The Backpackers Hostel Blog

Thu 11 Sep 08

The Arc de Triomf, gate of entry to the Ciutadella.

The first act passed by the Parliament when it was created in 1980 declared September 11th as the Catalan National Day in the following terms: “(…) In times of struggle, the Catalan people used to mark a special day, the eleventh of September, as the National Day of Catalonia. A special day which, while representing the painful memories of the loss of liberties, on the eleventh of September 1714, and an attitude of struggle and active resistance to oppression, also embodied the hope of total recovery of its nationhood.

Catalonians celebrate their National Day with concerts, demonstrations and parades throughout Barcelona and hanging red-and-yellow striped Catalonian flags from their balconies. In the “Parque de la Ciudadela”, organisations and political parties make floral offerings to the monuments of Rafael Casanova and Josep Moragues. After that several artistic performances are offered to the public. (Taken from www.gencat.net).

Until Sun 31 Aug

at C/ Sants, 79  HowToGo

This year, twelve streets are presented to the Streets Decorations Contest.  During eight days, from Sunday to Saturday, there will be concerts, activities for the children, dances, sardanas, Havanan, foods, play, baths of foam and a long list of activities:

Mon 25 Aug: the prizes of the contest of decorations of the streets will be delivered and a dance of sardanas will be performed.

Tue 22 Aug:  Haze-Colors flamenco-fusion group

Wed 27 Aug: In the morning there will be a great childlike festival and the spectacle of animation Pugeu to the furgo, of the company of animation Vatua l’ Pot. In the afternoon the action of the Correfoc Childlike of the Guspires of Sants and when the night with the Correfoc of the Festa arrive Major of Sants 2008 in charge of the Diables of Sants. In the afternoon, you will be able to enjoy a new action of Pig the Cèlio, the Mut i the Noi of Ferreries that will present its spectacle is Not pot viure!.

Thu 28 Aug: Dani Thin, urban singer-songwriter

Fri 29 Aug: Moroccan group Amarg Fusion of Mediterranean music

Sat 30 Aug: The park will become a trail of circus with the company Circ Pànic

Sun 31 Aug: from 12hrs The Diada will be celebrated Castellera

Sun 6 Sep the Municipal Band, under the direction of Savior Brotons, will offer a concert.

(Taken from http://w3.bcn.es)

Botanic Garden of Barcelona (C/ Dr. Font i Quer, 2. Parc de Montjuïc) Tel. 93 426 49 35

Nov to Jan: from Mon to Sun 10am to 5pm
Feb, Mar & Oct: from Mon to Sun 10am to 6pm
Apr, May & Sep: from Mon to Sun 10am to 7pm
Jun, Jul & Aug: from Mon to Sun 10am to 8pm
Jan 1 & Dec 25: Closed
Admission: Normal: € 3,50

More info about special activities

The Botanical Garden of Barcelona collections contain representative samples of the plants that grow in the Mediterranean climate, a climate characterized by important seasonal variations, with hot, dry summers and mild winters, whilst rainfall is concentrated mainly in spring and summer.

The Mediterranean basin is not the only region in the world with a Mediterranean climate; indeed, there are several others, situated between latitude of 30º and 40º in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. These regions are: California, central Chile, southern South Africa and south and southwest Australia.

Itinerary

For more information see the Agenda

(Taken from www.jardibotanic.bcn.es)

Always

May -Sep: Thu to Sunday from 9pm - 11pm
Oct- Apr: Fri & Sat from 7pm - 8:30pm.

at Font Màgica - Fonts de Montjuïc (Pl Carles Buïgas, 1-Sants-Montjuïc) Free admission

The Magic Fountain is one of the city’s most important landmarks. Carles Buigas was asked to design it for the International Exhibition of 1929. He had the innovative idea of giving the water movement and adding light, colour and sound.

He created the fountain as if it was a river at the foot of the Palau Nacional with raging waters racing down the mountain to reach the Magic Fountain before “dying” in the sea on Avinguda Maria Cristina.

Montjuïc’s Magic Fountain has a new show based on cinema music. The light and water of the fountain will “dance” to the rhythm of film soundtracks like ‘Chariots of Fire’, ‘The Godfather’, ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Jungle Book’

(Taken from http://w3.bcn.es & www.youtube.com).

Wed 23 Apr

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All day long at Las Ramblas de Catalunya

St. George’s Day is celebrated in all the Spanish autonomous communities: Aragon, Catalonia, and Valencia.

La Diada de Sant Jordi, also known as el dia de la rosa (The Day of the Rose) or el dia del llibre (The Day of the Book) is a Catalan holiday celebrated on April 23 similar to Valentine’s Day. The main event is the exchange of gifts between sweethearts, loved ones and respected ones. Historically, men gave their girlfriends and wives roses, and women gave their boyfriends and husbands a book to celebrate the occasion. In modern times, the mutual exchange of books is customary. Roses have been associated with this day since medieval times, but the giving of books is a more recent tradition. In 1923, a bookseller started to promote the holiday as a way to honour the nearly simultaneous deaths of Miguel Cervantes and William Shakespeare on April 23, 1616. Barcelona is the publishing capital in both Catalan and Spanish and this heady one-two punch of love and literacy was quickly adopted.

On Barcelona’s most visited street, La Rambla, and all over Catalonia, thousands of stands of roses and makeshift bookstalls are hastily set up for the occasion. By the end of the day, some four million roses and 400,000 books would have been purchased in the name of love. You will be hard-pressed to find a woman without a rose in hand, and half of the total yearly book sales in Catalonia take place on this occasion.

Additionally, April 23rd is the only day of the year when the Palau de la Generalitat, Barcelona’s principal government building, is open to the public. Inside this Gothic architectural masterpiece you’ll see huge displays of roses created to honour Saint George.

Catalonia has exported this tradition of the book and the rose to the rest of the world. In 1995, the UNESCO adopted April 23rd as World Book and Copyright Day. (Taken from www.wikipedia.org).

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[1] Taken from http://cosesdelraval.files.wordpress.com

[2] Taken from http://www.lesroquetes.com

Thu 31 Jan to Wed 6 Feb

Sitges is close to Barcelona, and you should go and see the most exuberant Carnival celebration in all of Catalonia. The people from Sitges are the proud organisers of the area’s most famous Carnival.

The Carnival ends with the coronation of the Carnival king and queen and the Drag Queen of Sitges, who will preside over most of the public events held during the following week.

There you will find a lot of different activities for everybody, a gymkhana, cultural events and the official visits of the Carnival king and queen. At night you could see people in extravagant costumes and the music of a wide variety of bands.

Trains to Sitges leave from Psg. de Gràcia and Sants Estació every 20 minutes. There is a night bus every hour after 1am that connects Sitges with Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona.

More information at http://www.sitges.cat/carnaval/

Time: 6pm

Place: Moll de La Fusta to Montjuic

This is a popular cultural tradition in Spain and Latin America. Barcelona chooses to celebrate the event at sea and crowds gather at the harbour steps of the Moll de Fusta to witness the glorious arrival of the three Wise Men.

The first sightings of the kings’ boat are met with fireworks and a riotous cacophany of fog horns from a flotilla gathered in the port, while a 21-gun salute welcomes them to dry land. A colourful procession, led by the mayor and the metropolitan guard, heads towards the city centre past some of the city’s major monuments, culminating at the floodlit fountain of Montuic, where classical music written especially for the event is played.

It’s a great spectacle that you shouldn’t miss!