Tag Archives: catalan

Live the Barcelona’s parks

The city of Barcelona is characterized by having large parks, full of nature and very beautiful structural designs, that is why we leave you a list of five parks, where you can enjoy a bike ride through Barcelona and beautiful sunny days in winter. 

an image which contain a park, people, nature, born bike tours Barcelona
  • Ciutadella Park 

Built at the end of the 19th century, it was the first park designed specifically as a public park, and it is a space widely used for all kinds of recreational and cultural activities. It has more than a hundred plant species, with many hundred-year-old trees and interesting sculptures. 

-The address so you can visit it is passeig de picasso 21 of the Ciutat Vella district. 

  • Guinardó Park 

The Guinardó park has three well differentiated parts: an urban, which becomes the prelude to the great space that this green area occupies, another historical one and, in the highest part, the lush forest vegetation. Its landscaped terraces and pine forests make this place one of the most refreshing and placid green spaces in the city. 

-This park is located in the district of Horta-Guinardó. 

  • Botanical Garden 

The current Botanical Garden houses the legacy of a long tradition of gardens designed with the aim of studying, maintaining and preserving plant species. A space specialized in showing the biodiversity of the flora of the Mediterranean climate. It allows locating, in the proper geographic context, dozens of species that can be found in all the gardens of the city. They are plants that have adapted perfectly to the temperate climate even though they are typical of other latitudes. 

-To visit the botanical garden you should arrive at the Sants-Montjuïc district, carrer Doctor Font i Quer, 2. 

  • Gardens of Mossèn Costa i Llobera 

It is one of the most important gardens specialized in cacti and succulents in Europe. Facing the sea, sheltered by the Montjuïc mountain that welcomes them, they are located in a privileged viewpoint and a few minutes from the city center. 

-The gardens are located at Ctra Miramar, 38. 

  • Laberint d’Horta Park 

The Laberint d’Horta park includes the oldest preserved garden in the city. Born as a neoclassical garden with a touch of Italian physiognomy, it ended up as a romantic garden. 

The d’Horta labyrinth is located in the Horta-Guinardó district, in Passeig Castanyers, 1. 

The Cathedral of Barcelona

Cycling through the streets of the Gothic Quarter, we come across the current Barcelona Cathedral, it is Gothic in style, but it was built on the foundations of an early Christian basilica and a later Romanesque Cathedral. The works began on May 1, 1298 and lasted a century and a half. 

It was temporarily finished in 1417 with a simple wall, and it was not until the late 19th and early 20th centuries that the façade that we can see today was built. 

image of the Cathedral of Barcelona

On the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of Barcelona (1888), the works were resumed thanks to Manuel Girona i Agrafel and his sons, who were the promoters of said reforms, where the competition for the construction of the façade was called in 1882, establishing as a stylistic criterion to follow the Gothic. It was awarded to Josep Oriol Mestres, titular architect of the cathedral since 1855, who was inspired by the plans made in 1408 by Carles Galtés de Ruan. 

image of the cathedral of Barcelona

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Free museums in Barcelona

Barcelona is a city full of life and culture, the good thing is that we have free museums so that we can all enjoy them, it is only a matter of knowing the hours and days. 

image of a blue bike of Born Bike Tours Barcelona in front of the National Museum of Art of Catalunya
  • Picasso museum 

The museum has a collection of 4,249 works by the Malaga painter Pablo Picasso in the multiple media that he addressed, which is the most complete in the world in works of his youth. 

You can enter for free every Thursday from 5:00 p.m., the first Sunday of each month and on February 12 (Santa Eulàlia), May 18 (International Museum Day) and September 24 (La Mercè Day) 

www.museupicasso.bcn.cat  

  • Museum of the History of Catalonia  

The museum was created in 1996 by the Government of Catalonia, with the idea of narrating the history of Catalonia. 

