Tag Archives: trip

CICLOBCN21

CicloBCN21 is a new international cycling event that will take place from 5 to 10 October 2021. This year’s slogan is “Pedalem ciutats i territori”, which means “We pedal cities and regions”. CicloBCN21 will include three bicycle congresses: the EuroVelo and Cycle Tourism 2021 Congress, the 17th Iberian Congress “Bicycles and Cities” and the 7th International Bicycle Congress.

These three events will include exhibition areas, meetings between professionals, technical visits and activities in various public areas. Most of the events will take place at the AXA Auditorium. Their aim is to promote the central role of bicycles and to reaffirm the commitment of the city’s institutions and inhabitants. Indeed, the bicycle appears to be one of the best ways to face the current and future challenges we are facing, especially from an environmental point of view. This is why these kinds of events are crucial today.

Bike friends family sunset nature tourism barcelona futur sport

EuroVelo and Cyclotourism:

EuroVelo and Cycle Tourism conference, organised since 2012, is the main forum on cycle tourism in Europe, promoted by the European Cyclists’ Federation. The event serves to highlight cycle tourism in Europe, and in particular the roll-out of the EuroVelo network, a set of fifteen transnational cycle tourism routes that cross Europe from one side to the other. The conference will bring together, among others, tourist operators from Barcelona, transport companies, universities, tourist organisations, public authorities and, of course, bicycle users.

In Catalonia, the development of cycling has many advantages. It allows us to participate in a more sustainable form of tourism, reaching a wide audience and, above all, being able to extend to all seasons. In addition, the project to extend and consolidate the EuroVelo 8 route between Cadiz and Cyprus, which passes through Catalonia, is a development asset that should not be overlooked.

7th International Bicycle Congress of Catalonia

The International Bicycle Congress is the main forum where public administrations, professionals in the sector, cycling organisations and users in Catalonia can discuss the latest developments and exchange experiences on the world of cycling.

The “Catalan Cycling Strategy 2025” will play a central role at this year’s congress. This is a document recently approved by the Government of Catalonia that proposes several actions to promote cycling as an active and sustainable mode of transport, both for daily travel and for leisure, sport and tourism. A strategy designed with the clear objective of gaining the support of the rest of the Catalan administrations and organisations linked to the bicycle sector.

 17th Iberian Congress “Bicycles and Cities”.

This congress is a joint initiative organised by ConBici, the national coordinator for the defence of the bicycle in Spain, and the Portuguese Federation of Cycle Tourism and Bicycle Users (FPCUB). Its objective is to present the most important news and experiences related to cycling in Spain and Portugal. A congress organised by cycling organisations, with a special role played by social initiatives related to the world of cycling.

Auditorium Axa Barcelona congresse SPORT professional tourism

Sunsets on bicycle

Barcelona is one of the most bike-friendly cities in Spain, with almost 200 kilometers of bike lanes, used both for those who use the bike as a means of daily transportation or for those who are just walking around the city, getting to know it and discovering its streets.

In Born Bike Tours Barcelona we propose a tour of the beach and the Barcelona neighborhood. Where you will find a complete tour, passing through the following points:

  • Christopher Columbus Monument
  • Drassanes
  • Port Vell
  • Palau del Mar
  • Barceloneta neighborhood
  • Olympic Port
  • Forum of Cultures
  • Parc Diagonal Mar
  • Poblenou neighborhood
  • Olympic Village (Olympic Games 1992)
  • Ciutadella Park

The tour runs almost entirely on peaceful roads without traffic, bike lanes and zones 30, very safe for all ages.

We accompany you with experienced guides who know the city and its history. In the course of the tour we will make several stops to liste, contemplate and enjoy each point and where you can take your pictures and your memories of the tour.

Live Barcelona on wheels!

Barcelona and photography

Many of the people who live in Barcelona are passionate about photography, but many tourists are too. We invite you to experience a photographic exhibition of the city where you will find all the magic that Barcelona hides.

Seventy photographs taken by women that explore the links between the history of the city and the images that women photographers have built.

The exhibition, which includes seventy images distributed chronologically, is a unique opportunity to vindicate the role that women have played in the history of photography in our city. Because, although the historical narrative has left them in the background, without them, without the photographers, it is impossible to know the real Barcelona.

Photography by Barcelona.cat

The exhibition makes visible the line of continuity of the photographic practice of those women who placed the city at the center of their creative works, in a period ranging from the thirties to the early nineties.

