Discovering Barcelona and Catalonia

Barcelona is the capital and the most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Rhine-Ruhr Area, Madrid and Milan with the population 4,185,000. 4.9 million people live in Barcelona metropolitan area. The main part of a union of adjacent cities and municipalities named Área Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB) with a population of 3,186,461 in area of 636 km² (density 5.010 hab/km²).

It is located on the Mediterranean coast (41°23′N 2°11′E / 41.383°N 2.183°E / 41.383; 2.183) between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besos and is bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola ridge (512 m/1,680 ft).

Barcelona is recognized as a global city because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts and international trade. Barcelona is a major economic center with one of Europe's principal Mediterranean ports, and Barcelona International Airport is the second largest in Spain after the Madrid-Barajas Airport (handles about 30 million passengers per year).

Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, it became one of the most important cities of the Crown of Aragon. Besieged several times during its history, Barcelona is today an important cultural center and a major tourist destination and has a rich cultural heritage. Particularly renowned are architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner that have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city is well known in recent times for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona.

As the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona houses the seat of the Catalan.
 

Climate

This page gives you a summary of the weather and monthly temperatures in a typical year in Barcelona.

Average monthly temperatures in Barcelona

Note: The temperatures in the table below are average temperatures and they can vary somewhat around these values.

Month

Average Temperature ºC

Average Temperature ºF
january 10 50
february 13 55
march 13 55
april 16 61

May

 18 64
June 21 68
July 25 77
August 29 84
september 22 72
october 18 65
november 16 61
december 12 54

What are the best months for a visit to Barcelona?

As you can see from the table above the weather is pleasant for most of the year. However you'll experience the absolute best weather from May to the end of July making these months particularly attractive for a visit to the city. September is also a good month.

August is generally hot (sometimes peaking around 34°C, 95F) and humid so if you love humid saunas then this is the time of the year for you! Seriously though, the extra humidity makes the temperature seem even hotter.
 

Cooler Months

The weather in October and November is still pleasant but starting to get a little cooler (21°C down to 15°C, 69 to 59F). You won't find sunshine every day though, so be prepared for days when it could be overcast with a little rain.

Remember these are only guidelines and the weather can vary somewhat from year to year. Especially in the last few years there has been some fluctuations from the norm.
 

Winter

From November to February the temperatures are cooler, averaging around 12°C or 53ºF. It doesn't tend to rain a lot here in winter so even though it may be cooler, often times you'll have some sunny days too. But do be prepared for some overcast and rainy days. It's all the luck of the draw.
 

Meals

Barcelona, the food is based on the MEDITERRANEAN DIET

The principal aspects of the Mediterranean diet include a high level consumption of olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals, fruits and vegetables;  a moderate consumption of dairy products (mostly as cheese and yogurt) and wine; a moderate to high consumption of fish; and a low consumption of meat.

A daily menu including first and second plates, and of course dessert, is between 7€ and 20€ outside the campus.

Consult the weekly menu.
 

Sports

The Sports Club started in the course 1991-92. It organizes all the sporting activities in the School and promotes sport among the students. This club offers many leisure and competition activities. Apart from the different team sport leagues we should also mention: ballroom dancing, aerobic courses, taekwondo, hiking, bicycle excursions, tennis and squash courses, theatre, swimming, horse riding, etc. Within the team competitions organized by the Sports Club we have indoor football, basketball and volleyball. The most important activities are:

  • Indoor football competition: It is the main sport organized by La Salle Engineering. The championship final (as with the other competitions) takes place during the celebrations for the Patron Saint, Sant Joan Baptista de la Salle (second week of May), with important trophies. Everyone is invited.
  • Masculine and Feminine Basketball: Organized since the year 1984-85.
  • Hiking: In the school there is the group GELS (Web GELS) LINKAR, a federated hiking group in the Sports Club, which organizes middle and high mountain hikes, followed by slides and photographic displays. It is a good occasion for promoting the relation between students and teachers. The star outing is at the end of April, the GELS-Moixeró mixed couples competition, in the Cadí-Moixeró Park. It also organizes climbing courses and others.

Besides this, the Sports Club manages the activities of the FESS LINKAR, among which we can find:

  • Directed activities
  • Squash
  • Climbing wall
  • UVA
  • Chiromassage, Osteopathy and Physiotherapy

FROM MONDAY TO FRIDAY

  • Opened from 7:00 to 23:30

SATURDAYS 

  • Opened from 8:00 to 20:00

 

Transport

Barcelona has excellent public transportation such as subway, bus, taxis and trains. To move through the city fastest and cheapest transportation is moving on metro and bus.

More information on the company's Web “Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona”.

The easiest way to get to the campus is by the metro Line L7 starting on “Pl. Catalunya” station and getting off at “AVINGUDA TIBIDABO” station, then walk 10 min.
 

Estimated Monthly Expenses 

Budget

Housing (room apartment for rent)

 300€
Food 300€

Public Transport card (monthly)

 50€

Other expenses

 250€
TOTAL 900€

Telecommunications

There are several companies with prepaid plans for cell phones:

Several companies offer Internet access via broadband at prices ranging between 20€ to 50€ per month: 

Banking

When you arrive in Spain we strongly recommend that you carry only small amounts of cash with you. You will probably want to set up a bank account in Barcelona area as soon as possible. Commercial banks are preferable to savings banks, since commercial banks offer a greater variety of international services. To open an account you will need to bring your passport as identification. 

The transfer of international currency can be a time-consuming process. Students are advised to bring enough money in traveler’s checks to cover expenses for two weeks, since it often takes ten days to honor drafts. 

Spanish currency comes in two forms: paper and coin. Spanish paper money, known as euro (bills), comes in denominations of 5€, 10€, 20€, 50€, 100€ and 500€. Common Spanish coins are the cents: 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents and 50 cents. One hundred (100) cents is equivalent to 1€ and you will also find coins of 1€ and 2€.