View source for Barcelona

{{short description|City in Catalonia, Spain}}
{{About|the city in Spain|other uses|Barcelona (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-sock|small=yes}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| native_name        = <!-- if different from the English name -->
| other_name         =
| settlement_type    = [[Municipalities of Catalonia|City and municipality]]
| image_skyline      = {{Multiple image
  | perrow = 1/3/2/2
  | border = infobox
  | total_width = 305
  | caption_align = center
  | image1   = Aerial view of Barcelona, Spain (51227309370) edited.jpg
  | caption1 = [[List of tallest buildings in Barcelona|Skyline of Barcelona]]
  | image2   = Sagrada_Familia_6-12-25_(cropped).jpg
  | caption2 = [[Sagrada Família]]
  | image3   = Torre Glòries nocturna.jpg
  | caption3 = [[Torre Glòries]]
  | image4   = Arc_de_Triomf,_domingo_de_Ramos.jpg
  | caption4 = [[Arc de Triomf]]
  | image5   = 15-10-27-Vista_des_de_l'estàtua_de_Colom_a_Barcelona-WMA_2800.jpg
  | caption5 = [[Edificio Colón]] and [[La Rambla, Barcelona|La Rambla]]
  | image7   = Avinguda_de_la_Reina_Maria_Cristina_Barcelona_2013.jpg
  | caption7 = [[Venetian Towers]] and {{lang|ca|[[Palau Nacional]]|italic=no}}
  | image8   = Barcelona,_Spain_(51225532527).jpg
  | caption8 = [[La Barceloneta]]
  | image9   = Casa_Milà,_general_view.jpg
  | caption9 = [[Casa Milà]]
}}
| image_flag         = Flag of Barcelona.svg
| flag_alt           =
| image_shield       = Coat of Arms of Barcelona.svg
| shield_alt         =
| nicknames          = {{Native name|ca|Ciutat Comtal}}<br>{{Native name|es|Ciudad Condal}}<br> "Comital City" or "City of Counts" <br><br> {{Native name|ca|Cap i Casal de Catalunya}}<br>'Head and Hearth of Catalonia'
<br><br> Abbreviation(s): <br> ''Barna'', ''BCN''
| motto              =
| pushpin_map        = Spain Catalonia vegueries#Spain#Europe
| pushpin_label      = Barcelona
| image_map          =
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-shape = yes
| mapframe-marker = city
| mapframe-caption = Interactive map of Barcelona
| map_caption        = Location of Barcelona
| coordinates        = {{Coord|41|23|N|2|11|E|type:city_region:ES-CT|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[Spain]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Autonomous communities of Spain|Autonomous community]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Provinces of Spain|Province]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Comarques of Catalonia|Comarca]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Catalonia]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Province of Barcelona|Barcelona]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Barcelonès]]
| established_title  =
| established_date   =
| parts_type         = [[Districts of Barcelona|Districts]]
| parts_style        = coll
| parts              = {{nobold|10 districts}}
| p1                 = [[Ciutat Vella]]
| government_type    = [[Ayuntamiento (Spain)|Ajuntament]]
| governing_body     = [[City Council of Barcelona]]
| leader_party       = [[Socialists' Party of Catalonia|PSC–PSOE]]
| leader_title       = [[List of mayors of Barcelona|Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Jaume Collboni]]<ref name=municat>{{cite web |url=http://aplicacions.municat.gencat.cat/index.php?page=consulta&mostraEns=0801930008 |title=Ajuntament de Barcelona |publisher=[[Generalitat of Catalonia]] |access-date=13 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104195620/http://aplicacions.municat.gencat.cat/index.php?page=consulta&mostraEns=0801930008 |archive-date=4 January 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| total_type         = City
| unit_pref          =
| area_footnotes     = <ref name=idescat>{{cite web |url=http://www.idescat.cat/emex/?lang=en&id=080193 |title=El municipi en xifres: Barcelona |publisher=[[Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya|Statistical Institute of Catalonia]] |access-date=23 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124080227/http://www.idescat.cat/emex/?lang=en&id=080193 |archive-date=24 November 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 101.4
| area_urban_km2     =
| elevation_footnotes = &nbsp;([[Above mean sea level|AMSL]])
| elevation_m        = 12
| elevation_max_m    = 512
| elevation_min_m    = 0
| elevation_min_point = [[Mediterranean Sea]]
| elevation_max_point = [[Tibidabo]]
| population_as_of   = 2024
| population_footnotes = <ref name="population" />
| population_total   = 1686208
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_urban   = 4840000<ref name="demographia"/>
| population_metro   = 5474482<ref name="eurostat"/>
| population_rank    = [[List of Spanish municipalities by population|2nd]]
| population_demonyms = Barcelonan or Barcelonian <br> • ''barceloní, -ina'' ([[Catalan language|Cat.]]) <br> • ''barcelonés, -esa'' ([[Spanish language|Sp.]])
{{Infobox
 | child=yes
 | rowclass1 = mergedrow
 | label1 = Official language(s)
 | data1 = {{hlist|[[Catalan language|Catalan]]|[[Spanish language|Spanish]]}}
}}
| demographics_type2 = GDP
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/met_10r_3gdp/default/table?lang=en|title=Gross domestic product (GDP) at current market prices by metropolitan regions|website=ec.europa.eu|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215185052/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/met_10r_3gdp/default/table?lang=en|archive-date=15 February 2023|url-status=live}}</ref>
| demographics2_title1 = Metro
| demographics2_info1 = €159.8 billion (2020)
| postal_code_type   = [[List of postal codes in Spain|Postal code]]
| postal_code        = 080xx <!-- 08001–08080 -->
| area_code          = [[+34]] ([[Spain|E]]) 93 ([[province of Barcelona|B]])
| area_code_type     = [[Telephone numbers in Spain|Area code]]
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)|INE code]]
| blank_info_sec1    = 08 0193
| blank1_name_sec1   = [[City budget]] {{nobold|(2023)}}
| blank1_info_sec1   = €3.5959 billion<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metropoliabierta.elespanol.com/informacion-municipal/presupuesto-barcelona-record-colau-collboni_62507_102.html|title=THE BUDGET 2023|date=14 October 2022|access-date=16 August 2023|archive-date=7 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207194424/https://metropoliabierta.elespanol.com/informacion-municipal/presupuesto-barcelona-record-colau-collboni_62507_102.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| blank_name_sec2   = [[Fiesta patronal|Main festivity]]
| blank_info_sec2   = [[La Mercè]]
| website            = {{official URL}}
| p2                 = [[Eixample]]
| p3                 = [[Gràcia]]
| p4                 = [[Horta-Guinardó]]
| p5                 = [[Les Corts (district)|Les Corts]]
| p6                 = [[Nou Barris]]
| p7                 = [[Sant Andreu]]
| p8                 = [[Sants-Montjuïc|Sants–Montjuïc]]
| p9                 = [[Sarrià-Sant Gervasi]]
| p10                = [[Sant Martí (district)|Sant Martí]]
| blank2_name_sec2   = [[Patron saint]]
| blank2_info_sec2   = [[Eulalia of Barcelona]]
| module             =
| footnotes          =
}}
'''Barcelona'''{{efn|Pronunciation: <br /> {{IPAc-en|lang|ˌ|b|ɑːr|s|ə|ˈ|l|oʊ|n|ə|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Barcelona.wav}} {{respell|BAR|sə|LOH|nə}}; <br /> {{IPA|ca|bəɾsəˈlonə|lang|LL-Q7026 (cat)-Unjoanqualsevol-Barcelona.wav}}; <br /> {{IPA|es|baɾθeˈlona|lang|Pronunciation of Barcelona in Spanish.ogg}}.}} is a city on the northeastern coast of [[Spain]]. It is the capital and largest city of the [[Autonomous communities of Spain|autonomous community]] of [[Catalonia]], as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.7 million within city limits,<ref name=population>{{cite web |url=https://www.ine.es/jaxiT3/Tabla.htm?t=68538&L=1|title=Annual population census 2021-2024|publisher=[[National Statistics Institute (Spain)|INE]]}}</ref> its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the [[province of Barcelona]] and is home to around 5.7 million people,<ref name="demographia">[http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf Demographia: World Urban Areas] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180503021711/http://www.demographia.com/db-worldua.pdf |date=3 May 2018 }} – Demographia, April 2018</ref> making it the [[list of urban areas in the European Union|fifth most populous urban area]] of the [[European Union]] after [[Paris]], the [[Ruhr]] area, [[Madrid]] and [[Milan]].<ref name="demographia" /> It is one of the largest metropolises on the [[Mediterranean Sea]], located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers [[Llobregat]] and [[Besòs (river)|Besòs]], bounded to the west by the [[Serra de Collserola]] mountain range.

According to tradition, Barcelona was founded by either the [[Phoenicia]]ns or the [[Carthaginians]], who had trading posts along the Catalonian coast.<ref name="britannica.com">{{Cite web |date=28 July 2024 |title=Barcelona - Catalan, Mediterranean, Architecture {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Barcelona/History |access-date=29 July 2024 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> In the Middle Ages, Barcelona became the capital of the [[County of Barcelona]]. After joining with the [[Kingdom of Aragon]] to form the composite monarchy of the [[Crown of Aragon]], Barcelona, which continued to be the capital of the [[Principality of Catalonia]], became the most important city in the Crown of Aragon and its main economic and administrative centre, only to be overtaken by [[Valencia]], wrested from [[Al-Andalus|Moorish control]] by the Catalans, shortly before the dynastic union between the [[Crown of Castile]] and the Crown of Aragon in 1516. Barcelona became the centre of [[Catalan separatism]], briefly becoming part of [[France]] during the 17th century [[Reapers' War]] and again in 1812 until 1814 under [[Napoleon]]. Experiencing industrialization and several [[workers movement]]s during the 19th and early 20th century, it became the capital of [[Autonomous Region of Catalonia (1931–1939)|autonomous Catalonia]] in 1931 and it was the epicenter of the [[Revolutionary Catalonia|revolution experienced by Catalonia]] during the [[Spanish Revolution of 1936]], until its [[Francoist Spain|capture by the fascists]] in 1939. After the [[Spanish transition to democracy]] in the 1970s, Barcelona once again became the capital of an autonomous Catalonia.

Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of [[Antoni Gaudí]] and [[Lluís Domènech i Montaner]], which have been designated UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]]s. The city is home to two of the most prestigious universities in Spain: the [[University of Barcelona]] and [[Pompeu Fabra University]]. The headquarters of the [[Union for the Mediterranean]] are located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the [[1992 Summer Olympics]] as well as world-class [[#Trade fair and exhibitions|conferences and expositions]]. In addition, many [[sport in Barcelona#International tournaments|international sport tournaments]] have been played here.

Barcelona is a major cultural, economic, and financial centre in [[Iberian Peninsula|southwestern Europe]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atkearney.com/documents/10192/dfedfc4c-8a62-4162-90e5-2a3f14f0da3a |title=2012 Global Cities Index |access-date=30 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020223227/http://www.atkearney.com/documents/10192/dfedfc4c-8a62-4162-90e5-2a3f14f0da3a |archive-date=20 October 2013}}</ref> as well as the main [[biotech]] hub in Spain.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Nq3CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA198 |page=198 |title=Effective Technology Transfer In Biotechnology: Best Practice Case Studies In Europe |publisher=[[Imperial College Press]] |year=2014 |isbn=9781783266821 |editor-first=Oliver |editor-last=Uecke |editor-first2=Robin |editor-last2=De Cock |editor-first3=Thomas |editor-last3=Crispeels |editor-first4=Bart |editor-last4=Clarysse |access-date=13 September 2020 |archive-date=23 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423065057/https://books.google.com/books?id=8Nq3CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA198 |url-status=live }}</ref> As a leading world city, Barcelona's influence in global socio-economic affairs qualifies it for [[global city]] status (Beta +).<ref>{{cite web |title=The World According to GaWC 2020 |url=https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html |website=GaWC - Research Network |publisher=Globalization and World Cities |access-date=31 August 2020 |archive-date=24 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200824031341/https://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2020t.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Barcelona is a [[transport hub]], with the [[Port of Barcelona]] being one of Europe's principal seaports and busiest European passenger port,<ref name=StatServ2014>{{cite web |title=Port of Barcelona traffic statistics Accumulated data December 2013 |url=http://content.portdebarcelona.cat/cntmng/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/1c206b0a-4787-49d8-9c8c-0563aa71719f/PortBcnTrafic2013_12_en.pdf |publisher=Statistics Service |access-date=14 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614141353/http://content.portdebarcelona.cat/cntmng/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/1c206b0a-4787-49d8-9c8c-0563aa71719f/PortBcnTrafic2013_12_en.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2014 |page=6}}</ref> an international airport, [[Barcelona–El Prat Airport]], which handles over 50-million passengers per year,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aena.es/csee/ccurl/463/358/12.Estadisticas_Diciembre_2018.pdf |title=AENA December 2018 Report |date=14 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115023002/http://www.aena.es/csee/ccurl/463/358/12.Estadisticas_Diciembre_2018.pdf |archive-date=15 January 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> an [[#Roads and highways|extensive motorway network]], and a [[Perpignan–Barcelona high-speed rail line|high-speed rail]] line with a link to France and the rest of Europe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.europapress.es/economia/transportes-00343/noticia-economia-ave-reyes-inauguraran-ave-valencia-principes-conexion-albacete-20101210123611.html |title=First commercial trips |language=es |publisher=Europapress.es |date=10 December 2010 |access-date=30 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410223618/http://www.europapress.es/economia/transportes-00343/noticia-economia-ave-reyes-inauguraran-ave-valencia-principes-conexion-albacete-20101210123611.html |archive-date=10 April 2014}}</ref>

== Names ==
The name ''Barcelona'' comes from the ancient Iberian ''Baŕkeno'', attested in an ancient coin inscription found on the right side of the coin in [[Iberian scripts|Iberian script]] as [[File:Barkeno.png|34px|Barkeno in Levantine Iberian script]],<ref>''Emerita: Revista de Lingüística y Filología clasica'' 11 (1943), p. 468.</ref> in [[Ancient Greek]] sources as {{lang|grc|Βαρκινών}}, ''Barkinṓn'';<ref>[[Ptolemy]], ii. 6. §&nbsp;8</ref><ref name="Schütte1917">{{cite book |author=Schütte, Gudmund |title=Ptolemy's Maps of Northern Europe: A Reconstruction of the Prototypes |url=https://archive.org/details/ptolemysmapsofno00schrich |year=1917 |publisher=H. Hagerup |page=[https://archive.org/details/ptolemysmapsofno00schrich/page/n66 45] |access-date=6 November 2015}}</ref> and in [[Latin]] as ''Barcino'',<ref>{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Sir William |title=Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography: Abacaenum-Hytanis |url=https://archive.org/details/dictionarygreek16smitgoog |year=1854 |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |location=Boston, Massachusetts |page=378}}</ref> ''Barcilonum''<ref>[[Rufius Festus Avienius]] ''Ora Maritima'' [http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/avienus.ora.html « et Barcilonum amoena sedes ditium. » v514] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812170724/http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/avienus.ora.html |date=12 August 2013 }}</ref> and ''Barcenona''.<ref name="Parthey1848">{{cite book |author=Parthey, Gustav |title=Itinerarium Antonini Avgvsti et Hierosolymitanvm: ex libris manvscriptis |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_s0oMAAAAYAAJ |year=1848 |publisher=F. Nicolai |page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_s0oMAAAAYAAJ/page/n230 188] |access-date=6 November 2015 |author-link=Gustav Parthey}}</ref><ref name="WesselingGrammarian1735">{{cite book |author1=Wesseling, Petrus |author2=Hierocles (The Grammarian) |title=Vetera Romanorum itineraria, /: sive Antonini Augusti Itinerarium |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iIJBAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA390 |year=1735 |publisher=apud J. Wetstenium & G. Smith |page=390 |access-date=6 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231210118/https://books.google.com/books?id=iIJBAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA390 |archive-date=31 December 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Cook1910">{{cite book |author=Cook, Joel |title=The Mediterranean and Its Borderlands |url=https://archive.org/details/mediterraneanan01cookgoog |year=1910 |page=[https://archive.org/details/mediterraneanan01cookgoog/page/n412 334] |access-date=6 November 2015}}</ref>

Other sources suggest that the city may have been named after the [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] general [[Hamilcar Barca]], who was supposed to have founded the city in the 3rd century BC,<ref name="britannica.com"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Barcelona |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=Etymonline.com |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409161819/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Barcelona |archive-date=9 April 2014}}</ref> but there is no evidence its name in antiquity, ''Barcino'', was connected with the [[Barcid]] family of Hamilcar.<ref name="Corporation1957">{{cite book |author=P.F. Collier & Son Corporation |title=Collier's Encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UpQVAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Barcino%22 |year=1957 |publisher=Collier |page=48 |access-date=14 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514053025/https://books.google.com/books?id=UpQVAQAAMAAJ&q=%22Barcino%22 |archive-date=14 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> During [[Middle Ages|the Middle Ages]], the city was variously known as ''Barchinona'', ''Barçalona'', ''Barchelonaa'', and ''Barchenona''.

An abbreviated form sometimes used by locals for the city is ''Barna''. ''Barça'' is only applied to the local football club [[FC Barcelona]], not to the city. Another common abbreviation is 'BCN', which is also the [[IATA airport code]] of the [[Barcelona-El Prat Airport]].

The city is referred to as the ''Ciutat Comtal'' in [[Catalan language|Catalan]] and ''Ciudad Condal'' in Spanish (i.e., "Comital City" or "City of Counts"), owing to its past as the seat of the [[Count of Barcelona]].<ref>[https://www.enciclopedia.cat/EC-GEC-0017957.xml "Ciutat Comtal"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711124438/https://www.enciclopedia.cat/EC-GEC-0017957.xml |date=11 July 2021 }} entry in ''Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana'', Barcelona, Enciclopedia.cat, {{in lang|ca}}. [Retrieved 14 September 2019].</ref>

== History ==
{{Main|History of Barcelona}}
{{For timeline|Timeline of Barcelona}}
{{See also|Street names in Barcelona}}
{{See also|Jews of Catalonia}}

=== Legendary founding ===
The origin of the earliest settlement at the site of present-day Barcelona is unclear. The ruins of an early settlement have been found, including different tombs and dwellings dating to earlier than 5000 BC.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Servei d'Arqueologia of Institut de Cultura de Barcelona |title=Caserna de Sant Pau del Camp |url=http://cartaarqueologica.bcn.cat/989 |website=CartaArqueologica |publisher=Ajuntament de Barcelona |access-date=2 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224118/http://cartaarqueologica.bcn.cat/989 |archive-date=3 March 2016 |page=Description and Historical Notes |language=es}}</ref><ref name="MontañaCamposFarré2008">{{cite journal |author1=Montaña, M. M. |author2=O. V. Campos |author3=R. Farré |title=Study of the Neolithic Excavation Site of the Sant Pau del Camp Barracks |journal=Quarhis |date=2008 |volume=II |issue=4 |page=3 |url=https://www.bcn.cat/.../04_QUARHIS_01_jaciment. |access-date=2 May 2016}}{{dead link|date=September 2018|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In Greek mythology, the founding of Barcelona had been attributed to the mythological [[Hercules]].