You can see it for free It can be visited for free during the Sant Jordi and Santa Eulalia festivities, the Museum Day, and the days of the Catalan and Mercè days.

 www.mhcat.cat  

  • Barcelona Center for Contemporary Culture (CCCB)  

Located in the Raval, its main theme is the city and urban culture. It bases its success on quality, a certain eclecticism, attention to a wide range of audiences and a singularity in the way it treats things, and its function is to link the academic world with creation and citizenship. 

You can visit it for free on Sundays 

www.cccb.org  

  • Catalonia art museum 

A must-see in the city with a tour of works of art from the 10th to the 20th century, highlighting above all its collection of Romanesque art, considered one of the most complete in the world. 

It can be visited for free on Saturdays from 3 pm, the first Sunday of the month, Museum Day and Catalonia and Mercè Days.  

www.museunacional.cat 

Bicycle Routes

We won the TripAdvisor Travelers of the Year award and we don’t want to stop posting cool things about Barcelona. 

That is why we decided to create different routes so that you can go cycling. 

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The Mountain of Montjuic 

The Montjuic mountain (name attributed to the Montjuich etymology ”Mount of the Jews”) being a fortress, created as a strategic place to defend the city, where in 1751 the current castle was built, the work of Juan Martín Cermeño, who during the war of the Spanish Independence it was occupied by the French. 

Nowadays and thanks to the 1992 Olympic games we can find around it the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium (next to which is the Fundació Barcelona Olímpica Museum). 

Walking down Lleida street, you will find the old Palacio de los Deportes, now converted into the Barcelona Teatre Musical. You can also walk through various places of tourist interest such as the Pueblo Español, an enclosure built for the 1929 exhibition and which includes streets, squares and characteristic places from all over Spain, the Montjuic Telecommunications Tower designed by Santiago Calatrava. The Joan Brossa Gardens or the magic fountain of Montjuic that offers a night light show. 

Collserola 

You will find the great natural treasure in the ”Collserola Natural Park”, with more than eight thousand hectares of surface, where you can enjoy a bike ride through the mountains, one of the main routes is called “La carretera de las Aigües” where it begins on the Pla del Maduixers route (accessed from Avenida del Tibidabo) and ends in Plaza de Mireia. It is a path of low difficulty, since it is mostly flat, and it is where you can get to know one of the best views of Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea. 

The good thing about this tour is that it is suitable for all bicycles and you will be able to visit emblematic buildings such as the Collserola tower and the Fabra observatory. 

Greenway of Llobregat 

Greenway of Llobregat  is the old route of the Manresa-Olván railway. It runs through a natural environment shaped by the passage of the Llobregat river. It is a route suitable for families and children due to its flatness and ease of travel, on it you can pedal along the Llobregat river, crossing tunnels and visiting the Gothic bridge or the Pedret Monastery. 

On this road you will find both vehicles, people walking or cyclists, since it is a route suitable for all kinds of walks and at the end you will cross the Llobregat river through a small bridge until you reach the Baells reservoir dam. 

You can find the face of Barcelona a few steps from our local Born Bike Tours Barcelona, From the metro station Barceloneta L (4) amarilla🚇
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Spring activities in Barcelona for going by bicycle

April 18th, 2018

This weekend, the  21st and 22nd of April in Barcelona, you shouldn’t miss the great Earth Fair, which is celebrated at the Parc Central de Nou Barris.

Photo by Fran Priestley

In Barcelona, the Earth Day is celebrated with a great street market with handmade, ecological and proximity products and that intends to  report the bad behavior of our society with regard to nature.

A nice initiative, isn’t it?

Join it doing something good for environment, such as going to the great street market by the cleanest means of transport: the bicycle. In this way, you will add some more pedaling to the 30 days of biking, which are still active this month of April in Barcelona.

And, if after walking through this street market, you are still interested in something more, on Monday, the 23rd of April, Barcelona will be full of books and roses in order to celebrate the Sant Jordi’s tradition. Again, we insist that you don’t leave your bike at home. With the bicycle you will be able to move around in a comfortable way and you will avoid streets closed to traffic and the mass of people.

