1. The name Barça is frequently used by tourists when referring to the city, however this name only refers to FC Barcelona, as far as the locals are concerned. The correct nickname for the city by the locals and residents is actually Barna.
3. Despite having been voted “Best Beach City” by National Geographic last year, there were actually no beaches in the city before the Olympics in 1992. The large, sandy coastline we know today has been constructed manually with sand imported from Egypt.
5. The death of the city’s most famous architect Gaudí was actually a result of a freak accident. While on the way to church he was hit by a tram, and lost consciousness. He carried no ID, and wore shabby clothes, leaving onlookers to presume he was homeless, and therefore did not receive immediate medical care. A policeman eventually took him to hospital in a taxi, however he died two days laters. He was only recognized after his death.
6. Gaudí was not the original architect of the Sagrada Família. Francisco de Paula del Villar was first commissioned to construct the building, however he retired from the job early. The responsibility was then passed over to Antonio Gaudí, who subsequently changed the plans completely, creating the masterpiece we see today.
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8. The city center is home to the busiest pedestrian street in the whole country. The shopper’s haven Portal de l’Àngel sees an average of 150,000 people walking down it daily!
10. Barcelona has been featured in various music videos. Kylie Minogue’s raunchy video for her song Slow was entirely filmed in the swimming pool on Montjuïc mountain, and Justin Timberlake can be seen jumping from balcony to balcony of the Hotel Majestic on Passeig de Gràcia in his Sexy Back video.
So there you have it, 10 things that you probably didn’t know about Barcelona! Hopefully you’ll be able to impress your friends when you’re next in town!