=== Punic Barcelona ===
According to tradition, Barcelona was founded by Punic ([[Phoenicia]]n) settlers, who had trading posts along the Catalonian coast.<ref name="britannica.com"/><ref>{{Cite book |last1=López-Ruiz |first1=Carolina |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GOXgEAAAQBAJ&dq=phoenician+history+of+barcelona&pg=PP1 |title=The Oxford Handbook of the Phoenician and Punic Mediterranean |last2=Doak |first2=Brian R. |date=2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-765442-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bierling |first1=Marilyn R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VKISiDr6CnMC&q=barcelona&pg=PA155 |title=The Phoenicians in Spain: An Archaeological Review of the Eighth-sixth Centuries B.C.E. : a Collection of Articles Translated from Spanish |last2=Gitin |first2=Seymour |date=2002 |publisher=Eisenbrauns |isbn=978-1-57506-056-9 |language=en}}</ref> In particular, some historians attribute the foundation of the city directly to the historical [[Carthage|Carthaginian]] general, [[Hamilcar Barca]], father of [[Hannibal]], who supposedly named the city ''Barcino'' after his family in the 3rd century BC,<ref name="britannica.com"/><ref>Oros. vii. 143; Miñano, ''Diccion.'' vol.&nbsp;i. p.&nbsp;391; Auson. ''Epist.'' xxiv. 68, 69, ''Punica Barcino''.</ref> but this theory has been questioned.<ref name="Corporation1957" /> Iberia and Barcelona was controlled by the [[Carthaginian Empire]] and was an important location for trade due to its proximity to Punic [[Ibiza]]. Archeological evidence in the form of coins from the 3rd century BC have been found on the hills at the foot of Montjuïc with the name Bárkeno written in an ancient script in the Iberian language.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} Thus, some has argued that the Laietani, an ancient Iberian (pre-Roman) people of the Iberian peninsula, who inhabited the area occupied by the city of Barcelona around 3–2 BC after the Punic withdrawal from Iberia, called the area Bàrkeno, which means "The Place of the Plains" (Barrke = plains/terrace).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.barcelonacheckin.com/en/r/barcelona_tourism_guide/photo-articles/barcino-barcelona.php |title=From Barcino to Barcelona |access-date=16 September 2022 |archive-date=1 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401191847/https://www.barcelonacheckin.com/en/r/barcelona_tourism_guide/photo-articles/barcino-barcelona.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Roman Barcelona ===
{{See also|Roman Sepulchral way|Roman walls of Barcelona}}[[File:Barcino marble barcelona.jpg|thumb|left|A marble plaque in the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat de Barcelona, dated from around 110–130 AD and dedicated to the Roman colony of Barcino]]

In about 15&nbsp;BC, the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] redrew the town as a ''[[castra|castrum]]'' (Roman military camp) centred on the "''Mons Taber''", a little hill near the [[Generalitat]] (Catalan Government) and city hall buildings. The Roman Forum, at the crossing of the [[Cardo Maximus]] and [[Decumanus Maximus]], was approximately placed where current [[Plaça de Sant Jaume]] is. Thus, the political centre of the city, [[Catalonia]], and its domains has remained in the same place for over 2,000 years.

Under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of ''Faventia'',<ref>[[Pliny the Elder|Plin.]] iii. 3. s.&nbsp;4</ref> or, in full, ''Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino''<ref>Inscr. ap. Gruter, p. 426, nos. 5, 6.</ref> or ''Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino''. [[Pomponius Mela]]<ref>ii. 6</ref> mentions it among the small towns of the district, probably as it was eclipsed by its neighbour ''[[Tarragona|Tarraco]]'' (modern [[Tarragona]]), but it may be gathered from later writers that it gradually grew in wealth and consequence, favoured as it was with a beautiful situation and an excellent harbour.<ref>Avien. ''Ora Maritima.'' 520: "Et Barcilonum amoena sedes ditium."</ref> It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens.<ref>Paul. Dig. 1. tit. 15, de Cens.</ref> The city minted its own coins; some from the era of [[Galba]] survive.

Important Roman vestiges are displayed in [[Plaça del Rei]] underground, as a part of the [[Barcelona City History Museum]] (MUHBA); the typically Roman grid plan is still visible today in the layout of the historical centre, the ''[[El Gòtic|Barri Gòtic]]'' (Gothic Quarter). Some remaining fragments of the [[Roman walls of Barcelona|Roman walls]] have been incorporated into the cathedral.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/spain/barcelona/walls/walls.html |title=Roman walls, Barcelona |publisher=Bluffton.edu |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723083724/http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/spain/barcelona/walls/walls.html |archive-date=23 July 2013}}</ref> The cathedral, Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Barcelona, is also sometimes called ''La Seu'', which simply means cathedral (and see, among other things) in Catalan.<ref>[https://catedralbcn.org/ Welcome page in Catalan] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515142108/https://catedralbcn.org/ |date=15 May 2019 }}, Cathedral of Barcelona, {{in lang|ca}}. There is an English version of this page and website, as well as a Spanish one, but the word ''seu'' seems to be explained better in the Catalan version... [Retrieved 14 September 2019].</ref><ref>[http://dcvb.iec.cat/ "Seu"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104131743/http://dcvb.iec.cat/ |date=4 November 2015 }}, entry in the Diccionari Alcover-Moll, {{in lang|ca}}. [Retrieved 14 September 2019].</ref> It is said to have been founded in 343.

=== Medieval Barcelona ===
The city was conquered by the [[Visigoths]] in the early 5th century, becoming for a few years the capital of all [[Hispania]]. After being conquered by the [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyads]] in the early 8th century, it was conquered after a [[Siege of Barcelona (801)|siege in 801]] by [[Charlemagne]]'s son [[Louis the Pious|Louis]], who made Barcelona the seat of the [[Carolingian Empire|Carolingian]] "[[Marca Hispanica|Hispanic March]]" (''Marca Hispanica''), a [[buffer zone]] ruled by the [[Counts of Barcelona|Count of Barcelona]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=GSM Barcelona - Barcelona History |url=https://www.gsmbarcelona.eu/default/gsmb-campus/barcelona-history |access-date=11 October 2022 |website=GSM Barcelona |language=en |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326033542/https://www.gsmbarcelona.eu/default/gsmb-campus/barcelona-history |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Muralla Raval.JPG|thumb|The remaining section of the medieval walls]]

The Counts of Barcelona became increasingly independent and expanded their territory to include much of modern [[Catalonia]], although in 985, Barcelona was [[Looting|sacked]] by the army of [[Almanzor]].<ref>''The Usatges of Barcelona: The Fundamental Law of Catalonia'', ed. Donald J. Kagay, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994), 7.</ref> The sack was so traumatic that most of Barcelona's population was either killed or enslaved.<ref>Collins, Roger (2012). ''Caliphs and Kings, 796–1031''. Blackwell Publishing, p. 191.</ref> In 1137, [[Kingdom of Aragon|Aragon]] and the [[Counts of Barcelona|County of Barcelona]] merged in [[dynastic union]]<ref name="bisson_31">{{cite book |title=The medieval Crown of Aragon. A short story |chapter=II. The age of the Early Count-Kings (1137–1213) (The Principate of Ramon Berenguer IV 1137–1162) |year=1986 |editor=Clarendon Press – Oxford |author=Bisson, T. N. |page=31 |isbn=978-0-19-820236-3}}<!-- |access-date=3 May 2008--></ref><ref>{{cite book |url=http://libro.uca.edu/aarhms/newsletters/AAHRMSFall07text.pdf |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20081003182453/http://libro.uca.edu/aarhms/newsletters/aahrmsfall07text.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 October 2008 |title=Els impostos indirectes en el regne de Mallorca. |author=Cateura Benàsser, Pau |year=2006 |publisher=Editorial El Tall |access-date=24 April 2008 |isbn=978-84-96019-28-7}} El Tall dels Temps, 14. (Palma de) Mallorca: El Tall, 1996.</ref> by the marriage of [[Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona|Ramon Berenguer IV]] and [[Petronilla of Aragon]], their titles finally borne by only one person when their son [[Alfonso II of Aragon]] ascended to the throne in 1162. His territories were later to be known as the [[Crown of Aragon]], which conquered many overseas possessions and ruled the western [[Mediterranean Sea]] with outlying territories [[Naples|in Naples]] and Sicily and as far as [[Duchy of Athens|Athens]] in the 13th century.[[File:The Call Mayor- Carrer de Marlet y Carrer de la Fruita.jpg|thumb]]

Barcelona also had a substantial Jewish community at the time, then the largest [[Jews of Catalonia|Jewish community]] in the Crown of Aragon. Called "[https://www.barcelona.cat/museuhistoria/en/itineraris/el-call-de-barcelona the Call]," for the many small streets that defined the area, it later became enclosed. [[Montjuïc|Montjuïc or Montjuich]], in medieval Latin and Catalan, meaning "Jewish Mountain" and the birthplace of the city, is the site of a medieval Jewish cemetery, Jews continued to live in Barcelona until the [[Massacre of 1391]] diminished their numbers. The [[Spanish Inquisition]] forced the remaining Jews who refused to convert to Christianity to be burned at the stake, or sell their property and leave.

Barcelona was the leading [[History of slavery|slave trade]] centre of the Crown of Aragon up until the 15th century, when it was eclipsed by [[Valencia]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=González Arévalo |title=La esclavitud en la España Medieval. (siglos XIV-XV). Generalidades y rasgos diferenciales |publisher=[[Jaume I University|Universitat Jaime I]] |year=2019 |issue=47 |journal=Millars. Espai I Història |location=Castellón de la Plana |pages=16–17 |issn=1132-9823 |url=http://www.e-revistes.uji.es/index.php/millars/article/view/4038/3435 |access-date=24 July 2020 |archive-date=25 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725082033/http://www.e-revistes.uji.es/index.php/millars/article/view/4038/3435 |url-status=live }}</ref> It initially fed from eastern and Balkan slave stock later drawing from a [[Maghreb|Maghribian]] and, ultimately, [[Subsaharan]] pool of slaves.{{Sfn|González Arévalo|2019|p=17}}

The Bank or [[Taula de canvi de Barcelona]], often viewed as the oldest public bank in Europe, was established by the city [[magistrate]]s in 1401. It originated from necessities of the state, as did the [[Medici Bank#Rise|Bank of Venice]] (1402) and the [[Bank of Saint George|Bank of Genoa]] (1407).<ref>''The Bankers Magazine'', volume 11, page 595, J. Smith Homans Jr., New York 1857.</ref>

=== Barcelona under the Spanish monarchy ===
[[File:Wyngaerde Barcelona 1563.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Barcelona in 1563 by [[Anton van den Wyngaerde]]]]

In the beginning of the early modern period, Barcelona lost political primacy, but the economy managed to achieve a balance between production capacity and imports.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=L' economia urbana de Barcelona i la Guerra de Successió|first1=Manuel|last1=Arranz|first2=Ramon|last2=Grau|page=117|journal=Recerques: Història, economia, cultura|volume=24|year=1991|url=https://raco.cat/index.php/Recerques/article/view/137685/241497|issn=0210-380X}}</ref> In the context of the wider early recovery of Catalonia from the [[The General Crisis|17th-century crisis]] in the second half of the century, increasing maritime activity since 1675 doubled traffic in the port of Barcelona compared to figures from the beginning of the 17th century.<ref>[[Stanley G. Payne|Payne, Stanley G.]] [http://libro.uca.edu/payne1/payne15.htm Chapter 15: A History of Spain and Portugal], {{dead link|date=August 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In the late 17th and early 18th century, Barcelona repeatedly endured the effects of war, including the 1691 bombing, the sieges of 1697, 1704, 1705, 1706, and the 1713 blockade and ensuing 1714 siege and assault.{{Sfn|Arranz|Grau|1991|p=135–136}} In the 18th century, the population grew from 30,000 to about 100,000 inhabitants, as the city became one of the key mercantile centres in the Western Mediterranean, with inland influence up to [[Zaragoza]], and to the south up to [[Alicante]].<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.3989/hispania.1998.v58.i199.645|url=https://hispania.revistas.csic.es/index.php/hispania/article/view/645/639|page=510|first=David R.|last=Ringrose|title=Historia urbana y urbanización en la España moderna|issn=1988-8368|location=Madrid|volume=58|issue=1999|year=1998|journal=Hispania|publisher=[[Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas]]|doi-access=free}}</ref> A fortress was built at [[Montjuïc]] that overlooked the harbour. Much of Barcelona was negatively affected by the [[Peninsular War|Napoleonic wars]], but the start of industrialization saw the fortunes of the province improve.

During the 19th century, Catalan business interests, many of them based in Barcelona, became increasingly involved in the [[Atlantic slave trade]], taking advantage of the void left by the [[Slave Trade Act 1807|British abolition of the trade]] in 1807. Catalan immigrants in Spanish America also became heavily involved in owning and running [[slave plantation]]s in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Between 1817 and 1867, Catalans were involved in the transportation of 700,000 slaves from West Africa to the Caribbean, which "financed much of the industrialisation of Catalonia and the 19th-century building boom in Barcelona." Although the Spanish government had abolished slave trading in 1817, it turned a blind eye to illicit slave trading. When slavery was abolished in the Spanish Empire in 1886, many Catalans returned to Barcelona and invested their newfound fortunes in constructing opulent mansions in areas such as [[La Rambla, Barcelona|La Rambla]].<ref name="Burgen2023">{{cite news |last1=Burgen |first1=Stephen |title=Catalonia confronts past racism after slave trade documentary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/13/catalonia-confronts-past-racism-after-slave-trade-documentary |work=The Guardian |date=13 March 2023}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=July 2025}}

=== Transforming the city ===

In the mid-1850s, Barcelona was struggling with population density as it became an industrial, [[port city]] and European capital. The city's density was at 856 people per hectare, more than double that of Paris. Mortality rates were on the rise and any outbreaks of disease would devastate the population. To solve the issue, a civil engineer named [[Ildefons Cerdà]] proposed a plan for a new district known as the [[Eixample]]. The citizens of Barcelona had begun to demolish the medieval wall surrounding and constricting the city. Cerdà thought it best to transform the land outside the walls into an area characterized by a scientific approach to [[urbanization]]. His proposal consisted of a grid of streets to unite the old city and surrounding villages. There would also be wide streets to allow people to breathe clean air, gardens in the centre of each [[street block]], integration of rich and poor giving both groups access to the same services, and smooth-flowing traffic.

Urban quality, egalitarianism, hygiene, sunlight, and efficiency were all major keys for Cerdà's vision. Not everything he imagined would be realized within the Eixample district, but the iconic octagonal superblocks with chamfered corners for better visibility are his direct brainchild and remain immensely helpful even 170 years later. The district and its ideals were not appreciated at the time. The city council awarded the design of the extension plan to another architect. The Spanish government was the one to step in and impose Cerdà's plan, laying the groundwork for many more tensions between the Spanish and Catalan administrations. Regardless, some of the upper class citizens of Barcelona were excited by the new plan and began a race to build "the biggest, tallest, most attractive house" in the district. Their interest and money fueled the rich diversity that we now see in the district's architecture. In the end, Cerdà's ideas would have a lasting impact on Barcelona's development, earning it international recognition for its highly efficient approach to urban planning and design.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bausells |first=Marta |date=1 April 2016 |title=Story of cities #13: Barcelona's unloved planner invents science of 'urbanisation' |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/apr/01/story-cities-13-eixample-barcelona-ildefons-cerda-planner-urbanisation |access-date=1 December 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=David |date=8 April 2019 |title=Barcelona's remarkable history of rebirth and transformation |url=https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/8/18266760/barcelona-spain-urban-planning-history |access-date=1 December 2023 |website=Vox |language=en |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204215206/https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/8/18266760/barcelona-spain-urban-planning-history |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== The Spanish Civil War and the Franco period ===
[[File:RepublicanWoman1936GTaro.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Woman training for a Republican militia]]'' by [[Gerda Taro]], [[Somorrostro|Somorrostro beach]] (1936)]]
[[File:Government of the Republican Spain in Barcelona. 2.jpg|thumb|Barcelona was the capital of the [[Second Spanish Republic|Republic of Spain]] from November 1937 until January 1939.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/museuhistoria/es/publicaciones/juan-negrin-1892-1956-barcelona-capital-de-la-republica |title=Juan Negrín 1892–1956. Barcelona, capital de la República |author=MHCB, City Council of Barcelona, Institute of Culture, SECC |year=2006 |location=Barcelona |isbn=84-96411-13-3 |access-date=17 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180418092952/http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/museuhistoria/es/publicaciones/juan-negrin-1892-1956-barcelona-capital-de-la-republica |archive-date=18 April 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Historia mínima de Cataluña |location=Madrid |publisher=Turner Publicaciones S.L. |isbn=978-84-16142-08-8 |author=Canal, Jordi |year=2015}}</ref> During that [[Spanish Civil War]] period, both Barcelona and Madrid were still under the rule of the republic. In the image [[Manuel Azaña|Azaña]] and [[Juan Negrín|Negrín]] on the city outskirts.]]
Shortly after the establishment of the Second Spanish Republic, in 1931, it became the capital of the [[Autonomous Region of Catalonia (1931–1939)|autonomous region of Catalonia]]. During the [[Spanish Civil War]], the city, and Catalonia in general, were resolutely Republican. Many enterprises and public services were [[Collective ownership|collectivized]] by the [[Confederación Nacional del Trabajo|CNT]] and UGT unions. As the power of the Republican government and the Generalitat diminished, much of the city was under the effective control of anarchist groups. The anarchists lost control of the city to their own allies, the Communists and official government troops, after the street fighting of the Barcelona [[May Days]]. The [[Fall of Barcelona (1939)|fall of the city]] on 26 January 1939, caused a mass exodus of civilians who fled to the French border. The resistance of Barcelona to [[Francisco Franco|Franco]]'s ''coup d'état'' was to have lasting effects after the defeat of the Republican government. The autonomous institutions of [[Catalonia]] were abolished,<ref>Decree of 5 April 1938.</ref> and the use of the [[Catalan language]] in public life was suppressed. Barcelona remained the second largest city in Spain, at the heart of a region which was relatively industrialized and prosperous, despite the devastation of the civil war. The result was a large-scale immigration from poorer regions of Spain (particularly [[Andalusia]], [[Murcia]] and [[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]]), which in turn led to rapid urbanization.

=== Late twentieth century ===
In 1992, Barcelona hosted the [[1992 Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]]. The after-effects of this are credited with driving major changes in what had, up until then, been a largely industrial city. As part of the preparation for the games, industrial buildings along the sea-front were demolished and {{cvt|2|mi|km|order=flip|0|abbr=off}} of beach were created. New construction increased the road capacity of the city by 17%, the sewage handling capacity by 27% and the amount of new green areas and beaches by 78%. Between 1990 and 2004, the number of hotel rooms in the city doubled. Perhaps more importantly, the outside perception of the city was changed making, by 2012, Barcelona the 12th most popular city destination in the world and the 5th amongst European cities.<ref>"[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/53030/Barcelona Barcelona (Spain)]". Encyclopædia Britannica. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013185559/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/53030/Barcelona |date=13 October 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-olympic-games-changed-barcelona-forever-2012-7?IR=T |title=How The Olympic Games Changed Barcelona Forever |work=[[Business Insider]] |first=Adam |last=Taylor |date=26 July 2012 |access-date=19 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819191201/http://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-olympic-games-changed-barcelona-forever-2012-7?IR=T |archive-date=19 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/after-the-party-what-happens-when-the-olympics-leave-town-901629.html |title=After The Party: What happens when the Olympics leave town |date=18 August 2008 |first=Simon |last=Usborne |work=[[The Independent]] |access-date=19 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814121808/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/after-the-party-what-happens-when-the-olympics-leave-town-901629.html |archive-date=14 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://olympicstudies.uab.es/pdf/wp084_eng.pdf |title=The economic impact of the Barcelona Olympic Games |author=Brunet i Cid, Ferran |publisher=[[Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona]] |year=2002 |access-date=19 August 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419040527/http://olympicstudies.uab.es/pdf/wp084_eng.pdf |archive-date=19 April 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Legacy.pdf |title=Legacies of the Games |date=December 2013 |publisher=[[International Olympic Committee]] |access-date=19 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829045917/https://stillmed.olympic.org/Documents/Reference_documents_Factsheets/Legacy.pdf |archive-date=29 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Recent history ===
{{Main|History of Barcelona|Timeline of Barcelona}}
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The death of Franco in 1975 brought on a period of democratization throughout Spain. Pressure for change was particularly strong in Barcelona, which considered that it had been punished during nearly forty years of Francoism for its support of the Republican government.<ref name="Mock2011">{{cite book |author=Mock, Steven |title=Symbols of Defeat in the Construction of National Identity |url=https://archive.org/details/symbolsofdefeati0000mock |url-access=registration |date=29 December 2011 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-50352-5 |page=[https://archive.org/details/symbolsofdefeati0000mock/page/n285 274] |access-date=22 October 2017}}</ref> Massive, but peaceful, demonstrations on 11 September 1977 assembled over a million people in the streets of Barcelona to call for the restoration of Catalan autonomy. It was granted less than a month later.<ref name="Friend2012">{{cite book |author=Friend, Julius W. |title=Stateless Nations: Western European Regional Nationalisms and the Old Nations |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-SF4-ip95MoC&pg=PA97 |date=19 June 2012 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-230-36179-9 |page=97 |access-date=22 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506002356/https://books.google.com/books?id=-SF4-ip95MoC&pg=PA97 |archive-date=6 May 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The development of Barcelona was promoted by two events in 1986: [[History of the European Communities (1973-1993)|Spanish accession to the European Community]], and particularly Barcelona's designation as host city of the [[1992 Summer Olympics]].<ref name="ParkinSharma1999">{{cite book |author1=Parkin, James |author2=D. Sharma |title=Infrastructure Planning |url=https://archive.org/details/infrastructurepl0000park |url-access=registration |date=1 January 1999 |publisher=Thomas Telford |isbn=978-0-7277-2747-3 |page=[https://archive.org/details/infrastructurepl0000park/page/n184 173] |access-date=22 October 2017}}</ref><ref name="AbebeBolton2013">{{cite book |author1=Abebe, Ngiste |author2=Mary Trina Bolton |author3=Maggie Pavelka |author4=Morgan Pierstorff |title=Bidding for Development: How the Olympic Bid Process Can Accelerate Transportation Development |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y-4VAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 |date=19 November 2013 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-4614-8912-2 |page=3 |access-date=22 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610011724/https://books.google.com/books?id=Y-4VAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA3 |archive-date=10 June 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> The process of [[urban regeneration]] has been rapid, and accompanied by a greatly increased international reputation of the city as a tourist destination. The increased cost of housing has led to a slight decline (−16.6%) in the population over the last two decades of the 20th century as many families move out into the suburbs. This decline has been reversed since 2001, as a new wave of immigration (particularly from Latin America and from [[Morocco]]) has gathered pace.<ref>The proportion of the population born outside of Spain rose from 3.9% in 2001 to 13.9% in 2006. {{cite web |url=http://www.bcn.es/estadistica/catala/dades/inf/guies/bcn.pdf |title=Guies Estadístiques: Barcelona en Xifres |date=November 2006 |publisher=Ajuntament de Barcelona |access-date=26 June 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220062823/http://www.bcn.es/estadistica/catala/dades/inf/guies/bcn.pdf |archive-date=20 February 2012}}</ref>

