City Matters
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Eldelmar - Hermanos Torres is one of the seven restaurants in the Balcó Gastronòmic. Image courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona.
El Balcó Gastronòmic: Barcelona’s New Seaside Dining Destination
Once a tourist hotspot filled with nightclubs, Barcelona’s Port Olímpic now offers an extensive public space with squares, viewing points, a promenade, green spaces and three new entrances open to the Vila Olímpica neighborhood and its beaches.
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Image courtesy of Chris Reilly.
Metropolitan Culture Corner: Chris Reilly
This month we go behind the scenes with Chris Reilly, former chair of the Barcelona chapter of Democrats Abroad.
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Pau Casals cir. 1915-1920. Photo from the George Grantham Bain Collection, US Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
Pau Casals: Musician, Activist, Humanist
Who was Pau Casals? There are auditoriums, festivals, grants, music schools—even a highway—named after him, yet depending on who you ask, they’ll talk to you more about his music or about his politics.
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Badalona's dimoni, 2014. Photo by Carquinyol (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Wikimedia Commons.
Badalona’s Fiery Festival: La Cremada del Dimoni
For the whole month of May, Barcelona's neighbor to the north with be filled with the Festes de Maig celebrations, the highlight of which is the traditional burning of the demon on May 10th.
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The sculptire "Carmela" by Jaume Plensa (2015) sits next to the Palau de la Música Catalana. Photo by Antonio Lajusticia Bueno courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera
Many of the walls of this part of the city date back over 1,000 years. The past few decades have seen it transform into a warren of trendy coffee and craft beer bars, tapas restaurants, alternative fashion shops, artists’ studios and upscale hotels.
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The Colla Castellera and the Colla Jove participating in the "diada castellera" for La Mercè 2023. Photo by Cesc Maymó courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Catalunya’s Castellers: Pile ‘Em High
Defying straightforward definitions, human castle building is more than a national sport: it’s a form of social display, requiring huge commitment from all participants.
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La Diada, September 11, 2014. Photo by Vicente Zambrano González courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
La Diada: Catalunya’s National Day
A guide to Catalunya’s national day on September 11th.
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Headquarters of the Nou Barris district. Photo by Pepe Navarro courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
What Do You Know about Barcelona’s Nou Barris District?
The hilly terrain of what is Barcelona's Nou Barris district was once was covered in fields and orchards; today, only a few old country houses from the past centuries still remain.
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View of Barcelona from Montjuïc. Photo by Vicente Zambrano González, courtesy of the Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
What Do You Know about Poble-sec?
Just outside the old city walls, Barcelona's Poble-sec neighborhood is a vibrant melting pot of history and modernity.
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A "correfoc" (fire run) on the streets of Barcelona. Photo by Xavi Torrent courtesy of Ajuntament de Barcelona (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
Catalunya’s Correfocs, Dracs, Diables and Fire Beasts
The tradition of wedding fire to public celebration isn’t unique to Barcelona or Cataluyna, of course; however, the specific way in which Catalans celebrate with fire tends to be both unique and entertaining.
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