What's New

Ever inventive and dynamic, Barcelona continues to advance deeper and more creatively into the 21st century. One of the most impressive recent changes has sprung from a restructuring program called "Post Olympic," covering a 3.2km (2-mile) stretch of shoreline between the Port Olimpic section and the mouth of the Besòs River. Here, a 1.7 billion euro ($2.1 billion) development has added new parks, a restaurant-lined marina, and a bathing zone for swimming in unpolluted waters. Its impressive modern Forum is being further expanded at an additional cost of 4 million euros ($5 million) in readiness for the Euro Science Open Forum, scheduled for 2008; and an ambitious Housing Plan, which started in May 2006 and is due to be completed in 2008, involves rehabilitating 2,700 homes between San Adrià de los Besòs and Poble Sec.

Planning Your Trip to Barcelona

Expanded between 2004 and 2005 with the opening of a third runway and new southern terminal, the El Prat de Llobregat Airport now accommodates 25 million passengers a year, more than double its capacity at the time of the 1992 Olympic Games. There are further expansion plans for 2008 that will include a new loading area and an "industrial park" with a variety of amenities that will virtually change the airport into a small, self-contained town. Also of note for Barcelona visitors: A new ticket-sales company, Clickair (www.clickair.com), started business in October 2006, offering budget flights between Barcelona and many European cities with seats bookable only by Internet.

Getting Around

The Metro and city train lines continue to expand. October 2006 saw the inauguration of the T-5 Trambesòs line between Besòs and Glories, the latest of the ultra-modern Tren Ligero, or "Light Train," routes to join the T-1 to T-4 lines already operating in the city. In addition to the existing bus and suburban train network connecting El Prat Airport with the city center, two extended Metro lines -- 2 and 9 -- will run right into the heart of the airport, creating even easier access in 2007. Meanwhile, high at the back of the city, the 100-year-old Tibidabo funicular, updated at the end of 2006 at a cost of 4 million euros ($5 million), has now doubled the number of its daily journeys and passengers. On a wider front, the already busy Sants Railway Station is in the midst of a massive renovation and expansion program aimed at preparing for the high-speed trains to Madrid and France, due to be running in 2008. (The journey from Barcelona to Madrid will be shortened from 5 1/2 to 3 1/2 hr.) The transformed station will eventually incorporate new terminals, hallways, platforms, and underground parking areas.

Accomodations

Barcelona's accommodations options continue to increase on all levels, from deluxe comfort to budget simplicity. Three hundred new hotels are due to open between 2006 and 2008, providing an additional 30,000 rooms. The overall trend is for hostelries with state-of-the-art facilities that include free Wi-Fi access, a standard feature now with innovative chains like High Tech and its sister company Petit Palace, whose latest hotel Petit Palace Opera Garden Ramblas opened in 2006 in the heart of the Barri Gòtic. One of the newest hotels to burst on the scene (in Oct 2006) was the chic modern Barcelona Catedral Hotel, located only a stone's throw from the city's great Gothic cathedral.

Where to Dine

Barcelona's pioneering cuisine is now admired around the world. This doesn't necessarily involve denting the wallet at a high-end spot like Ferran Adrià's famed El Bulli, either. Among the most recent affordable new-style eclectic eateries to try is Hisop. Vegetarian joints, too, are popping up more often, and the innovative Juicy Jones, in the Old Quarter, is one not to miss..

Up in Smoke

On January 1, 2006, a law took effect that officially banned smoking at all workplaces and throughout the entire Metro system. In bars, however, the decision was left to the discretion of the owner, and in 99% of cases smoking is still allowed (except in places larger than 100 sq. m./1,076 sq. ft., where a small smoke-free zone has to be installed). There is talk of stricter laws being imposed in 2007, though given the limited success of the few bars that have so far braved financial loss to keep their air clean, this remains at best a remote possibility.

Architecture

Though Gaudí's incomparable Sagrada Família may hold the top spot for spiritually minded sightseers, it's the practical, 21st-century business buildings that are increasingly dominating the cityscape. In Barceloneta, the horseshoe-shaped Brullet-Pineda-designed Biomedical Research Park, between the Hospital del Mar and Arts Hotel, is due for completion in 2007. It will feature a state-of-the-art range of laboratories, as well as an impressive auditorium and sports center. The Fira of Barcelona, just 3.2km (2 miles) from Montjuïc, is currently being developed to include an exhibition center, due to be finished in 2009. Currently the site hosts 80 trade fairs a year, and when finished it will be among the largest business centers in the world.

Shopping

The new face of market shopping in Barcelona is the Mercat de Santa Caterina in La Ribera, renovated in 2005 to a plan by local architect Enric Miralles, who also designed the Scottish parliament. In a cool functional setting topped by a colorful roof, you can browse through a wealth of well-stocked stalls whose offerings range from traditional produce to trendy balsamic vinegars and expensive crianza olive oils. Meanwhile, on the chic interior-design front, the big event in 2006 was the opening of B & B Italia's 167-sq.-m (1,800-sq.-ft.) showroom on Passeig de Gràcia. Its dazzling display of elegant furnishings shows just why this stylish company's shops have been a hit in no less than 54 countries.

Parks

Opened in May 2006, Barcelona's newest park is the 11-hectare (27-acre), Parc de la Pau (Park of Peace), which lies on the city's eastern coastal outskirts. It adjoins a new beach (covered with imported sand), a marina, and a tree-lined promenade -- amenities aimed at improving the quality of life in the Besòs area, which little more than a decade ago was one of the most run-down and depressed corners of the Catalan capital.

Barcelona's "Bici"-World

In an effort to encourage more cyclists to get out and about and cut down on traffic and pollution, more bicycle routes are appearing yearly throughout the city. Some of the newest trails are in the above-mentioned Parc de la Pau.