[[File:Barcelona city center.jpg|thumb|Barcelona city center]]

In 1987, an [[ETA (separatist group)|ETA]] [[car bomb]]ing at Hipercor [[Hipercor bombing|killed]] 21 people. On 17 August 2017, [[2017 Barcelona attacks|a van was driven into pedestrians on La Rambla]], killing 14 and injuring at least 100, one of whom later died. Other attacks took place elsewhere in Catalonia. The Prime Minister of Spain, [[Mariano Rajoy]], called the attack in Barcelona a [[jihadist]] attack. [[Amaq News Agency]] attributed indirect responsibility for the attack to the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] (ISIL).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-barcelona-victims-idUSKCN1AX24P |title=At least 13 dead in van crash in Barcelona city center: media |date=17 August 2017 |newspaper=Reuters |access-date=19 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820135534/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-spain-barcelona-victims-idUSKCN1AX24P |archive-date=20 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ward |first1=Victoria |title=Barcelona scene |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/17/van-ploughs-crowd-barcelona1/ |website=The Telegraph |access-date=17 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170817154958/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/17/van-ploughs-crowd-barcelona1/ |archive-date=17 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40975552 |title=Barcelona and Cambrils: 'Bigger' attacks were prepared |work=BBC News |date=18 August 2017 |access-date=20 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711062317/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40975552 |archive-date=11 July 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> During the 2010s, Barcelona became the focus city{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} for the ongoing [[Catalan independence movement]], its [[2017–2018 Spanish constitutional crisis|consequent standoff between the regional and national government]] and [[2019 Catalan protests|later protests]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 September 2021 |title=Diez años de Diada mediática |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20210911/7713235/diez-anos-diada-mediatica.html |access-date=11 September 2021 |website=La Vanguardia |language=es |archive-date=11 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210911073315/https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20210911/7713235/diez-anos-diada-mediatica.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2023, Barcelona was announced as the UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture for the 2024–2026 term. This means it will be the hub for discussion around global challenges including culture, heritage, urban planning and architecture. In addition to being the capital through 2026, it will also host the UIA World Congress of Architects for that year. The honour is befitting of Barcelona, as its history is peppered with architectural achievement and various iconic styles and influences. From its ancient Roman roots, to the Gothic and Modernisme movements, Barcelona has thrived through the way it ties together architecture and culture.<ref>{{Cite web |last=world |first=STIR |title=Barcelona announced as UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture throughout 2026 |url=https://www.stirworld.com/see-news-barcelona-announced-as-unesco-uia-world-capital-of-architecture-throughout-2026 |access-date=1 December 2023 |website=www.stirworld.com |language=English |archive-date=4 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204215207/https://www.stirworld.com/see-news-barcelona-announced-as-unesco-uia-world-capital-of-architecture-throughout-2026 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Geography ==
{{Wide image|Barcelona. View from Tibidabo.jpg|800px|A panoramic view of Barcelona}}

=== Location ===
[[File:Barcelona by Sentinel-2, 2020-05-22.jpg|thumb|Barcelona as seen by the [[European Space Agency]]'s [[Copernicus Programme|Copernicus]] [[Sentinel-2]] mission]]
[[File:Area metropolitana Barcelona primera edicion digital MTN50 2004-2008.jpg|thumb|Map of Barcelona metropolitan area]]
Barcelona is located on the northeast coast of the [[Iberian Peninsula]], facing the [[Mediterranean Sea]], on a [[Plain of Barcelona|plain]] approximately {{cvt|5|km|mi|0}} wide limited by the mountain range of [[Serra de Collserola|Collserola]], the [[Llobregat]] river to the southwest and the [[Besòs (river)|Besòs]] river to the north.<ref name="gec_3">{{cite encyclopaedia |encyclopedia=Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana |title=Barcelona |date=July 1971 |publisher=Edicions 62 |volume=3 |location=Barcelona |pages=193–229}}</ref> This plain covers an area of {{cvt|170|km2|sqmi|0}},<ref name="gec_3"/> of which {{cvt|101|km2|1}}<ref name="guies_estadistiques">{{cite web |url=http://www.bcn.es/estadistica/catala/dades/inf/guies/bcn.pdf |title=11 Barcelona.indd |date=15 January 2001 |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220062823/http://www.bcn.es/estadistica/catala/dades/inf/guies/bcn.pdf |archive-date=20 February 2012}}</ref> are occupied by the city itself. It is {{cvt|120|km|0|abbr=off}} south of the [[Pyrenees]] and the [[Catalonia|Catalan]] border with France.

[[Tibidabo]], {{cvt|512|m|ft|0}} high, offers striking views over the city<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen/fullscreen33.html |title=Barcelona Spain Tibidabo Sagrat Cor Church. Full Screen QTVR panoramic image |publisher=Panoramas.dk |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428050829/http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen/fullscreen33.html |archive-date=28 April 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> and is topped by the {{cvt|288.4|m|ft|1}} [[Torre de Collserola]], a [[Radio masts and towers|telecommunications tower]] that is visible from most of the city. Barcelona is peppered with small hills, most of them urbanized, that gave their name to the neighbourhoods built upon them, such as [[El Carmel|Carmel]] ({{cvt|267|m|ft|abbr=off|disp=or}}), [[:es:Jardines del Turó del Putxet|Putxet]] (es) ({{cvt|181|m|ft|abbr=off|disp=or}}) and [[Turó de la Rovira|Rovira]] ({{cvt|261|m|ft|abbr=off||disp=or}}). The escarpment of [[Montjuïc]] ({{cvt|173|m|ft|abbr=off|disp=or}}), situated to the southeast, overlooks the harbour and is topped by [[Montjuïc Castle (Barcelona)|Montjuïc Castle]], a fortress built in the 17–18th centuries to control the city as a replacement for the Ciutadella. Today, the fortress is a museum and Montjuïc is home to several sporting and cultural venues, as well as Barcelona's biggest [[Parks and gardens of Barcelona|park and gardens]].

The city borders on the municipalities of [[Santa Coloma de Gramenet]] and [[Sant Adrià de Besòs]] to the north; the [[Mediterranean Sea]] to the east; [[El Prat de Llobregat]] and [[L'Hospitalet de Llobregat]] to the south; and [[Sant Feliu de Llobregat]], [[Sant Just Desvern]], [[Esplugues de Llobregat]], [[Sant Cugat del Vallès]], and [[Montcada i Reixac]] to the west. The municipality includes two small sparsely-inhabited [[exclave]]s to the north-west.

=== Climate ===
{{Main|Climate of Barcelona}}
According to the [[Köppen climate classification]], Barcelona has a hot summer [[Mediterranean climate]] (''Csa''), with mild winters and warm to hot summers,<ref>{{cite book |last=Ahrens |first=C. Donald |date=2012 |title=Meteorology Today: An Introduction to Weather, Climate, and the Environment, 10th Edition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9cD6CAAAQBAJ&pg=PA504 |publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-0840054999}}</ref> while the rainiest seasons are autumn and spring. The rainfall pattern is characterized by a short (3 months) [[dry season]] in summer, as well as less winter rainfall than in a typical Mediterranean climate. However, both June and August are wetter than February, which is unusual for the Mediterranean climate. This subtype, labelled as "Portuguese" by the French geographer George Viers after the climate classification of [[Emmanuel de Martonne]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Viers |first=Georges |date=1987 |title=Climatología |trans-title=Climatology |language=es |location=Barcelona |publisher=Oikos-Tau |isbn=9788428102957}}, pp.166-167</ref> and found in the NW Mediterranean area (e.g. [[Marseille#Climate|Marseille]]), can be seen as transitional to the [[humid subtropical climate#Europe|humid subtropical climate]] (''Cfa'') found in inland areas.

Barcelona is densely populated, thus heavily influenced by the [[urban heat island effect]]. Areas outside of the urbanized districts can have as much as 2&nbsp;°C of difference in temperatures throughout the year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=0076&k=cat |title=Valores Climatológicos Normales. Barcelona / Aeropuerto |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=10 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410153233/http://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=0076&k=cat |url-status=live }}</ref> Its average annual temperature is {{cvt|21.2|°C|°F}} during the day and {{cvt|15.1|°C|°F}} at night. The average annual temperature of the sea is about {{cvt|20|°C|°F}}. In the coldest month, January, the temperature typically ranges from {{cvt|12|to|18|C|F}} during the day, {{cvt|6|to|12|C|F}} at night and the average sea temperature is {{cvt|13|°C|°F}}.<ref name="weather2travel">{{cite web |url=http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/spain/barcelona.php |title=Weather2Travel.com: Barcelona Climate Guide |access-date=16 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718005932/http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/spain/barcelona.php |archive-date=18 July 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the warmest month, August, the typical temperature ranges from {{cvt|27|to|31|C|F}} during the day, about {{cvt|23|°C|°F}} at night and the average sea temperature is {{cvt|26|°C|°F}}.<ref name=weather2travel/> Generally, the summer or "holiday" season lasts about six months, from May to October. Two months – April and November – are transitional; sometimes the temperature exceeds {{cvt|20|°C|0}}, with an average temperature of {{cvt|18|-|19|C|F}} during the day and {{cvt|11|-|13|C|F}} at night. December, January and February are the coldest months, with average temperatures around {{cvt|15|°C|°F}} during the day and {{cvt|9|°C|°F}} at night. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare, particularly in the summer months. Because of the proximity to the warm sea plus the [[urban heat island]], frosts are very rare in the city of Barcelona. Snow is also very infrequent in the city of Barcelona, but light snowfalls can occur yearly in the nearby [[Collserola]] mountains, such as in the [[Fabra Observatory]] located in a nearby mountain.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=0200E&k=cat |title=Valores climatológicos normales. Barcelona, Fabra |access-date=6 April 2021 |archive-date=18 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418001635/http://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=0200E&k=cat |url-status=live }}</ref>

Barcelona averages 78 rainy days per year (≥ 1&nbsp;mm), and annual average relative humidity is 72%, ranging from 69% in July to 75% in October. Rainfall totals are highest in late summer and autumn (September–November) and lowest in early and mid-summer (June–August), with a secondary winter minimum (February–March). Sunshine duration is 2,524&nbsp;hours per year, from 138 (average 4.5&nbsp;hours of sunshine a day) in December to 310 (average 10&nbsp;hours of sunshine a day) in July.<ref name="Meteorología">{{cite web |url=http://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=0076&k=cat |title=Valores Climatológicos Normales. Barcelona / Aeropuerto |access-date=16 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410153233/http://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos?l=0076&k=cat |archive-date=10 April 2014}}</ref>
{{Weather box
| location = [[Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport|Barcelona Airport]] (1991-2020) at {{cvt|15|km|mi|}} from the city centre (1924-present extremes)
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan record high C = 23.8
| Feb record high C = 24.5
| Mar record high C = 27.5
| Apr record high C = 26.5
| May record high C = 32.0
| Jun record high C = 35.0
| Jul record high C = 36.0
| Aug record high C = 37.4
| Sep record high C = 34.0
| Oct record high C = 30.4
| Nov record high C = 27.0
| Dec record high C = 27.0
| year record high C =
| Jan high C = 14.0
| Feb high C = 14.5
| Mar high C = 16.4
| Apr high C = 18.5
| May high C = 21.7
| Jun high C = 25.5
| Jul high C = 28.3
| Aug high C = 28.9
| Sep high C = 26.0
| Oct high C = 22.3
| Nov high C = 17.6
| Dec high C = 14.5
| year high C =
| Jan mean C = 9.7
| Feb mean C = 10.2
| Mar mean C = 12.3
| Apr mean C = 14.5
| May mean C = 17.8
| Jun mean C = 21.7
| Jul mean C = 24.5
| Aug mean C = 25.1
| Sep mean C = 22.1
| Oct mean C = 18.3
| Nov mean C = 13.3
| Dec mean C = 10.4
| year mean C =
| Jan low C = 5.5
| Feb low C = 5.9
| Mar low C = 8.1
| Apr low C = 10.4
| May low C = 13.8
| Jun low C = 17.9
| Jul low C = 20.8
| Aug low C = 21.3
| Sep low C = 18.0
| Oct low C = 14.3
| Nov low C = 9.1
| Dec low C = 6.2
| year low C =
| Jan record low C = -7.2
| Feb record low C = -6.6
| Mar record low C = -1.4
| Apr record low C = 0.1
| May record low C = 3.0
| Jun record low C = 7.8
| Jul record low C = 11.4
| Aug record low C = 9.5
| Sep record low C = 7.6
| Oct record low C = 3.8
| Nov record low C = -1.4
| Dec record low C = -8.0
| year record low C =
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 41.3
| Feb precipitation mm = 30.1
| Mar precipitation mm = 41.7
| Apr precipitation mm = 47.3
| May precipitation mm = 41.9
| Jun precipitation mm = 26.3
| Jul precipitation mm = 27.3
| Aug precipitation mm = 51.2
| Sep precipitation mm = 86.1
| Oct precipitation mm = 82.1
| Nov precipitation mm = 45.5
| Dec precipitation mm = 37.3
| year precipitation mm =
| Jan precipitation days = 4.2
| Feb precipitation days = 3.4
| Mar precipitation days = 4.4
| Apr precipitation days = 5.6
| May precipitation days = 4.6
| Jun precipitation days = 3.1
| Jul precipitation days = 2.1
| Aug precipitation days = 4.2
| Sep precipitation days = 6.0
| Oct precipitation days = 6.4
| Nov precipitation days = 4.6
| Dec precipitation days = 3.9
| year precipitation days =
| unit precipitation days = 1 mm
| Jan snow days = 0
| Feb snow days = 0.2
| Mar snow days = 0.1
| Apr snow days = 0
| May snow days = 0
| Jun snow days = 0
| Jul snow days = 0
| Aug snow days = 0
| Sep snow days = 0
| Oct snow days = 0
| Nov snow days = 0.1
| Dec snow days = 0
| year snow days =
| Jan humidity = 68
| Feb humidity = 67
| Mar humidity = 68
| Apr humidity = 68
| May humidity = 67
| Jun humidity = 65
| Jul humidity = 65
| Aug humidity = 66
| Sep humidity = 68
| Oct humidity = 72
| Nov humidity = 69
| Dec humidity = 69
| year humidity =
| Jan sun = 136
| Feb sun = 164
| Mar sun = 214
| Apr sun = 228
| May sun = 257
| Jun sun = 267
| Jul sun = 298
| Aug sun = 273
| Sep sun = 222
| Oct sun = 177
| Nov sun = 135
| Dec sun = 118
| year sun =
| Jan percentsun = 46
| Feb percentsun = 54
| Mar percentsun = 57
| Apr percentsun = 57
| May percentsun = 57
| Jun percentsun = 59
| Jul percentsun = 65
| Aug percentsun = 64
| Sep percentsun = 60
| Oct percentsun = 51
| Nov percentsun = 46
| Dec percentsun = 41
| year percentsun =
| source 1 = [[Agencia Estatal de Meteorología]]<ref name="AEMET OpenData">{{cite web|title=AEMET OpenData|url=https://opendata.aemet.es/centrodedescargas/inicio|publisher=[[AEMET]]|access-date=6 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/efemerides_extremos?w=0&k=cat&datos=det&l=0076|title=Valores Extremos|publisher=Agencia Estatal de Meteorologia|access-date=10 February 2025}}</ref>
| source =
}}
{{Weather box
| location = Barcelona centre (1994-2020), extremes (1994-present)
| collapsed = yes
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan record high C = 22.5
| Feb record high C = 23.2
| Mar record high C = 25.8
| Apr record high C = 26.7
| May record high C = 30.3
| Jun record high C = 35.2
| Jul record high C = 35.9
| Aug record high C = 36.2
| Sep record high C = 30.7
| Oct record high C = 29.0
| Nov record high C = 25.9
| Dec record high C = 21.7
| year record high C =
| Jan high C = 14.5
| Feb high C = 14.4
| Mar high C = 16.0
| Apr high C = 17.7
| May high C = 20.6
| Jun high C = 24.3
| Jul high C = 27.0
| Aug high C = 27.6
| Sep high C = 25.1
| Oct high C = 21.9
| Nov high C = 17.5
| Dec high C = 14.9
| year high C =
| Jan mean C = 11.3
| Feb mean C = 11.3
| Mar mean C = 13.1
| Apr mean C = 15.1
| May mean C = 18.0
| Jun mean C = 21.9
| Jul mean C = 24.7
| Aug mean C = 25.2
| Sep mean C = 22.4
| Oct mean C = 19.1
| Nov mean C = 14.4
| Dec mean C = 11.9
| year mean C =
| Jan low C = 8.1
| Feb low C = 8.2
| Mar low C = 10.1
| Apr low C = 12.4
| May low C = 15.4
| Jun low C = 19.4
| Jul low C = 22.4
| Aug low C = 22.8
| Sep low C = 19.7
| Oct low C = 16.2
| Nov low C = 11.3
| Dec low C = 8.8
| year low C =
| Jan record low C = -1.3
| Feb record low C = -0.2
| Mar record low C = 0.9
| Apr record low C = 4.3
| May record low C = 8.1
| Jun record low C = 12.6
| Jul record low C = 15.3
| Aug record low C = 16.0
| Sep record low C = 12.7
| Oct record low C = 6.9
| Nov record low C = 1.4
| Dec record low C = 1.1
| year record low C =
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 33.1
| Feb precipitation mm = 29.6
| Mar precipitation mm = 38.0
| Apr precipitation mm = 46.5
| May precipitation mm = 31.3
| Jun precipitation mm = 17.9
| Jul precipitation mm = 25.2
| Aug precipitation mm = 27.8
| Sep precipitation mm = 65.0
| Oct precipitation mm = 75.2
| Nov precipitation mm = 37.6
| Dec precipitation mm = 32.8
| year precipitation mm =
| Jan precipitation days = 3.7
| Feb precipitation days = 3.7
| Mar precipitation days = 4.0
| Apr precipitation days = 5.3
| May precipitation days = 4.3
| Jun precipitation days = 2.7
| Jul precipitation days = 1.9
| Aug precipitation days = 3.2
| Sep precipitation days = 5.3
| Oct precipitation days = 5.6
| Nov precipitation days = 4.2
| Dec precipitation days = 3.7
| year precipitation days =
| unit precipitation days = 1 mm
| Jan dew point C = 4.5
| Feb dew point C = 5.0
| Mar dew point C = 6.8
| Apr dew point C = 9.2
| May dew point C = 12.6
| Jun dew point C = 16.4
| Jul dew point C = 18.8
| Aug dew point C = 19.1
| Sep dew point C = 16.8
| Oct dew point C = 14.0
| Nov dew point C = 8.8
| Dec dew point C = 5.6
| year dew point C =
| Jan humidity = 77.0
| Feb humidity = 75.7
| Mar humidity = 75.3
| Apr humidity = 76.5
| May humidity = 76.8
| Jun humidity = 75.1
| Jul humidity = 74.3
| Aug humidity = 75.2
| Sep humidity = 77.5
| Oct humidity = 80.0
| Nov humidity = 77.7
| Dec humidity = 77.9
| year humidity =
| Jan sun = 150.0
| Feb sun = 172.5
| Mar sun = 237.1
| Apr sun = 258.9
| May sun = 305.8
| Jun sun = 323.7
| Jul sun = 334.8
| Aug sun = 299.0
| Sep sun = 233.7
| Oct sun = 189.7
| Nov sun = 148.6
| Dec sun = 137.4
| year sun =
| source 1 = [[Agencia Estatal de Meteorología]]<ref name="AEMET OpenData">{{cite web|title=AEMET OpenData|url=https://opendata.aemet.es/centrodedescargas/inicio|publisher=[[AEMET]]|access-date=6 April 2021}}</ref>
| source =
| source 2 = Weather.Directory<ref name="Weather.Directory">
{{cite web|url=https://weather.directory/es/barcelona
|title= Barcelona Weather & Climate Guide
|access-date= 16 October 2025
|website= Weather.Directory}}</ref>
}}
{{Weather box
| location = Barcelona Can Bruixa – Barcelona (1987–2010)
| collapsed = yes
| metric first = yes
| single line = yes
| Jan high C = 14.8
| Feb high C = 15.6
| Mar high C = 17.4
| Apr high C = 19.1
| May high C = 22.5
| Jun high C = 26.1
| Jul high C = 28.6
| Aug high C = 29.0
| Sep high C = 26.0
| Oct high C = 22.5
| Nov high C = 17.9
| Dec high C = 15.1
| year high C = 21.2
| Jan mean C = 11.8
| Feb mean C = 12.4
| Mar mean C = 14.2
| Apr mean C = 15.8
| May mean C = 19.3
| Jun mean C = 22.9
| Jul mean C = 25.7
| Aug mean C = 26.1
| Sep mean C = 23.0
| Oct mean C = 19.5
| Nov mean C = 14.9
| Dec mean C = 12.3
| year mean C = 18.2
| Jan low C = 8.8
| Feb low C = 9.3
| Mar low C = 10.9
| Apr low C = 12.5
| May low C = 16.1
| Jun low C = 19.8
| Jul low C = 22.7
| Aug low C = 23.1
| Sep low C = 20.0
| Oct low C = 16.5
| Nov low C = 11.9
| Dec low C = 9.5
| year low C = 15.1
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 43.7
| Feb precipitation mm = 31.4
| Mar precipitation mm = 33.0
| Apr precipitation mm = 47.7
| May precipitation mm = 47.4
| Jun precipitation mm = 32.5
| Jul precipitation mm = 25.1
| Aug precipitation mm = 40.8
| Sep precipitation mm = 81.9
| Oct precipitation mm = 96.5
| Nov precipitation mm = 45.1
| Dec precipitation mm = 46.8
| year precipitation mm =
| Jan precipitation days = 7.0
| Feb precipitation days = 5.0
| Mar precipitation days = 6.2
| Apr precipitation days = 7.9
| May precipitation days = 7.5
| Jun precipitation days = 5.5
| Jul precipitation days = 3.1
| Aug precipitation days = 5.8
| Sep precipitation days = 8.0
| Oct precipitation days = 9.0
| Nov precipitation days = 6.6
| Dec precipitation days = 7.0
| year precipitation days =
| unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
| humidity colour = green
| daily = Y
| Jan humidity = 69
| Feb humidity = 69
| Mar humidity = 69
| Apr humidity = 68
| May humidity = 68
| Jun humidity = 67
| Jul humidity = 66
| Aug humidity = 70
| Sep humidity = 74
| Oct humidity = 75
| Nov humidity = 71
| Dec humidity = 69
| year humidity = 70
| Jan sun = 149
| Feb sun = 163
| Mar sun = 200
| Apr sun = 220
| May sun = 244
| Jun sun = 262
| Jul sun = 310
| Aug sun = 282
| Sep sun = 219
| Oct sun = 180
| Nov sun = 146
| Dec sun = 138
| year sun = 2524
| source 1 = [[Generalitat de Catalunya|Servei Meteorològic de Catalunya]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://w1.bcn.cat/temps/es/climatologia/clima_barcelona |title=Barcelona Can Bruixa – climate (1987–2010) Barcelona.cat, Barcelona City Hall |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124135746/http://w1.bcn.cat/temps/es/climatologia/clima_barcelona |archive-date=24 January 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| source 2 = [[Agencia Estatal de Meteorología]] (sunshine hours){{Citation needed|date=October 2021}}
| date = September 2015
| source =
}}

