| Barcelona Hotels and Catalonia |
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| Charming and romantic Barcelona hotels, rural retreats, boutique hotels, luxury hotels, romantic getaways, small hotels, bed & breakfasts |
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| Choose from our romantic and charming Barcelona hotels and accommodation by clicking on the map or list on the right. These will highlight a wide selection of Catalonia hotels, including romantic Barcelona hotels, fincas, cortijos, bed & breakfasts, design hotels amongst others. Whatever your taste, we’ll help you find that perfect getaway. |
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| Click on hotel icons on map or see all Barcelona Hotels and Catalonia hotels |
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Bed & Breakfast |
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City Break |
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Luxury Hotel |
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Manor House |
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Mountain Hotel |
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Pousada |
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Riad / Dar |
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Rural |
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| All hotels have been personally visited by member of our management. ask our advice |
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Barcelona Hotels and Catalonia |
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| Barcelona is one of the four provinces that make up Catalonia, the other three being Girona, Tarragona and Lerida (please see their respective pages). This most chic of regions really does seem to have it all. wonderful gastronomy, countryside and cities, not least of which the capital of the same name - one of the most sophisticated cities in the world. It really does offer visitors a unique opportunity the chance to take in a singular region, that has succesfully managed to keep its own identity and style whilst remaining firmly rooted as part of a greater Spain. |
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| The history of Catalonia dates back to Roman times, when two tribal chiefs – Indíbil and Mandonio – offered their services to Hannibal in the fight against Escipión, two hundred years before Christ. Lleila was the “key” city in the fight between Julius Caesar and Pompeii. Then came the Visigoths and the Moors and, towards the end of the eighth century Catalonia became part of the Charlemagne Empire. Under the rule of the Counts of Barcelona the fighting against the Moors continued and various regions and districts merged to make up the present Catalonia, then governed by Aragon. The Catholic Queen and King – Isabel de Castilla and Fernando de Aragon – united Spain and from then on the county becomes less important. Indeed, for various centuries, the Austrians and Bourbons ruled it. Catalonia has gone through dissociated movements in its time – against the Bourbons, against Franco – and it only became autonomous in 1979, after Franco’s death |
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| The beautiful city of Barcelona has an impressive architectural heritage that includes the Gothic Quarter, with its cathedral, the old City Hall Building, the Episcopal Palace and the splendid Palace of the Generalitat. The city also boasts the work of the incomparable modernist architect Antonio Gaudi, who graced Barcelona with the better share of his many works of exceptional genius. Among them are the unfinished Church of the Sacred Family, the Batll Home and the Mil Home. Barcelona also has many museums, two of the best being the Picasso Museum and the Museum of Catalan Art. |
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| Catalan cuisine is one of the most sophisticated in Spain. Its main dishes rely on four basic sauces: sofrito, samfaina, picada and ali-oli. Of these Samfaina is strictly Catalan and used with a wide variety of dishes. It is a half-cooked mixture of tomato, pepper and aubergine. Catalonia has a variety of rice as well as meat dishes, particularly poultry, and the famous Girona veal, not to mention rockfish. The visitor will also find a rich collection of sausages, including butifarra, which is roasted or fried with mongetes - white beans. The wines in the area are magnificent. Worthy of note is El Priorato - very special thick and mild reds not easily found outside Catalonia. El porrón, or glass jug, is also very popular in Catalonia: the wine is poured from the glass jug with the spout held high. More common is the leather wineskin, which is equally appropriate for the liquid, but drinking from the porrón seems to give the wine a different taste. |
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An excursion along the Catalonia coast enables the traveller to discover, amongst other things, the rugged beauty of El Cabo de Creus; the local colour of Cadaqués, the small town of Roses, a residential area with the important ruins of the Greek town of Rhode; the impressive Romanesque Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes and, above all, Empúries, which has the most important archaeological site in Spain. Here can be found many interesting Greek ruins, as well as the Roman city of Emporion.
The coastline is beautiful, with small villages and woods running right down to the sea. Here, there are the villages of Sa Riera, Aiguafreda, Aiguablanca Tamariu, Llafranc, and particularly Calella de Palafrugell, an old fishing village with traditional houses, an abundance of small coves and where a very popular Song Festival is held every year.
The coast is perfect for water sports. Several regattas are held every year in the region. The mountains are ideal for rambling and skiing. Those who enjoy hiking are recommended to take the path from Núria to Ull de Fer, (Girona) taking in the ascent of El Puigmal (2,913m). This section of mountains almost reaches 3,000m, and there is an abundance of mountain huts and excellent places to camp. Barcelona also boasts the Formula 1 grand prix that takes place every May at Montmeló.
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