A Few Interesting Facts About Barcelona Spain

If you are planning on visiting Spain and have to choose between visiting the capital city of Madrid or the provincial capital of Catalonia then you should give Barcelona Spain a second thought. In size, Barcelona Spain may be second only to Madrid but its location on the Mediterranean Coast makes it a very attractive destination as well. It lies between the mouth of the river Llobregat and the river Besos and to the west of the city is the Serra de Collserola ridge.

Major Commercial Center

Barcelona Spain can rightly boast of being a major center of commerce and it is also a major European and Mediterranean port that is accessible by air as well as by sea. It is a city that was originally founded by the Romans and it soon became the capital of Counts of Barcelona though after it merged with the Aragon Kingdom is soon became one of the most important cities of the country.

Barcelona Spain has a rich history and it has seen in its long history numerous sieges which it survived and today it is considered a center of culture as well as tourist hotspot and a city with cultural heritage second to none. When in Barcelona Spain don't forget to view architectural delights such as the works of the renowned Antoni Gaudi as well as Lluis Domenech I Montaner which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

As recently as 1992, Barcelona Spain hosted the Summer Olympics and the Union for the Mediterranean headquarters is also located in this city. Barcelona Spain is the capital of the province of Catalonia and so houses the seat of the provincial government as well as is home to the province's Supreme Court.

There is some amount of debate regarding the exact foundation of Barcelona Spain and there are two separate legends dealing with the origins of the city. One legend has it that the founding of Barcelona Spain is traced to Hercules who built it well before the Romans came to this part of the country; the other legend traces the foundation of this city to Hamilcar Barca.

A visit to Barcelona Spain can be made even more exciting by staying in any of the many wonderful hotels in Barcelona Spain. Of special interest is the hotel known as Ritz-Carlton Hotel Arts Barcelona that provides guests with spectacular views of the excellent Port Olimpic and this feature alone makes it an excellent hotel to stay in.