== Demographics ==
[[File:Province of Barcelona population pyramid.svg|thumb|[[Province of Barcelona]] population pyramid in 2022]]{{Historical populations|1842|121815|1857|183787|1877|243315|1887|268223|1900|528946|1910|581823|1920|705901|1930|958723|1940|1077671|1950|1276675|1960|1526550|1970|1741979|1981|1752627|1991|1643542|2001|1503884|2011|1611013|2021|1627559|source=[[National Statistics Institute (Spain)|INE]]<ref>{{cite web|title=INEbase. Alterations to the municipalities in the Population Censuses since 1842|url=https://www.ine.es/intercensal/inicio.do|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Spain)|National Statistics Institute]]|language=es}}</ref>}}As of 2024, Barcelona has a population of 1,686,208,<ref name="population2" /> on a land area of {{cvt|101.4|km2|sqmi|0}}. It is the main component of an [[Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona|administrative area of Greater Barcelona]], with a population of 3,218,071 in an area of {{cvt|636|km2|0|abbr=off}} (density 5,060 inhabitants/km<sup>2</sup>). The population of the urban area was 4,840,000.<ref name="demographia"/> It is the central nucleus of the [[Barcelona metropolitan area]], which relies on a population of 5,474,482.<ref name="eurostat">[http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=met_pjanaggr3&lang=en Population on 1 January by broad age group, sex and metropolitan regions] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822103143/http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=met_pjanaggr3&lang=en |date=22 August 2016 }} – [[Eurostat]], 2017</ref>

In 1900, Barcelona had a population of 533,000,<ref name="gec_3"/> which grew steadily but slowly until 1950, when it started absorbing a high number of people from other less-industrialized parts of Spain. Barcelona's population peaked in 1979 at 1,906,998, and fell throughout the 1980s and 1990s as more people sought a higher [[quality of life]] in outlying cities in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area. After bottoming out in 2000 with 1,496,266 residents, the city's population began to rise again as younger people started to return, causing a great increase in housing prices.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcn.es/estadistica/catala/dades/anuari/cap02/C0201010.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221131641/http://www.bcn.es/estadistica/catala/dades/anuari/cap02/C0201010.htm |archive-date=21 December 2007 |title=Ajuntament de Barcelona: Estadística: Evolució de la població. 1900–2005 |access-date=26 June 2010}}</ref>

=== Languages spoken ===
Catalan is the "[[National language|own language]]"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Document |url=http://portaljuridic.gencat.cat/ca/document-del-pjur/ |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=Portal Jurídic de Catalunya |language=ca-ES}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Estatut d’autonomia de Catalunya |url=http://portaljuridic.gencat.cat/ca/normativa/dret-a-catalunya/lestatut/ |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=Portal Jurídic de Catalunya |language=ca-ES}}</ref> of Catalonia and Barcelona, and therefore its the main language used by the City Council, in schools and it dominates the [[linguistic landscape]]. All [[toponymy]] of Barcelona, including the stops of the [[Barcelona Metro|metro system]], are exclusively in the [[Catalan language]]. Despite this, Spanish is the most spoken language in Barcelona (according to the linguistic census held by the Government of Catalonia in 2013) and it is understood almost universally. [[Catalan language|Catalan]] is also very commonly spoken in the city: it is understood by 95% of the population, while 72.3% can speak it, 79% can read it, and 53% can write it.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Departament d'Estadística. Ajuntament de Barcelona |title=Coneixement del català: Evolució de les característiques de la població de Barcelona (Knowledge of Catalan in Barcelona) |url=http://www.bcn.cat/estadistica/catala/dades/tpob/pad/evo/ev11.htm |website=Ajuntament de Barcelona |access-date=13 November 2015 |language=ca |date=2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151231210119/http://www.bcn.cat/estadistica/catala/dades/tpob/pad/evo/ev11.htm |archive-date=31 December 2015}}</ref> Knowledge of Catalan has increased significantly in recent decades thanks to a [[language immersion]] educational system.

After Catalan and Spanish, the most spoken languages in Barcelona are those from North Africa, such as [[Berber languages|Amazigh]] and [[Arabic]], followed by [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Urdu]], [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]], [[Mandarin Chinese]], [[Romanian language|Romanian]], English, Russian and [[Quechuan languages|Quechua]], according to data collected by the University of Barcelona.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barcelona Metròpolis |date=March 2016 |title=The potential of the multilingual city |url=https://www.barcelona.cat/bcnmetropolis/2007-2017/en/dossier/el-potencial-de-la-ciutat-multilingue/ |access-date=7 September 2023 |archive-date=7 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907104200/https://www.barcelona.cat/bcnmetropolis/2007-2017/en/dossier/el-potencial-de-la-ciutat-multilingue/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Population density ===
[[File:Evening light over Barcelona.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Aerial view of the centre and the Eixample, with the [[Serra de Collserola]] at the background]]
Barcelona is one of the most densely populated cities in Europe. For the year 2008 the city council calculated the population to 1,621,090 living in the 102.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> sized municipality, giving the city an average population density of 15,926 inhabitants per square kilometre with [[Eixample]] being the most populated district.<ref name="council">This text is entirely based on the municipal statistical database provided by the city council.</ref>{{full citation needed|date=November 2023}}

In the case of Barcelona though, the land distribution is extremely uneven. Half of the municipality or 50.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, all of it located on the municipal edge is made up of the ten least densely populated neighbourhoods containing less than 10% of the city's population, the uninhabited [[Zona Franca (Barcelona)|Zona Franca]] industrial area and [[Montjuïc]] forest park. Leaving the remaining 90% or slightly below 1.5&nbsp;million inhabitants living on the remaining {{cvt|52|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=off}} at an average density close to 28,500 inhabitants per square kilometre.<ref name="council"/>{{full citation needed|date=November 2023}}

Of the 73 neighbourhoods in the city, 45 had a population density above 20,000 inhabitants per square kilometre with a combined population of 1,313,424 inhabitants living on 38.6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> at an average density of 33,987 inhabitants per square kilometre. The 30 most densely populated neighbourhoods accounted for 57.5% of the city population occupying only 22.7% of the municipality, or in other words, 936,406 people living at an average density of 40,322 inhabitants per square kilometre. The city's highest density is found at and around the neighbourhood of [[Sagrada Família, Barcelona|la Sagrada Família]] where four of the city's most densely populated neighbourhoods are located side by side, all with a population density above 50,000 inhabitants per square kilometre.<ref name="council"/>{{full citation needed|date=November 2023}}

=== Age structure ===
In 1900, almost a third (28.9 percent) of the population were children (aged younger than 14 years). In 2017, this age group constituted only 12.7% of the population. In 2017, people aged between 15 and 24 years made up 9 percent of the population; those aged between 25 and 44 years made up 30.6 percent of the population; while those aged between 45 and 64 years formed 56.9% of all Barcelonans. In 1900, people aged 65 and older made up just 6.5 percent of the population. In 2017, this age group made up 21.5 percent of the population.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://w3.grupobbva.com/TLFU/dat/05_barcelona.pdf |title=La población de Barcelona |author=Fundación BBVA |access-date=6 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106095806/http://w3.grupobbva.com/TLFU/dat/05_barcelona.pdf |archive-date=6 January 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcn.cat/estadistica/castella/dades/anuari/cap02/C020104.htm |title=Poblacion por edades quinquenales y sexo. 2017 |author=Ajuntament de Barcelona |date=1 January 2017 |author-link=Ajuntament de Barcelona |access-date=6 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506060005/http://www.bcn.cat/estadistica/castella/dades/anuari/cap02/C020104.htm |archive-date=6 May 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Migration ===
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+ Largest groups of foreign residents in Barcelona<ref name="bcn2019">{{cite web |date=February 2025 |title=La població de Barcelona segons lloc de naixement i nacionalitat a 01/01/2024: una Barcelona diversa |url=https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/premsa/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/informe_padro_estrangers_2024.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190728045650/https://www.bcn.cat/estadistica/angles/dades/inf/pobest/pobest19/part1/nt14.htm |archive-date=28 July 2019 |access-date=15 April 2025 |publisher=Ajuntament de Barcelona}}</ref>
|-
!Nationality || Population<br>{{Small|(January 2024)}}
|-
|Italy || 50,052
|-
|Colombia || 28,551
|-
|Pakistan || 24,706
|-
|China || 21,876
|-
|Peru || 21,090
|-
|France || 18,723
|-
|Morocco || 17,772
|-
|Honduras || 17,715
|-
|Venezuela || 17,410
|-
|Argentina || 14, 287
|}

In 2016, about 59% of the inhabitants of the city were born in [[Catalonia]] and 18.5% coming from the rest of the country. In addition to that, 22.5% of the population was born outside of Spain, a proportion which has more than doubled since 2001 and more than quintupled since 1996 when it was 8.6% and 3.9% respectively.<ref name="ASTBCN">[http://www.bcn.cat/estadistica/angles/dades/tpob/index.htm "Ajuntament de Barcelona – Population, household and homes statistics"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170603041620/http://www.bcn.cat/estadistica/angles/dades/tpob/index.htm|date=3 June 2017}}, retrieved 12 June 2017.</ref>

The most important region of origin of migrants is Europe, with many coming from Italy (26,676) or France (13,506).<ref name="ASTBCN" /> Moreover, many migrants come from Latin American nations such as [[Bolivia]], [[Ecuador]] or [[Colombia]]. Since the 1990s, and similar to other migrants, many Latin Americans have settled in northern parts of the city.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Sian Preece |title=The Routledge Handbook of Language and Identity |publisher=Routledge |year=2016 |page=513}}</ref>

There exists a relatively large Pakistani community in Barcelona with up to twenty thousand nationals. The community consists of significantly more men than women. Many of the Pakistanis are living in [[Ciutat Vella]]. First Pakistani migrants came in the 1970s, with increasing numbers in the 1990s.<ref>[http://www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/features/report-barcelona-pakistani-community/ "Barcelona's Pakistani community"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611180354/http://www.barcelona-metropolitan.com/features/report-barcelona-pakistani-community/ |date=11 June 2017 }}, retrieved 12 June 2017.</ref>

Other significant migrant groups come from Asia as from China and the [[Philippines]].<ref name="ASTBCN" /> There is a Japanese community clustered in [[Bonanova]], [[Les Tres Torres]], [[Pedralbes]], and other northern neighbourhoods, and a [[Colegio Japonés de Barcelona|Japanese international school]] serves that community.<ref>Conte-Helm, Marie. ''[[The Japanese and Europe: Economic and Cultural Encounters]]''. (Bloomsbury Academic Collections). [[A&C Black]], 17 December 2013. {{ISBN|1780939809}}, 9781780939803. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=DKwVAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA111 111] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215082139/https://books.google.com/books?id=DKwVAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA111 |date=15 February 2017 }}.</ref>

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in Barcelona}}
[[File:Barcelona 4527.JPG|thumb|[[Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor]]]]
In 2007, most of the inhabitants stated they are [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] (208&nbsp;churches).<ref name="LMBCN">{{cite web |author=Barcelona |url=http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/242726/0/mitad/mezquitas/barcelona/ |title=La mitad de las mezquitas de Catalunya están en Barcelona |date=4 June 2007 |publisher=20minutos.es |access-date=8 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015205032/http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/242726/0/mitad/mezquitas/barcelona/ |archive-date=15 October 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> In a 2011 survey conducted by InfoCatólica, 49.5% of Barcelona residents of all ages identified themselves as [[Catholic]].<ref name="cbn.com">{{cite web |last=Digital |first=Protestante |url=http://www.cbn.com/mundocristiano/elmundo/2011/July/Espana-es-el-pais-europeo-en-el-que-mas-retrocede-el-catolicismo/ |title=España experimenta retroceso en catolicismo – El Mundo – Mundo Cristiano |publisher=CBN.com |date=7 July 2011 |access-date=8 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717170821/http://www.cbn.com/mundocristiano/elmundo/2011/July/Espana-es-el-pais-europeo-en-el-que-mas-retrocede-el-catolicismo/ |archive-date=17 July 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> This was the first time that more than half of respondents did not identify themselves as Catholic Christians.<ref name="cbn.com"/> The numbers reflect a broader trend in Spain whereby the numbers of self-identified Catholics have declined.<ref name="cbn.com"/> In 2019, a survey by [[Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas]] showed that 53.2% of residents in Barcelona identified themselves as [[Catholic]] (9.9% practising Catholics, 43.3% non-practising Catholics).<ref name="C-I-S">{{cite web |url=http://datos.cis.es/pdf/Es3253marMT_MBarcelona_A.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://datos.cis.es/pdf/Es3253marMT_MBarcelona_A.pdf |archive-date=9 October 2022 |url-status=live |title=Postelectoral Elecciones Autonómicas y municipales 2019. Barcelona (Municipio de) |author=CIS |date=July 2019 |access-date=27 September 2019}}</ref>

The province has the largest [[Muslim]] community in Spain, 322,698 people in Barcelona province are of Muslim religion.<ref name="observatorio.hispanomuslim.es">{{Cite web |url=http://observatorio.hispanomuslim.es/estademograf.pdf |title=Estudio demográfico de la población musulmana |publisher=Unión de Comunidades Islámicas de España |access-date=27 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527070814/http://observatorio.hispanomuslim.es/estademograf.pdf |archive-date=27 May 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> A considerable number of Muslims live in Barcelona due to immigration (169&nbsp;locations, mostly professed by [[Moroccans in Spain]]).<ref name="LMBCN" /> In 2014, 322,698 out of 5.5&nbsp;million people in the province of Barcelona identified themselves as Muslim,<ref name="observatorio.hispanomuslim.es"/> which makes 5.6% of the total population.

