At Global Alliance, we take the “Worldwide” in our company name very seriously. We pride ourselves in offering premium limousine services to our clientele not only in our home base of Toronto but around the globe. Through our sophisticated network of trusted worldwide affiliates, Global Alliance can provide professional chauffeured services in hundreds of international cities. We will discuss many of the major worldwide destinations served via our affiliate network on this blog. Earlier in the week, we talked about the Spanish capital of Madrid, and today we stay in the country for the romantic and beguiling seaside city of Barcelona.
Nestled on the Mediterranean not far south of the border with France, Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, counting approximately 1.6 million residents. The 4.6 million residents of its metropolitan area make it the sixth largest urban concentration in the European Union. It is also the capital and chief city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, a region with a national language, culture, and identity distinct from the rest of Spain which has been resurgent since the 1970s.
Barcelona has a long history of settlement, from Iron Age villages to Roman forts, from the medieval Kingdom of Aragon to the modern city. The city’s history is most evident in the Barri Gòtic, the “Gothic Quarter”, where many buildings from the Middle Ages or even earlier have survived the centuries. Barcelona’s modernista architecture from the turn of the 20th Century is even more notable, however. Masterfully designed structures by the Catalan artist and architect Antoni Gaudí are prominent throughout the city, seven of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The most famous of these is the gigantic church of the Sagrada Família, which despite being unfinished at the architect’s death (and still another decade from expected completion date) is Barcelona’s best-known monument.
Barcelona has many fine museums, including the National Museum of Art of Catalonia as well as museums dedicated to the works of artists Pablo Picasso and Joan Mirò, both of whom resided in the city. Barcelona is also known for its parks and its beaches, as well as its active and sporting lifestyle options. Barcelona was the host city of the 1992 Summer Olympics and retains many of the sporting venues from that event. Its renowned soccer club, FC Barcelona, has won dozens of Spanish and European trophies, and plays its home games at the largest stadium in Europe, Camp Nou.
Barcelona is a major transport hub as well. In addition to its numerous rail connections and the Barcelona-El Prat Airport for arriving and departing flights, seagoing traffic is heavy at the Port of Barcelona, with commercial and industrial shipping operating out of there, as well as a recreational marina and cruise ship piers at Port Vell (the Old Port).
Please feel free to contact Global Alliance Worldwide Chauffeured Services for all of your transportation needs in Barcelona, Spain.