. Barcelona is one of the world 's leading tourist, economic, trade fair and cultural centres, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world 's major global cities. It is a major cultural and economic centre in southwestern Europe, 24th in the world ( before Zürich, after Frankfurt ) and a financial centre. In 2008 it was the fourth most economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union and 35th in the world with GDP amounting to € 177 billion. In 2012 Barcelona had a GDP of $170 billion ; and it was leading Spain in employment rate in that moment. In 2009 the city was ranked Europe 's third and one of the world 's most successful as a city brand. In the same year the city was ranked Europe 's fourth best city for business and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17 % per year, and the city has been experiencing strong and renewed growth for the past three years. Since 2011 Barcelona has been a leading smart city in Europe. Barcelona is a transport hub, with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe 's principal seaports and busiest European passenger port, an international airport, Barcelona -- El Prat Airport, which handles over 40 million passengers per year, an extensive motorway network, and a high - speed rail line with a link to France and the rest of Europe. Contents 1 Names 2 History 2.1 Pre-history 2.2 Roman Barcelona 2.3 Medieval Barcelona 2.4 Barcelona under the Spanish monarchy 2.5 The Spanish civil war and the Franco period 2.6 Late twentieth century 2.7 Recent history 3 Geography 3.1 Location 3.2 Climate 4 Demographics 4.1 Population density 4.2 Migration 4.3 Religion 5 Economy 5.1 General information 5.2 Trade fair and exhibitions 5.3 Tourism 5.4 Manufacturing sector 5.5 Fashion 6 Government and administrative divisions 6.1 Districts 7 Education 8 Culture 8.1 Entertainment and performing arts 8.2 Media 8.3 Sports 8.4 Squatter 's Movement 9 Transport 9.1 Airports 9.2 Seaport 9.3 Railway 9.4 Roads and highways 9.5 Local public transport 10 Main sights 10.1 World Heritage Sites 10.2 Historic buildings and monuments 10.3 Museums 10.4 Parks 10.5 Beaches 10.6 Other sights 11 International relations 11.1 Twin towns and sister cities 11.2 Other partnerships and co-operations 12 Notable people 13 See also 14 Notes and references 14.1 Notes 14.2 References 14.3 Bibliography 15 External links Names The name Barcelona comes from the ancient Iberian Barkeno, attested in an ancient coin inscription found on the right side of the coin in Iberian script as, in ancient Greek sources as Βαρκινών, Barkinṓn ; and in Latin as Barcino, Barcilonum and Barcenona. Some older sources suggest that the city may have been named after the Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, who was supposed to have founded the city in the 3rd century BC, but there is no evidence that Barcelona was ever a Carthaginian settlement, or that its name in antiquity, Barcino, had any connection with the Barcid family of Hamilcar. During the Middle Ages, the city was variously known as Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelonaa, and Barchenona. Internationally, Barcelona 's name is wrongly abbreviated to ' Barça '. However, this name refers only to FC Barcelona, the football club. The common abbreviated form used by locals is Barna. Another common abbreviation is ' BCN ', which is also the IATA airport code of the Barcelona - El Prat Airport. The city is also referred to as the Ciutat Comtal in Catalan, and Ciudad Condal in Spanish, owing to its past as the seat of the Count of Barcelona. History Main articles : History of Barcelona and Timeline of Barcelona A marble plaque in the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat de Barcelona, dated from around 110 -- 130 AD and dedicated to the Roman colony of Barcino Pre-history The origin of the earliest settlement at the site of present - day Barcelona is unclear. The ruins of an early settlement have been found, including different tombs and dwellings dating to earlier than 5000 BC. The founding of Barcelona is the subject of two different legends. The first attributes the founding of the city to the mythological Hercules. The second legend attributes the foundation of the city directly to the historical Carthaginian general, Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who supposedly named the city Barcino after his family in the 3rd century BC, but there is no historical or linguistic evidence that this is true. Roman Barcelona In about 15 BC, the Romans redrew the town as a castrum ( Roman military camp ) centred on the `` Mons Taber '', a little hill near the contemporary city hall ( Plaça de Sant Jaume ). Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of Faventia, or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino or Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino. Pomponius Mela mentions it among the small towns of the district, probably as it was eclipsed by its neighbour Tarraco ( modern Tarragona ), but it may be gathered from later writers that it gradually grew in wealth and consequence, favoured as it was with a beautiful situation and an excellent harbour. It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens. The city minted its own coins ; some from the era of Galba survive. The Mare de Déu de la Mercè statue on the Basílica de la Mercè Important Roman vestiges are displayed in Plaça del Rei underground, as a part of the Barcelona City History Museum MUHBA ; the typically Roman grid plan is still visible today in the layout of the historical centre, the Barri Gòtic ( Gothic Quarter ). Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have been incorporated into the cathedral. The cathedral, also known as the Basilica La Seu, is said to have been founded in 343. Medieval Barcelona The city was conquered by the Visigoths in the early 5th century, becoming for a few years the capital of all Hispania. After being conquered by the Arabs in the early 8th century, it was conquered in 801 by Charlemagne 's son Louis, who made Barcelona the seat of the Carolingian `` Hispanic March '' ( Marca Hispanica ), a buffer zone ruled by the Count of Barcelona. The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include all of Catalonia, although on 6 July 985, Barcelona was sacked by the army of Almanzor. The sack was so traumatic that most of Barcelona 's population was either killed or enslaved. In 1137, Aragon and the County of Barcelona merged in dynastic union by the marriage of Ramon Berenguer IV and Petronilla of Aragon, their titles finally borne by only one person when their son Alfonso II of Aragon ascended to the throne in 1162. His territories were later to be known as the Crown of Aragon, which conquered many overseas possessions and ruled the western Mediterranean Sea with outlying territories in Naples and Sicily and as far as Athens in the 13th century. The forging of a dynastic link between the Crowns of Aragon and Castile marked the beginning of Barcelona 's decline. The Bank of Barcelona ( Taula de canvi ), probably the oldest public bank in Europe, was established by the city magistrates in 1401. It originated from necessities of the state, as did the Bank of Venice ( 1402 ) and the Bank of Genoa ( 1407 ). Barcelona in 1563 Barcelona under the Spanish monarchy The marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile in 1469 united the two royal lines. Madrid became the centre of political power whilst the colonisation of the Americas reduced the financial importance ( at least in relative terms ) of Mediterranean trade. Barcelona was a centre of Catalan separatism, including the Catalan Revolt ( 1640 -- 52 ) against Philip IV of Spain. The great plague of 1650 -- 1654 halved the city 's population. The fortress at Montjuïc, most southerly point from which measurements were made when calculating the meridional definition of the metre In the 18th century, a fortress was built at Montjuïc that overlooked the harbour. In 1794, this fortress was used by the French astronomer Pierre François André Méchain for observations relating to a survey stretching to Dunkirk that provided the official basis of the measurement of a metre. The definitive metre bar, manufactured from platinum, was presented to the French legislative assembly on 22 June 1799. Much of Barcelona was negatively affected by the Napoleonic wars, but the start of industrialisation saw the fortunes of the province improve. Urban planner Ildefons Cerdà designed the large Eixample district in the 1850s when the medieval city walls around Barcelona 's old town were torn down. The Spanish Civil War and the Franco period Barcelona was the capital of the Republic of Spain from November 1937 until January 1939, Spanish Civil War. In that time, both Barcelona and Madrid were still under the rule of the republic. In the image Azaña and Negrín on the city outskirts. During the Spanish Civil War, the city, and Catalonia in general, were resolutely Republican. Many enterprises and public services were `` collectivized '' by the CNT and UGT unions. As the power of the Republican government and the Generalitat diminished, much of the city was under the effective control of anarchist groups. The anarchists lost control of the city to their own allies, the Communists and official government troops, after the street fighting of the Barcelona May Days. The fall of the city on 26 January 1939, caused a mass exodus of civilians who fled to the French border. The resistance of Barcelona to Franco 's coup d'état was to have lasting effects after the defeat of the Republican government. The autonomous institutions of Catalonia were abolished, and the use of the Catalan language in public life was suppressed. Barcelona remained the second largest city in Spain, at the heart of a region which was relatively industrialised and prosperous, despite the devastation of the civil war. The result was a large - scale immigration from poorer regions of Spain ( particularly Andalusia, Murcia and Galicia ), which in turn led to rapid urbanisation. Late twentieth century In 1992, Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympics. The after - effects of this are credited with driving major changes in what had, up until then, been a largely industrial city. As part of the preparation for the games, industrial buildings