You can visit this exhibition focused on women, photography and the city until June 6, 2021. In the Plaça Comercial, al savant d’El Born CCM (Plaça Comercial, 12 – Ciutat Vella – Barcelona)

Modernism and Barcelona

Barcelona is a city that is characterized by its architecture and beauty, since 1984 UNESCO has declared 9 architectural works as world heritage, seven of them by the architect Antoni Gaudí, along with 2 buildings by Lluís Domènech I Montaner.

The first buildings in the Catalan capital that entered the UNESCO list were Park Güell and La Pedrera, both by the architect Antoni Gaudí. The next to enter the list was also the work of Gaudí, the Palau Güell, built in 1889 on behalf of Gaudi’s great patron, Eusebi Güell.

The two great architectural works of the architect Lluís Domènech I Montaner, the Palau de la Música Catalana (1908) and the Hospital de la Santa Creu I de Sant Pau (1930) were declared World Heritage Sites in 1997 and are the only buildings in Barcelona with this classification that are not the work of Gaudí.

The list is closed by the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, the Crypt Colònia Güell and Casa Vicens, which were declared World Heritage in 2005.

Gaudí’s Barcelona

If there is an architect associated with Barcelona, that is, without a doubt, Antoni Gaudí. His mature works, such as La Pedrera, Park Güell and the Sagrada Familia, are internationally known icons that attract thousands of visitors daily. However, in the city there are also several works by this great artist that are not so well known and that often, due to being far from the usual circuits, go unnoticed and make up a little-explored route, but no less spectacular. 

Une image contenant extérieur, arbre, plante, immeuble résidentiel

Like the ones we list here: 

  • The Pavilions of Finca Güell 
  • The gate of Finca Miralles 
  • The pavement of Sant Pacià 
  • The Bellesguard Tower
  • The Vicens House 

If you want to know more about the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí you can do a bike tours with us.
Born Bike Tours Barcelona
📍Carrer de la Marquesa Nº 1 08003 Barcelona
50 meters away from the Barceloneta L (4) yellow metro station
✉️info@bornbikebarcelona.com
🔹www.bornbikebarcelona.com
📲 (+34) 93 319 00 20

Walk around the Arch of Triumph by bike

We started a new month and went out to walk the streets of Barcelona in search of new adventures.

Today we will make a tour by bicycle through the Arch of Triumph which was built on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of 1888, the Arch of Triumph led the way to the main entrance of the fair, in the park of the Ciutadella, which had just opened.

During the last third of the 19th century, the universal expositions were events of enormous social impact, since they allowed everyone to get to know the city that hosted them, as well as the cultural, economic, scientific and industrial potential of each country. In this sense, the Arch of Triumph was not only the access to the Universal Exhibition of 1888, but also the symbolic entry of Barcelone into the modern era.

At the height of the modernist movement in much of Europe, constructions inspired by previous eras were very common: the Neo-Gothic, the Neo-Mudejar in Spain or the Neo-Romanesque were some of the predominant styles.

Following this trend, the architect Josep Vilaseca designed a monument 30 meters high and of classical proportions, but with a very colorful decoration and full of symbolism. Thus, the artists who sculpted the decorative friezes represented, on each of the faces, a theme related to the city: Barcelona welcomes the nations (on the side of Passeig de Sant Joan, work of Josep Reynés), the Distribution of rewards to the participants of the Exhibition (on the side of Passeig de Lluís Comanys, work of Josep Llimona) and the allegories of Industry, Agriculture and Trade, on one side, and of Science and Arts, on the other. The famas (the winged figures of the buttresses) were sculpted by Manuel Fuxà and Pere Carbonell.

Finally, in the curve of the arch, the coat of arms of Barcelona can be seen, flanked by the coats of arms of the remaining 48 Spanish provinces, 24 on each face of the monument.

Bicycle repairs and rental in Barcelona

Barcelona is one of the most beautiful cities to travel by bicycle with more than 200 kilometers of bike lanes, where you can enjoy a walk along the Mediterranean coast, through the Gothic streets or enjoy a day on the Collserolla mountain.

If you are still in doubt about repairing that old bicycle, or renting one to enjoy Barcelona on wheels, we leave you five tips that will help you make that decision.

  • Enjoy a safer ride

The bicycle is a safe vehicle, you will walk through the city of Barcelona enjoying great views and places, using the safety of the bike lanes.

