Useful information

Information that may be of interest to visitors

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) is located mainly in Barcelona but also in other catalan cities: Castelldefels, Igualada, Manresa, Mataró, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Terrassa and Vilanova i la Geltrú.

The Barcelona airport is located in El Prat de Llobregat, near Castelldefels, and has two terminals, T-1 and T-2, with many services (services for persons with reduced mobility, baggage protection, auto check-in, wi-fi area) and several exit lanes:

Only taxi (20-30 € to Barcelona).
Shuttle bus (terminal switch and connection to railway station).
Railway (bridge connecting T-2 and shuttle stop to RENFE station).
Aerobus (direct connection to Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona: 35 minutes, departures every 10-15 minutes, 5.05 €).

The shuttle bus connects the terminals to each other and to the railway RENFE station (15 minutes from T-1). The average time between train departures to Barcelona is 30 minutes (RENFE line R2). The main railway station in Barcelona is Barcelona-Sants (25 minutes from the airport). Other important stations are Passeig de Gràcia (30 minutes from the airport and near the city center) and Estació de França (near Parc de la Ciutadella):

Barcelona-Sants is connected to subway lines L3 (green) and L5 (blue).
Passeig de Gràcia is connected to subway lines L2 (purple), L3 and L4 (yellow). This station is smaller than Barcelona-Sants but near the center of Barcelona.
Estació de França is near subway stop Barceloneta (L4), frequently used by citizens and tourists when they want to enjoy the sea and the area known as Port Vell (Old Harbour).

COMBGRAF locations in Barcelona can be reached from subway stop Palau Reial (L3, direction "Zona Universitària") and by bus (7, 33, 54, 60, 67, 68, 74 and 75) or tram (lines T1, T2 and T3 start from Francesc Macià and split outside Barcelona, connecting it to the surrounding cities in the area known as Baix Llobregat).

The city center is usually taken to be Plaça Catalunya and its surroundings, including La Rambla that connects Plaça Catalunya to the sea (Port Vell) and Portal de l'Àngel that leads to the Cathedral and to Plaça Sant Jaume, the location of the city government (Ajuntament de Barcelona) and also of the catalan government (Generalitat de Catalunya). This same area of Plaça Sant Jaume is considered to be the birth place of the city of Barcelona itself, as it coincides with the site of the ancient Roman settlement Barcino. An interesting visit here is the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat (City History Museum). Other museums and cultural centers are:

Museu d'Història de Catalunya (History of Catalonia).
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC, good in catalan Romanesque Art).
Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA, contemporary art).
Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (temporary exhibits, often concept-centered: architecture, life, literature, cinema...).
Fundació Tàpies (temporary exhibits and Antoni Tàpies collection).
Fundació Miró (temporary exhibits and Joan Miró collection).
Museu Picasso (temporary exhibits and Pablo Picasso collection).
Museu Egipci (art from Ancient Egypt).
Palau de la Música (a unique concert room).
Gran Teatre del Liceu (opera house).
CaixaFòrum (temporary exhibits: art periods, modern artists).
CosmoCaixa (large, award-winning science museum).

Interesting museums outside but near Barcelona are:

Museu de la Ciència i de la Tècnica de Catalunya (mNACTEC, science and technology museum in Terrassa).
Museu de Montserrat (almost hidden in the unique landscape of the Montserrat mountain, this museum has an often overlooked art collection, including masters of impressionism and archeology of ancient civilizations).

Restaurants:

Can Culleretes: the oldest restaurant in Barcelona (founded in 1786). À la carte 24-27 €. Carrer Quintana, 5.
Set Portes: classical Barcelona restaurant (in business since 1836). À la carte 30 €. Passeig d'Isabel II, 14.
Cal Pinxo: seafood and catalan specialties. À la carte 41 €. Plaça de Pau Vila.
Casa Leopoldo: seafood specialties. Set menu 45 €. Carrer de Sant Rafael, 24.
El Vell Sarrià: catalan specialties. À la carte 30 €. Carrer Major de Sarrià, 93.
Tragaluz: traditional catalan cuisine. À la carte 45 €. Passatge de la Concepció, 5 (now closed, reopening in 2011).
Gaig: run by the celebrated catalan top chef Carles Gaig. À la carte 27-32 €. Hotel Cram. Carrer Aragó, 214.
Moo: another award-winning restaurant. Menu 45 € (Monday to Saturday). Hotel Omm. Carrer Rosselló, 265.
Casajuana: good quality-price ratio. À la carte 12-18 €. Carrer Sant Antoni Maria Claret, 27.
Dionisos: Greek specialties. Set lunch menu 7.50 €. À la carte 18 €. Carrer del Comte d'Urgell, 90.
Terra Blava: buffet (all you can eat). Less than 15 €. Via Laietana, 55.
L'Atzavara: vegetarian. Set lunch menu 10.50 €. Carrer Muntaner, 109.

Other:

Bar Pinotxo: catalan dishes. Mercat de la Boqueria, 66-67 (Market). La Rambla, 91.

For more information, you can visit the Barcelona tourist information web page.