along the sea - front were demolished and two miles of beach were created. New construction increased the road capacity of the city by 17 %, the sewage handling capacity by 27 % and the amount of new green areas and beaches by 78 %. Between 1990 and 2004, the number of hotel rooms in the city doubled. Perhaps more importantly, the outside perception of the city was changed making, by 2012, Barcelona the 12th most popular city destination in the world and the 5th amongst European cities. Recent History Main articles : History of Barcelona and Timeline of Barcelona The death of Franco in 1975 brought on a period of democratisation throughout Spain. Pressure for change was particularly strong in Barcelona, which considered ( with some justification ) that it had been punished during nearly forty years of Francoism for its support of the Republican government. Massive, but peaceful, demonstrations on 11 September 1977 assembled over a million people in the streets of Barcelona to call for the restoration of Catalan autonomy. It was granted less than a month later. The development of Barcelona was promoted by two events in 1986 : Spanish accession to the European Community, and particularly Barcelona 's designation as host city of the 1992 Summer Olympics. The process of urban regeneration has been rapid, and accompanied by a greatly increased international reputation of the city as a tourist destination. The increased cost of housing has led to a slight decline ( − 16.6 % ) in the population over the last two decades of the 20th century as many families move out into the suburbs. This decline has been reversed since 2001, as a new wave of immigration ( particularly from Latin America and from Morocco ) has gathered pace. On 17 August 2017, a van was driven into pedestrians on La Rambla in the city, killing 14 and injuring at least 100, one of whom later died. Other attacks took place elsewhere in Catalonia. The Prime Minister of Spain, Mariano Rajoy, called the attack in Barcelona a jihadist attack. Amaq News Agency attributed indirect responsibility for the attack to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ( ISIL ). Geography A panoramic view of Barcelona Location Barcelona from high altitude Barcelona is located on the northeast coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Mediterranean Sea, on a plain approximately 5 km ( 3 mi ) wide limited by the mountain range of Collserola, the Llobregat river to the southwest and the Besòs river to the north. This plain covers an area of 170 km ( 66 sq mi ), of which 101 km ( 39.0 sq mi ) are occupied by the city itself. It is 120 kilometres ( 75 miles ) south of the Pyrenees and the Catalan border with France. Tibidabo, 512 m ( 1,680 ft ) high, offers striking views over the city and is topped by the 288.4 m ( 946.2 ft ) Torre de Collserola, a telecommunications tower that is visible from most of the city. Barcelona is peppered with small hills, most of them urbanised, that gave their name to the neighbourhoods built upon them, such as Carmel ( 267 metres or 876 feet ), Putget ( 181 metres or 594 feet ) and Rovira ( 261 metres or 856 feet ). The escarpment of Montjuïc ( 173 metres or 568 feet ), situated to the southeast, overlooks the harbour and is topped by Montjuïc castle, a fortress built in the 17 -- 18th centuries to control the city as a replacement for the Ciutadella. Today, the fortress is a museum and Montjuïc is home to several sporting and cultural venues, as well as Barcelona 's biggest park and gardens. The city borders on the municipalities of Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs to the north ; the Mediterranean Sea to the east ; El Prat de Llobregat and L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to the south ; and Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Just Desvern, Esplugues de Llobregat, Sant Cugat del Vallès, and Montcada i Reixac to the west. The municipality includes two small sparsely - inhabited exclaves to the north - west. Climate Main article : Climate of Barcelona According to the Köppen climate classification, Barcelona has a maritime Mediterranean climate ( Csa ), with mild winters and warm to hot summers, while the rainiest seasons are autumn and spring. Its average annual temperature is 21.2 ° C ( 70.2 ° F ) during the day and 15.1 ° C ( 59.2 ° F ) at night. The average annual temperature of the sea is about 20 ° C ( 68 ° F ). In the coldest month, January, the temperature typically ranges from 12 to 18 ° C ( 54 to 64 ° F ) during the day, 6 to 12 ° C ( 43 to 54 ° F ) at night and the average sea temperature is 13 ° C ( 55 ° F ). In the warmest month, August, the typical temperature ranges from 27 to 31 ° C ( 81 to 88 ° F ) during the day, about 23 ° C ( 73 ° F ) at night and the average sea temperature is 26 ° C ( 79 ° F ). Generally, the summer or `` holiday '' season lasts about six months, from May to October. Two months -- April and November -- are transitional ; sometimes the temperature exceeds 20 ° C ( 68 ° F ), with an average temperature of 18 -- 19 ° C ( 64 -- 66 ° F ) during the day and 11 -- 13 ° C ( 52 -- 55 ° F ) at night. December, January and February are the coldest months, with average temperatures around 15 ° C ( 59 ° F ) during the day and 9 ° C ( 48 ° F ) at night. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare, particularly in the summer months. Because of the proximity to the warm sea, frosts are very rare in the city of Barcelona. In fact, only 1 day in the last 30 years was recorded with a temperature under the freezing mark, − 1 ° C ( 30 ° F ). Snow is infrequent. Barcelona averages 78 rainy days per year ( ≥ 1 mm ), and annual average relative humidity is 72 %, ranging from 69 % in July to 75 % in October. Rainfall totals are highest in late summer and autumn ( September -- November ) and lowest in early and mid-summer ( June -- August ), with a secondary winter minimum ( February -- March ). Sunshine duration is 2,524 hours per year, from 138 ( average 4.5 hours of sunshine a day ) in December to 310 ( average 10 hours of sunshine a day ) in July. Climate data for Barcelona Can Bruixa -- Barcelona ( 1987 -- 2010 ) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high ° C ( ° F ) 23.8 ( 74.8 ) 24.8 ( 76.6 ) 28.8 ( 83.8 ) 27.7 ( 81.9 ) 31.6 ( 88.9 ) 35.8 ( 96.4 ) 36.8 ( 98.2 ) 38.2 ( 100.8 ) 33.4 ( 92.1 ) 32.6 ( 90.7 ) 26.1 ( 79 ) 23.1 ( 73.6 ) 38.2 ( 100.8 ) Average high ° C ( ° F ) 14.8 ( 58.6 ) 15.6 ( 60.1 ) 17.4 ( 63.3 ) 19.1 ( 66.4 ) 22.5 ( 72.5 ) 26.1 ( 79 ) 28.6 ( 83.5 ) 29.0 ( 84.2 ) 26.0 ( 78.8 ) 22.5 ( 72.5 ) 17.9 ( 64.2 ) 15.1 ( 59.2 ) 21.2 ( 70.2 ) Daily mean ° C ( ° F ) 11.8 ( 53.2 ) 12.4 ( 54.3 ) 14.2 ( 57.6 ) 15.8 ( 60.4 ) 19.3 ( 66.7 ) 22.9 ( 73.2 ) 25.7 ( 78.3 ) 26.1 ( 79 ) 23.0 ( 73.4 ) 19.5 ( 67.1 ) 14.9 ( 58.8 ) 12.3 ( 54.1 ) 18.2 ( 64.8 ) Average low ° C ( ° F ) 8.8 ( 47.8 ) 9.3 ( 48.7 ) 10.9 ( 51.6 ) 12.5 ( 54.5 ) 16.1 ( 61 ) 19.8 ( 67.6 ) 22.7 ( 72.9 ) 23.1 ( 73.6 ) 20.0 ( 68 ) 16.5 ( 61.7 ) 11.9 ( 53.4 ) 9.5 ( 49.1 ) 15.1 ( 59.2 ) Record low ° C ( ° F ) − 1.0 ( 30.2 ) 0.6 ( 33.1 ) 0.4 ( 32.7 ) 6.2 ( 43.2 ) 6.3 ( 43.3 ) 12.4 ( 54.3 ) 15.5 ( 59.9 ) 15.2 ( 59.4 ) 12.5 ( 54.5 ) 5.4 ( 41.7 ) 1.7 ( 35.1 ) 0.7 ( 33.3 ) − 1.0 ( 30.2 ) Average precipitation mm ( inches ) 43.7 ( 1.72 ) 31.4 ( 1.236 ) 33.0 ( 1.299 ) 47.7 ( 1.878 ) 47.4 ( 1.866 ) 32.5 ( 1.28 ) 25.1 ( 0.988 ) 40.8 ( 1.606 ) 81.9 ( 3.224 ) 96.5 ( 3.799 ) 45.1 ( 1.776 ) 46.8 ( 1.843 ) 571.9 ( 22.515 ) Average precipitation days ( ≥ 1 mm ) 7.0 5.0 6.2 7.9 7.5 5.5 3.1 5.8 8.0 9.0 6.6 7.0 78.6 Mean monthly sunshine hours 149 163 200 220 244 262 310 282 219 180 146 138 2,524 Source : Generalitat de Catalunya -- Agencia Estatal de Meteorología ( sunshine hours ) Demographics Demographic evolution, 1900 -- 2007, according to the Spanish Instituto Nacional de Estadística According to Barcelona 's City Council, Barcelona 's population as of 1 January 2016 was 1,608,746 people, on a land area of 101.4 km ( 39 sq mi ). It is the main component of an administrative area of Greater Barcelona, with a population of 3,218,071 in an area of 636 square kilometres ( 246 square miles ) ( density 5,060 hab / km2 ). The population of the urban area was 4,840,000. It is the central nucleus of the Barcelona metropolitan area, which relies on a population of 5,474,482. Spanish is the most spoken language in Barcelona ( according to the linguistic census held by the Government of Catalonia in 2013 ) and it is understood almost universally. After Spanish, the Catalan language is the second most spoken one in the city, and it is understood by 95 % of the population, while 72.3 % can speak it, 79 % can read it, and 53 % can write it, thanks to the language immersion educational system. In 1900, Barcelona had a population of 533,000 people, which grew steadily but slowly until 1950, when it started absorbing a high number of people from other less - industrialized parts of Spain. Barcelona 's population peaked in 1979 with 1,906,998 people, and fell throughout the 1980s and 1990s as more people sought a higher quality of life in outlying cities in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. After bottoming out in 2000 with 1,496,266 people, the city 's population began to rise again as younger people started to return, causing a great increase in housing prices. Population density View over the Passeig de Gràcia avenue Note : This text is entirely based on the municipal statistical database provided by the city council. Barcelona is one of the most densely populated cities in Europe. For the year 2008 the city council calculated the population to 1,621,090 living in the 102.2 km sized municipality, giving the city an average population density of 15,926 inhabitants per square kilometre with Eixample being the most populated district. In the case of Barcelona though, the land distribution is extremely uneven. Half of the municipality or 50.2 km, all of it located on the municipal edge is made up of the ten least densely populated neighbourhoods containing less than 10 % of the city 's population, the uninhabited Zona Franca industrial area and Montjuïc forest park. Leaving the remaining 90 % or slightly below 1.5 million inhabitants living on the remaining 52 square kilometres ( 20 square miles ) at an average density close to 28,500 inhabitants per square kilometre. Of the 73 