  • Easier and simpler

Mobility by bicycle is easier than in other means of transport. Did you know that the bike is faster than the car in short and medium urban distances? Through several door-to-door competitions, with the city center as the destination, it has been found that, in general, the bike is the fastest transport. in addition to being faster in short distances, it is ideal to combine with public transport

  • Be more sustainable and collaborate with the environment

The bicycle is a key factor in reducing the levels of environmental and noise pollution in cities. An, at the same time, it is the most energy efficient means of transport: it uses twelve times less energy than a car, even if it is full, to move a person over a kilometer, and fifty times less than a car occupied by only one person.

  • To enjoy more space

A cyclist occupies five times less space than a motorist, whether he is stationary or in motion. This data has very profound implications for the well-being of residents, who can enjoy peaceful, calmer, safer and noise-free spaces.

  • To always be on the move

Going by bike is one of the most beneficial exercises for health, since during the effort large muscle groups are mobilized. Of practiced regularly it can reduce resting heart and breathing rates.

If you want to know about bike rental or repair you can stop by our store Born Bike Tours Barcelona
📍Carrer de la Marquesa Nº 1 08003 Barcelona
50 meters away from the Barceloneta L (4) yellow metro station
✉️info@bornbikebarcelona.com
🔹www.bornbikebarcelona.com
📲(+34) 93 319 00 20

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

Sí quieres saber más sobre la catedral de Barcelona, pregunta por nuestros tours y te contaremos todo lo que sabemos de ella.
📍Carrer de la Marquesa Nº 1 08003 Barcelona
A 50 metros estación metro Barceloneta L (4) amarilla
✉️info@bornbikebarcelona.com
🔹www.bornbikebarcelona.com
📲(+34) 93 319 00 20

Spanish village in Barcelona

El Pueblo Español is a museum that offers contemporary art, architecture, crafts and gastronomy. The site is made up of 117 full-scale buildings, which make up a typically Spanish town with its streets, houses, squares, theater, school, restaurants and artisan workshops. 

statue of a woman in blue clothes from Pueblo Espanyol, in Barcelona

It was built for the international exhibition that was held in Barcelona in 1929, an idea promoted by Joseo Puig I Cadafalch (Catalan architect) where they created a small town that brought together the main characteristics of all the towns in Spain. They also worked together with Joseo Puig, Francesc Folguera and Ramon Reventós, and the artists Xavier Nogués and Miquel Utrillo, in order to achieve this exhibition, they made various trips through Spain taking photographs, drawings, observing the styles and creating concepts of the different places.  

Today there are various activities, exhibitions or events. 

Tourists can visit it by taking their ticket on the website  : www.poble-espanyol.com  

Our recommendation is to rent a bicycle and tour the mountains of Montjuic, where you will find various monuments, museums and historical buildings. 

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 

Get your bike ready and enjoy Barcelona

Get your bike ready and enjoy Barcelona

We really like healthy life and the city, that’s why we look for the perfect combination so that you can enjoy this summer of Barcelona by bike.

  • We carry out repairs and maintenance
  • We have answers and accessories
  • Review hardware and adjustments
  • Washing and greasing
  • Punctures and wheel centering

That is why we invite you to give life to that stored bicycle and accompany us to visit La Ronda Verda de Barcelona, a circuit that has about 72 kilometers of route and crosses different municipalities such as L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Montcada I Reixac, Santa Coloma de Gramenet and Sant Adrià de Besòs. There is also a variant that extends the round and incorporates the city of Badalona.

This route can be divided into six sections

  1. Collserola Park: The Collserola Park extends over 8,000 hectares. Forest areas with a great variety of plant formations of valuable biological diversity predominate.
  2. Parque Fluvial del Besòs: This section of the Ronda Verda connects the Parque de Collserola and the Front Marítimo. It has an approximate extension of five kilometers.
  3. Park of the Cordillera de Marina: This natural space is part of the Cordillera Litoral and has a total area of 2,086 hectares. The visitor has the opportunity to envoy Iberian villages, hermitages, monasteries and numerous fountains and recreation areas.
  4. Maritime Front: The Ronda Verda runs along the maritime fronts of Barcelona, Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona.
  5. Montjuïc Section: The itinerary in this section of the pool is numerous museums, sports facilities, parks and gardens. The tour has splendid views of the city of Barcelona and its surroundings.
  6. Llobregat Route: This route approaches the Llobregat basin, allowing connections with the river glare, the delta area and the Collserola Park.