The city also has the largest Jewish community in Spain, with an estimated 3,500 Jews living in the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/barcelona.html |title=The Jewish Virtual History Tour: Barcelona |publisher=Jewishvirtuallibrary.org |access-date=27 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410232811/https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/barcelona.html |archive-date=10 April 2014}}</ref> There are also a number of other groups, including [[Evangelicalism|Evangelical]] (71&nbsp;locations, mostly professed by [[Gitanos|Roma]]), [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] (21&nbsp;[[Kingdom Hall]]s), [[Buddhism|Buddhists]] (13&nbsp;locations),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://w3.bcn.es/ab/asia/equipament/controller/0,2317,1653_71890_3,00.html?accio=llista_eq&primera_busqueda=true&temaOriginal=&tema=0040101011_Religion&que=&opcio2=&opcio=districte&districte=&zona=&carrer=&numero=&al= |title=Barcelona: Directory: Theme: Religion |publisher=W3.bcn.es |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005011256/http://w3.bcn.es/ab/asia/equipament/controller/0%2C2317%2C1653_71890_3%2C00.html?accio=llista_eq&primera_busqueda=true&temaOriginal=&tema=0040101011_Religion&que=&opcio2=&opcio=districte&districte=&zona=&carrer=&numero=&al= |archive-date=5 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Eastern Orthodox]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/oecatala.htm |title=Orthodox Church in Catalonia |publisher=Orthodoxengland.org.uk |access-date=30 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617014750/http://orthodoxengland.org.uk/oecatala.htm |archive-date=17 June 2012}}</ref>

== Economy ==
=== General information ===
[[File:Torre_Glòries,_Barcelona_(51351746585).jpg|thumb|[[Torre Glòries]] and the [[22@Barcelona]] business and innovation district]]

The Barcelona metropolitan area comprises over 66% of the people of Catalonia, one of the richer regions in Europe and the fourth richest region per capita in Spain, with a GDP per capita amounting to €28,400 (16% more than [[Economy of the European Union#Richest and poorest NUTS regions (GDP PPP 2010)|the EU average]]). The greater Barcelona metropolitan area had a [[List of cities by GDP|GDP amounting to $177&nbsp;billion]] (equivalent to $34,821 in per capita terms, 44% more than the EU average), making it the 4th most economically powerful city by gross GDP in the European Union, and 35th in the world in 2009.<ref name="pricewater">{{cite web |url=https://www.ukmediacenter.pwc.com/imagelibrary/downloadMedia.ashx?MediaDetailsID=1562 |title=Global city GDP rankings 2008–2025 |publisher=Pricewaterhouse Coopers |access-date=16 December 2009}}{{Dead link|date=February 2016}}</ref> Barcelona city had a very high GDP of €80,894 per head in 2004, according to [[Eurostat]].<ref name="urbanaudit.org">[http://www.urbanaudit.org/CityProfiles.aspx?CityCode=ES002C&CountryCode=ES Urban Audit – CityProfiles: Barcelona] – Eurostat, 2004 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723093909/http://www.urbanaudit.org/CityProfiles.aspx?CityCode=ES002C&CountryCode=ES |date=23 July 2013 }}</ref> Furthermore, Barcelona was Europe's fourth best business city and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17% per year {{As of|2009|lc=y}}.<ref name="BEBC">{{cite web |url=http://www.citymayors.com/business/euro_bizcities.html |title=Best European business cities |publisher=City Mayors |date=28 October 2009 |access-date=15 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723081225/http://www.citymayors.com/business/euro_bizcities.html |archive-date=23 July 2013}}</ref>

Barcelona was the [[World's most livable cities#Most Liveable Cities Index|24th most "livable city" in the world]] in 2015 according to lifestyle magazine ''[[Monocle (2007 magazine)|Monocle]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://monocle.com/film/affairs/the-monocle-quality-of-life-survey-2015/ |work=Monocle |date=2015 |access-date=25 November 2017 |title=The Monocle Quality of Life Survey 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203045951/https://monocle.com/film/affairs/the-monocle-quality-of-life-survey-2015/ |archive-date=3 December 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Similarly, according to Innovation Analysts 2thinknow, Barcelona occupies 13th place in the world on ''Innovation Cities™ Global Index''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.innovation-cities.com/2thinknow-innovation-cities-global-256-index/ |title=Independent city analysis and rankings for innovation in 2009 |access-date=1 August 2009 |publisher=2thinknow |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409165153/http://www.innovation-cities.com/2thinknow-innovation-cities-global-256-index/ |archive-date=9 April 2014}}</ref> At the same time it is according to the Global Wealth and Lifestyle Report 2020 one of the most affordable cities in the world for a luxury lifestyle.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://guaproperty.com/2020/01/28/a-luxury-lifestyle-is-more-affordable-in-spain-than-almost-anywhere-else-in-the-world-finds-new-report/ |title=A Luxury Lifestyle Is More Affordable In Spain Than Almost Anywhere Else In The World, Finds New Report |access-date=23 September 2020 |publisher=Gua |archive-date=17 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117033043/https://guaproperty.com/2020/01/28/a-luxury-lifestyle-is-more-affordable-in-spain-than-almost-anywhere-else-in-the-world-finds-new-report/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Barcelona has a long-standing mercantile tradition. Less well known is that the city industrialized early, taking off in 1833, when Catalonia's already sophisticated textile industry began to use steam power. It became the first and most important industrial city in the Mediterranean basin. Since then, manufacturing has played a large role in its history.

[[Borsa de Barcelona]] (Barcelona Stock Exchange) is the main stock exchange in the northeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula.

Barcelona was recognized as the Southern European City of the Future for 2014/15, based on its economic potential,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://w42.bcn.cat/web/en/noticies-i-premsa/noticies/actives/Barcelona-recognized-as-the-top-Southern-European-city-with-future-economic-potential.jsp |title=Barcelona, recognised as the top Southern European city with future economic potential |date=5 March 2014 |access-date=11 April 2014 |website=Barcelona Growth |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413160012/http://w42.bcn.cat/web/en/noticies-i-premsa/noticies/actives/Barcelona-recognized-as-the-top-Southern-European-city-with-future-economic-potential.jsp |archive-date=13 April 2014}}</ref> by ''[[FDi Magazine]]'' in their bi-annual rankings.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.fdiintelligence.com/Locations/Europe/European-Cities-and-Regions-of-the-Future-2014-15 |title=European Cities and Regions of the Future 2014/15 |date=17 February 2014 |access-date=11 April 2014 |work=fDi Magazine |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141112110111/http://www.fdiintelligence.com/Locations/Europe/European-Cities-and-Regions-of-the-Future-2014-15 |archive-date=12 November 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Trade fair and exhibitions ===
{{Multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = World Trade Center Barcelona 2013 2.jpg
| width1 = 180
| alt1 =
| caption1 = The [[World Trade Center Barcelona]]
| image2 = Palau de Congressos de Barcelona 2013.JPG
| width2 = 180
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| caption2 = The Palau de Congressos de Barcelona
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}}

It also has several congress halls, notably [[Fira de Barcelona]] – the second largest trade fair and exhibition centre in Europe, that host a quickly growing number of national and international events each year (at present above 50). The total exhibition floor space of Fira de Barcelona venues is {{cvt|405000|m2|ha|0}}, not counting [[Gran Via (Barcelona)|Gran Via centre]] on the [[Plaza de Europa]]. However, the [[Eurozone crisis]] and deep cuts in business travel affected the council's positioning of the city as a convention centre.

An important business centre, the [[World Trade Center Barcelona]], is located in Barcelona's [[Port Vell]] harbour.

The city is known for hosting well as world-class conferences and expositions, including the 1888 ''[[Exposición Universal de Barcelona]]'', the [[1929 Barcelona International Exposition]] (Expo 1929), the [[2004 Universal Forum of Cultures]] and the 2004 [[World Urban Forum]].<ref>{{cite web |title=World Urban Forum 2004 |url=http://mirror.unhabitat.org/categories.asp?catid=467 |access-date=1 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315031755/http://mirror.unhabitat.org/categories.asp?catid=467 |archive-date=15 March 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Tourism ===
[[File:14-08-05-barcelona-RalfR-022.jpg|thumb|left|Part of the beach promenade and the beach of ''La Barceloneta'' towards [[Port Olímpic]]]]
[[File:Beaches of Barcelona, Spain (51226454918).jpg|thumb|left|Beaches of Barcelona]]

In 2023, Barcelona was the 9th most visited city in the world by international visitors and the fifth most visited city in Europe after Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, and Rome, with around 9 million international arrivals.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 100 Cities Destination Ranking |date=13 December 2023 |url=https://www.connectingtravel.com/news/dubai-ranks-among-euromonitor-internationals-top-5-destinations |publisher=connectingtravel.com |access-date=5 June 2025}}</ref> Barcelona is an internationally renowned tourist destination, with numerous recreational areas, one of the best beaches in the world,<ref name=NationalGeographic/><ref name="discoverychannel">Movie "Worlds Best Beaches", Discovery Channel 2005</ref> mild and warm climate, historical monuments, including eight UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]]s, 519 hotels {{as of|2016|March|lc=y}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tripadvisor.es/Hotels-g187497-Barcelona_Catalonia-Hotels.html |title=Los 10 mejores hoteles en Barcelona 2016 – TripAdvisor – Precios y opiniones |work=tripadvisor.es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323075044/https://www.tripadvisor.es/Hotels-g187497-Barcelona_Catalonia-Hotels.html |archive-date=23 March 2016}}</ref> including 35 five-star hotels,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tripadvisor.es/Hotels-g187497-zfc5-Barcelona_Catalonia-Hotels.html |title=10 mejores hoteles de 5 estrellas en Barcelona – TripAdvisor |work=tripadvisor.es |access-date=23 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407073227/https://www.tripadvisor.es/Hotels-g187497-zfc5-Barcelona_Catalonia-Hotels.html |archive-date=7 April 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> and developed tourist infrastructure.

Due to its large influx of tourists each year, Barcelona, like many other tourism capitals, has to deal with pickpockets, with wallets and passports being commonly stolen items. Despite its moderate pickpocket rate, Barcelona is considered one of the safest cities in terms of security and personal safety,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/the-20-safest-cities-in-the-world-2015-1 |title=20 Of The Safest Cities In The World |newspaper=Business Insider |access-date=12 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224161443/http://www.businessinsider.com/the-20-safest-cities-in-the-world-2015-1 |archive-date=24 December 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> mainly because of a sophisticated policing strategy that has dropped crime by 32% in just over three years and has led it to be considered the 15th safest city in the world by ''[[Business Insider]]'' in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/the-15-safest-cities-in-the-world-2016-12 |title=The 15 safest cities in the world |newspaper=Business Insider |access-date=12 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161208023104/http://uk.businessinsider.com/the-15-safest-cities-in-the-world-2016-12/#15-barcelona-7516-three-years-ago-the-barcelona-city-council-decided-to-increase-the-police-presence-on-the-streets-and-in-the-subway-the-strategy-has-yielded-results-with-crime-falling-by-32-1 |archive-date=8 December 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Street art in Barcelona 02.jpg|thumb|Street art rejecting tourists]]
While tourism produces economic benefits, according to one report,{{Citation needed|reason=Which report?|date=July 2020}} the city is "overrun [by] hordes of tourists". In early 2017, over 150,000 protesters warned that tourism is destabilizing the city. Slogans included "Tourists go home", "Barcelona is not for sale" and "We will not be driven out". By then, the number of visitors had increased from 1.7&nbsp;million in 1990 to 32 million in a city with a population of 1.62&nbsp;million, increasing the cost of rental housing for residents and overcrowding the public places. While tourists spent an estimated €30&nbsp;billion in 2017, they are viewed by some as a threat to Barcelona's identity.<ref>{{cite news |last=Burgen |first=Stephen |date=25 June 2018 |title='Tourists go home, refugees welcome': why Barcelona chose migrants over visitors |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jun/25/tourists-go-home-refugees-welcome-why-barcelona-chose-migrants-over-visitors |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=3 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902145924/https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jun/25/tourists-go-home-refugees-welcome-why-barcelona-chose-migrants-over-visitors |archive-date=2 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

A May 2017 article in the British online daily ''[[The Independent]]'' included Barcelona among the "Eight Places That Hate Tourists the Most" and included a comment from Mayor [[Ada Colau]], "We don't want the city to become a cheap souvenir shop", citing Venice as an example.<ref name=coffey/> To moderate the problem, the city has stopped issuing licenses for new hotels and holiday apartments; it also fined AirBnb €30,000. The mayor has suggested introducing a new tourist tax and setting a limit on the number of visitors.<ref name=coffey>{{cite news |last=Coffey |first=Helen |date=15 May 2017 |title=Eight Places That Hate Tourists the Most |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/places-hate-tourist-the-most-countries-ban-visitors-venice-thailand-amsterdam-japan-onsen-santorini-a7733136.html |work=The Independent |location=London |access-date=3 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903191513/https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/places-hate-tourist-the-most-countries-ban-visitors-venice-thailand-amsterdam-japan-onsen-santorini-a7733136.html |archive-date=3 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> One industry insider, Justin Francis, founder of the [[responsibletravel.com|Responsible Travel]] agency, stated that steps must be taken to limit the number of visitors that are causing an "overtourism crisis" in several major European cities. "Ultimately, residents must be prioritised over tourists for housing, infrastructure and access to services because they have a long-term stake in the city's success", he said.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hunt |first=Ellen |date=17 July 2018 |title=Residents in tourism hotspots have had enough. So what's the answer? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jul/17/residents-in-tourism-hotspots-have-had-enough-so-whats-the-answer |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=3 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902150429/https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jul/17/residents-in-tourism-hotspots-have-had-enough-so-whats-the-answer |archive-date=2 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> "Managing tourism more responsibly can help", Francis later told a journalist, "but some destinations may just have too many tourists, and Barcelona may be a case of that".<ref>{{cite news |last=Dogshun |first=Joe |date=7 March 2018 |title=Europe's beauty spots plot escape from the too-many-tourists trap |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/07/europes-beauty-spots-plot-escape-from-the-too-many-tourists-trap |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=3 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901191835/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/07/europes-beauty-spots-plot-escape-from-the-too-many-tourists-trap |archive-date=1 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> In April 2024 protests against overtourism began in the city, reaching its peak in July 2024. These protests caught further attention again in July 2025, as similar protests took place in [[Southern Europe]] and included [[Palma de Mallorca|Palma]], and [[Lisbon]], organized by the Southern Europe Network Against Touristification (SET).<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 June 2025 |title=Spain tourism: The protesters and residents pushing back on tourism in Barcelona |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp8d87l6lp1o |access-date=17 June 2025 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> During the protests some protesters used large water guns to spray water on tourists.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 June 2025 |title=Protesters in Spain shoot water guns at tourists in demonstration against mass tourism, housing costs  |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spain-protest-water-guns-tourism-housing-costs/ |access-date=17 June 2025 |website=CBS News |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Manufacturing sector ===
Industry generates 21% of the total gross domestic product (GDP) of the region,<ref>[http://www.idescat.cat/territ/BasicTerr?TC=8&V3=1538&V4=1540&ALLINFO=TRUE&PARENT=100&V0=3&V1=0&CTX=B&VN=3&VOK=Confirmar "''Valor afegit brut a preus bàsics. Base 2000 Per sectors (%)''" (en: "''Gross value added at basic prices. Base by sector (%)''")] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410224648/http://www.idescat.cat/territ/BasicTerr?TC=8&V3=1538&V4=1540&ALLINFO=TRUE&PARENT=100&V0=3&V1=0&CTX=B&VN=3&VOK=Confirmar |date=10 April 2014 }} – [[Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya|Idescat]], 2008</ref> with the energy, chemical and metallurgy industries accounting for 47% of industrial production.<ref>[http://www.idescat.cat/territ/BasicTerr?TC=5&V0=3&V1=0&V3=1538&V4=1541&ALLINFO=TRUE&PARENT=100&CTX=B "''Valor afegit brut. Indústria per branques d'activitat (%)''" (en: "''Gross Value Added. Branches of industry (%)''")] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410224253/http://www.idescat.cat/territ/BasicTerr?TC=5&V0=3&V1=0&V3=1538&V4=1541&ALLINFO=TRUE&PARENT=100&CTX=B |date=10 April 2014 }} – [[Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya|Idescat]], 2008</ref> The Barcelona metropolitan area had 67% of the total number of industrial establishments in Catalonia as of 1997.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grec.cat/home/errors/notrobat.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130306051759/http://www.grec.cat/home/errors/notrobat.htm |url-status=dead |title= GREC.NET - |date=6 March 2013 |archive-date=6 March 2013 |access-date=18 August 2017}}</ref>

Barcelona has long been an important European automobile manufacturing centre. Formerly there were automobile factories of [[AFA (automobile)|AFA]], [[Abadal]], Actividades Industriales, Alvarez, [[America (Spanish automobile)|America]], Artés de Arcos, Balandrás, Baradat-Esteve, [[Biscúter]], J. Castro, [[Clúa]], [[David (car)|David]], Delfín, Díaz y Grilló, [[Ebro trucks]], {{interlanguage link|Edis (automobile)|lt=Edis|ca|Edis}}, [[Elizalde (automobile)|Elizalde]], Automóviles España, [[Eucort]], [[El Fenix (automobile)|Fenix]], Fábrica Hispano, Auto Academia Garriga, Fábrica Española de Automóviles Hebe, [[Hispano-Suiza]], Huracán Motors, Talleres Hereter, Junior SL, [[Kapi (car)|Kapi]], [[La Cuadra]], M.A., Automóviles Matas, Motores y Motos, Nacional Custals, [[National Pescara]], Nacional RG, Nacional Rubi, Nacional Sitjes, Automóviles Nike, Orix, [[Otro Ford]], Patria, [[Pegaso]], [[PTV (car)|PTV]], Ricart, Ricart-España, Industrias Salvador, Siata Española, Stevenson, Romagosa y Compañía, Garaje Storm, Talleres Hereter, Trimak, Automóviles Victoria, Manufacturas Mecánicas Aleu.<ref>"''Die große Automobil-Enzyklopädie''" – Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader, BLV, Munich 1986, {{ISBN|978-3-405-12974-3}}</ref><ref>"''The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile''" – [[Nick Georgano]], Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, Chicago 2001, {{ISBN|978-1-57958-293-7}}</ref>

Today, the headquarters and a large factory of [[SEAT]] (the largest Spanish automobile manufacturer) are in one of its suburbs. There is also a [[Nissan Motors|Nissan]] factory in the [[Zona Franca (Barcelona)|logistics and industrial area]] of the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/COMPANY/PROFILE/EN_ESTABLISHMENT/EUROPE/ |title=NISSAN &#124;CORPORATE INFORMATION &#124;Outline of Company &#124;Facilities Overseas &#124;Europe |publisher=Nissan-global.com |access-date=30 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419053449/http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/COMPANY/PROFILE/EN_ESTABLISHMENT/EUROPE/ |archive-date=19 April 2010}}</ref> The factory of [[Derbi]], a large manufacturer of motorcycles, scooters and mopeds, also lies near the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.derbi.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=191 |title=Cómo llegar |publisher=Derbi |access-date=30 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410223719/http://www.derbi.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=191 |archive-date=10 April 2014}}</ref>

As in other modern cities, the [[Secondary sector of the economy|manufacturing sector]] has long since been overtaken by the services sector, though it remains very important. The region's leading industries are textiles, chemical, [[pharmaceutical]], motor, electronic, printing, logistics, publishing, in telecommunications industry and culture the notable [[Mobile World Congress]], and information technology services.

=== Fashion ===
[[File:Pasarela The Brandery 2.jpg|thumb|right| [[The Brandery]] fashion show of 2011]]
{{main|Fashion in Barcelona}}
The traditional importance of textiles is reflected in Barcelona's drive to become a major fashion centre. There have been many attempts to launch Barcelona as a [[Fashion in Barcelona|fashion capital]], notably ''Gaudi Home''.{{citation needed|reason=who or what is Gaudi Home; need cite for it and more info|date=January 2014}}

Beginning in the summer of 2000, the city hosted the [[Bread & Butter (tradeshow)|Bread & Butter urban fashion fair]] until 2009, when its organizers announced that it would be returning to [[Berlin]]. This was a hard blow for the city as the fair brought €100&nbsp;m to the city in just three days.<ref>{{cite news |title=La feria de moda urbana Bread and Butter deja Barcelona |author=Blanco, Leticia |work=[[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]] |date=20 January 2009 |url=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/01/19/barcelona/1232400722.html |access-date=22 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113115745/http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2009/01/19/barcelona/1232400722.html |archive-date=13 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |work=[[El Periódico de Catalunya|El Periódico]] |title=El presidente del Bread&Butter confirma oficialmente que la feria abandona Barcelona |author=EFE |author-link=EFE |date=23 January 2009 |url=http://www.elperiodico.com/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=46&idioma=CAS&idtipusrecurs_PK=7&idnoticia_PK=580966 |quote=[Karl Heinz Muller, the entrepreneur behind B&B in announcing the move in a press conference held on January 23, 2009 said] No llores Barcelona, levántate y haz algo [don't cry Barcelona, get up and do something about it] Barcelona in Europe is a metropolis of fashion. |access-date=22 July 2009}}</ref>

From 2009, ''[[The Brandery]]'', an urban fashion show, was held in Barcelona twice a year until 2012. According to the [[Global Language Monitor]]'s annual ranking of the world's top fifty fashion capitals Barcelona was named as the seventh most important [[fashion capital]] of the world right after [[Milan]] and before [[Berlin]] in 2015.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20170606064947/http://www.languagemonitor.com/fashion/paris-towers-over-world-of-fashion-as-top-global-fashion-capital-for-2015/ "Paris Towers Over World of Fashion as Top Global Fashion Capital for 2015"]}}, retrieved 12 June 2017.</ref>

=== Technology ===
Several technology companies have offices in Barcelona, most of them in the [[El Poblenou]] neighborhood. Examples of technology companies based in Barcelona: [[Factorial (software company)]], [[Glovo]], [[TravelPerk]], [[Wallapop]], [[EDreams]].

Technology companies not based in Barcelona but having an office in the city include [[Oracle Corporation]], [[Amazon (company)]], [[King (company)]], [[Dynatrace]], [[Clarivate]], [[Ocado]], [[Sage Group]], [[Smallpdf]], [[Proton Mail]], [[Hewlett-Packard]], [[Personio]], [[Semrush]].

Barcelona was ranked as the number 1 startup hub in Southern Europe, and as the 33rd best city in the Global Started Ecosystem published by Startupblink.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Startup Ecosystem Report 2025 |url=https://www.startupblink.com/startupecosystemreport |access-date=19 June 2025 |website=www.startupblink.com}}</ref>

The [[Barcelona Supercomputing Center]] is located in Barcelona and hosts the [[MareNostrum]] supercomputer.