neighbourhoods in the city, 45 had a population density above 20,000 inhabitants per square kilometre with a combined population of 1,313,424 inhabitants living on 38.6 km at an average density of 33,987 inhabitants per square km. The 30 most densely populated neighbourhoods accounted for 57.5 % of the city population occupying only 22, 7 % of the municipality, or in other words, 936,406 people living at an average density of 40,322 inhabitants per square kilometre. The city 's highest density is found at and around the neighbourhood of la Sagrada Família where four of the city 's most densely populated neighbourhoods are located side by side, all with a population density above 50,000 inhabitants per square kilometre. Migration Largest groups of foreign residents in Barcelona Nationality Population ( 2016 ) Italy 26,676 Pakistan 19,160 China 18,434 France 13,506 Morocco 12,537 Bolivia 9,291 Philippines 8,682 Ecuador 8,109 Peru 7,944 Colombia 7,904 In 2016 about 59 % of the inhabitants of the city were born in Catalonia and 18.5 % coming from the rest of the country. In addition to that, 22.5 % of the population was born outside of Spain, a proportion which has more than doubled since 2001 and more than quintupled cince 1996 when it was 8.6 % respectively 3.9 %. The most important region of origin of migrants is Europe, with many coming from Italy ( 26,676 ) or France ( 13,506 ). Moreover, many migrants come from Latin American nations as Bolivia, Ecuador or Colombia. Since the 1990s, and similar to other migrants, many Latin Americans have settled in northern parts of the city. There exists a relatively large Pakistani community in Barcelona with up to twenty thousand nationals. The community consists of significantly more men than women. Many of the Pakistanis are living in Ciutat Vella. First Pakistani migrants came in the 1970s, with increasing numbers in the 1990s. Other significant migrant groups come from Asia as from China and the Philippines. There is a Japanese community clustered in Bonanova, Les Tres Torres, Pedralbes, and other northern neighbourhoods, and a Japanese international school serves that community. Religion Main article : Religion in Barcelona Most of the inhabitants state they are Roman Catholic ( 208 churches ). In a 2011 survey conducted by InfoCatólica, 49.5 % of Barcelona residents of all ages identified themselves as Catholic. This was the first time that more than half of respondents did not identify themselves as Catholic. The numbers reflect a broader trend in Spain whereby the numbers of self - identified Catholics have declined. The province has the largest Muslim community in Spain, 322,698 people in Barcelona province are of Muslim religion. A considerable number of Muslims live in Barcelona due to immigration ( 169 locations, mostly professed by Moroccans in Spain ). In 2014, 322,698 out of 5.5 million people in the province of Barcelona identified themselves as Muslim, which makes 5.6 % of total population. The city also has the largest Jewish community in Spain, with an estimated 3,500 Jews living in the city. There are also a number of other groups, including Evangelical ( 71 locations, mostly professed by Roma ), Jehovah 's Witnesses ( 21 Kingdom Halls ), Buddhists ( 13 locations ), and Eastern Orthodox. Economy General Information A part of the 22@Barcelona, business and innovation district The Barcelona metropolitan area comprises over 66 % of the people of Catalonia, one of the richer regions in Europe and the fourth richest region per capita in Spain, with a GDP per capita amounting to € 28,400 ( 16 % more than the EU average ). The greater Barcelona metropolitan area had a GDP amounting to $177 billion ( equivalent to $34,821 in per capita terms, 44 % more than the EU average ), making it the 4th most economically powerful city by gross GDP in the European Union, and 35th in the world in 2009. Barcelona city had a very high GDP of € 80,894 per head in 2004, according to Eurostat. Furthermore, Barcelona was Europe 's fourth best business city and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17 % per year as of 2009. Barcelona was the 24th most `` livable city '' in the world in 2015 according to lifestyle magazine Monocle. Similarly, according to Innovation Analysts 2thinknow, Barcelona occupies 13th place in the world on Innovation Cities TM Global Index. Barcelona has a long - standing mercantile tradition. Less well known is that the city industrialised early, taking off in 1833, when Catalonia 's already sophisticated textile industry began to use steam power. It became the first and most important industrial city in the Mediterranean basin. Since then, manufacturing has played a large role in its history. Borsa de Barcelona ( Barcelona Stock Exchange ) is the main stock exchange in the northeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula. Barcelona was recognised as the Southern European City of the Future for 2014 / 15, based on its economic potential, by FDi Magazine in their bi-annual rankings. Trade fair and exhibitions The World Trade Center Barcelona The Palau de Congressos de Barcelona Drawing upon its tradition of creative art and craftsmanship, Barcelona is known for its award - winning industrial design. It also has several congress halls, notably Fira de Barcelona -- the second largest trade fair and exhibition centre in Europe, that host a quickly growing number of national and international events each year ( at present above 50 ). The total exhibition floor space of Fira de Barcelona venues is 405,000 m ( 41 ha ), not counting Gran Via centre on the Plaza de Europa. However, the Eurozone crisis and deep cuts in business travel affected the Council 's positioning of the city as a convention centre. An important business centre, the World Trade Center Barcelona, is located in Barcelona 's Port Vell harbour. The city is known for hosting well as world - class conferences and expositions, including the 1888 Exposición Universal de Barcelona, the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition ( Expo 1929 ), the 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures and the 2004 World Urban Forum. Tourism Part of the beach promenade and the beach of La Barceloneta towards Port Olimpic Barcelona was the 20th-most - visited city in the world by international visitors and the fifth most visited city in Europe after London, Paris, Istanbul and Rome, with 5.5 million international visitors in 2011. By 2015, both Prague and Milan had more international visitors. With its Rambles, Barcelona is ranked the most popular city to visit in Spain. Barcelona as internationally renowned a tourist destination, with numerous recreational areas, one of the best beaches in the world, mild and warm climate, historical monuments, including eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 519 hotels as of March 2016 including 35 five star hotels, and developed tourist infrastructure. Due to its large influx of tourists each year, Barcelona, like many other tourism capitals, has to deal with pickpockets, with wallets and passports being commonly stolen items. For this reason, most travel guides recommend that visitors take precautions in order to ensure their possessions ' safety, especially inside the metro premises. Despite its moderate pickpocket rate, Barcelona is considered one of the safest cities in terms of health security and personal safety, mainly because of a sophisticated policing strategy that has dropped crime by 32 % in just over three years and has led it to be considered the 15th safest city in the world by Business Insider. Manufacturing sector Industry generates 21 % of the total gross domestic product ( GDP ) of the region, with the energy, chemical and metallurgy industries accounting for 47 % of industrial production. The Barcelona metropolitan area had 67 % of the total number of industrial establishments in Catalonia as of 1997. Barcelona has long been an important European automobile manufacturing centre. Formerly there were automobile factories of AFA, Abadal, Actividades Industriales, Alvarez, America, Artés de Arcos, Balandrás, Baradat - Esteve, Biscúter, J. Castro, Clúa, David, Delfín, Díaz y Grilló, Ebro trucks, Edis, Elizalde, Automóviles España, Eucort, Fenix, Fábrica Hispano, Auto Academia Garriga, Fábrica Española de Automóviles Hebe, Hispano - Suiza, Huracán Motors, Talleres Hereter, Junior SL, Kapi, La Cuadra, M.A., Automóviles Matas, Motores y Motos, Nacional Custals, National Pescara, Nacional RG, Nacional Rubi, Nacional Sitjes, Automóviles Nike, Orix, Otro Ford, Partia, Pegaso, PTV, Ricart, Ricart - España, Industrias Salvador, Siata Española, Stevenson, Romagosa y Compañía, Garaje Storm, Talleres Hereter, Trimak, Automóviles Victoria, Manufacturas Mecánicas Aleu. Today, the headquarters and a large factory of SEAT ( the largest Spanish automobile manufacturer ) are in one of its suburbs. There is also a Nissan factory in the logistics and industrial area of the city. The factory of Derbi, a large manufacturer of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds, also lies near the city. As in other modern cities, the manufacturing sector has long since been overtaken by the services sector, though it remains very important. The region 's leading industries are textiles, chemical, pharmaceutical, motor, electronic, printing, logistics, publishing, in telecommunications industry and culture the notable Mobile World Congress, and information technology services. Fashion The Brandery fashion show of 2011 The traditional importance of textiles is reflected in Barcelona 's drive to become a major fashion centre. There have been many attempts to launch Barcelona as a fashion capital, notably Gaudi Home. Beginning in the summer of 2000, the city hosted the prestigious Bread & Butter urban fashion fair until 2009, when its organisers announced that it would be returning to Berlin. This was a hard blow for the city as the fair brought € 100 m to the city in just three days. Since 2009, The Brandery, an urban fashion show, has been held in Barcelona twice a year until 2012. According to the Global Language Monitor 's annual ranking of the world 's top fifty fashion capitals Barcelona was named as the seventh most important fashion capital of the world right after Milano and before Berlin in 2015. Government and