Barcelona's history

The first human settlements in Barcelona date back to Neolithic times. The city itself was founded by the Romans who set up a colony called Barcino at the end of the 1st century BC. The colony had some thousand inhabitants and was bounded by a defensive wall, the remains of which can still be seen in the old town.
For over 200 years, Barcelona was under Muslim rule, and, following the Christian reconquest, it became a county of the Carolingian Empire and one of the main residences of the court of the Crown of Aragon. The fruitful medieval period established Barcelona's position as the economic and political centre of the Western Mediterranean. The city’s Gothic Quarter bears witness to the splendour enjoyed by the city from the 13th to the 15th centuries.
From the 15th to 18th centuries Barcelona entered a period of decline, while it struggled to maintain its economic and political independence. This struggle ended in 1714, when the city fell to the Bourbon troops and Catalonia’s and Catalans’ rights and privilegeswere suppressed.
A period of cultural recovery began in the mid-19th century with the arrival of the development of the textile industry. During this period, which was known as the Renaixença, Catalan regained prominence as a literary language.
The 20th century ushered in widespread urban renewal throughout Barcelona city, culminating in its landmark Eixample district, which showcases some of Barcelona’s most distinctive Catalan art-nouveau, or modernista, buildings. The Catalan Antoni Gaudí, one of the most eminent architects, designed buildings such as the Casa Milà (known as La Pedrera, the Catalan for stone quarry), the Casa Batlló and the Sagrada Família church, which have become world-famous landmarks.
The freedoms achieved during this period were severely restricted during the Civil War in 1936 and the subsequent dictatorship. With the reinstatement of democracy in 1978, Barcelona society regained its economic strength and the Catalan language was restored. The city's hosting of the 1992 Olympic Games gave fresh impetus to Barcelona's potential and reaffirmed its status as a major metropolis.
In 2004, the Forum of Cultures reclaimed industrial zones to convert them into residential districts. An example of the renewed vigour with which Barcelona is looking towards the 21st century.

Places to visit in Barcelona

1. Walk down Les Rambles and cut into the old city (Barri Gòtic). Visit the cathedral and surrounding areas.
2. Visit Parc Güell and take in all the Gaudí monuments in the park.
3. Visit Picasso Museum and spend at least three hours there. Do walk around the neighborhood around the museum.
4. Walk up and down Passeig de Gràcia - specially around 7pm when everyone is out for a stroll. Just take in the wonderful architecture and do a bit of window shopping.
5. Visit Casa Milà (also known as "La Pedrera" ), Casa Batlló and Sagrada Familia . These are Gaudí's masterpieces. They are incredible buildings. Do climb the towers of Sagrada Familia.
6. Take the Bus Turistic for a day - it is around 20 bucks per person per day but it is worth it. You can get on and off as many times as you want and visit all the key sites.
7. Take both the old tram ( Tramvia Blau) and Funicular up to the Tibidabo. Tibidabo is a hill overlooking Barcelona with amazing views. There is an amusement park, a Catholic Church, and a Comunications Tower ( Torre de Collserola) by Norman Foster which provides the highest viewpoint over the city.
8. Pay a visit to Port Olympic late an night - really late at night. The bars are hopping.
9. Day trip to Montserrat by train..not by car but by train. You will have to take a cable car(Montserrat Aeri) from Montserrat-Aeri station or a rack railway (Cremallera de Montserrat) from Monistrol de Montserrat to the actual monastery. You can easily spend a whole day there.
10. Take a sail boat trip on the sea and take the view of the city from the sea. The best place to find boad will be at the end of Las Ramblas off of Colon monument, these boats are known as Las Golondrinas.
11. FC Barcelona football match . Whilst in Barcelona, why not go and see one of the best teams in the world in at Camp Nou Stadium (one of the biggest stadiums in the world). You can buy your tickets in avance online (check out www.footballticketsbarcelona.com or the club's official website) or at the stadium on the day of the match.
12. The Magic Fountains of Monjuic. Run from 9.30pm - 11pm on weekends throughout October - May, then the days are extended. Lights, water, music, amazing! Espanya is the nearest metro stop and its all free!

Where to stay in Barcelona?

