Introducton: The sophisticated and stylish city of Barcelona is one of the most popular cities in Spain, second only to Madrid. Barcelona has something to suit everyone and although this city is very large, it is surprisingly easy to find your way around. There are several tourism and tourist information offices situated in the city centre, known locally as 'Oficina d'Informacio de Turisme', and these are to be found on the Placa de Catalunya, the Placa de Sant Jaume, the Passeig de Gracia and La Rambla de Sant Josep. Situated on the coast of Spain, Barcelona has the perfect location and is only a few hours drive from southern France, the Pyrenees and northern Costa Brava. Barcelona is protected from the elements by the encircling Collserola hills and gently slopes down towards the sea. Accomodations: Hotels in the city range from budget lodging to luxury accommodation in Barcelona and the Mediterranean climate makes visiting this city attractive, whatever the time of year. Finding accommodation can be difficult, problems being heightened at the top of the tourist season (July to August), and therefore booking Barcelona apartments and hotels in advance is advisable and virtually compulsory during the high season. As an alternative to hotels, attractively located apartments are available within the city. Perfect for longer stays and often conveniently located close to the Mediterranean beaches, this type of accommodation suits those happy to self-cater and many come with private balconies, boasting views of the coastline. A number of attractive Barcelona apartments and private hotels (pensiones) also reside within areas such as El Raval, l'Eixample, La Ribera and Barri Gotic, the latter of which lies close to the action around the central Ramblas area. More information available at Apartments Barcelona. Recent Events and Club Revival: Barcelona has increased in popularity since the early 1990s, when preparations for the 1992 Olympic Games relaunched the city, with a multi-billion-dollar building boom. Many structures were restored and new impressive buildings and landmarks created, particularly around Montjuic, the hub of the Olympic Games. When the games finished, Barcelona was left with an entirely new harbour development containing the new Olympic Village and many existing buildings had face-lifts in this economic transformation. The World Trade Fairs of 1888 and 1929 also had a strong influence on the city and resulted in much of the beautiful architecture in this alluring Catalonian capital, such as the Arc de Triomf and the spectacular Magic Fountain (Font Magica), with colour light shining through the water. In more recent times Barca has enjoyed a revival. A combination of a new and enthusiastic president, Joan Laporta and a new manager, Frank Rijkaard saw the club bounce back. On the field an influx of talented new players like Henrik Larsson, Ronaldinho, Deco, Ludovic Giuly and Samuel Eto'o and experienced professionals like Rafael Marquez and Gio combined with a nucleus of home grown players such Carles Puyol, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Oleguer and Vctor Valdes saw the club win La Liga and the Supercopa de Espana in 2005. Ronaldinho was also added to the list of Barca players voted European Footballer of the Year. The only disappointment was their defeat against Chelsea (F. Lampard, D. Drogba) in the UEFA Champions League. Strengthened by the arrival of Mark van Bommel and the emergence of Lionel Messi, the current season has seen Barca continue where they left off. Playing attractive and attacking football, the team is top of La Liga and has qualified for the UEFA Champions League round of 16. Highlights of the season so far have included an emphatic 3-0 victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on November 19th 2005 when even the home fans applauded two-goal hero Ronaldinho.
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