administrative divisions See also : Municipal elections in Barcelona and List of mayors of Barcelona Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya As the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia, Barcelona is the seat of the Catalan government, known as the Generalitat de Catalunya ; of particular note are the executive branch, the parliament, and the High Court of Justice of Catalonia. The city is also the capital of the Province of Barcelona and the Barcelonès comarca ( district ). Barcelona is governed by a city council formed by 41 city councillors, elected for a four - year term by universal suffrage. As one of the two biggest cities in Spain, Barcelona is subject to a special law articulated through the Carta Municipal ( Municipal Law ). A first version of this law was passed in 1960 and amended later, but the current version was approved in March 2006. According to this law, Barcelona 's city council is organised in two levels : a political one, with elected city councillors, and one executive, which administrates the programs and executes the decisions taken on the political level. This law also gives the local government a special relationship with the central government and it also gives the mayor wider prerogatives by the means of municipal executive commissions. It expands the powers of the city council in areas like telecommunications, city traffic, road safety and public safety. It also gives a special economic regime to the city 's treasury and it gives the council a veto in matters that will be decided by the central government, but that will need a favourable report from the council. The City Hall of Barcelona The Comissió de Govern ( Government Commission ) is the executive branch, formed by 24 councillors, led by the Mayor, with 5 lieutenant - mayors and 17 city councillors, each in charge of an area of government, and 5 non-elected councillors. The plenary, formed by the 41 city councillors, has advisory, planning, regulatory, and fiscal executive functions. The six Commissions del Consell Municipal ( City council commissions ) have executive and controlling functions in the field of their jurisdiction. They are composed by a number of councillors proportional to the number of councillors each political party has in the plenary. The city council has jurisdiction in the fields of city planning, transportation, municipal taxes, public highways security through the Guàrdia Urbana ( the municipal police ), city maintenance, gardens, parks and environment, facilities ( like schools, nurseries, sports centres, libraries, and so on ), culture, sports, youth and social welfare. Some of these competencies are not exclusive, but shared with the Generalitat de Catalunya or the central Spanish government. In some fields with shared responsibility ( such as public health, education or social services ), there is a shared Agency or Consortium between the city and the Generalitat to plan and manage services. The Saló de Cent, in the City Hall of Barcelona. The executive branch is led by a Chief Municipal Executive Officer which answers to the Mayor. It is made up of departments which are legally part of the city council and by separate legal entities of two types : autonomous public departments and public enterprises. The seat of the city council is on the Plaça de Sant Jaume, opposite the seat of Generalitat de Catalunya. Since the coming of the Spanish democracy, Barcelona had been governed by the PSC, first with an absolute majority and later in coalition with ERC and ICV. After the May 2007 election, the ERC did not renew the coalition agreement and the PSC governed in a minority coalition with ICV as the junior partner. After 32 years, on 22 May 2011, CiU gained a plurality of seats at the municipal election, gaining 15 seats to the PSC 's 11. The PP hold 8 seats, ICV 5 and ERC 2. Districts Districts of Barcelona Main article : Districts of Barcelona Since 1987, the city has been divided into 10 administrative districts ( districtes in Catalan, distritos in Spanish ) : Ciutat Vella Eixample Sants - Montjuïc Les Corts Sarrià - Sant Gervasi Gràcia Horta - Guinardó Nou Barris Sant Andreu Sant Martí The districts are based mostly on historical divisions, and several are former towns annexed by the city of Barcelona in the 18th and 19th centuries that still maintain their own distinct character. Each district has its own council led by a city councillor. The composition of each district council depends on the number of votes each political party had in that district, so a district can be led by a councillor from a different party than the executive council. Education Main article : Education in Spain Main hall of the University of Barcelona Barcelona has a well - developed higher education system of public universities. Most prominent among these is the University of Barcelona ( established in 1450 ), a world - renowned research and teaching institution with campuses around the city. Barcelona is also home to the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, and the newer Pompeu Fabra University, and, in the private sector the EADA Business School founded in 1957, became the first Barcelona institution to run manager training programmes for the business community. IESE Business School, as well as the largest private educational institution, the Ramon Llull University, which encompasses internationally prestigious schools and institutes such as the ESADE Business School. The Autonomous University of Barcelona, another public university, is located in Bellaterra, a town in the Metropolitan Area. Toulouse Business School and the Open University of Catalonia ( a private Internet - centred open university ) are also based in Barcelona. Building of the faculty of Law of the University of Barcelona The city has a network of public schools, from nurseries to high schools, under the responsibility of a consortium led by city council ( though the curriculum is the responsibility of the Generalitat de Catalunya ). There are also many private schools, some of them Roman Catholic. Most such schools receive a public subsidy on a per - student basis, are subject to inspection by the public authorities, and are required to follow the same curricular guidelines as public schools, though they charge tuition. Known as escoles concertades, they are distinct from schools whose funding is entirely private ( escoles privades ). The language of instruction at public schools and escoles concertades is Catalan, as stipulated by the 2009 Catalan Education Act. Spanish may be used as a language of instruction by teachers of Spanish literature or language, and foreign languages by teachers of those languages. An experimental partial immersion programme adopted by some schools allows for the teaching of a foreign language ( English, generally ) across the curriculum, though this is limited to a maximum of 30 % of the school day. No public school or escola concertada in Barcelona may offer 50 % or full immersion programmes in a foreign language, nor does any public school or escola concertada offer International Baccalaureate programmes. Culture Main article : Culture of Barcelona Barcelona 's cultural roots go back 2000 years. Since the arrival of democracy, the Catalan language ( very much repressed during the dictatorship of Franco ) has been promoted, both by recovering works from the past and by stimulating the creation of new works. Barcelona is designated as a world - class city by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network. Entertainment and performing arts Main article : List of theatres and concert halls in Barcelona The Liceu opera house Barcelona has many venues for live music and theatre, including the world - renowned Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house, the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, the Teatre Lliure and the Palau de la Música Catalana concert hall. Barcelona also is home to the Barcelona and Catalonia National Symphonic Orchestra ( Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, usually known as OBC ), the largest symphonic orchestra in Catalonia. In 1999, the OBC inaugurated its new venue in the brand - new Auditorium ( l'Auditori ). It performs around 75 concerts per season and its current director is Eiji Oue. It is home to the Barcelona Guitar Orchestra, directed by Sergi Vicente. The major thoroughfare of La Rambla is home to mime artists and street performers. Yearly, two major pop music festivals take place in the city, the Sónar Festival and the Primavera Sound Festival. The city also has a thriving alternative music scene, with groups such as The Pinker Tones receiving international attention. Media El Periódico de Catalunya, La Vanguardia and Ara are Barcelona 's three major daily newspapers ( the first two with Catalan and Spanish editions, Ara only in Catalan ) while Sport and El Mundo Deportivo ( both in Spanish ) are the city 's two major sports daily newspapers, published by the same companies. The city is also served by a number of smaller publications such as Ara and El Punt Avui ( in Catalan ), by nationwide newspapers with special Barcelona editions like El Pais ( in Spanish, with an online version in Catalan ) and El Mundo ( in Spanish ), and by several free newspapers like 20 minutos and Què ( all bilingual ). Barcelona 's oldest and main online newspaper VilaWeb is also the oldest one in Europe ( with Catalan and English editions ). Several major FM stations include Catalunya Ràdio, RAC 1, RAC 105 and Cadena SER. Barcelona also has a local TV stations, BTV, owned by city council. The headquarters of Televisió de Catalunya, Catalonia 's public network, are located in Sant Joan Despí, in Barcelona 's metropolitan area. Sports Main article : Sport in Barcelona Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc ( Barcelona Olympic Stadium ) built for the 1936 Summer Olympics named People 's Olympiad, main stadium of 1992 Summer Olympics. Barcelona has a long sporting tradition and hosted the highly successful 1992 Summer Olympics as well as several matches during the 1982 FIFA World Cup ( at the two stadiums ). It has hosted about 30 sports events of international significance. The Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe. FC Barcelona is a sports club best known worldwide for its