El Raval is Barcelona’s largest neighbourhood, and by far it’s liveliest. Demarked by the Las Ramblas and containing many star attractions such as the MACBA museum and Boqueria market, visitors to the city are likely to spend a fair bit of time in El Raval. The buzz in El Raval gets louder at night, when countless bars roll up their shutters for business. In streets like Joaquím Costa (the epicentre of Raval bar culture) the Rambla del Raval and Riera Alta you can pretty much hop from one to another, taking in the distinct personality of each along the way. To get you started, here are some of our favourites: Marmalade, Riera Alta 4-6 This large, New Yorkian-style locale with ad-hoc furniture and pool table is known for its friendly, up for it crowd and nicely-priced cocktails (most of them are around 5€). Many people meet up here before hitting the clubs, and it’s a good place to pick up flyers and invites.

It’s been called ‘the greatest market in the world’ and in many ways it is. Barcelona’s Boqueria market is the largest in Europe and the best in the city. Located right on Las Ramblas, La Boqueria goes beyond a place to do your weekly shop; it is a showcase for the Spain’s vast array of seasonal produce, an inspiration for local chefs, a stage for local community events and increasingly a top tourist attraction. Traders of all sorts have been peddling their wares at La Boqueria’s site since the 17th century when the city was still walled, though the soaring glass and iron structure you see today dates from the mid-19th century. Inside, there is logic to the market’s layout; in the centre you’ll find the ‘illa de peix’ (island of fish) where pearly-white cuttlefish, bucket-loads of prawns and scary-looking monkfish glisten on seas of ice. Around the edges you’ll find fruit and veg, with exotic fresh fruit juices sold at the Rambla-facing stalls. In between you’ll wander through everything in-between, from tiny paradas selling only eggs or bananas and another with every sort of fungi under the sun (Petras, Nº 867, they also specialise in edible insects). Perhaps logically ...

Barcelona - My Favorite! It is one of the best tourist spots in Spain. Here are some of its highlights. The Cathedral of Barcelona is dedicated to the Saint Eulalia. It has beautiful carvings on the choir and on the tomb of Saint Eulalia that is housed in the crypt. There are street performers, many vendors and cafes around the cathedral. It took a very long time to build this religious structure. Work began in 1298 and went on till 1913 as civil wars and plague disrupted its construction. The National Museum of Catalonian Art (MNAC) is located near the Parc de Montjuic and has a beautiful collection of works from the Romanesque, Renaissance, Baroque, Gothic, Rococo and Modern periods. Lectures are also held to educate the tourists about art history. The museum is open to visitors from Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 7pm and from 10am to 2:30pm on Sundays. The Picasso Museum is based in central Barcelona (in the historical Born district) and is easily reached by metro. Out of the five Picasso Museums in Europe, this one was the first to open (in 1963). It features the beautiful works of Picasso that were made by ...

None but one Barcelona apartment on Holiday Velvet has a car park attach to it but there are plenty of public car parks in Barcelona, even in the historical center (Barri Gotic and Borne). The cost ranges from 20 to 30 Euros per day, although some busy car parks (la Rambla and Barceloneta) may charge up to 50 Euros a day. If you are travelling to Barcelona by car here is a useful list of car parks in each central area (most of them are 24 hour parking): PUBLIC CAR PARKS IN BARCELONA BORNE DISTRICT »Aparcament Born: Pl Comercial, 1, +34 932 683 834 »see Google Map »Aparcament Princesa: Via Laietana, 20, +34 933 107 835 »see Google Map PUBLIC CAR PARKS NEAR LA RAMBLA / RAMBLAS »Aparcament Eden: C Nou de la Rambla, 12, +34 933 179 032 »see Google Map »Aparcament Interparking La Rambla: C la Rambla, 20, +34 933 011 142 »See Google Map »Aparcament Manuel Serna Royuela: C Pintor Fortuny, 19, +34 933 171 383 »See Google Map PUBLIC CAR PARKS IN BARCELONA BARCELONETA DISTRICT »Aparcament Barceloneta Centre, Carrer del Baluart, 27, +34 932 217 529 »see Google map PUBLIC CAR PARKS IN BARCELONA GRACIA DISTRICT »Aparcament Dolores Zorita Villalba, Carrer Bretón de los Herreros, 8, +34 932 183 509 »see Google map Photo ...

Here at Holiday Velvet we often get asked about where you can leave your luggage whilst you are waiting to 'check in' to your apartment or after you have 'checked-out'. Whilst you can always ask the owner directly if they are able to look after your bags for a few hours, left luggage facilities still exist at many major train stations and other transport hubs. These days, most of these facilities run on an automated locker system (gone are the days when you checked in your bag in as you would a coat in a nightclub). Remember that they may fill up at peak periods. Rome When arriving at Termini Station on the Leonardo Express train from Fiumicino airport, you can leave your baggage in the ‘piazza’ on the lower-ground floor (follow the ‘Deposito bagagli’ signs). It’s open 6am-midnight, 7 days a week. Venice ‘Deposito bagagli’ is available at Santa Lucia Train Station (open 6am-midnight daily). Cooperative Trasbagagli is a private company that will not only store you luggage for you, but take it by boat to your place of accommodation, saving you schlepping bags over the bridges and canals. They have two offices in Venice; one at the Piazzale ...

