Barcelona is a very cool city with fantastic sun-soaked beaches and world-renowned architecture. As much as we think we know about this vibrant Spanish city, it still holds some fascinating surprises:
1.The beaches aren’t real
The beaches of Barcelona are known over the world, making it one of the best beach cities on the planet. However, you might be surprised to learn that these beaches were until recently, a rocky wasteland. The almost 3-mile beach front was constructed in the 1990s, made for the 1992 Olympics. The sand was imported from Egypt to create what is now one of the best places in Spain for dining, nightlife and beach life!
2.UNESCO
You might be impressed if a city had one or two UNESCO heritage sites, but Barcelona boasts nine of them! This makes Barcelona a truly fascinating and historic place to visit, with 7 of those World Heritage Sites being the work of Gaudi and Jujol.
3.Cathedral took longer to build than the pyramids
Possibly the most famous site in Barcelona is the cathedral of La Sagrada Familia. Building of the cathedral began in 1882 and is yet to be completed, hoping to be finished by 2026. Known as Europe’s most distinctive and unconventional church, it was designed by Gaudi and is one of the city’s 9 UNESCO heritage sites and will have taken longer to construct than the pyramids of Egypt.
4.Barcelona was going to be home of the Eiffel Tower
Paris just wouldn’t be the same without the Eiffel Tower, but can you believe Gustave Eiffel’s original plan involved building the iconic tower in the Spanish city instead. Barcelona wasn’t convinced however and cancelled the plans thinking it would be unsightly and nothing special!
5.It has its own chair
The famous Barcelona Chair was the brainchild of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and was a chair created especially for the International Exposition of 1929 that was held in Barcelona. It was to be placed in the special German Pavilion for the King of Spain to sit in. Designed in the modernist style, it is still a popular chair in homes across the world. Get your own Barcelona Chair Replica from a site like https://www.pash-classics.com/van-der-rohe-barcelona-chair.html
6.La Rambla is actually 5 streets
La Rambla is one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. It is also the heart of the city’s social life, being a wide tree-lined avenue dividing the old parts of town in two. Even though it is referred to as a single street, it is actually made up of five streets. There are stunning pavements, countless stylish eateries, cafes and shops. Whatever locals and visitors are looking for, they’re sure to find it at La Rambla.
7.Largest football stadium
Barcelona boasts the biggest football stadium in Europe. Called Camp Nou, it was completed in 1957 and can seat almost 100,000 fans! As well as attracting football fans, it’s also a major tourist attraction with a museum that is one of the most visited locations in the city.