Enjoy your route through the ‘Ronda Verda’ of Barcelona by bicycle

November 28th, 2018

If you are visiting Barcelona or you still have no plans for this weekend, here you have a suggestion to keep you pedaling. A healthy and enjoyable activity for everyone.

Photo by Silvia (Sipa at Pixabay)

We are always talking about the improvements of the bike lane, which have achieved transforming the city into a paradise for the urban cyclist, but we cannot forget about the Ronda Verda -Green Beltway-. This road surrounds the whole city, connecting it to the neighboring cities, offering us a huge means of connection of 72km and a fantastic lane for riding a bicycle.

This lane connects Badalona, Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Esplugues de Llobregat y Montcada i Reixac. In addition, it has 6 sections, so we can decide if we prefer to ride the whole route or only enjoy one of its variated zones that we can find in this sea and mountain city. For example, we could dedicate our morning to riding through the mountain of Collserola, or spend our afternoon at the now very quiet beaches of Barcelona. In addition, we could start our route through the beach from the Front Marítim and get to the mountain through the Montjuïc route.

The options are very assorted, so take advantage of Barcelona and of every one of the marvelous options that this city offers you.

It’s still summer in Barcelona

September 1st, 2018

Although the summer holidays have finished with the August’s month for a lot of people, for other ones, who have suffered the hot weather in the work place while they saw how the work mates departed to remote countries, the good time starts now.

Photo by Katerina Zhang

Barcelona is not going to disappoint all the people who have been waiting for the arriving of their well-deserved vacations. On the contrary, the activity of the city is not going to let anyone to get bored.

From refreshing ridings through the beach by bicycle, to the challenge of getting to the top of the hill of Montjuïc, where you will be awarded with the amazing views of the city. Everything with the nicest weather and avoiding the July and August build-ups –overbooking in hotels, in restaurants and, even worst! in the streets-.

And, if it was not enough, we cannot forget that the great fiesta of La Mercè 2018 is very close. A festivity that, as always, will get you closer to the culture and tradition of the city.

Barcelona is waiting for you with open arms, take your bicycle and come to pedal!

Come to the activities in Barcelona during the month of August 2018 by bicycle

July 31st, 2018

Photo by Enes on Unsplash

Here you have a list of activities in Barcelona during this August, in order you don’t miss anyone during your trip.

Music in Barcelona!

2018.07.31 – 08.31 – Mas i Mas

The Mas i Mas Festival returns to Barcelona in the summer with jazz, flamenco, classic, techno and much more.

2018.08.10 – 11 -DGTL – Festival Barcelona

The DGTL Festival will make you dance in Barcelona at the rhythm of music house and techno.

2018.026.02 – 08.30 – Music in the Parks

This season, 2018, the program includes 49 concerts and all of them free. From June to the end of August you can listen to music in the parks of Barcelona. These have been taking place for the past 15 years and include best quality music. Not only this, it is also great for sitting in a pleasant place at night with good music, friends and family.

2018.07.01 – 09.16 Brunch in the Park

Take your picnic basket, your plaid table cloth and get ready to …. Dance without stopping until the 17th of September..

Outdoor movies in Barcelona

2018.07.06 – 08.31 – Mecal Air, outdoor movies

In summer we all want to spend a lot of time outdoors -and what a better way than watching short films with friends while having a glass of wine. Mecal Air is a summer alternative to the classical cinemas, It is the one preferred by the Barcelona neighbors. The good part is that there is a combination to “short films” and a gastronomical offer. The entrance is free.

2018.06.29 – 08.03 – Outdoor movies – Sala Montjuïc

Important recent films and concerts that take place outdoors.

2018.06.28 – 08.02 – Free films t the Barcelona beach

Free movies at the beach during the summer nights.

Other events

During summer from Thursday to Sunday from 9:00p.m to 11:30p.m. – The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc

In the summer from Thursday to Sunday from 9:00p.m to 11:30p.m. the spectacles take place every half an hour.

2018.08.09 – 19 – Circuit Festival

Don’t miss the most fun gay Festival in Barcelona.

2018.08.05 – 05 – Joan Gamper Trophy from the FC Barcelona

Experience the Barcelona Football Club Joan Gamper a the Camp Nou!

Have a good time!