== Government and administrative divisions ==
{{See also|Municipal elections in Barcelona|List of mayors of Barcelona}}
[[File:Κυβερνητικό Μέγαρο Καταλονίας 2563.jpg|thumb|right| [[Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya]]]]

As the capital of the autonomous community of [[Catalonia]], Barcelona is the seat of the Catalan government, known as the ''[[Generalitat of Catalonia|Generalitat de Catalunya]]''; of particular note are the [[Government of Catalonia|executive branch]], the [[Parliament of Catalonia|parliament]], and the [[High Court of Justice of Catalonia]]. The city is also the capital of the [[Province of Barcelona]] and the [[Barcelonès]] [[Comarques of Catalonia|comarca]] (district).

Barcelona is governed by a city council formed by 41 city councillors, [[Municipal elections in Barcelona|elected]] for a four-year term by [[universal suffrage]]. As one of the two biggest cities in Spain, Barcelona is subject to a special law articulated through the ''Carta Municipal'' (Municipal Law). A first version of this law was passed in 1960 and amended later, but the current version was approved in March 2006.<ref name="ley 1/2006">{{cite web |url=http://www.boe.es/g/es/bases_datos/doc.php?coleccion=iberlex&id=2006/04583 |title=BOE – LEY 1/2006, de 13 de marzo, por la que se regula el Régimen Especial del municipio de Barcelona |publisher=Boe.es |date=14 March 2006 |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430052956/http://www.boe.es/g/es/bases_datos/doc.php?coleccion=iberlex&id=2006%2F04583 |archive-date=30 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> According to this law, Barcelona's city council is organized in two levels: a political one, with elected city councillors, and one executive, which administers the programs and executes the decisions taken on the political level.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://w3.bcn.es/V61/Home/V61HomeLinkPl/0,2687,200713899_200720868_1,00.html |title=Ajuntament de Barcelona> Ajuntament> El Govern de la Ciutat |publisher=W3.bcn.es |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100728231233/http://w3.bcn.es/V61/Home/V61HomeLinkPl/0%2C2687%2C200713899_200720868_1%2C00.html |archive-date=28 July 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> This law also gives the local government a special relationship with the central government and it also gives the mayor wider prerogatives by the means of municipal executive commissions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcn.cat/catala/laciutat/barcelona/organitzacio.htm |title=Ajuntament de Barcelona: Organització política |publisher=Bcn.cat |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130723081931/http://www.bcn.cat/catala/laciutat/barcelona/organitzacio.htm |archive-date=23 July 2013}}</ref> It expands the powers of the city council in areas like telecommunications, city traffic, [[road traffic safety|road safety]] and [[public safety]]. It also gives a special economic regime to the city's treasury and it gives the council a veto in matters that will be decided by the central government, but that will need a favourable report from the council.<ref name="ley 1/2006"/>
[[File:Ajuntament de Barcelona (3400686886).jpg|thumb|left|The City Hall of Barcelona]]

The ''Comissió de Govern'' (Government Commission) is the executive branch, formed by 24 councillors, led by the [[List of mayors of Barcelona|Mayor]], with 5 lieutenant-mayors and 17 city councillors, each in charge of an area of government, and 5 non-elected councillors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://w3.bcn.es/V61/Home/V61HomeLinkPl/0,4358,200713899_200720894_3,00.html |title=Ajuntament de Barcelona> Council> The city government> Council Executive |publisher=W3.bcn.es |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122052303/http://w3.bcn.es/V61/Home/V61HomeLinkPl/0%2C4358%2C200713899_200720894_3%2C00.html |archive-date=22 January 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The plenary, formed by the 41 city councillors, has advisory, planning, regulatory, and fiscal executive functions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://w3.bcn.es/V61/Home/V61HomeLinkPl/0,4358,200713899_200720876_3,00.html |title=Ajuntament de Barcelona> Council> The city government> Plenary |publisher=W3.bcn.es |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415090540/http://w3.bcn.es/V61/Home/V61HomeLinkPl/0%2C4358%2C200713899_200720876_3%2C00.html |archive-date=15 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The six ''Commissions del Consell Municipal'' (City council commissions) have executive and controlling functions in the field of their jurisdiction. They are composed by a number of councillors proportional to the number of councillors each political party has in the plenary.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://w3.bcn.es/V61/Home/V61HomeLinkPl/0,4358,200713899_200720890_3,00.html |title=Ajuntament de Barcelona> Council> The city government> Committees of the Municipal Council |publisher=W3.bcn.es |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415090118/http://w3.bcn.es/V61/Home/V61HomeLinkPl/0%2C4358%2C200713899_200720890_3%2C00.html |archive-date=15 April 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The city council has jurisdiction in the fields of [[Urban planning|city planning]], transportation, municipal taxes, public highways security through the ''[[Guàrdia Urbana de Barcelona|Guàrdia Urbana]]'' (the municipal police), city maintenance, [[Parks and gardens of Barcelona|gardens, parks and environment]], facilities (like schools, nurseries, sports centres, libraries, and so on), culture, sports, youth and [[welfare spending|social welfare]]. Some of these competencies are not exclusive, but shared with the Generalitat de Catalunya or the central [[Government of Spain|Spanish government]]. In some fields with shared responsibility (such as public health, education or social services), there is a shared Agency or Consortium between the city and the Generalitat to plan and manage services.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aspb.cat |title=Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona |publisher=www.aspb.cat |access-date=9 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016194852/http://www.aspb.cat/ |archive-date=16 October 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Salón de Ciento. Ayuntamiento de Barcelona.jpg|thumb|right|The Saló de Cent, in the City Hall of Barcelona]]

The executive branch is led by a Chief Municipal Executive Officer which answers to the Mayor. It is made up of departments which are legally part of the city council and by separate legal entities of two types: autonomous public departments and public enterprises.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://w3.bcn.es/V61/Home/V61HomeLinkPl/0,4358,200713899_200722250_3,00.html |title=Ajuntament de Barcelona> Council> The municipal administration |publisher=W3.bcn.es |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622011903/http://w3.bcn.es/V61/Home/V61HomeLinkPl/0%2C4358%2C200713899_200722250_3%2C00.html |archive-date=22 June 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The seat of the city council is on the Plaça de Sant Jaume, opposite the seat of Generalitat de Catalunya. Since the [[Spanish transition to democracy|coming of the Spanish democracy]], Barcelona [[Municipal elections in Barcelona|had been governed]] by the [[Socialists' Party of Catalonia|PSC]], first with an [[Majority|absolute majority]] and later in coalition with [[Republican Left of Catalonia|ERC]] and [[Initiative for Catalonia Greens|ICV]]. After the May 2007 election, the ERC did not renew the coalition agreement and the PSC governed in a minority coalition with ICV as the junior partner.

After 32 years, on 22 May 2011, [[Convergence and Union|CiU]] gained a plurality of seats at the municipal election, gaining 15 seats to the PSC's 11. The [[People's Party (Spain)|PP]] hold 8 seats, ICV 5 and ERC 2.
[[File:Mossos BRIMO i Guardia Urbana.jpg|thumb|234x234px|[[Mossos d'Esquadra|''Mossos'']] and [[Guàrdia Urbana de Barcelona|''Guàrdia Urbana'']] (2010).]]

=== Public safety ===
Public safety in Barcelona is the duty of the City Council and the Government of Catalonia, who provide it through 2 police forces: the ''[[Guàrdia Urbana de Barcelona]]'' and the ''[[Mossos d'Esquadra]]'', respectively. Before 2008, public safety was also conducted by the [[National Police Corps (Spain)|National Police Corps]], however their duties are now delegated to documental and immigration purposes.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pons |first=Marc |title=Los Mossos d'Esquadra sustituyen definitivamente Policía Nacional y Guardia Civil |url=https://www.elnacional.cat/es/efemerides/marc-pons-mossos-esquadra-policia-guardia-civil_208074_102.html |work=El Nacional}}</ref>

Medical emergencies are attended by the [[System of Medical Emergencies]], while fire and rescue emergencies are attended by the ''[[Bombers de Barcelona]]''. Maritime rescue is provided by the [[Maritime Safety and Rescue Society]], the [[Civil Guard (Spain)|Civil Guard]] and ''Mossos'' (with the support of ''Guàrdia Urbana'' during the summer).

The protection of the wildlife of the part of [[Serra de Collserola|Collserola Park]] inside municipal limits is the duty of the [[Rural Agents Corps]].

=== Districts ===
[[File:Districtes de Barcelona.svg|right|thumb|Districts of Barcelona]]
{{main|Districts of Barcelona}}

{{See also|Street names in Barcelona}}

Since 1987, the city has been divided into 10&nbsp;administrative [[Districts of Barcelona|districts]] (''districtes'' in Catalan, ''distritos'' in Spanish):
* [[Ciutat Vella]]
* [[Eixample]]
* [[Sants-Montjuïc]]
* [[District of Les Corts|Les Corts]]
* [[Sarrià-Sant Gervasi]]
* [[Gràcia]]
* [[Horta-Guinardó]]
* [[Nou Barris]]
* [[Sant Andreu]]
* [[Sant Martí (district)|Sant Martí]]

The districts are based mostly on historical divisions, and several are former towns [[Street names in Barcelona#Municipal aggregations|annexed]] by the city of Barcelona in the 18th and 19th centuries that still maintain their own distinct character. Each district has its own council led by a city councillor. The composition of each district council depends on the number of votes each political party had in that district, so a district can be led by a councillor from a different party than the executive council.

== Education ==
{{Main|Education in Spain}}

[[File:Universidad de Barcelona, Canciller del Ecuador ofrece conferencia (11986731433).jpg|thumb|Main hall of the [[University of Barcelona]]]]
[[File:Universitat_Pompeu_Fabra_-_panoramio_(1).jpg|thumb|Roger de Llúria building at Campus de la Ciutadella, [[Pompeu Fabra University]]]]

Barcelona has a well-developed higher education system of [[public university|public universities]]. Most prominent among these are the [[University of Barcelona]] (established in 1450) and the more modern [[Pompeu Fabra University]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-universities-spain |title=Best universities in Spain |access-date=13 February 2021 |date=4 September 2020 |website=[[Times Higher Education World University Rankings]] |archive-date=18 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318152601/https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/best-universities-spain |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/spain |title=Best Global Universities in Spain |access-date=13 February 2021 |website=[[U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Ranking]] |archive-date=18 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418013319/https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/spain |url-status=live }}</ref> Barcelona is also home to the [[Polytechnic University of Catalonia]], and in the private sector the [[EADA Business School]] (founded in 1957), which became the first Barcelona institution to run manager training programmes for the business community. [[IESE]] Business School, as well as the largest private educational institution, the [[Ramon Llull University]], which encompasses schools and institutes such as the [[ESADE]] Business School. The [[Autonomous University of Barcelona]], another public university, is located in [[Bellaterra]], a town in the [[Àmbit metropolità de Barcelona|Metropolitan Area]]. [[Toulouse Business School]] and the [[Open University of Catalonia]] (a private Internet-centred open university) are also based in Barcelona.

The city has a network of public schools, from nurseries to high schools, under the responsibility of a consortium led by city council (though the curriculum is the responsibility of the Generalitat de Catalunya). There are also many private schools, some of them Roman Catholic. Most such schools receive a public subsidy on a per-student basis, are subject to inspection by the public authorities, and are required to follow the same curricular guidelines as public schools, though they charge tuition. Known as ''escoles concertades'', they are distinct from schools whose funding is entirely private (''escoles privades'').

The language of instruction at public schools and ''escoles concertades'' is Catalan, as stipulated by the 2009 Catalan Education Act. Spanish may be used as a language of instruction by teachers of Spanish literature or language, and foreign languages by teachers of those languages. An experimental partial immersion programme adopted by some schools allows for the teaching of a foreign language (English, generally) across the curriculum, though this is limited to a maximum of 30% of the school day. No public school or ''escola concertada'' in Barcelona may offer 50% or full immersion programmes in a foreign language, nor does any public school or ''escola concertada'' offer International Baccalaureate programmes.

== Culture ==
{{Main|Culture of Barcelona}}

Barcelona's cultural roots go back 2000 years. Since the [[Spanish transition to democracy|arrival of democracy]], the Catalan language (very much repressed during the [[Spanish State|dictatorship of Franco]]) has been promoted, both by recovering works from the past and by stimulating the creation of new works. Barcelona is designated as a [[global city|world-class city]] by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group and Network.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/citylist.html |title=Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network – Inventory of World Cities |access-date=7 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630222000/http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/citylist.html |archive-date=30 June 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It has also been part of the [[Creative Cities Network|UNESCO Creative Cities Network]] as a City of Literature since 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.catalannews.com/culture/item/barcelona-becomes-a-unesco-city-of-literature |title=Barcelona becomes a UNESCO City of Literature |last=Prim |first=Sara |website=www.catalannews.com |date=11 December 2015 |language=en-gb |access-date=3 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003221055/http://www.catalannews.com/culture/item/barcelona-becomes-a-unesco-city-of-literature |archive-date=3 October 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Entertainment and performing arts ===
{{Main|List of theatres and concert halls in Barcelona}}

[[File:Liceu - Interior.jpg|thumb|The [[Liceu]] opera house]]

Barcelona has many venues for [[Concert|live music]] and theatre, including the world-renowned [[Liceu|Gran Teatre del Liceu]] opera house, the [[Teatre Nacional de Catalunya]], the [[Teatre Lliure]] and the [[Palau de la Música Catalana]] concert hall. Barcelona also is home to the [[Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra]] (Orquestra Simfònica de Barcelona i Nacional de Catalunya, usually known as OBC), the largest symphonic orchestra in Catalonia. In 1999, the OBC inaugurated its new venue in the brand-new Auditorium ([[L'Auditori]]). It performs around 75 concerts per season and its current director is [[Eiji Oue]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.auditori.org/seccions/auditori/oferta_musical/auditori_obc/index.aspx |title=L'Auditori: OBC |publisher=Auditori.org |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725024346/http://www.auditori.org/seccions/auditori/oferta_musical/auditori_obc/index.aspx |archive-date=25 July 2011}}</ref> It is home to the [[Barcelona Guitar Orchestra]], directed by Sergi Vicente. The major thoroughfare of [[La Rambla, Barcelona|La Rambla]] is home to mime artists and street performers. Yearly, two major pop music festivals take place in the city, the [[Sónar]] Festival and the [[Primavera Sound Festival]]. The city also has a thriving [[alternative rock|alternative music]] scene, with groups such as [[The Pinker Tones]] receiving international attention.<ref>{{cite web |last=Roberts |first=Nina |url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/arts/music/06rob.html |title=Catalan Musical Stew Keeps Barcelona Up All Night – New York Times |location=Barcelona (Spain) |publisher=Travel.nytimes.com |date=6 August 2006 |access-date=5 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110202608/http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/08/06/arts/music/06rob.html |archive-date=10 January 2008}}</ref> Barcelona is an international hub of highly active and diverse [[nightlife]] with [[Bar (establishment)|bars]], dance bars and [[nightclub]]s staying open well past midnight.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://thehoya.com/barcelona-never-sleeps/ |title=Barcelona Never Sleeps |date=23 March 2020 |publisher=The Hoya |access-date=14 February 2022 |archive-date=6 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220206081730/https://thehoya.com/barcelona-never-sleeps/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Media ===
''[[El Periódico de Catalunya]]'', ''[[La Vanguardia]]'' and ''[[Ara (newspaper)|Ara]]'' are Barcelona's three major daily newspapers (the first two with Catalan and Spanish editions, ''Ara'' only in Catalan) while ''[[Sport (Spanish newspaper)|Sport]]'' and ''[[El Mundo Deportivo (newspaper)|El Mundo Deportivo]]'' (both in Spanish) are the city's two major sports daily newspapers, published by the same companies. The city is also served by a number of smaller publications such as ''Ara'' and ''[[El Punt Avui]]'' (in Catalan), by nationwide newspapers with special Barcelona editions such as ''[[El País]]'' (in Spanish, with an online version in Catalan) and ''[[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]]'' (in Spanish), and by several free newspapers like ''[[20 minutos]]'' and ''Què'' (all bilingual).

Barcelona's oldest and main online newspaper ''[[VilaWeb]]'' is also one of the oldest one in Europe <ref>{{cite web |last=Partal |first=Vicent |title=Catalan Independence |url=https://cirsd.org/horizon-article/catalan-independence/ |access-date=8 March 2026 |website=Horizons |publisher=Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} (with Catalan and English editions).

Several major FM stations include [[Catalunya Ràdio]], [[RAC 1]], [[RAC 105]] and [[Cadena SER]]. Barcelona also has a local [[Television channel|TV station]], [[Betevé]], owned by city council. The headquarters of [[Televisió de Catalunya]], Catalonia's public network, are located in [[Sant Joan Despí]], in Barcelona's metropolitan area.

=== Sports ===
{{Main|Sport in Barcelona}}

[[File:Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys - Barcelona, Spain - Jan 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc]] (Barcelona Olympic Stadium) built for the [[People's Olympiad|1936 Summer Olympics named ''People's Olympiad'']], main stadium of 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[File:El_Camp_Nou_en_un_partido_de_la_Uefa_Champions_League.jpg|thumb|The [[Camp Nou]], the largest stadium in Europe]]

Barcelona has a long sporting tradition and hosted the highly successful [[1992 Summer Olympics]] as well as several matches during the [[1982 FIFA World Cup]] (at the two stadiums). It has hosted about 30 sports events of international significance.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}} [[FC Barcelona]] is a [[sports club]] best known worldwide for its [[association football|football]] team, one of the largest and the [[Deloitte Football Money League|wealthiest]] in the world.<ref>[http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-UnitedKingdom/Local%20Assets/Documents/Industries/Sports%20Business%20Group/UK_SBG_DFML2011.pdf Football Money League] – [[Deloitte]], 2011 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402202909/http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-UnitedKingdom/Local%20Assets/Documents/Industries/Sports%20Business%20Group/UK_SBG_DFML2011.pdf |date=2 April 2012 }}</ref> It has 74 national trophies (while finishing 46 times as runners-up) and 17 continental prizes (with being runners-up 11 times), including five [[UEFA Champions League]] trophies out of eight finals and three [[FIFA Club World Cup]] wins out of four finals. The club won [[Sextuple (football)|six trophies in a calendar year]] in 2009, becoming one of only 2 male football teams in the world to win the coveted [[Sextuple (football)|sextuple]], apart from [[FC Bayern Munich]] in 2020. FC Barcelona also has professional teams in other sports like [[FC Barcelona Regal]] (basketball), [[FC Barcelona Handbol]] ([[team handball|handball]]), [[FC Barcelona Hoquei]] ([[roller hockey]]), [[FC Barcelona Ice Hockey]] (ice hockey), [[FC Barcelona Futsal]] (futsal) and [[FC Barcelona Rugby]] (rugby union), all at one point winners of the highest national or European competitions. The club's museum is the second most visited in Catalonia. The matches against cross-town rivals [[RCD Espanyol]] are of [[El derbi barceloní|particular interest]], but there are other Barcelonan football clubs in lower categories, like [[CE Europa]] and [[UE Sant Andreu]]. FC Barcelona's basketball team has a noted rivalry in the [[Liga ACB]] with nearby [[Joventut Badalona]].

[[File:Palau Sant Jordi Barcelona 2013.jpg|thumb|[[Palau Sant Jordi]] (St. George's sporting arena) and [[Montjuïc Communications Tower]]]]
Barcelona has three [[UEFA elite stadium]]s: FC Barcelona's [[Camp Nou]], the largest stadium in Europe with a capacity of 99,354; the publicly owned [[Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys]], with a capacity of 55,926; used for the [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Olympics]]; and [[Estadi Cornellà-El Prat]], with a capacity of 40,500. Furthermore, the city has several smaller stadiums such as [[Mini Estadi]] (also owned by FC Barcelona) with a capacity of 15,000, [[Camp Municipal Narcís Sala]] with a capacity of 6,563 and [[Nou Sardenya]] with a capacity of 7,000. The city has a further three multifunctional venues for sports and concerts: the [[Palau Sant Jordi]] with a capacity of 12,000 to 24,000 (depending on use), the [[Palau Blaugrana]] with a capacity of 7,500, and the [[Palau dels Esports de Barcelona]] with a capacity of 3,500.