football team, one of the largest and the second richest in the world. It has 72 national trophies ( while finishing 46 times as runners - up ) and 17 continental prizes ( with being runners - up 11 times ), including five UEFA Champions League trophies out of eight finals and three FIFA Club World Cup wins out of four finals. It is the only male football team in the world to accomplish a single season sextuple. FC Barcelona also has professional teams in other sports like FC Barcelona Regal ( basketball ), FC Barcelona Handbol ( handball ), FC Barcelona Hoquei ( roller hockey ), FC Barcelona Ice Hockey ( ice hockey ), FC Barcelona Futsal ( futsal ) and FC Barcelona Rugby ( rugby union ), all at one point winners of the highest national and / or European competitions. The club 's museum is the second most visited in Catalonia. The matches against cross-town rivals RCD Espanyol are of particular interest, but there are other Barcelonan football clubs in lower categories, like CE Europa and UE Sant Andreu. FC Barcelona 's basketball team has a noted rivalry in the Liga ACB with nearby Joventut Badalona. Palau Sant Jordi ( St. George 's sporting arena ) and Montjuïc Communications Tower Barcelona has three UEFA elite stadiums : FC Barcelona 's Camp Nou, the largest stadium in Europe with a capacity of 99,354 ; the publicly owned Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, with a capacity of 55,926 ; used for the 1992 Olympics ; and Estadi Cornellà - El Prat, with a capacity of 40,500. Furthermore, the city has several smaller stadiums such as Mini Estadi ( also owned by FC Barcelona ) with a capacity of 15,000, Camp Municipal Narcís Sala with a capacity of 6,563 and Nou Sardenya with a capacity of 7,000. The city has a further three multifunctional venues for sports and concerts : the Palau Sant Jordi with a capacity of 12,000 to 24,000 ( depending on use ), the Palau Blaugrana with a capacity of 7,500, and the Palau dels Esports de Barcelona with a capacity of 3,500. Barcelona was the host city for the 2013 World Aquatics Championships, which were held at the Palau San Jordi. Circuit de Catalunya / Circuit de Barcelona, race track of Formula 1 and MotoGP on the suburb of Barcelona. Several road running competitions are organised year - round in Barcelona : the Barcelona Marathon every March with over 10,000 participants in 2010, the Cursa de Bombers in April, the Cursa de El Corte Inglés in May ( with about 60,000 participants each year ), the Cursa de la Mercè, the Cursa Jean Bouin, the Milla Sagrada Família and the San Silvestre. There 's also the Ultratrail Collserola which passes 85 kilometres ( 53 miles ) through the Collserola forest. The Open Seat Godó, a 50 - year - old ATP World Tour 500 Series tennis tournament, is held annually in the facilities of the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona. Each Christmas, a swimming race across the port is organised. Near Barcelona, in Montmeló, the 107,000 capacity Circuit de Barcelona - Catalunya racetrack hosts the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix, the Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix, the Spanish GT Championship and races in the GP2 Series. Skateboarding and cycling are also very popular in Barcelona ; in and around the city there are dozens of kilometers of bicycle paths. Top sport clubs in Barcelona : Club League Sport Venue Established Capacity FC Barcelona Primera División Football Camp Nou 1899 100,000 RCD Espanyol Primera División Football Estadi Cornellà - El Prat 1900 40,500 CE Europa Tercera División Football Nou Sardenya 1907 7,000 FC Barcelona Bàsquet Primera División Basketball Palau Blaugrana 1926 7,585 FC Barcelona Handbol Primera División Handball Palau Blaugrana 1942 7,585 FC Barcelona Ice Hockey Primera División Ice hockey Palau de Gel 1972 1,256 FC Barcelona Hoquei Primera División Roller hockey Palau Blaugrana 1942 7,585 FC Barcelona Futsal Primera División Futsal Palau Blaugrana 1986 7,585 FC Barcelona Rugby Primera División Rugby union CDMVdHT 1924 no data Barcelona Dragons World League American football Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys 1991 ( withheld ) 56,000 Barcelona Búfals Primera División American football Camp Municipal Narcís Sala 6,550 Squatter 's movement Barcelona is also home to numerous social centres and illegal squats that effectively form a shadow society mainly made up of the unemployed, immigrants, dropouts, anarchists, anti-authoritarians and autonomists. Peter Gelderloos estimates that there around 200 squatted buildings and 40 social centres across the city with thousands of inhabitants, making it one of the largest squatter movements in the world. He notes that they pirate electricity, internet and water allowing them to live on less than one euro a day. He argues that these squats embrace an anarcho - communist and anti-work philosophy, often freely fixing up new houses, cleaning, patching roofs, installing windows, toilets, showers, lights and kitchens. In the wake of austerity, the squats have provided a number of social services to the surrounding residents, including bicycle repair workshops, carpentry workshops, self - defense classes, free libraries, community gardens, free meals, computer labs, language classes, theatre groups, free medical care and legal support services. The squats help elderly residents avoid eviction and organise various protests throughout Barcelona. Notable squats include Can Vies and Can Masdeus. Police have repeatedly tried to shut down he squatters movement with waves of evictions and raids, but the movement is still going strong. Transport Main article : Transport in Barcelona Airports The Barcelona -- El Prat Airport as seen from the air Barcelona is served by Barcelona - El Prat Airport, about 17 km ( 11 mi ) from the centre of Barcelona. It is the second - largest airport in Spain, and the largest on the Mediterranean coast, which handled more than 44.1 million passengers in 2016, showing an annual upward trend. It is a main hub for Vueling Airlines and Ryanair, and also a focus for Iberia and Air Europa. The airport mainly serves domestic and European destinations, although some airlines offer destinations in Latin America, Asia and the United States. The airport is connected to the city by highway, metro ( Airport T1 and Airport T2 stations ), commuter train ( Barcelona Airport railway station ) and scheduled bus service. A new terminal ( T1 ) has been built, and entered service on 17 June 2009. Some low - cost airlines, also use Girona - Costa Brava Airport, about 90 km ( 56 mi ) to the north, Reus Airport, 77 km ( 48 mi ) to the south, or Lleida - Alguaire Airport, about 150 km ( 93 mi ) to the west, of the city. Sabadell Airport is a smaller airport in the nearby town of Sabadell, devoted to pilot training, aerotaxi and private flights. Seaport The Port of Barcelona The Port of Barcelona has a 2000 - year - old history and a great contemporary commercial importance. It is Europe 's ninth largest container port, with a trade volume of 1.72 million TEU 's in 2013. The port is managed by the Port Authority of Barcelona. Its 10 km ( 4 sq mi ) are divided into three zones : Port Vell ( the old port ), the commercial port and the logistics port ( Barcelona Free Port ). The port is undergoing an enlargement that will double its size thanks to diverting the mouth of the Llobregat river 2 kilometres ( 1 mile ) to the south. The Port Vell in winter The Barcelona harbour is the leading European cruiser port and a most important Mediterranean turnaround base. In 2013, 3, 6 million of pleasure cruises passengers used services of the Port of Barcelona. The Port Vell area also houses the Maremagnum ( a commercial mall ), a multiplex cinema, the IMAX Port Vell and one of Europe 's largest aquariums -- Aquarium Barcelona, containing 8,000 fish and 11 sharks contained in 22 basins filled with 4 million litres of sea water. The Maremagnum, being situated within the confines of the port, is the only commercial mall in the city that can open on Sundays and public holidays. Railway The main railway station Estación de Sants Barcelona is a major hub for RENFE, the Spanish state railway network. The city 's main Inter-city rail station is Barcelona Sants railway station, whilst Estació de França terminus serves a secondary role handling suburban, regional and medium distance services. Freight services operate to local industries and to the Port of Barcelona. RENFE 's AVE high - speed rail system, which is designed for speeds of 310 km / h ( 193 mph ), was extended from Madrid to Barcelona in 2008 in the form of the Madrid -- Barcelona high - speed rail line. A shared RENFE - SNCF high - speed rail connecting Barcelona and France ( Paris, Marseilles and Toulouse, through Perpignan -- Barcelona high - speed rail line ) was launched in 2013. Both these lines serve Barcelona Sants terminal station. Besides RENFE 's services, other rail services in the Barcelona area are operated by the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya ( FGC ), owned by the Catalan government. The FGC operates largely commuter rail services, but also carries freight to the Port of Barcelona, as well as a number of rack railways and funiculars and three of the lines of the Barcelona Metro ( see local public transport below ). Other suburban services are operated by Rodalies de Catalunya over RENFE tracks. Roads and highways B - 20 motorway in Barcelona. Barcelona lies on three international routes, including European route E15 that follows the Mediterranean coast, European route E90 to Madrid and Lisbon, and European route E09 to Paris. It is also served by a comprehensive network of motorways and highways throughout the metropolitan area, including A-2, A-7 / AP - 7, C - 16, C - 17, C - 31, C - 32, C - 33, C - 60. The city is circled by three half ring roads or bypasses, Ronda de Dalt ( B - 20 ) ( on the mountain side ), Ronda del Litoral ( B - 10 ) ( along the coast ) and Ronda del Mig ( separated into two parts : Travessera de Dalt in the north and the Gran Via de Carles III ), two partially covered fast highways with several exits that bypass the city. The city 's main arteries include Diagonal Avenue, which crosses it diagonally, Meridiana Avenue which leads to Glòries and connects with Diagonal Avenue