A new bicycle route from the sea to the mountain in Barcelona

July 26th, 2018

With the inauguration of the bike lines in the streets of Bilbao and Jonquera, which have been added to the street of Navas -look at the map and you will understand it better 😉-, the axis which will allow us to go from the Parc del Guinardó to Marbella beach is completed.

Something very especial from Barcelona that we always try to remark is that this city is a sea and mountain city, where the landscape and the environments are very varied and it allows us to enjoys its different modalities.

Up to now, a very important bicycle route was the one where you can go from the Port Olimpic to Montjuïc mountain in the Sants-Montjuïc district. In just one day you can enjoy the sea breeze and the mountain views. Now, to this amazing route, we have to add another one from Guinardó to the Marbella beach, so we have a new one for changing the views and the environment of the beach.

The most important thing of these routes is the fact that now we can do that in a safe way thanks to the extension of the bike lane in Barcelona.

This summer experience Barcelona to the maximum and discover the last of its corners by bicycle.

A bicycle as your best trip mate

Photo by Autumn Studio

July 27th, 2018

This summer you shouldn’t forget your bicycle at home. It will be your best trip mate.

If you have kept yourself fit all year getting around everywhere by bicycle, this summer you cannot waste all this effort. Moving around the cities by bicycle is the best investment that you can make.

With the bicycle, you can get to know all the cities at street level, without any problem when you decide to park, and enjoying the city environment directly.

The respect for the environment, the noise and the neighbors are synonyms of bicycle. This will make you earn points with the local people who are sharing the city with you.

Flexibility of movement, especially in Barcelona, city of sea and mountain. By bicycle, the moment you wake up, you can decide if this a mountain or a sea day. It will make you enjoy the trip and allow you to stop anywhere you want. It doesn’t matter if you want to immortalize the moment by taking a photo or if you want to have some tapas -Spanish appetizers- in a bar that you like.

All these advantages, combined with the bike lanes which the city is taking from the space of the cars, make the bicycle the best trip mate during our summer adventures.

This summer, let’s share Barcelona by bicycle

July 3rd, 2018

We have to insist that the best way to travel is by the ecotourism, achieving that our passing through the city be the most sustainable and positive possible, and generating the best memories for us and for the people who live in the city and who turn it into a marvelous place.

Photo by Sergi Larripa

The City Hall of Barcelona has initiated a new campaign this summer: ‘Compartim Barcelona’ -Let’s share Barcelona- where they gather some tips for everyone who visits and lives in the city. We feel very identified with them, because they are something that we try to transmit in many of our mails.

Sharing the public places, taking care of the urban furniture, not obstructing the life’s rhythm of the people who live in the city, not making noise after a celebration and, in general, controlling the volume… these are some basic tips from the web site. It seems very logical, isn’t it? Well, these are annoyances that the people who live in Barcelona are experiencing continuously, and which complicate their day-to-day. For this reason, we are sharing it in our blog, in order to do our part to achieve a more habitable city for everyone.

To all these tips, obviously, we want to add another one: riding a bicycle when you visit the city. This means of transport doesn’t make noise, doesn’t dirty it and, thanks to the extension of the bike lane, we can practically move around the whole city in a safe way for us and for the pedestrians. Of course, in order to make this idea a reality, we need your help by respecting all the traffic sign, the places to stop and park and this rhythm of the people who live in the city that we have talked about. Because, they are sharing their bicycle routes, so try not to obstruct the rhythm of these.

Take these tips with you and enjoy Barcelona by bicycle!

Summer has settled down in Barcelona and here you have some tips to live together with it

June 28th, 2018

Some weeks ago, the temperature increased significantly in Barcelona and, in addition, the sweltering. This, sometimes, make us feel lazy, but, keep calm, the experience has given us some tips to fight against this laziness and riding again our bicycle.

Photo by Alex Blajan

The breeze from the beach and the calm shade in the parks

If you are going to move around Barcelona in the morning, maybe it’s better if you don’t go through the sunny spot of the Eixample. There are some shades, but the accumulated hot weather, especially from the motorized vehicles, are going to make you feel tired. Going to the beach or to some of the great parks in Barcelona will be a better option. With the breeze or the fresh air that comes from the plants, you are going to feel much better. Go to the Sagrada Familiar or to the great modernist works of Passeig de Gràcia in the afternoon, when the sun has gone down a little.

Take cover in a tapas bar or restaurant

The worst hours of the heat are at midday, so, at this hour, you should look for a bar or restaurant -especially if you are at the beach- where you could find refuge from the worst sun rays and taste some of the delicious food from the gastronomy of Barcelona.