Barcelona doesn’t stop, keep its rhythm pedaling!

Come to the Pi’s Fiesta in Barcelona by bicycle

March 14th, 2018

Photo by Rang Oza

We never stop in Barcelona. This weekend the Pi’s Fiesta, also called Sant Josep Oriol’s fiesta, are going to start. We offer you some information in order to whet your appetite…

This Saturday, the 17th of March, the starting stroke, in this case, to the popular Pi’s Fiesta will take place at the center of Barcelona with a proclamation, sardanes -the traditional Catalan dance- and the popular four original Pi’s Giants dance. You shouldn’t miss that since it is only repeated once a year. Although the celebration beginning will not stop here. During the afternoon it will continue with the castellers and the theatre. And on Sunday, you shouldn’t miss the “Bestieses” event, a very original dance.

This fiesta is celebrated every year around the 23rd of March, with the arrival of the Spring. For this reason, the 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th of March are going to be days full of activities for every one and for every age.

The fiesta is a tribute to Sant Josep Oriol, who was born and who lived in the district of Ciutat Vella of Barcelona, during the second half of the XVII century.

If you want to get to know things about this saint, his popular celebration and its traditions, don’t doubt about coming by bicycle and experiencing that personally.

The best great fiesta of summer is comming, the great fiesta of Gràcia

August 8th, 2017

If you like getting to know the popular culture of the places where you travel, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity of enjoying the great fiesta of the district of Gràcia, which will be celebrated from the 15th to the 21st of August.

Every year we dedicate a mail about this very special fiesta and this year we cannot fail because it is going to celebrate its 200 anniversary and nobody looks better at this age. Although, the fiesta starts some days away, you can see some neighbors preparing the details which will dress the streets of different themes for the annual competition. You can feel the festivity in the ambient.

If you are in Barcelona from the 15th to the 21st you shouldn’t miss the activities which will be celebrated during the day nor the concerts of the night. You will enjoy the popular culture very near: sardanes, castellers, giants…

For sure, you will find all the streets closed to the traffic, so the best you can do is get there by bike, you will arrive more away and you will not find problems to park 😉.

If you are not here during these dates, don’t worry, you will have another opportunity the next week with the great fiesta of Sants.

What should you eat if you are visiting Barcelona? The most popular gastronomy

May 16th, 2017

Photo by Javier Lastras

Barcelona gathers the most traditional food of the Catalan cuisine. The major part of the bars of Barcelona have menu which combines sea and mountain foods perfectly.

In order to get familiar with a city, its people and its culture, getting close to the bars and restaurants which offer us the popular gastronomy of the place is essential.

Barcelona is not different in this aspect, and all its tapas (Spanish appetizers) and menus are characterized by their perfect mixture of sea and mountain. So, in this case, bars, restaurants and markets are an obligatory visit.

You cannot only eat the “pa amb tomàquet” (tomato rubbed on bread). In spite of being one of the best inventions of our gastronomy, you shouldn’t miss combining it with some cold meat (fuet, llonganissa, cheese, ham…) or with fried squid or with some “seitons” (anchovies) in vinegar.

When you choose the menu, you should be guided by the seasonal food. During winter, you will be grateful for a good stew, a Catalan “escudella” or a fricassee. At the beginning of spring it should be some “calçots” with romesco sauce. During summer the “coca catalana” (Catalan tart) or the “escalivada” with cheese will help you renew energy. For autumn, a soupy rice with mushrooms. And the jack of all trades during the whole year is the Catalan sausage with beans.

Obviously, to base the typical Catalan gastronomy only on these dishes is miscalculate the Catalan food, but a list with all the typical Catalan dishes won’t fit into only one blog post. So, you should get a good gastronomic guide which will help you not to miss any of the delicious morsels that Barcelona offers.

Do you already have the Sant Jordi’s book and rose? Get close to the culture by bike, pedaling through the streets of Barcelona

April 19th, 2017

This Sunday, 23rd of April, Barcelona is going to relive the Sant Jordi’s legend with hundreds of books, roses and activities distributed through the whole city.