and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, which crosses the city from east to west, passing through its centre. The famous boulevard of La Rambla, whilst no longer an important vehicular route, remains an important pedestrian route. The Estació del Nord ( Northern Station ), a former railway station which was renovated for the 1992 Olympic Games, now serves as the terminus for long - distance and regional bus services. Local public transport Barcelona Metro Barcelona is served by a comprehensive local public transport network that includes a metro, a bus network, two separate modern tram networks, a separate historic tram line, and several funiculars and aerial cable cars. Most of these networks and lines form a coordinated fare system, administered by the Autoritat del Transport Metropolità ( ATM ), although they are operated by a number of different bodies. This integrated public transport is divided into different zones ( 1 to 6 ) and depending on usage various Integrated Travel Cards are available. The largely underground Barcelona Metro network comprises twelve lines, identified by an `` L '' followed by the line number as well as by individual colours. Eight of these lines are operated on dedicated track by the Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona ( TMB ), whilst four lines are operated by the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya ( FGC ) and some of them share tracks with that company 's commuter lines. Barcelona Tram Another company, TRAMMET, operates the city 's two modern tram networks, known as Trambaix and Trambesòs. The historic tram line, the Tramvia Blau, connects the metro ( L7, operated by FGC ) to the Funicular del Tibidabo ( operated by TMB ). The Funicular de Tibidabo climbs the Tibidabo hill, as does the Funicular de Vallvidrera ( FGC ). The Funicular de Montjuïc ( TMB ) climbs the Montjuïc hill. The city has two aerial cable cars : the Montjuïc Cable Car ( to the Montjuïc castle ) and the Port Vell Aerial Tramway that runs via Torre Jaume I and Torre Sant Sebastià over the port. Buses in Barcelona are a major form of public transport, with extensive local, interurban and night bus networks. Most local services are operated by the TMB, although some other services are operated by a number of private companies, albeit still within the ATM fare structure. A separate private bus line, known as Aerobús, links the airport with the city centre, with its own fare structure. Two typical Barcelona taxis Barcelona has a metered taxi fleet governed by the Institut Metropolità del Taxi ( Metropolitan Taxi Institute ), composed of more than 10,000 cars. Most of the licences are in the hands of self - employed drivers. With their black and yellow livery, Barcelona 's taxis are easily spotted, and can be caught from one of many taxi ranks, hailed on street, called by telephone or via app. On 22 March 2007, Barcelona 's City Council started the Bicing service, a bicycle service understood as a public transport. Once the user has their user card, they can take a bicycle from any of the more than 400 stations spread around the city and use it anywhere the urban area of the city, and then leave it at another station. The service has been a success, with 50,000 subscribed users in three months. Main sights Sagrada Família church, designed by Gaudí The Barri Gòtic ( Catalan for `` Gothic Quarter '' ) is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan modernista architecture ( related to the movement known as Art Nouveau in the rest of Europe ) developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. Several of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be seen throughout the city. His best - known work is the immense but still unfinished church of the Sagrada Família, which has been under construction since 1882 and is still financed by private donations. As of 2015, completion is planned for 2026. Barcelona was also home to Mies van der Rohe 's Barcelona Pavilion. Designed in 1929 for the International Exposition for Germany, it was an iconic building that came to symbolise modern architecture as the embodiment of van der Rohe 's aphorisms `` less is more '' and `` God is in the details. '' The Barcelona pavilion was intended as a temporary structure and was torn down in 1930 less than a year after it was constructed. A modern re-creation by Spanish architects now stands in Barcelona, however, constructed in 1986. Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture, the first ( and as of 2015, only ) time that the winner has been a city rather than an individual architect. Plaça Reial World Heritage Sites Barcelona is the home of many points of interest declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO : Name Park Güell Palau Güell Casa Milà Casa Vicens Code, year 320 - 001, 1984 320 -- 002, 1984 320 -- 003, 1984 320 -- 004, 2005 Coordinates 41 ° 24 ′ 59.6 '' N 2 ° 09 ′ 07.9 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 41.416556 ° N 2.152194 ° E ﻿ / 41.416556 ; 2.152194 41 ° 22 ′ 45 '' N 2 ° 10 ′ 28 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 41.379183 ° N 2.174445 ° E ﻿ / 41.379183 ; 2.174445 41 ° 23 ′ 51.3 '' N 2 ° 09 ′ 46.9 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 41.397583 ° N 2.163028 ° E ﻿ / 41.397583 ; 2.163028 ﻿ ( Casa Milà ) 41 ° 22 ′ 50.5 '' N 2 ° 10 ′ 30.6 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 41.380694 ° N 2.175167 ° E ﻿ / 41.380694 ; 2.175167 Name Sagrada Família Casa Batlló Palau de la Música Catalana Hospital de Sant Pau Code, year 320 - 005, 2005 320 -- 006, 2005 804 -- 001, 1997 804 -- 002, 1997 Coordinates 41 ° 24 ′ 19.8 '' N 2 ° 10 ′ 30.2 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 41.405500 ° N 2.175056 ° E ﻿ / 41.405500 ; 2.175056 ﻿ ( Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia ) 41 ° 22 ′ 00.3 '' N 2 ° 09 ′ 59.0 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 41.366750 ° N 2.166389 ° E ﻿ / 41.366750 ; 2.166389 41 ° 23 ′ 16 '' N 2 ° 10 ′ 30 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 41.38778 ° N 2.17500 ° E ﻿ / 41.38778 ; 2.17500 41 ° 24 ′ 50 '' N 2 ° 10 ′ 30 '' E ﻿ / ﻿ 41.41389 ° N 2.17500 ° E ﻿ / 41.41389 ; 2.17500 Historic buildings and monuments Further information : List of Modernista buildings in Barcelona See also : Category : Buildings and structures in Barcelona. Barcelona Cathedral Minor basilica of Sagrada Família, the international symbol of Barcelona Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, included in the UNESCO Heritage List in 1997. Works by Antoni Gaudí, including Park Güell, Palau Güell, Casa Milà ( La Pedrera ), Casa Vicens, Sagrada Família ( Nativity façade and crypt ), Casa Batlló, Crypt in Colonia Güell. The first three works were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1984. The other four were added as extensions to the site in 2005. The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia ( Gothic ) Gothic basilica of Santa Maria del Mar Gothic basilica of Santa Maria del Pi Romanesque church of Sant Pau del Camp Palau Reial Major, medieval residence of the sovereign Counts of Barcelona, later Kings of Aragon The Royal Shipyard ( gothic ) Monastery of Pedralbes ( gothic ) The Columbus Monument The Arc de Triomf, a triumphal arch built for entrance to 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition. Expiatory church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the summit of Tibidabo. Museums Main article : List of museums in Barcelona The National Museum of Art of Catalonia stands out for its collection of Romanesque painting, considered one of the most complete in Europe. Barcelona has a great number of museums, which cover different areas and eras. The National Museum of Art of Catalonia possesses a well - known collection of Romanesque art, while the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art focuses on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art. The Fundació Joan Miró, Picasso Museum, and Fundació Antoni Tàpies hold important collections of these world - renowned artists, as well as the Can Framis Museum, focused on post-1960 Catalan Art owned by Fundació Vila Casas. Several museums cover the fields of history and archaeology, like the Barcelona City History Museum ( MUHBA ), the Museum of the History of Catalonia, the Archeology Museum of Catalonia, the Barcelona Maritime Museum, and the privately owned Egyptian Museum. The Erotic museum of Barcelona is among the most peculiar ones, while CosmoCaixa is a science museum that received the European Museum of the Year Award in 2006. The FC Barcelona Museum has been the most visited museum in the city of Barcelona, with 1,506,022 visitors in 2013. Parks Parc de la Ciutadella north of La Barceloneta Barcelona contains sixty municipal parks, twelve of which are historic, five of which are thematic ( botanical ), forty - five of which are urban, and six of which are forest. They range from vest - pocket parks to large recreation areas. The urban parks alone cover 10 % of the city ( 549.7 ha or 1,358.3 acres ). The total park surface grows about 10 ha ( 25 acres ) per year, with a proportion of 18.1 square metres ( 195 sq ft ) of park area per inhabitant. Of Barcelona 's parks, Montjuïc is the largest, with 203 ha located on the mountain of the same name. It is followed by Parc de la Ciutadella ( which occupies the site of the old military citadel and which houses the Parliament building, the Barcelona Zoo, and several museums ) ; 31 ha or 76.6 acres including the zoo ), the Guinardó Park ( 19 ha or 47.0 acres ), Park Güell ( designed by Antoni Gaudí ; 17.2 ha or 42.5 acres ), Oreneta Castle Park ( also 17.2 ha or 42.5 acres ), Diagonal Mar Park ( 13.3 ha or 32.9 acres, inaugurated in 2002 ), Nou Barris Central Park ( 13.2 ha or 32.6 acres ), Can Dragó Sports Park and Poblenou Park ( both 11.9 ha or 29.4 acres ), the Labyrinth Park ( 9.10 ha or 22.5 acres ), named after the garden maze it contains. There are also several smaller parks, for example, the Parc de Les Aigües ( 2 ha or 4.9 acres ). A part of the Collserolla Park is also within the city limits. PortAventura, one of the largest amusement parks in Europe, with 3,000,000 visitors per year, is located one hour 's drive from Barcelona. Also, within the city lies Tibidabo Amusement Park, a smaller amusement park in Plaza del Tibidabo, with the Muntanya