Here's a list of hotels in Barcelona where you can stay while visiting Barcelona. If you are planning to get married in Barcelona, it is also possible to get a group rate in a hotel, so this way your guests will enjoy their stay in Barcelona for a resonable price. Here are some of the hotels you can use:

regular price 3 or 4 star hotel.

Hotel Balmes
http://www.derbyhotels.com/

Hotel Banys Orientals €€
http://www.hotelbanysorientals.com/

Hotel Via Augusta €€
http://www.hotelviaaugusta.com/

Hotel Guitart Grand Passage €€
http://www.guitarthotels.com/hotels.php?idm=2

Nuñez y Navarro has a Hotel Called "Hotel B" €€ and a Hotel called "Hotel Europark" €€
http://www.nnhotels.com/es/

Hotel America €€
http://www.hotelamericabarcelona.com/esp/index.php?gclid=CNjhsqTp_ZgCFQWbnAodYQMvng

Hotel Astoria €€
http://www.derbyhotels.com/


Hotel HCC Montblanc €€ and check other Hotels from the HCC chain
www.hcchotels.com

Hotel Apsis Splendid €€ and check other hotels from the APSIS chain
http://www.apsishotels.com/

Hotel Antibes
http://www.hotelantibes.net/

Hotel Bel Art and check other Hotels from the SUNHOTEL chain
http://www.belarthotel.com/

Hotel Barcelona Princesa
http://www.hotelbarcelonaprincess.com/

................................

4 or 5 star hotel

Hotel OMM €€€
http://www.hotelomm.es/

Hotel Majestic €€€+€
http://www.hotelmajestic.es/

Hotel Cram €€€
http://www.hotelcram.com/

Hotel Duquesa de Cardona €€€
http://www.hduquesadecardona.com/home.php

Fiesta Hotel Caspe €€€
http://www.fiestahotelgroup.com/

Hotel Neri €€€
http://www.hotelneri.com/

Hotel Vincci Condal Mar €€€
http://www.hotelneri.com/

Grand Hotel Central €€€
http://www.grandhotelcentral.com/en/index.htm

Hotel Pulitzer €€€
http://www.hotelpulitzer.es/


Inglaterra Hotel €€€
http://www.hotel-inglaterra-barcelona.com/?gclid=CJ7FgbTr_ZgCFQGbnAodH0HNlg

Apsis Atrium Palace Hotel €€€
http://www.hotel-atriumpalace.com/index.esp.html

Hotel Regina €€€
http://www.reginahotel.com/

Hotel 1898 €€€
http://www.hotel1898.es/

Hotel Sagrada Familia €€€
www.hotelsagradafamilia.com

Hotel Rialto €€€
http://www.hotel-rialto.com/index.spanish.html

Hotel Suizo €€€
http://www.hotelsuizo.com/

hotel alimara €€
http://www.alimarahotel.com/

Types of Ceremonies

Catholic ceremony:The priest who officiates the ceremony also acts as the registrar; therefore Catholic weddings are legally valid in Spain. To get married in the Catholic Church, at least one or both of the couple must be Catholic and neither of them can have previously married in the Catholic Church. Protestant blessings:If you are Protestant, you can have a civil ceremony in your home country and then come to Sapin where we can organise a blessing of your marriage by a Protestant minister.
Civil weddings:
Civil weddings in Spain require that at least one of the couple is officially a resident of the country. If this isn't the case, the couple can get married first in their own country and Your Barcelona Wedding can organise a symbolic ceremony here, conducted by one of our experienced officiants.

Why Barcelona?

Barcelona is the capital of the Catalonia region and is located in the north-east corner of Spain. Catalonia is blessed with an excellent climate with warm temperatures and sun all year round. The region boasts fantastic beaches to the north (Costa Brava) and to the south (Costa Dorada) with some great destinations where you could also enjoy a few days' rest before or after your event.The city of Barcelona, bathed by the Mediterranean sea, is a multicultural and cosmopolitan location with its gothic style arquitecture and celebrated modernist buildings.Barcelona offers a wide range of venues for celebrating your event. We are sure that, together with the help and advice of our team, you will find your ideal location. The region of Catalonia is well-connected for international travel via its 3 airports (Barcelona, Girona and Reus). There are numerous direct daily flights to European cities and beyond.