Bookshops, florists and, also, all kinds of entities are going to take the stands out to the streets this 23rd of April, adorning the sidewalks of Barcelona with their decorated roses and the best sellers of the year. So, if you are nearby, you won’t be able to resist the temptation of stopping there and buying some of the literary wonders which are hidden among the piles of books, and you will leave taking away roses for all your loved ones.

On the other hand, remember that the Sant Jordi’s tradition has progressed. Now, it isn’t a rose for the lady and a book for the gentleman. Luckily, these differences have been left behind, but not the spirit. Culture and beauty are now joined together, in order to create one of the best presents of the year among the people who really want to participate.

If you want to enjoy this day 100%, you also need to leave the car behind. The streets of the center in Barcelona, with a complex access for motor vehicles, are going to be fuller of people this day. Our tip? Take a bike and also enjoy the pedaling to the center.

Bike tours through the popular fiestas in Barcelona

March 14th, 2017

From the 16th to the 26th of March, the fiesta of Sant Josep Oriol will be celebrated in the center of Barcelona. Catalan tradition and culture.

Photo by Chris Lawton

This week, the streets around the Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi are preparing themselves to celebrate the famous Father’s Day, a fiesta which is going to be concentrated between the 18th and the 23rd of March.

Giants, grallers, cercavida, popular music and a lot of activities offer the opportunity of enjoying this great fiesta of the Barri del Pi in Barcelona as an authentic local. Couples, young and elderly people, families… everybody can find the most suitable activity and enjoy them with everybody.

Again, remember that the streets of the center, in addition to be closed to the motor vehicles, are narrow streets due to their historic structure. So, the best means of transport for these days is the bicycle, with which you will be able to move around with complete freedom, going to places very fast and avoiding yourselves the parking problems.

Enjoy the fiestas of Sant Josep Oriol with the people from Barcelona!

Have you taken a stroll around the surroundings of the streets of Gràcia in Barcelona?

August 17th, 2016

One more year the streets of the neighborhood of Gràcia dress themselves up thanks to the impetus and imagination of the neighbors.

Photo by Amaianos

If you haven’t yet taken a walk around the surroundings of the Villa of Gràcia, you have time until this Sunday, the 21st of August.

This year the winning street has been Fraternitat, enlivened within fishing and dressed up with naval details. It’s a refreshing point of the city that you should definitely not miss these days.

If you know the villa of Gràcia, this is a great opportunity to explore it. It’s a neighborhood that is practically pedestrian, full of squares, bars and restaurants. The good environment that is enjoyed is created by the neighbors who are an example of coexistence, cooperation and integration. There’s a clear reason why it has such an important role in the Catalan rumba.

If you’re in Barcelona this weekend, you have the perfect opportunity to discover Gràcia and its history. Of course, we advise you to go by bicycle since the streets are closed to car traffic.

Don’t miss this fiesta and go there by pedalling!

Getting to know the Catalan culture, dancing ‘Sardanes’

June 14th, 2016

From the 15th of June to the 3rd of July, every Friday (except the 24th of June) you can enjoy one of the most typical things of the Catalan Culture: Sardanes, with the people dancing to the rhythm of the ‘Les Cobles Rambles” and ‘Baix Llobregat’.

As we always say, one of the best things for getting to know a country’s culture is introducing ourselves in its history, its traditions and its festivities, because we will be able to talk easily with its people and we will feel like a citizen more of this land. So, following this premise, you should not miss the opportunity of experiencing the Sardanes’ dance and music.

sardana-1313942This is a tradition with an unknown origin, danced and played around all Catalonia (it is its national dance) and, practically everyone who wants to dance it, can try it. Your age doesn’t matter, it is for elder and young people.

So if you would like to know more about it, you should take your bicycle and go to Vapor Vell Passage (number 2) in the district of Sants-Monjuïc any Friday (remember: there are no events on the 24th of June) from now to the 3rd of July at 7.30 p.m.

Enjoy it!