Russa amusement ride. Beaches Beaches of Barcelona Barcelona beach was listed as number one in a list of the top ten city beaches in the world according to National Geographic and Discovery Channel. Barcelona contains seven beaches, totalling 4.5 kilometres ( 2.8 miles ) of coastline. Sant Sebastià, Barceloneta and Somorrostro beaches, both 1,100 m ( 3,610 ft ) in length, are the largest, oldest and the most - frequented beaches in Barcelona. The Olympic Harbour separates them from the other city beaches : Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella and Llevant. These beaches ( ranging from 400 to 640 m ( 1,310 to 2,100 ft ) were opened as a result of the city restructuring to host the 1992 Summer Olympics, when a great number of industrial buildings were demolished. At present, the beach sand is artificially replenished given that storms regularly remove large quantities of material. The 2004 Universal Forum of Cultures left the city a large concrete bathing zone on the eastmost part of the city 's coastline. Most recently, Llevant is the first beach to allow dogs access during summer season. Other sights Santa Maria del Mar church Santa Maria del Pi church The Roman and Medieval walls Can Framis Museum Fabra Observatory The Arc de Triomf Castell dels Tres Dragons Hotel Arts ( left ) and Torre Mapfre ( each 154 m ( 505 ft ) in height Torre Agbar The Torre de Collserola on the Tibidabo is the tallest structure in Barcelona ( 288.4 m ). The view from Gaudí 's Park Güell Port Vell Aerial Tramway Montjuïc Cable Car Statue of Christopher Columbus W Barcelona ( Hotel Vela ) La Monumental Colón building Palauet d'Albéniz Aquarium Barcelona Magic Fountain of Montjuïc Sagrat Cor The Venetian Towers in Plaça d'Espanya Plaça de Catalunya La Rambla, a popular shopping street and promenade Gothic Quarter Barcelona 's old Customs building at Port Vell International relations See also : List of twin towns and sister cities in Spain Twin towns and Sister cities Mural dedicated to Barcelona, Barcelona Square, Sarajevo. Barcelona is twinned with the following cities : Montpellier, France, 1963 Tunis, Tunisia, 1969 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1972 Monterrey, Mexico, 1977 Busan, South Korea, 1983 Boston, USA, 1983 Cologne, Germany, 1984 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil, 1985 Montevideo, Uruguay, 1985 Saint Petersburg, Russia, 1985 Havana, Cuba, 1993 Kobe, Japan, 1993 Antwerp, Belgium, 1997 Istanbul, Turkey, 1997 Dublin, Ireland, 1998 Gaza, Palestine, 1998 Tel Aviv, Israel, 1998 Athens, Greece, 1999 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2000 Valparaíso, Chile, 2001 Shanghai, China, 2001 Dubai, UAE, 2006 San Francisco, California, USA, 2010 Other partnerships and co-operations This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2015 ) Other forms of co-operation and city friendship similar to the twin city programmes exist to many cities worldwide. Shenzhen, China Notable people Figueras y Moragas Olegarius ( 1060 -- 1137 ), bishop, archbishop and saint Joanna of Aragon ( 1454 -- 1517 ), Queen of Naples Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 8th Duke of Alburquerque ( 1619 -- 1676 ), military officer, viceroy of New Spain and viceroy of Sicily Estanislao Figueras ( 1819 -- 1882 ), lawyer and politician, 1st President of the First Spanish Republic Francesc Pi ( 1824 -- 1901 ), President of the First Spanish Republic Francesca Bonnemaison i Farriols ( 1872 -- 1949 ), educator, established the first library exclusively for women in Europe, in Barcelona in 1909 Joan Peiró ( 1887 -- 1942 ), anarchist leader and writer Joan Miró ( 1893 -- 1983 ), painter and sculptor Ricardo Zamora ( 1901 -- 1978 ), professional football player Jose Barraquer ( 1916 - 1998 ), ophthalmologist and pioneer of refractive surgery Paco Godia ( 1921 -- 1990 ), Formula 1 racing driver Antoni Tàpies ( 1923 -- 2012 ), painter and sculptor Jordi Pujol ( born 1930 ), until 2003 Chairman of the CiU, from 1980 to 2003 Government of Catalonia Montserrat Caballé ( born 1933 ), operatic soprano Roser Capdevila ( es ) ( born 1939 ), Writer and illustrator Manuel Vázquez Montalbán ( 1939 -- 2013 ), writer Pasqual Maragall ( born 1941 ), mayor of Barcelona from 1982 to 1997, from 2003 to 2006 Government of Catalonia Teresa Duran ( born 1949 ), writer and illustrator José Antonio Bowen ( born 1952 ), jazz musician and president of Goucher College Artur Mas ( born 1956 ), former Catalan president Sito Pons ( born 1959 ), motorcycle racing driver Manuel Valls ( born 1962 ), French politician of the Catalan descent of the Parti socialiste ( PS ), from April 2014 to December 2016 French Prime Minister Pedro de la Rosa ( born 1971 ), an automobile racing driver Arantxa Sánchez Vicario ( born 1971 ), tennis player Sete Gibernau ( born 1972 ), motorcycle racing driver Carlos Checa ( born 1972 ), motorcycle racing driver Pau Gasol ( born 1980 ), professional basketball player Gerard Piqué ( born 1987 ), professional football player Juan Antonio Samaranch ( 1920 - 2010 ) - President of the International Olympic Committee See also Spain portal Catalan - speaking countries portal European Union portal Architecture of Barcelona List of markets in Barcelona List of tallest buildings in Barcelona Plans for Winter Olympics held in Barcelona Public art in Barcelona Mobile World Congress Notes and references Notes Jump up ^ Not according to the official listing by Greek government References Jump up ^ `` Ajuntament de Barcelona ''. 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Bibliography This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Smith, William, ed. ( 1854 -- 1857 ). `` Barcelona ''. Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London : John Murray. `` Barcelona ''. Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana. Barcelona : Ed. Enciclopèdia Catalana S.A. Busquets, Joan. Barcelona : The Urban Evolution of a Compact City ( Harvard UP, 2006 ) 468 pp. McDonogh, G.W. ( January 2011 ). `` Review Essay : Barcelona : Forms, Images, and Conflicts : Joan Busquets ( 2005 ) ''. Journal of Urban History. 37 ( 1 ) : 117 -- 123. doi : 10.1177 / 0096144210384250. Marshall, Tim, ed. Transforming Barcelona ( Routledge, 2004 ), 267 pp. Ramon Resina, Joan. Barcelona 's Vocation of Modernity : Rise and Decline of an Urban Image ( Stanford UP, 2008 ). 272 pp. External links Find more aboutBarcelonaat Wikipedia 's sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Wikimedia Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Travel guide from Wikivoyage Learning resources from Wikiversity Official website of Barcelona Official website of Barcelona in the Spain 's national tourism portal Places adjacent to Barcelona Cerdanyola del Vallès Sant Cugat del Vallès Montcada i Reixac Santa Coloma de Gramenet Molins de Rei Sant Feliu de Llobregat Sant Just Desvern Barcelona Sant Adrià de Besòs Esplugues de Llobregat L'Hospitalet de Llobregat El Prat de Llobregat Balearic Sea Articles related to Barcelona Districts and neighbourhoods of Barcelona Ciutat Vella La Barceloneta Gothic Quarter El Raval Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera L'Eixample L'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample La Nova Esquerra de l'Eixample Dreta de l'Eixample Fort Pienc Sagrada Família Sant Antoni Sants - Montjuïc La Bordeta La Font de la Guatlla Hostafrancs La Marina de Port La Marina del Prat Vermell El Poble - sec Sants Sants - Badal Montjuïc Zona Franca -- Port Les Corts Les Corts La Maternitat i Sant Ramon Pedralbes Sarrià - Sant Gervasi El Putget i Farró Sarrià Sant Gervasi -- la Bonanova Sant Gervasi -- Galvany les Tres Torres Vallvidrera, el Tibidabo i les Planes Gràcia Vila de Gràcia Camp d'en Grassot i Gràcia Nova La Salut El Coll Vallcarca i els Penitents Horta - Guinardó El Baix Guinardó El Guinardó Can Baró El Carmel La Font d'en Fargues Horta La Clota Montbau Sant Genís dels Agudells La Teixonera Vall d'Hebron Nou Barris Can Peguera Canyelles Ciutat Meridiana La Guineueta Porta La Prosperitat Roquetes Torre Baró La Trinitat Nova El Turó de la Peira Vallbona Verdum Vilapicina i la Torre Llobeta Sant Andreu Baró de Viver Bon Pastor El Congrés i els Indians Navas Sant Andreu de Palomar La Sagrera Trinitat Vella Sant Martí El Besòs i el Maresme El Clot El Camp de l'Arpa del Clot Diagonal Mar i el Front Marítim del Poblenou El Parc i la Llacuna del Poblenou El Poblenou Provençals del Poblenou Sant Martí de Provençals La Verneda i la Pau La Vila Olímpica del Poblenou Barcelona landmarks Buildings and interesting places Ancient synagogue Arc de Triomf Arenas de Barcelona Avinguda Diagonal Barcelona Cathedral Barcelona Pavilion Barcelona Royal Shipyard Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy Basilica of Saint Joseph Oriol Basilica of Saints Justus and Pastor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Bellesguard Casa Amatller Casa Batlló Casa Bonaventura Ferrer Casa Calvet Casa de les Punxes Casa Lleó Morera Casa Martí Casa Milà Casa Vicens Castle of the Three Dragons Columbus Monument Dona i Ocell Els Quatre Gats Estació de França Fabra Observatory Font de Canaletes Forum Building Fossar de les Moreres Habitat Sky Hospital de Sant Pau Hotel Arts Jonqueres Monastery La Boqueria La Monumental Magic Fountain of Montjuïc Mercat del Born Monastery of Pedralbes Montjuïc Castle Montjuïc Communications Tower National Library of Catalonia Old Hospital de la Santa Creu Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya Palau del Parlament de Catalunya Palau Güell Palau Nacional Palau Reial de Pedralbes Palau Reial Major Palau Robert Poble Espanyol Port Olímpic Port Vell Sagrada Família Santa Maria del Mar Santa Maria del Pi Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor Torre de Collserola Torre Glòries Venetian Towers Virreina Palace World Trade Center Barcelona Streets and squares Avinguda Diagonal Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes La Rambla Passeig de Gràcia Plaça de Catalunya Plaça d'Espanya Plaça de Francesc Macià Plaça d'Ildefons Cerdà Plaça del Rei Plaça Reial Plaça Sant Jaume Rambla de Catalunya Museums Archaeology Museum of Catalonia Barcelona City History Museum Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art CaixaForum Barcelona Can Framis Museum Centre d'Art Santa Mònica Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona CosmoCaixa Barcelona Davis Museum Fundació Antoni Tàpies Fundació Joan Miró Gabinet de les Arts Gràfiques Gaudi House Museum Jardí Botànic de Barcelona Maritime Museum Museu Barbier - Mueller d'Art Precolombí Museu de les Arts Decoratives Museu Frederic Marès Museu de la Música Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya Museu Picasso Museu Tèxtil i d'Indumentària Museu de la Xocolata Olympic and Sports Museum Joan Antoni Samaranch Perfume Museum Vil la Joana Sports Anella Olímpica Camp de Les Corts Camp Municipal Narcís Sala Camp Nou Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Mini Estadi Palau Blaugrana Palau dels Esports Palau Sant Jordi Sarrià Stadium Performing arts Coliseum Gran Teatre del Liceu L'Auditori Palau de la Música Catalana Teatre Grec Teatre Lliure Teatre Nacional de Catalunya Teatre Principal Parks Montjuïc Mossèn Costa i Llobera Gardens Oreneta Park Parc de la Ciutadella Parc de la Creueta del Coll Park Güell Parc Joan Miró Parc del Laberint d'Horta Zoos Aquarium Barcelona Barcelona Zoo Beaches Barceloneta Sant Sebastià Somorrostro Transport in Barcelona Road Motorways A-2 A-7 B - 21 B - 23 C - 16 C - 17 C - 31 C - 32 C - 33 C - 58 Ring roads Ronda de Dalt ( B - 20 ) Ronda Litoral ( B - 10 ) Ronda del Mig Public transport Companies and organisations Autoritat del Transport Metropolità Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya Renfe Operadora TRAM Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona Rail Barcelona Metro Montjuïc Funicular Rodalies de Catalunya Barcelona -- Vallès Line Vallvidrera Funicular Llobregat -- Anoia Line Trambaix Trambesòs Bus Buses in Barcelona Aerobús Exprés.cat Nitbus Estació del Nord Fabra i Puig Mainline railway stations Arc de Triomf El Clot - Aragó Estació de França La Sagrera - Meridiana Passeig de Gràcia Plaça de Catalunya Sagrera ( under construction ) Sant Andreu Arenal Sant Andreu Comtal Sants Torre del Baró Air Barcelona -- El Prat Airport General aviation : Sabadell Airport Leisure Barcelona Tourist Bus Montjuïc Cable Car Port Vell Aerial Tramway Tibidabo Funicular Tramvia Blau Other Bicing Port of Barcelona Trams in Barcelona Commons Municipalities of Barcelonès Badalona Barcelona L'Hospitalet de Llobregat Sant Adrià de Besòs Santa Coloma de Gramenet Municipalities in the province of Barcelona 1,500,000 + Barcelona 250,000 + L'Hospitalet de Llobregat 200,000 + Badalona Sabadell Terrassa 100,000 + Mataró Santa Coloma de Gramenet 75,000 + Cornellà de Llobregat Manresa Sant Boi de Llobregat Sant Cugat del Vallès 50,000 + Castelldefels Cerdanyola del Vallès Granollers Mollet del Vallès El Prat de Llobregat Rubí Viladecans Vilanova i la Geltrú 25,000 + Barberà del Vallès Esplugues de Llobregat Gavà Igualada Martorell Molins de Rei Montcada i Reixac Pineda de Mar Premià de Mar Ripollet Sant Adrià de Besòs Sant Andreu de la Barca Sant Feliu de Llobregat Sant Joan Despí Sant Pere de Ribes Sant Vicenç dels Horts Santa Perpètua de Mogoda Sitges Vic Vilafranca del Penedès under 25,000 Abrera Aguilar de Segarra Aiguafreda Alella Alpens L'Ametlla del Vallès Arenys de Mar Arenys de Munt Argençola Argentona Artés Avià Avinyó Avinyonet del Penedès Badia del Vallès Bagà Balenyà Balsareny Begues Bellprat Berga Bigues i Riells Borredà El Bruc El Brull Les Cabanyes Cabrera de Mar Cabrera d'Anoia Cabrils Calaf Calders Caldes de Montbui Caldes d'Estrac Calella Calonge de Segarra Calldetenes Callús Campins Canet de Mar Canovelles Cànoves i Samalús Canyelles Capellades Capolat Cardedeu Cardona Carme Casserres Castell de l'Areny Castellar de n'Hug Castellar del Riu Castellar del Vallès Castellbell i el Vilar Castellbisbal Castellcir Castellet i la Gornal Castellfollit de Riubregós Castellfollit del Boix Castellgalí Castellnou de Bages Castellolí Castellterçol Castellví de la Marca Castellví de Rosanes Centelles Cercs Cervelló Collbató Collsuspina Copons Corbera de Llobregat Cubelles Dosrius Esparreguera L'Espunyola L'Esquirol Estany Figaró - Montmany Fígols Fogars de la Selva Fogars de Montclús Folgueroles Fonollosa Font - rubí Les Franqueses del Vallès Gaià Gallifa La Garriga Gelida Gironella Gisclareny La Granada Granera Gualba Guardiola de Berguedà Gurb Els Hostalets de Pierola Jorba La Llacuna La Llagosta Lliçà d'Amunt Lliçà de Vall Llinars del Vallès Lluçà Malgrat de Mar Malla Manlleu Marganell Martorelles Les Masies de Roda Les Masies de Voltregà El Masnou Masquefa Matadepera Mediona Moià Monistrol de Calders Monistrol de Montserrat Montclar Montesquiu Montgat Montmajor Montmaneu Montmeló Montornès del Vallès Montseny Muntanyola Mura Navarcles Navàs La Nou de Berguedà Òdena Olèrdola Olesa de Bonesvalls Olesa de Montserrat Olivella Olost Olvan Orís Oristà Orpí Òrrius Pacs del Penedès Palafolls Palau - solità i Plegamans La Palma de Cervelló Pallejà El Papiol Parets del Vallès Perafita Piera El Pla del Penedès La Pobla de Claramunt La Pobla de Lillet Polinyà El Pont de Vilomara i Rocafort Pontons Prats de Lluçanès Els Prats de Rei Premià de Dalt Puigdàlber Puig - reig Pujalt La Quar Rajadell Rellinars La Roca del Vallès Roda de Ter Rubió Rupit i Pruit Sagàs Saldes Sallent Sant Agustí de Lluçanès Sant Andreu de Llavaneres Sant Antoni de Vilamajor Sant Bartomeu del Grau Sant Boi de Lluçanès Sant Cebrià de Vallalta Sant Celoni Sant Climent de Llobregat Sant Cugat Sesgarrigues Sant Esteve de Palautordera Sant Esteve Sesrovires Sant Feliu de Codines Sant Feliu Sasserra Sant Fost de Campsentelles Sant Fruitós de Bages Sant Hipòlit de Voltregà Sant Iscle de Vallalta Sant Jaume de Frontanyà Sant Joan de Vilatorrada Sant Julià de Cerdanyola Sant Julià de Vilatorta Sant Just Desvern Sant Llorenç d'Hortons Sant Llorenç Savall Sant Martí d'Albars Sant Martí de Centelles Sant Martí de Tous Sant Martí Sarroca Sant Martí Sesgueioles Sant Mateu de Bages Sant Pere de Riudebitlles Sant Pere de Torelló Sant Pere de Vilamajor Sant Pere Sallavinera Sant Pol de Mar Sant Quintí de Mediona Sant Quirze de Besora Sant Quirze del Vallès Sant Quirze Safaja Sant Sadurní d'Anoia Sant Sadurní d'Osormort Sant Salvador de Guardiola Sant Vicenç de Castellet Sant Vicenç de Montalt Sant Vicenç de Torelló Santa Cecília de Voltregà Santa Coloma de Cervelló Santa Eugènia de Berga Santa Eulàlia de Riuprimer Santa Eulàlia de Ronçana Santa Fe del Penedès Santa Margarida de Montbui Santa Margarida i els Monjos Santa Maria de Besora Santa Maria de Martorelles Santa Maria de Merlès Santa Maria de Miralles Santa Maria de Palautordera Santa Maria d'Oló Santa Susanna Santpedor Sentmenat Seva Sobremunt Sora Subirats Súria Tagamanent Talamanca Taradell Tavèrnoles Tavertet Teià Tiana Tona Tordera Torelló La Torre de Claramunt Torrelavit Torrelles de Foix Torrelles de Llobregat Ullastrell Vacarisses Vallbona d'Anoia Vallcebre Vallgorguina Vallirana Vallromanes Veciana Vilada Viladecavalls Vilalba Sasserra Vilanova de Sau Vilanova del Camí Vilanova del Vallès Vilassar de Dalt Vilassar de Mar Vilobí del Penedès Viver i Serrateix Capitals of provinces of Spain A Coruña Albacete Alicante Almería Ávila Badajoz Barcelona Bilbao Burgos Cáceres Cádiz Castellón de la Plana Ciudad Real Córdoba Cuenca Donostia - San Sebastián Girona Granada Guadalajara Huelva Huesca Jaén Logroño Las Palmas León Lleida Lugo Madrid Málaga Murcia Ourense Oviedo Palencia Palma Pamplona Pontevedra Salamanca Santander Santa Cruz Segovia Seville Soria Tarragona Teruel Toledo Valencia Valladolid Vitoria - Gasteiz Zamora Zaragoza Capitals of autonomous communities of Spain Seville ( Andalusia ) Zaragoza ( Aragon ) Oviedo ( Asturias ) Palma ( Balearic Islands ) Vitoria - Gasteiz ( Basque Country ) Santa Cruz & Las Palmas ( Canary Islands ) Santander ( Cantabria ) Toledo ( Castilla -- La Mancha ) Valladolid ( de facto, Castile and León ) Barcelona ( Catalonia ) Mérida ( Extremadura ) Santiago de Compostela ( Galicia ) Logroño ( La Rioja ) Madrid ( Community of Madrid ) Murcia ( Region of Murcia ) Pamplona ( Navarre ) Valencia ( Valencian Community ) Ceuta Melilla Autonomous cities. Summer Olympic Games host cities 1896 : Athens 1900 : Paris 1904 : St. Louis 1908 : London 1912 : Stockholm 1916 : None 1920 : Antwerp 1924 : Paris 1928 : Amsterdam 1932 : Los Angeles 1936 : Berlin 1940 : None 1944 : None 1948 : London 1952 : Helsinki 1956 : Melbourne 1960 : Rome 1964 : Tokyo 1968 : Mexico City 1972 : Munich 1976 : Montreal 1980 : Moscow 1984 : Los Angeles 1988 : Seoul 1992 : Barcelona 1996 : Atlanta 2000 : Sydney 2004 : Athens 2008 : Beijing 2012 : London 2016 : Rio de Janeiro 2020 : Tokyo 2024 : Paris 2028 : Los Angeles Cancelled due to World War I ; Cancelled due to World War II Summer Paralympic Games host cities 1960 : Rome 1964 : Tokyo 1968 : Tel Aviv 1972 : Heidelberg 1976 : Toronto 1980 : Arnhem 1984 : New York City / Stoke Mandeville 1988 : Seoul 1992 : Barcelona / Madrid 1996 : Atlanta 2000 : Sydney 2004 : Athens 2008 : Beijing 2012 : London 2016 : Rio de Janeiro 2020 : Tokyo 2024 : Paris 2028 : Los Angeles Mediterranean Games Alexandria 1951 Barcelona 1955 Beirut 1959 Naples 1963 Tunis 1967 İzmir 1971 Algiers 1975 Split 1979 Casablanca 1983 Latakia 1987 Athens 1991 Languedoc - Roussillon 1993 Bari 1997 Tunis 2001 Almeria 2005 Pescara 2009 Mersin 2013 Tarragona 2018 Oran 2021 BNF : cb11933374k ( data ) GND : 4004503 - 1 ISNI : 0000 0001 2321 7649 LCCN : n79021052 NARA : 10045182 NDL : 00628992 VIAF : 124213732 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barcelona&oldid=843524772 '' Categories : Barcelona 1st - century BC establishments in Spain Historic Jewish communities Mediterranean port cities and towns in Spain Coloniae ( Roman ) Populated places in Barcelonès Recipients of the Royal Gold Medal Roman sites in Spain University towns in Spain Capitals in Europe Roman towns and cities in Spain Establishments in Spain in the Roman era Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from February 2016 CS1 Spanish - language sources ( es ) Webarchive template wayback links Articles with dead external links from August 2016 CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list CS1 Catalan - language sources ( ca ) Pages with citations lacking titles Pages with citations having bare URLs CS1 maint : BOT : original - 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Question: where is barcelona located on a world map
Answer: on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range