Whereas many couples and honeymooners consider beachy areas as the best place for spending some romantic time, it becomes more and more popular to stay in a cultural capital as well. Barcelona is certainly among the Top10 of European metropoles and gets constantly more famous due to its many beautiful sites and manifold offers. Especially non-European couples and people from Great Britain explore this new opportunity and make their wedding a lifetime memory in the Catalan capital thus, inspiring other couples to follow their footsteps.
Whether being on honeymoon or just spending a romantic weekend in Barcelona, visitors will be amazed by the huge variety of the town. Culturally unique, couples can visit the arquitecture of Gaudi such as the Parc de Güell, the Sagrada Familia or the Casa Milá. Furthermore, they will be amazed by the lovingly decorated buildings in the antique alleys of the district Born or Gothic. Marrying couples will find the cathedral Santa Maria del Mar in the Born district, which is the most beautiful church of Barcelona and which attracts the most weddings of the city. If either the bride or the groom is Catholic, they are allowed to have an official church wedding. In 2005 nearly 150 couples used this opportunity organized by different organizations.
Once in Barcelona there are several ways to spend the time. At night it is certainly recommendable to visit an orchestra at the Palau de la Música. This modernist opera was built in 1905 and hosted the most famous orchestras and festivals since then among them Strauss, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Jose Carreras or Ella Fitzgerald. Furthermore, there is the Gran Teatre del Liceu, which is in the middle of the Rambla. It is the oldest theater of the city and was built in 1847. It went through two major changes after the fires in 1861 and 1994 and holds a current capacity of 2.292 visitors. Last year, 400.000 people visited the theater and could choose between 40 different shows. Some minor theaters offer additional options and complete the manifold possibilities to enjoy a cultural stay.
After having spent a day travelling throughout the city, couples are highly adviced to dine in one of the various restaurants of the city. The Catalan cuisine is marked by mediterranean food like the paella and regional delicacies such as different types of tapas. There are plenty of restaurants and tiny bars and recommendations vary from the upperclass Commerce24 to the cheaper and cosy bars in the old part of the town. Because of the international character of Barcelona, you will also find various national specialties: Asian food ,for instance at the 'Shoko' right at the beach, French cuisine at the 'Quo Vadis' right next to the Teatre Liceu or Italian restaurants such as the 'Little Italy' in the Born district.
Finally, the right accommodation creates a harmonious atmosphere and apartments of different styles, from luxury ones to basic ones, will add their special touch to an unique weekend in Barcelona. Providers such as www.oh-barcelona.com have already experience in hosting short-term travellers and are an ideal alternative to hotels. Couples will have privacy and independence at the same time and combine their togetherness with the Spanish way of life.
