Barcelona? There's an app for that!

Whether you’re new to Barcelona or have been here for ages, there are any number of useful (and free) apps to help make life in the city that much easier.

GETTING AROUND:

Barcelona Metro Map, mxData Ltd., iOS and Blackberry

This app is for you if you need to know which is the quickest metro route to get from, say, Plaça Catalunya to the Sagrada Família (the answer? Take the L6 (FGC) to Provença and then change to the L5) or want to find your nearest metro station.

Bicing, Ajuntament de Barcelona, iOS, Android, Windows 8 and Blackberry

In a rush and can’t find a Bicing bike? We’ve all been there. With this app, you can quickly find a list of stations close to where you are and see whether they have any bikes available.

Next Bus Barcelona, Eduard Ereza, Android only

Find out whether it’s worth running for the bus with this handy service that gives you up-to-the-minute info about when the next buses are arriving at any particular stop.

Trànsit, Ajuntament de Barcelona, iOS and Android

Check out traffic conditions in Barcelona and see live traffic-camera pictures.

LEISURE TIME:

decompring, iOS and Android

Decompring is an innovative way to do your shopping. This application gathers details of your local shops and gives you the option to discover their latest offers; you gain points called compris every time you check out the offers as well as by going to the stores and scanning their products’ barcodes. When you’re ready to spend, exchange your compris for gift vouchers or donate the ‘money’ to charity.

Barcelona Corre, Ajuntament de Barcelona, iOS only

Discover 23 of the best and most popular running routes in the city.

Food2U, Bcn2u Mobile Software, iOS and Android

Hunger has a hold of you but you’re not in the mood to cook or are too tired to go out? Food2u allows you to order food from a selection of restaurants close to your location, leaving you with only one problem: deciding what to pick off the menu.

DISCOVER THE CITY:

BCN Paisatge, Ajuntament de Barcelona, iOS only

Barcelona is a city where, many times, it is easy to see the unique features that make it so appealing. But when you are curious to find out more, BCN Paisatge is a useful app that helps you uncover the Ciutat Comtal’s best kept secrets. Divided into four sections (Party Walls, Landscapes, Shops and Near Me), the app gives you details of special points of interest, such as walls converted into visual poems and vertical gardens, hidden architectural gems and some of its oldest shops.

Traductor Softcatalà, Xavi Ivars and Marcos Grau, iOS and Android

Whether you want to enrich your knowledge of Catalan or you’ve just come across a sign with no English/Castilian translation, Softcatalà can offer a helping hand. This app offers translations from English, Castilian, French and Portuguese into Catalan and vice versa. 

A prop d’aquí, Ajuntament de Barcelona, iOS and Android

Want to know more about what’s going on in your area? Or perhaps you’re hungry and want a quick bite to eat nearby. This app helps you locate various places in your vicinity, such as car parks, restaurants, bars, chemists and libraries. It will also tell you where the closest WiFi spot is.

Got an idea for an app?

The Institut de Cultura de Barcelona is sponsoring a contest to find new mobile phone applications that will help people discover the cultural richness of the city. Prizes, including cash awards and a nomination to the ‘Mobile Premier Awards 2014’ are on offer to the winners in four categories: the best application, the most innovative, the most popular with the public and the best Nokia application. More information can be found here.