You shouldn’t stop hydrating yourself

A continuous hydration, especially if we are moving around by bicycle, is essential in order to avoid sickness. Always take a bottle of water with you and put a little bit of lemon inside it. It will make you feel great!

In addition, you will always find an ice-cream parlor and you will be able to refresh yourself with your favorite flavor.

This holidays you can practice the ecotourism in Barcelona by the best means of transport: the bicycle

June 19th, 2018

Summer is very close and we cannot avoid to remember you some tips that will help you to plan an unforgettable trip, respecting the environment and people who you are going to visit.

Born Bike Tours Barcelona are very fans of ecotourism, this combination of activities that allow us to travel respecting the environment and the people who live in this place. But, although this point of view comes from the respect, ecotourism is much more. We are going to sum it up in the 8 tips presented by the International Ecotourism Society:

  1. Minimize physical, social, behavioral, and psychological impacts.
  2. Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
  3. Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.
  4. Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.
  5. Generate financial benefits for both local people and private industry.
  6. Deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climates.
  7. Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities.
  8. Recognize the rights and spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous People in your community and work in partnership with them to create empowerment.

You are going to see that a lot of these points are easy to resolve if you visit the place by bicycle 😉

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.

These holidays, experience Barcelona like a local person

July 25th, 2017

barcelona-838716_1920

Fiestas, gastronomy and architecture are the three keys that will help you to enjoy Barcelona as though you had lived here all your life.

Barcelona keeps its high level of activities during the whole year, but, during summer, coinciding with the fiestas of some of its districts is much easier.

During these fiestas, all families in the neighborhood work in the organization and in the celebration. For this reason, if you are looking for typical elements of the popular Catalan culture -sardanes, grallers, giants, music…-, in these fiestas, you will find them.

During the next weeks we will announce them.

Gastronomy is another one of the essentials keys, in order to get to know the culture and, in addition, this is one of the best pleasures which we can access easily. In Barcelona, walking through the narrow streets in the center, at the Gòtic or the Born, at the port or, even, in other neighborhoods like Gracia or Sants-full of pedestrian streets and squares- we will be surrounded by restaurants and bars, where we will be able to eat some tapas -Spanish appetizers.

Finally, architecture, the one which we can find walking at the street level, is the key that has converted Barcelona into the most important modernist city. You shouldn’t miss that.

The best of all of this is that you can achieve all these key points while you are riding your bike placidly around the city.

The bicycle is the best trip mate, you should not give it up at home during this summer

June 27th, 2017

Haystack-bike-springSports, the reduction of the pollution in our city or the simple and marvelous fresh air on our faces are the reasons that push us to take the bicycle during our daily life. Why are we going to leave it at home during the holidays?

The daily pedaling is one of the best habits that we can achieve, something that the grumpiest people, with regard to the bicycle, cannot deny. Giving it up during the summer months is one of the worst errors that we can commit, especially, because, in the new cities, it is also very beneficial.

Getting to know new corners at the street-level, pedaling together with local people, parking anywhere we prefer, these are the pleasures that we can only achieve by one special means of transport: the bike.

Haven’t you tried it yet?

So, write down in capital letters in your good intentions’ notebook: TURNING THE BICYCLE INTO THE BEST MEANS OF SUMMER TRANSPORT. If you achieve this challenge, you will not be able to stop pedaling during the whole year!

Convert yourself into one more citizen of Barcelona pedalling the bicycle

Getting closer to people of a city in a cultural, historic and social way is what will transform our journey into a unique trip. How should we do this? Get carried along the streets by someone who really knows them!

When we travel to new places, apart from breaking the routine, usually, we look for getting to know the city in detail. We look for all the information through guides and internet and, we leave with thousands of routes in our head to experience and to pass through. But all architectonic works, museums and corners of the city lack sense if we don’t know their history fully and, finally, we just forget them or we mix them up with memories of other trips.

In order to avoid this, the best choice is to look for a trip mate who knows all the details of the history, because he or she has lived with them all his/her life.

By travelling with local people, we will have a great opportunity to live a new experience, much richer and more authentic than all the notes that we could compile before and during the trip.

This, together with the opportunity of going through the streets on a bicycle, a vehicle which allows us to move through all the streets easily, much quicker than walking and appreciating more details than going by car, will be the perfect combination for assuring us that we are using our trip up to the limit.