The Borne district in Barcelona is a medieval area situated between Barceloneta and Via Laietana where knights once jousted and people gathered to drink and celebrate. Today, El Born is one of Barcelona’s most popular districts, full of charming shops, bars and romantic restaurants. One of the most crowded streets is Passeig del Born where there are many bars and pizza joints. Calle Montcada is another of the great medieval streets where 20th century culture is easily accessed at the Picasso Museum. The Textile Museum is also nearby and recounts the history of Barcelona’s renowned textile guilds. For a little quiet contemplation, there is a magnificent cathedral that offers a wonderfully cool sanctuary. Visitors are always welcome even during marriage ceremonies. Apart from expensive shops, El Born is renowned for its restaurants and there are plenty from which to choose. Below is a list of just a few: • Senyor Parellada is in Calle Argenteria 37 and is situated in a 19th century building where the food is pure and delicious Catalan with truly fresh fish and meat, complemented with vegetables and rice in an atmosphere that is perfect for couples; • Comerç 24 is in an old salting house building that is ...

Gran Premio de España or the Spanish Grand Prix is an important race in the Formula 1 calendar and is even more popular thanks to the success of the Spanish racing driver, Fernando Alonso. The Formula 1 race is held at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona and the race is usually held in April or May. In the early 1990s, the Williams’ team dominated the races but, in 1995, Michael Schumacher stamped his authority and proceeded to win the Spanish Grand Prix a total of six times, including the years, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. In 1996, during very heavy, rain, Schumacher crossed the finish in a Ferrari, which was the first win for the prancing horse team. Mika Häkkinen has won the Spanish Grand Prix three times and would have won it again in 2001, but his car broke down on the final lap. Fernando Alonso has really whipped up enthusiasm for Formula 1 in Spain and was runner-up in 2003 and 2005 and finally took the chequered flag for Renault in 2006. In 2007, Felipe Massa won the Spanish Grand Prix also for Ferrari and the following year, in 2008, Kimi Raikkonen won the race also for Ferrari. In ...

A little over a kilometre in length, Las Ramblas is the "Champs Elysées" of Barcelona. It begins around the Port Vell and stretches north to Plaça Catalunya. To the east of Las Ramblas is the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter) and to the west is an area called Raval. Las Ramblas is mostly set aside for pedestrians although there are two narrow roads that are one way in opposite directions on each side of the main central Las Ramblas Boulevard. Much of central Barcelona has been set aside for pedestrians, making Barcelona one of Europe’s most tourist friendly cities. The ramblas has 1 metro station, right in the middle of the stretch called "Liceu". The "Gran Teatre del Liceu", just opposite the station is an ancient opera house that can be visited at certain times see the Liceu Website. If you decide to book a Barcelona holiday rental in the Las Ramblas area you will be at the heart of fun and excitement: with live music, painters and living statues, Las Ramblas is certainly the most colorful stretch of street in Barcelona. Shopping and eating in Las Ramblas is fun but expensive. The quantity of tourists ensures that the prices remain high ...

Barceloneta is the beach area at the Port Vell end of Barcelona’s Las Ramblas. Since the Romans, Port Vell has been the centre of Barcelona’s maritime trading and, today, it is resplendent with sailing boats, motor yachts, shops and fabulous Baceloneta holiday rentals. Adjacent to the port is Barcelona’s principal beach, Barceloneta, where you will find numerous fish restaurants: • Can Ramonet is at Carrer Maquinista 17 and is a tavern that began serving mariners in 1763 and, today, serves delicious tapas and numerous fish dishes including octopus in an historical maritime atmosphere that is unique in Barcelona. • Can Majo is at L' Almirall Aixada, 23 and is one of the finest fish restaurants in terms of the pure quality of the food in Barcelona. The restaurant looks good and the shellfish tapas is a wonderful way to start your meal. There is a great choice of main courses including variations of paella and lobster, and numerous fish, clam, prawn, and mussel dishes. Eating on the terrace in summer with the sea view is magical. • Seven Portes is at Passeig d' Isabel II and opened in 1836. It is one of Barceloneta’s most renowned fish restaurants, famous for the supreme quality ...

Passeig de Gracia leads to one of Barcelona’s most elegant shopping districts which was once a small town in its own right until it was swallowed whole by the city. Exploring the winding narrow streets of Gracia is a great adventure, complemented by the many bars and restaurants, trendy boutiques and fantastic Barcelona apartments. The two main squares are Placa Rius i Taulet and Placa del Sol where you can relax and watch people while sipping a coffee or a cool drink. NAGORE FOOTWEAR One of the cool boutiques you may wish to enter in Gracia is Nagore Footwear which sells a fantastic range of handmade shoes for women, men and children, produced on the Spanish island of Menorca. The soles are made from crepe rubber or leather and the choice of sandals, shoes and boots is truly impressive. The company only sells eco-friendly leather that is tanned solely with vegetable oil. Until recently, the footwear was just available via Nagore’s website but now the company has a lovely shop at Calle Asturies 50, Grácia. JET LAG EZE Jet Lag Eze is a superb clothing boutique for women and men selling designer labels such as Girl, Paramita and Frederichoms. It is located at ...