Living in Barcelona

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia. It is surrounded by an extensive metropolitan area and has 1,770,000 inhabitants. The city's two thousand years of history have left their mark on its architectural, artistic and cultural heritage. Its excellent location as regards international communications, its climate and its truly cosmopolitan character have made it an exciting city to live in.

Cost of living

It is difficult to guess the cost of living, given that this varies according to each person:

• Housing: 300-450 €
• Trasport: 60 €
• Other expenses: 350 €
• Monthly Budget: 710 € - 860 €

Languages spoken in Barcelona

In Barcelona, as in the rest of Catalonia, Catalan and Spanish (both Latin-based) co-exist as official languages. Everyone speaks Spanish, although most people use Catalan to communicate among themselves.

The Catalan and Spanish languages live side by side in harmony, and you will have no problem getting around Barcelona if you only speak Spanish. As a cosmopolitan city, it also has an ever increasing number of businesses and services where English and other international languages are spoken.

It is worth pointing out that in the Catalan employment market, fluency in Catalan is preferred, and there are many educational institutions where it can be studied, generally at a very reasonable price.

As far as the language of instruction for EADA programmes is concerned, this is usually Spanish, given the diversity of the participating participants.

Here is a basic glossary to help you learn a few essential phrases:

Safety in Barcelona

Compared to most other cities of its size, Barcelona is a very safe city in which to live. The crime rate is low and the streets, even at night, are unusually safe.

You should be particularly careful with your personal possessions (wallets, bags, coats, cameras, etc.) in the areas that are frequented by tourists (especially at the airport).

Never leave a bag hanging on the back of a chair in restaurants or outdoor cafes on and around the Ramblas. Other popular sites for pickpockets and purse-snatchers are bus stops and the escalators in the Metro underground system. These thieves often work in pairs or small groups. While one is distracting you the other(s) will pick your pocket or grab your bag and run away.

General information about Barcelona: weather, population...

General Information: Catalonia has a surface area of 31,930 Km 2 , and a population of more than 6 million. Catalonia has interesting and historical towns, each with a wealth of monuments, a wide array of services and a vibrant personality, such as Girona, Tarragona, Lleida, Tortosa and Vic; not to forget its more modern, economically and culturally active towns such as Reus, Figueres, Sabadell, Terrassa, Manresa and Igualada.

For more information about Catalonia visit the Generalitat de Catalunya's website: http://www.gencat.es .

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia. Surrounded by an extensive metropolitan area, it has 1,770,000 inhabitants. Two thousand years of history have left a mark on the city in its architectural, artistic and cultural heritage.

Its superb international communications, its climate, and its cosmopolitan atmosphere make Barcelona the fine city it is.

Finding your way around Barcelona is not difficult if you bear in mind a few points of reference: the undisputed heart of the city is the Plaça de Catalunya, below which you will find the old town and most of the city's museums and sites of historic interest.

The famous Rambla winds from the Plaça de Catalunya down to the statue of Columbus next to the port. To the east of the Rambla is the romantic and attractive Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter), while to the west is the Raval. Heading east from the statue of Columbus, the Passeig Marítim goes past the Moll de la Fusta and Port Vell (old port), through the picturesque district of Barceloneta and on to the Port Olímpic; to the west, Paral.lel leads up to the Plaça de Espanya, from where you can climb up to Montjuïc, one of the hills of Barcelona.

The other peak, Tibidabo, marks the northern limit of the city. The busy thoroughfare Avinguda Diagonal is another reference point, as it cuts diagonally across the entire city.

Between the Plaça de Catalunya and Diagonal lies almost all of Barcelona's Eixample, starting from the famous 'Pla Cerdà', which aimed to join the centre of Barcelona to the nearby towns, which are now part of the city proper. Over the years, these communities, such as Gràcia, Les Corts and Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, have succeeded in maintaining their own historical and cultural identities. The whole area of L'Eixample is divided into blocks (as in New York, the streets are one-way), and the main thoroughfare is the Passeig de Gràcia, home to Gaudí's famous La Pedrera building.

Other important reference points are: La Sagrada Familia church, El Parc de la Ciutadella, el Barri de la Ribera and l'Illa Diagonal.

Visit www.bcn.es , www.barcelonaturisme.com .

Barcelona is on the Mediterranean coast. As a coastal city it has a warm, humid and sunny climate ideal for outdoors activities, including swimming at the beach from spring to early autumn. Extreme temperatures are uncommon, though in winter the thermometer can drop to 1 or 2° C on the odd day:

The climate of Barcelona:

Currency used in Spain

As of January 2002, the Euro (€) became the official currency of the European Union and is now the currency used in Spain. There are notes of 5, 10, 20, 50,100, 200 and 500 €, coins worth 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 centimes, and coins of 1 and 2 €.

To find out exchange rates, please click: www.xe.com/ucc

Official holidays in Barcelona

January 1 (New Year´s Day), January 6 (Epiphany), March 24 (Maundy Thrusday). March 25 (Good Friday), March 28 (Easter Monday), May 1 (International Labour Day), A ugust 15 (Assumption of Our Lady), September 24 (La Mercé, Patron Saint of Barcelona), October 12 (El Pilar), November 1 (All Saints' Day), December 6 (Constitution Day), December 8 ( Day of our Lady's Immaculate Conception), December 25 (Christmas Day), December 26 (St. Stephen's Day).