Barcelona was the host city for the [[2013 World Aquatics Championships]], which were held at the Palau San Jordi.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcn2013.com |url-status=usurped |title=Barcelona 2013 15th FINA World Championships |publisher=FINA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112195344/http://www.bcn2013.com/ |archive-date=12 November 2013}}</ref>

[[File:F1 Circuit de Catalunya - Tribuna.jpg|thumb|right| [[Circuit de Catalunya]]/Circuit de Barcelona, race track of [[Formula One|Formula 1]] and [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing|MotoGP]] on the suburb of Barcelona]]
Several [[road running]] competitions are organized year-round in Barcelona: the [[Barcelona Marathon]] every March with over 10,000 participants in 2010, the [[Cursa de Bombers]] in April, the [[Cursa de El Corte Inglés]] in May (with about 60,000 participants each year), the [[Cursa de la Mercè]], the [[Cursa Jean Bouin]], the Milla Sagrada Família and the San Silvestre. There is also the [[Barcelona Trail Races|Ultratrail Collserola]] which passes {{cvt|85|km|abbr=off}} through the Collserola forest. The [[Torneo Godó|Open Seat Godó]], a 50-year-old [[Association of Tennis Professionals|ATP World Tour]] [[ATP World Tour 500 series|500 Series tennis tournament]], is held annually in the facilities of the [[Real Club de Tenis Barcelona]]. Each year on Christmas Day, a 200-meter swimming race across the Old Port of Barcelona takes place.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeout.com/barcelona/things-to-do/110th-christmas-cup-for-swimming |title=110th Christmas Cup for Swimming |date=12 December 2019 |website=timeout.com/barcelona |publisher=Time Out |access-date=3 October 2021 |archive-date=4 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004035305/https://www.timeout.com/barcelona/things-to-do/110th-christmas-cup-for-swimming |url-status=live }}</ref> Near Barcelona, in [[Montmeló]], the 107,000 capacity [[Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya]] racetrack hosts the [[Formula One]] [[Spanish Grand Prix]], the [[Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix]], the [[Spanish GT Championship]] and races in the [[GP2 Series]]. [[Skateboarding]] and cycling are also very popular in Barcelona; in and around the city there are dozens of kilometers of bicycle paths.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}

=== Squatter movement ===
Barcelona is also home to numerous [[Social center|social centres]] and [[Squatting|illegal squats]] that effectively form a shadow society mainly made up of the unemployed, immigrants, dropouts, [[Anarchism|anarchists]], [[Anti-authoritarianism|anti-authoritarians]] and [[Autonomism|autonomists]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=To Get to the Other Side: a journey through Europe and its anarchist movements |last=Gelderloos |first=Peter |year=2009}}</ref> [[Peter Gelderloos]] estimates that there around 200 squatted buildings and 40 social centres across the city with thousands of inhabitants, making it one of the largest squatter movements in the world. He notes that they pirate electricity, internet and water allowing them to live on less than one euro a day. He argues that these squats embrace an [[Anarcho-communism|anarcho-communist]] and [[anti-work]] philosophy, often freely fixing up new houses, cleaning, patching roofs, installing windows, toilets, showers, lights and kitchens. In the wake of austerity, the squats have provided a number of [[social services]] to the surrounding residents, including bicycle repair workshops, carpentry workshops, [[self-defense]] classes, free libraries, [[Community gardening|community gardens]], free meals, computer labs, language classes, theatre groups, free medical care and legal support services.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Anarchy Works |last=Gelderloos |first=Peter |year=2010}}</ref> The squats help elderly residents avoid eviction and organize various protests throughout Barcelona. Notable squats include [[Can Vies]] and [[Can Masdeu]].{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

== Transport ==
{{Main|Transport in Barcelona}}

=== Airports ===
[[File:Airport Barcelona seen from air.jpg|thumb| [[Barcelona–El Prat Airport]] as seen from the air]]
Barcelona is served by [[Barcelona-El Prat Airport]], about {{cvt|17|km|mi|0}} south-west of the centre of Barcelona. It is the second-largest airport in Spain, and the largest on the [[Mediterranean]] coast, which handled more than 50.17&nbsp;million passengers in 2018, showing an annual upward trend.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aena.es/csee/ccurl/463/358/12.Estadisticas_Diciembre_2018.pdf |title=AENA December 2018 Report |date=14 January 2019 |publisher=Aena.es |access-date=8 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115023002/http://www.aena.es/csee/ccurl/463/358/12.Estadisticas_Diciembre_2018.pdf |archive-date=15 January 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It is a main hub for [[Vueling Airlines]] and [[Ryanair]], and also a focus for [[Iberia (airline)|Iberia]] and [[Air Europa]]. The airport mainly serves domestic and European destinations, although some airlines offer destinations in Latin America, Asia and the United States. The airport is connected to the city by highway, metro ([[Airport T1 (Barcelona Metro)|Airport T1]] and [[Airport T2 station|Airport T2]] stations), commuter train ([[Aeroport railway station (el Prat)|Barcelona Airport railway station]]) and scheduled bus service. A new terminal (T1) has been built, and entered service on 17 June 2009.

Some low-cost airlines, also use [[Girona-Costa Brava Airport]], about {{cvt|90|km|mi|0}} to the north, [[Reus Airport]], {{cvt|77|km|mi|0}} to the south, or [[Lleida-Alguaire Airport]], about {{cvt|150|km|mi|0}} to the west, of the city. [[Sabadell Airport]] is a smaller airport in the nearby town of [[Sabadell]], devoted to [[Flight training|pilot training]], aerotaxi and private flights.

=== Seaport ===
[[File:Port of Barcelona.jpg|thumb|The [[Port of Barcelona]]]]

The [[Port of Barcelona]] has a 2000-year-old history and a great contemporary commercial importance. It is Europe's ninth largest [[containerization|container]] port, with a trade volume of 1.72&nbsp;million TEU's in 2013.<ref name="traffic statistics 2013">[http://content.portdebarcelona.cat/cntmng/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/1c206b0a-4787-49d8-9c8c-0563aa71719f/PortBcnTrafic2013_12_en.pdf Port of Barcelona traffic statistics 2013] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614141353/http://content.portdebarcelona.cat/cntmng/d/d/workspace/SpacesStore/1c206b0a-4787-49d8-9c8c-0563aa71719f/PortBcnTrafic2013_12_en.pdf |date=14 June 2014 }} – Port de Barcelona, 2014</ref> The port is managed by the Port Authority of Barcelona. Its {{cvt|10|km2|sqmi|0}} are divided into three zones: [[Port Vell]] (the old port), the commercial port and the logistics port ([[Barcelona Free Port]]). The port is undergoing an enlargement that will double its size thanks to diverting the mouth of the [[Llobregat]] river {{cvt|2|km|0|abbr=off}} to the south.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apb.es/wps/portal/!ut/p/c1/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os_hgz2DDIFNLYwMLfzcDAyNjQy9vLwNTV38LM_1wkA6zeH_nIEcnJ0NHAwNfUxegCh8XA2-nUCMDdzOIvAEO4Gig7-eRn5uqX5CdneboqKgIAAeNRE8!/dl2/d1/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnB3LzZfU0lTMVI1OTMwOE9GMDAyMzFKS0owNUVPODY!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/ExtranetAnglesLib/El%20Port%20de%20Barcelona/el+port/historia+del+port/cami+cap+el+futur/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005031426/http://www.apb.es/wps/portal/!ut/p/c1/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os_hgz2DDIFNLYwMLfzcDAyNjQy9vLwNTV38LM_1wkA6zeH_nIEcnJ0NHAwNfUxegCh8XA2-nUCMDdzOIvAEO4Gig7-eRn5uqX5CdneboqKgIAAeNRE8!/dl2/d1/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnB3LzZfU0lTMVI1OTMwOE9GMDAyMzFKS0owNUVPODY!/?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=%2Fwps%2Fwcm%2Fconnect%2FExtranetAnglesLib%2FEl%20Port%20de%20Barcelona%2Fel+port%2Fhistoria+del+port%2Fcami+cap+el+futur%2F |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 October 2009 |title=Port de Barcelona |language=es |publisher=Apb.es |access-date=26 June 2010}}</ref>
[[File:Port Vell, Barcelona, Spain - Jan 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Port Vell]] in winter]]

The Barcelona harbour is the leading European cruiser port and a very important Mediterranean turnaround base.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.portdebarcelona.cat/en/web/port-del-ciudada/cruceros |title=Port Barcelona – Cruises |publisher=Portdebarcelona.cat |access-date=30 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331005714/http://www.portdebarcelona.cat/en/web/port-del-ciudada/cruceros |archive-date=31 March 2014}}</ref> In 2013, 3.6&nbsp;million pleasure cruise passengers used the Port of Barcelona.<ref name="traffic statistics 2013"/>

The Port Vell area also houses the Maremagnum (a commercial mall), a multiplex cinema, the [[IMAX]] Port Vell and one of Europe's largest [[aquarium]]s – [[Aquarium Barcelona]], containing 8,000 fish and 11 sharks contained in 22 basins filled with 4 million litres of sea water. The Maremagnum, being situated within the confines of the port, is the only commercial mall in the city that can open on Sundays and public holidays.

=== National and international rail ===
[[File:Barcelona - Estación de Sants y Hotel Barceló Sants 2.jpg|thumb|The main railway station [[Barcelona Sants railway station|Estació de Sants]]]]

Barcelona is a major hub for the Spanish rail network. The city's main [[Inter-city rail]] station is [[Barcelona Sants railway station]], whilst [[Estació de França]] terminus serves a secondary role handling suburban, regional and medium distance services. Freight services operate to local industries and to the Port of Barcelona.

RENFE's [[AVE]] [[high-speed rail]] system, which is designed for speeds of {{cvt|310|km/h|0}}, was extended from [[Madrid]] to Barcelona in 2008 in the form of the [[Madrid–Barcelona high-speed rail line]]. A shared RENFE-SNCF high-speed rail connecting Barcelona and France (Paris, [[Marseille]] and [[Toulouse]], through [[Perpignan–Barcelona high-speed rail line]]) was launched in 2013. Both these lines serve Barcelona Sants terminal station.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.avui.cat/noticia/article/2-societat/5-societat/252283-barcelona-estrena-tgv.html |title=Barcelona estrena TGV |publisher=[[Avui]] |date=9 February 2008 |access-date=11 July 2011 |language=ca |archive-date=23 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423065103/https://www.elpuntavui.cat/barcelona.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.catalannewsagency.com/politics/item/the-last-high-speed-railway-stretch-between-barcelona-and-france-has-finally-been-unveiled-after-years-of-delays |title=The last High Speed railway stretch between Barcelona and France has finally been unveiled after years of delays |publisher=Catalan News Agency |date=8 January 2013 |access-date=27 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410223210/http://www.catalannewsagency.com/politics/item/the-last-high-speed-railway-stretch-between-barcelona-and-france-has-finally-been-unveiled-after-years-of-delays |archive-date=10 April 2014}}</ref>

=== Metro and regional rail ===
[[File:LlefiàL10.JPG|thumb|right|Barcelona Metro]]
Barcelona is served by an extensive local public transport network that includes a [[rapid transit|metro]] system, a bus network, a [[Commuter rail|regional railway]] system, trams, [[funicular]]s, [[rack railway]]s, a [[Gondola lift]] and [[aerial tramway|aerial cable cars]]. These networks and lines are run by a number of different operators but they are integrated into a coordinated fare system, administered by the [[Autoritat del Transport Metropolità]] (ATM). The system is divided into fare zones (1 to 6) and various Integrated Travel Cards are available.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tmb.cat/en/abonaments-integrats |title=Integrated travel cards – Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona |work=tmb.cat |access-date=19 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160824054620/http://www.tmb.cat/en/abonaments-integrats |archive-date=24 August 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Barcelona Metro]] network comprises twelve lines, identified by an "L" followed by the line number as well as by individual colours. The Metro largely runs underground; eight Metro lines are operated on dedicated track by the [[Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona]] (TMB), whilst four lines are operated by the {{Lang|ca|[[Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya]]|italic=no}} (FGC) and some of them share tracks with RENFE commuter lines.

In addition to the city Metro, several regional rail lines operated by RENFE's [[Rodalies de Catalunya]] run across the city, providing connections to outlying towns in the surrounding region.

=== Tram ===
[[File:Clp 20060615 Tw 16 Carrer d'Adolf Florensa.jpg|thumb|Barcelona Tram]]
The city's two modern tram systems, [[Trambaix]] and [[Trambesòs]], are operated by [[TRAMMET]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://w3.bcn.es/V01/Serveis/Noticies/V01NoticiesLlistatNoticiesCtl/0,2138,1653_35144087_1_573780100,00.html?accio=detall&home=HomeBCN&nomtipusMCM=Noticia |title=News related with the council plans for the tram network union |publisher=W3.bcn.es |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003195712/http://w3.bcn.es/V01/Serveis/Noticies/V01NoticiesLlistatNoticiesCtl/0%2C2138%2C1653_35144087_1_573780100%2C00.html?accio=detall&home=HomeBCN&nomtipusMCM=Noticia |archive-date=3 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> A [[heritage streetcar|heritage tram line]], the [[Tramvia Blau]], also operates between the metro Line 7 and the [[Funicular del Tibidabo]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tmb.net/en_US/barcelona/moute/planols/planotramviablau.jsp |title=Information of Tramvia Blau |publisher=Tmb.net |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091224023817/http://www.tmb.net/en_US/barcelona/moute/planols/planotramviablau.jsp |archive-date=24 December 2009}}</ref>

=== Funicular and cable car ===
Barcelona's metro and rail system is supplemented by several aerial cable cars, funiculars and rack railways that provide connections to mountain-top stations. FGC operates the [[Funicular de Tibidabo]] up the hill of [[Tibidabo]] and the [[Funicular de Vallvidrera]] (FGC), while TMB runs the [[Funicular de Montjuïc]] up [[Montjuïc]]. The city has two aerial cable cars: the [[Montjuïc Cable Car]], which serves Montjuïc castle, and the [[Port Vell Aerial Tramway]] that runs via [[Torre Jaume I]] and [[Torre Sant Sebastia|Torre Sant Sebastià]] over the port.

=== Bus ===
Buses in Barcelona are a major form of public transport, with extensive local, interurban and night bus networks. Most local services are operated by the TMB, although some other services are operated by a number of private companies, albeit still within the ATM fare structure. There are 21 night lines, 19 of them go through Plaça de Catalunya, where you can change to other lines. The frequency is 15/20 minutes between 22:20 and 06:00. A separate private bus line, known as Aerobús, links the airport with the city centre, with its own fare structure.

The [[Estació del Nord Sports Hall|Estació del Nord]] (Northern Station), a former railway station which was renovated for the 1992 Olympic Games, now serves as the terminus for long-distance and regional bus services.

=== Taxi ===
[[File:14-08-06-barcelona-RalfR-222.jpg|thumb|Two typical Barcelona taxis]]
Barcelona has a [[taxicab|metered taxi]] fleet governed by the Institut Metropolità del Taxi (Metropolitan Taxi Institute), composed of more than 10,000 cars. Most of the licences are in the hands of [[Self-employment|self-employed]] drivers. With their black and yellow livery, Barcelona's taxis are easily spotted, and can be caught from one of many [[taxi rank]]s, hailed on street, called by telephone or via app.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barcelona.com/barcelona_city_guide/all_about/taxis_in_barcelona |title=Barcelona Taxi Information |work=Barcelona.com |access-date=28 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202102147/http://www.barcelona.com/barcelona_city_guide/all_about/taxis_in_barcelona |archive-date=2 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://bcnweb2.bcn.es:8885/taxi/infocorp/informacio.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20031208074138/http://bcnweb2.bcn.es:8885/taxi/infocorp/informacio.html |url-status=dead |title=Invalid Host Specified |date=8 December 2003 |archive-date=8 December 2003 |access-date=21 July 2006}}</ref>

On 22 March 2007,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bicing.com/noticias/detalle_noticia.php?TU5fTk9USUNJQVM%3D&Ng%3D%3D&MQ%3D%3D |title=Noticies: Data d'inici 22 de març a les 14:00 h. Pots realitzar l'alta al servei a partir del dia 16/03/07 |publisher=Bicing |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071029155839/http://www.bicing.com/noticias/detalle_noticia.php?TU5fTk9USUNJQVM=&Ng=%3D&MQ=%3D |archive-date=29 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Barcelona's City Council started the [[Bicing]] service, a bicycle service understood as a public transport. Once the user has their user card, they can take a bicycle from any of the more than 400 stations spread around the city and use it anywhere the urban area of the city, and then leave it at another station.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bicing.com/modulos/modulos.php?TU5fSU5GT1JNQUNJT04%3D&NA%3D%3D&Nw%3D%3D |title=Què és |publisher=Bicing |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125090551/http://www.bicing.com/modulos/modulos.php?TU5fSU5GT1JNQUNJT04=&NA=%3D&Nw=%3D |archive-date=25 January 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The service has been a success, with 50,000 subscribed users in three months.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bicing.com/noticias/detalle_noticia.php?TU5fTk9USUNJQVM%3D&Ng%3D%3D&MzA%3D |title=Notícies: El Biking ja té més de 50.000 abonats |publisher=Biking |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003183507/http://www.bicing.com/noticias/detalle_noticia.php?TU5fTk9USUNJQVM=&Ng=%3D&MzA= |archive-date=3 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Roads and highways ===
[[File:085_Ronda_de_Dalt_(Barcelona),_des_del_pont_de_l'avinguda_del_Tibidabo.jpg|thumb|[[B-20 motorway (Spain)|B-20 motorway]] in Barcelona]]

Barcelona lies on three international routes, including [[European route E15]] that follows the Mediterranean coast, [[European route E90]] to Madrid and Lisbon, and [[European route E09]] to Paris. It is also served by a comprehensive network of motorways and highways throughout the metropolitan area, including [[Autovía A-2|A-2]], [[Autovía A-7|A-7]]/[[Autopista AP-7|AP-7]], [[C-16 highway (Spain)|C-16]], [[C-17 highway (Spain)|C-17]], [[C-31 highway (Spain)|C-31]], [[C-32 highway (Spain)|C-32]], [[Autopista C-33|C-33]], [[Autovia C-60|C-60]].

The city is circled by three half [[Beltway|ring roads]] or bypasses, [[B20 motorway (Spain)|Ronda de Dalt (B-20)]] (on the mountain side), [[B10 motorway (Spain)|Ronda del Litoral (B-10)]] (along the coast) and [[Ronda del Mig]] (separated into two parts: [[Travessera de Dalt]] in the north and the [[Gran Via de Carles III]]), two partially covered<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bcn.es/turisme/english/turisme/rutes/rondes_fr.htm |title=The covered Rondes (by-pass) |publisher=Bcn.es |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090516235933/http://www.bcn.es/turisme/english/turisme/rutes/rondes_fr.htm |archive-date=16 May 2009}}</ref> fast highways with several exits that bypass the city.

The city's main arteries include [[Avinguda Diagonal, Barcelona|Diagonal Avenue]], which crosses it diagonally, [[Avinguda Meridiana, Barcelona|Meridiana Avenue]] which leads to [[Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, Barcelona|Glòries]] and connects with Diagonal Avenue and [[Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, Barcelona|Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes]], which crosses the city from east to west, passing through its centre. The famous boulevard of [[La Rambla, Barcelona|La Rambla]], whilst no longer an important vehicular route, remains an important pedestrian route.

== Main sights ==
[[File:Sagrada Familia, Barcelona (P1170666).jpg|thumb|[[Sagrada Família]] church at night, designed by [[Antoni Gaudí|Gaudí]]]]
[[File:Palau_de_la_Música_Catalana-Palace_of_Catalan_Music_(Image_2).jpg|thumb|[[Palau de la Música Catalana]]]]
The ''[[El Gòtic|Barri Gòtic]]'' (Catalan for "Gothic Quarter") is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan ''[[Modernisme|modernista]]'' architecture (related to the movement known as [[Art Nouveau]] in the rest of Europe) developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. Several of these buildings are [[World Heritage Site]]s. Especially remarkable is the work of architect [[Antoni Gaudí]], which can be seen throughout the city. His best-known work is the immense but still unfinished church of the [[Sagrada Família]], which has been under construction since 1882 and is still financed by private donations. {{As of|2015}}, completion is planned for 2026.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/11/sagrada-familia-reaches-its-final-stage-of-construction/413476/ |title=Gaudí's Barcelona Basilica, La Sagrada Família, Reaches Its Final Stage of Construction – The Atlantic |magazine=The Atlantic |access-date=1 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312083828/https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/11/sagrada-familia-reaches-its-final-stage-of-construction/413476/ |archive-date=12 March 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Barcelona was also home to [[Ludwig Mies van der Rohe|Mies van der Rohe]]'s [[Barcelona Pavilion]]. Designed in 1929 for the [[1929 Barcelona International Exposition|International Exposition]] for Germany, it was an iconic building that came to symbolize modern architecture as the embodiment of van der Rohe's aphorisms "less is more" and "God is in the details".<ref name="Rybczynski2001">{{cite book |author=Witold Rybczynski |title=The Look of Architecture |url=https://archive.org/details/lookofarchitectu00rybc |url-access=registration |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-515633-1 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/lookofarchitectu00rybc/page/n111 94]–}}</ref> The Barcelona pavilion was intended as a temporary structure and was torn down in 1930 less than a year after it was constructed. A modern re-creation by Spanish architects now stands in Barcelona, however, constructed in 1986.

Barcelona won the 1999 [[Royal Institute of British Architects|RIBA]] [[Royal Gold Medal]] for its architecture,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.architecture.com/Files/RIBATrust/Awards/RoyalGoldMedal/Royal%20Gold%20Medallists%201848%20-%202008.pdf |title=RIBA Royal Gold Medallists |publisher=RIBA |access-date=28 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202101307/http://www.architecture.com/Files/RIBATrust/Awards/RoyalGoldMedal/Royal%20Gold%20Medallists%201848%20-%202008.pdf |archive-date=2 February 2014}}</ref> the first (and {{As of|2015|lc=y}}, only) time that the winner has been a city rather than an individual architect. Barcelona is the home of many points of interest declared [[World Heritage Site]]s by [[UNESCO]]:<ref>The seventh element of Place [[World Heritage]] "Works of [[Antoni Gaudí]]" is the Crypt in [[Colònia Güell]], which is located at [[Santa Coloma de Cervelló]].</ref>

=== Historic buildings and monuments ===
{{Further|List of Modernista buildings in Barcelona}}
{{Category see also|Buildings and structures in Barcelona}}
[[File:Barcelona Cathedral (original).jpg|thumb|[[Barcelona Cathedral]]]]
[[File:Casa Milà - Barcelona, Spain - Jan 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Casa Milà]]]]
* [[Minor basilica]] of [[Sagrada Família]], the symbol of Barcelona.
* [[Palau de la Música Catalana]] and [[Hospital de Sant Pau]], designed by [[Lluís Domènech i Montaner]], included in the UNESCO Heritage List in 1997.
* Works by [[Antoni Gaudí]], including [[Park Güell]], [[Palau Güell]], [[Casa Milà]] (La Pedrera), [[Casa Vicens]], Sagrada Família (Nativity façade and crypt), [[Casa Batlló]], crypt in [[Church of Colònia Güell]]. The first three works were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1984. The other four were added as extensions to the site in 2005.
* [[Barcelona Cathedral|The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. Eulalia]] (Gothic)
* Gothic basilica of [[Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona|Santa Maria del Mar]]
* Gothic basilica of [[Santa Maria del Pi]]
* Romanesque church of [[Sant Pau del Camp]]
* [[Palau Reial Major]], medieval residence of the sovereign [[Counts of Barcelona]], later [[Kingdom of Aragon|Kings of Aragon]]
* The [[Barcelona Royal Shipyard|Royal Shipyard]] (gothic)
* [[Monastery of Pedralbes]] (gothic)
* The [[Columbus Monument, Barcelona|Columbus Monument]]
* The [[Arc de Triomf]], a [[triumphal arch]] built for entrance to [[1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition]].
* [[Sagrat Cor|Expiatory church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus]] on the summit of [[Tibidabo]].
* The Historic Building of the [[University of Barcelona]]

=== Museums ===
{{Main|List of museums in Barcelona}}

[[File:Palau Nacional Barcelona Pano 2013.jpg|thumb|The [[Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya|National Museum of Art of Catalonia]] stands out for its collection of [[Romanesque painting]].]]
[[File:Barcelona_-_Museu_d'Art_Contemporani_de_Barcelona_(MACBA).jpg|thumb|[[Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art]]]]

Barcelona has many museums, which cover different areas and eras. The [[Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya|National Museum of Art of Catalonia]] possesses a well-known collection of [[Romanesque art]], while the [[Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art]] focuses on [[Post-war|post-1945]] Catalan and [[Spanish art]]. The [[Fundació Joan Miró]], [[Museu Picasso|Picasso Museum]], and [[Fundació Antoni Tàpies]] hold important collections of these world-renowned artists, as well as the [[Can Framis Museum]], focused on post-1960 Catalan Art owned by [[Fundació Vila Casas]]. Several museums cover the fields of history and archaeology, like the [[Barcelona City History Museum]] (MUHBA), the [[Museum of the History of Catalonia]], the [[Archaeology Museum of Catalonia|Archeology Museum of Catalonia]], the [[Maritime Museum of Barcelona]], the [[Museu de la Música de Barcelona|Music Museum of Barcelona]] and the privately owned [[Egyptian Museum of Barcelona]]. The Erotic museum of Barcelona is among the most peculiar ones, while [[CosmoCaixa Barcelona|CosmoCaixa]] is a [[science museum]] that received the [[European Museum of the Year Award]] in 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The European Museum of the Year |url=https://www.europeanforum.museum/en/winners/the-emya/ |access-date=13 April 2023 |website=European Forum |language=en |archive-date=13 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230413051044/https://www.europeanforum.museum/en/winners/the-emya/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Museum of Mathematics of Catalonia]] is a place where mathematics is approached from a practical and playful point of view. The [[Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona]] was founded in 1882 under the name of "Museo Martorell de Arqueología y Ciencias Naturales"<ref name="134-anys-dhistoria">''[https://museuciencies.cat/134-anys-dhistoria/ Què passa al Museu?, Actualitat del Museu, Notícies del Museu, 134 anys d'història] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916043042/https://museuciencies.cat/134-anys-dhistoria/ |date=16 September 2020 }}'', Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona, press release 25 September 2016 {{in lang|ca}}</ref><ref name="Miradas">''Miradas: Páginas de la historia, una obra inédita'', exhibition at "Museo Cerralbo", Madrid, from 24 April to 24 May 2012 ({{in lang|es}}</ref> (Spanish for "Martorell Museum of Archaeology and Natural Sciences"). In 2011 the Museum of Natural Sciences ended up with a merge of five institutions: the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona (the main site, at the [[Forum Building]]), the [[Martorell Museum]] (the historical seat of the Museum, opened to the public from 1924 to 2010 as a geology museum), the ''[[Laboratori de Natura]]'', at the [[Castle of the Three Dragons]] (from 1920 to 2010: the Zoology Museum), the [[Historical Botanical Garden of Barcelona]], founded 1930, and the [[Jardí Botànic de Barcelona|Botanical garden of Barcelona]], founded 1999. Those two gardens are a part of the [[Botanical Institute of Barcelona]] too.

The [[FC Barcelona Museum]] is the third most popular tourist attraction in Catalonia, with 1,51 million visitors in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Catalan museums received 21.5 million visitors in 2013 |url=http://www.catalannews.com/culture/item/catalan-museums-received-21-5-million-visitors-in-2013,%20https://www.catalannews.com/culture/item/catalan-museums-received-21-5-million-visitors-in-2013 |access-date=9 November 2021 |website=www.catalannews.com |language=en-gb}}{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

=== Parks ===
{{Main|Parks and gardens of Barcelona}}

[[File:Parc_guell_-_panoramio.jpg|thumb|[[Park Güell]]]]
[[File:Parc de la Ciutadella Barcelona Mai 2013.jpg|thumb| [[Parc de la Ciutadella]] north of [[La Barceloneta]]]]
Barcelona contains sixty municipal parks, twelve of which are historic, five of which are thematic (botanical), forty-five of which are [[urban park|urban]], and six of which are forest.<ref>{{cite web |author=Parcs i Jardins, Institut Municipal |url=http://www.bcn.es/parcsijardins/cat/parcs/pa_mapa.htm |title=Parcs i Jardins> Els Parcs> Els Parcs de Barcelona |publisher=Bcn.es |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105064630/http://www.bcn.es/parcsijardins/cat/parcs/pa_mapa.htm |archive-date=5 January 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> They range from vest-pocket parks to large recreation areas. The urban parks alone cover 10% of the city ({{cvt|549.7|ha|acre|1|disp=or}}).<ref name="guies_estadistiques"/> The total park surface grows about {{cvt|10|ha|acre|0}} per year,<ref>{{cite web |author=Parcs i Jardins, Institut Municipal |url=http://www.bcn.es/parcsijardins/cat/parcs/pa_his_ciu.htm |title=Parcs i Jardins> Els Parcs> Història> La ciutat i el verd |publisher=Bcn.es |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003183148/http://www.bcn.es/parcsijardins/cat/parcs/pa_his_ciu.htm |archive-date=3 October 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> with a proportion of {{cvt|18.1|m2|sqft|0}} of park area per inhabitant.<ref>{{cite web |author=Parcs i Jardins, Institut Municipal |url=http://www.bcn.es/parcsijardins/cat/parcs/pa_his_demo.htm |title=Parcs i Jardins> Els Parcs> Història> La democràcia |publisher=Bcn.es |access-date=26 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331111427/http://www.bcn.es/parcsijardins/cat/parcs/pa_his_demo.htm |archive-date=31 March 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Of Barcelona's parks, [[Montjuïc]] is the largest, with 203&nbsp;[[Hectare|ha]] located on the mountain of the same name, and includes the [[Jardí Botànic de Barcelona|Botanical Garden of Barcelona]], the [[Mossèn Costa i Llobera Gardens]], and more.<ref name="guies_estadistiques"/> It is followed by [[Parc de la Ciutadella]] (which occupies the site of the old [[Citadel of Barcelona|citadel]] and which houses the [[Parliament of Catalonia|Parliament]] building, the [[Barcelona Zoo]], and several museums); {{cvt|31|ha|acre|1|disp=or}} including the zoo), the [[Guinardó Park]] ({{cvt|19|ha|acre|1|disp=or}}), [[Park Güell]] (designed by [[Antoni Gaudí]]; {{cvt|17.2|ha|acre|1|disp=or}}), [[Oreneta Castle Park]] (also {{cvt|17.2|ha|acre|1|disp=or}}), [[Diagonal Mar Park]] ({{cvt|13.3|ha|acre|1|disp=or}}, inaugurated in 2002), [[Nou Barris Central Park]] ({{cvt|13.2|ha|acre|1|disp=or}}), [[Can Dragó Sports Park]] and [[Poblenou Park]] (both {{cvt|11.9|ha|acre|1|disp=or}}), the [[Parc del Laberint d'Horta|Labyrinth Park]] ({{cvt|9.10|ha|acre|1|disp=or}}), named after the garden maze it contains.<ref name="guies_estadistiques"/> There are also several smaller parks, for example, the [[Parc de Les Aigües]] ({{cvt|2|ha|acre|1|disp=or}}). A part of the Collserola Park is also within the city limits. [[PortAventura World]], one of the largest resort in Europe, with 5,837,509 visitors per year, is located one hour's drive from Barcelona.<ref>[http://www.investindustrial.com/dam/Investindustrial/Social-responsibility/Portoflio-Companies-CSR-Reports/PortAventura-2017-Corporate-Social-Responsibility-Report/PortAventura%202017%20Corporate%20Social%20Responsibility%20Report.pdf Corporate responsibility report 2017] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026064435/http://www.investindustrial.com/dam/Investindustrial/Social-responsibility/Portoflio-Companies-CSR-Reports/PortAventura-2017-Corporate-Social-Responsibility-Report/PortAventura%202017%20Corporate%20Social%20Responsibility%20Report.pdf |date=26 October 2018 }} – [http://www.investindustrial.com/ investindustrial.com] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181103131536/http://www.investindustrial.com/ |date=3 November 2018 }}, 2018</ref><ref>[http://www.teaconnect.org/sites/default/files/misc/files/2009report.pdf The Global Attractions Attendance Report] – [[Themed Entertainment Association]], 2009 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319052819/http://www.teaconnect.org/sites/default/files/misc/files/2009report.pdf |date=19 March 2012}}</ref> Also, within the city lies [[Tibidabo Amusement Park]], a smaller amusement park in Plaza del Tibidabo, with the [[Muntanya Russa (Tibidabo Amusement Park)|Muntanya Russa]] amusement ride.

=== Beaches ===
[[File:W_hotel_(7448603868).jpg|thumb|[[La Barceloneta]]]]
Barcelona beach was listed as number one in a list of the top ten city beaches in the world according to ''[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]''<ref name="NationalGeographic">{{cite web |url=http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/beach-cities-photos/#/beach-barcelona-spain_21757_600x450.jpg |title=Top 10 Beach Cities |date=8 July 2010 |access-date=30 July 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100721215624/http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/beach-cities-photos/ |archive-date= 21 July 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and ''[[Discovery Channel]]''.<ref name="DiscoveryChannel">Movie "Worlds Best Beaches", Discovery Channel 2005 {{YouTube|8bdvj5gubnA}}</ref> Barcelona contains seven beaches, totalling {{cvt|4.5|km|mi|frac=4|abbr=off}} of coastline. [[Sant Sebastià]], [[La Barceloneta, Barcelona|Barceloneta]] and [[Somorrostro]] beaches, both {{cvt|1100|m|ft|-1}} in length,<ref name="guies_estadistiques"/> are the largest, oldest and the most-frequented beaches in Barcelona.

The [[Olympic Harbour]] separates them from the other city beaches: Nova Icària, Bogatell, Mar Bella, Nova Mar Bella and Llevant. These beaches (ranging from {{cvt|400|to|640|m|ft}} were opened as a result of the city restructuring to host the [[1992 Summer Olympics]], when a great number of industrial buildings were demolished. At present, the beach sand is artificially replenished given that storms regularly remove large quantities of material. The [[2004 Universal Forum of Cultures]] left the city a large concrete bathing zone on the eastmost part of the city's coastline. Most recently, Llevant is the first beach to allow dogs access during summer season.

== International relations ==
=== Twin towns – sister cities ===
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Spain}}
Barcelona is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref name=twins>{{cite web |title=Direcció de Relacions Internacionals |url=http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/relacionsinternacionalsicooperacio/ca/barcelona-en-el-mon |website=ajuntament.barcelona.cat |publisher=Barcelona |language=ca |access-date=2 August 2020 |archive-date=17 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917092315/http://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/relacionsinternacionalsicooperacio/ca/barcelona-en-el-mon |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagicon|BEL}} [[Antwerp]], Belgium (1997)
* {{flagicon|GRC}} [[Athens]], Greece (1999)
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[Boston]], United States (1983)
* {{flagicon|KOR}} [[Busan]], South Korea (1983)
* {{flagicon|GER}} [[Cologne]], Germany (1984)
* {{flagicon|IRL}} [[Dublin]], Ireland (1998)
* {{flagicon|PSE}} [[Gaza City]], Palestine (1998)
* {{flagicon|CUB}} [[Havana]], Cuba (1993)
* {{flagicon|TUR}} [[Istanbul]], Turkey (1997)
* {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Kobe]], Japan (1993)
* {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Monterrey]], Mexico (1977)
* {{flagicon|URY}} [[Montevideo]], Uruguay (1985)
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Montpellier]], France (1963)
* {{flagicon|BRA}} [[Rio de Janeiro]], Brazil (1972)
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[San Francisco]], United States (2010)
* {{flagicon|BRA}} [[São Paulo]], Brazil (1985)
* {{flagicon|BIH}} [[Sarajevo]], Bosnia and Herzegovina (2000)
* {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Shanghai]], China (2001)
* {{flagicon|TUN}} [[Tunis]], Tunisia (1969)
* {{flagicon|CHL}} [[Valparaíso]], Chile (2001)
{{div col end}}
;Suspended twin towns / sister cities agreements
* {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia (1985, suspended in 2022)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://metropoliabierta.elespanol.com/el-pulso-de-la-ciudad/barcelona-mantiene-hermanamiento-con-ciudades-emiratos-arabes-cuba-china_68390_102.html |website=Metrópoli Abierta |via=[[El Español]] |date=9 February 2023 |first=Alba |last=Carnicé |title=Barcelona mantiene el hermanamiento con ciudades de Emiratos Árabes, Cuba y China |access-date=25 February 2023 |archive-date=25 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225134501/https://metropoliabierta.elespanol.com/el-pulso-de-la-ciudad/barcelona-mantiene-hermanamiento-con-ciudades-emiratos-arabes-cuba-china_68390_102.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|ISR}} [[Tel Aviv]], Israel (1998, suspended in 2023 until Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza)<ref>{{cite web |title=Barcelona re-establishes twin city relations with Tel Aviv, suspended by Colau |url=https://www.elnacional.cat/en/politics/barcelona-re-establishes-twin-city-relations-tel-aviv-colau_1086444_102.html |website=ElNacional.cat |date=1 September 2023 |language=en |access-date=3 September 2023 |archive-date=3 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230903150038/https://www.elnacional.cat/en/politics/barcelona-re-establishes-twin-city-relations-tel-aviv-colau_1086444_102.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Barcelona vuelve a suspender las relaciones con Israel "hasta un alto el fuego definitivo" en Gaza |url=https://www.publico.es/politica/barcelona-vuelve-suspender-relaciones-israel-alto-fuego-definitivo-gaza.html |website=Publico |date=24 November 2023 |language=es |access-date=21 July 2024 }}</ref>

=== Partnership and friendship ===
Barcelona also cooperates with:<ref name=twins/>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* {{flagicon|JOR}} [[Amman]], Jordan
* {{flagdeco|CHN}} [[Guangzhou]], China
* {{flagicon|IRN}} [[Isfahan]], Iran
* {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Kyoto]], Japan
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Lampedusa]], Italy
* {{flagicon|GRC}} [[Lesbos]], Greece
* {{flagicon|MOZ}} [[Maputo]], Mozambique
* {{flagicon|USA}} [[New York City]], United States
* {{flagdeco|CHN}} [[Ningbo]], China
* {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Paris]], France
* {{flagicon|ARG}} [[Rosario]], Argentina
* {{flagicon|ALG}} [[Saïda, Algeria|Saïda]], Algeria
* {{flagicon|KOR}} [[Seoul]], South Korea
* {{flagicon|MAR}} [[Tétouan]], Morocco
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Turin]], Italy
{{div col end}}

== Notable people ==
{{Further|Category:People from Barcelona}}

== See also ==
{{Portal bar|Spain|Cities|European Union}}
* [[Outline of Barcelona]]
* [[Architecture of Barcelona]]
* [[Urban planning of Barcelona]]
* [[Street names in Barcelona]]
* [[List of markets in Barcelona]]
* [[List of tallest buildings in Barcelona]]
* [[Parks and gardens of Barcelona]]
* [[Public art in Barcelona]]
* [[Mobile World Congress]]
* [[OPENCities]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist|30em}}

=== Sources ===
* {{DGRG| |title=Barcelona}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |title=Barcelona |encyclopedia=[[Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana]] |publisher=Ed. Enciclopèdia Catalana S.A. |location=Barcelona}}
* Busquets, Joan. ''Barcelona: The Urban Evolution of a Compact City'' (Harvard UP, 2006) 468 pp.
* Marshall, Tim, ed. ''Transforming Barcelona'' (Routledge, 2004), 267 pp.
* Ramon Resina, Joan. ''Barcelona's Vocation of Modernity: Rise and Decline of an Urban Image'' (Stanford UP, 2008). 272 pp.

== External links ==
{{Sister project links|voy=Barcelona|Barcelona}}
* [http://www.barcelona.cat/en/ Official website of Barcelona]
* [http://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres/ciudades-pueblos/grandes-ciudades/barcelona.html Official website of Barcelona in Spain's national tourism portal]

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{{Geographic location
|Centre = Barcelona
|N = [[Montcada i Reixac]]
|NE = [[Santa Coloma de Gramenet]]
|E = [[Sant Adrià de Besòs]]
|SE = ''[[Balearic Sea]]''
|S = [[El Prat de Llobregat]]
|SW = [[Esplugues de Llobregat]]<br>[[L'Hospitalet de Llobregat]]
|W = [[Molins de Rei]]<br>[[Sant Feliu de Llobregat]]<br>[[Sant Just Desvern]]
|NW = [[Cerdanyola del Vallès]]<br>[[Sant Cugat del Vallès]]
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[[Category:Mediterranean port cities and towns in Spain]]
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