Tour Summary
Highlights
- One of the most visited cities in Europe
- Fantastic weather
- Unique Architecture
- Varied and exquisite gastronomy
- Vibrant city
- Excellent combination- Gastronomy- Architecture-Heritage
It is interesting to speculate what made Barcelona a magnet for
creativity before the likes of Picasso and Gaudi came along. Could it
be its multicultural history fashioned by the Phoenicians, Romans,
Visigoths, Moors, Jews and Christians who came, saw and conquered
leaving behind a legacy of architectural, artistic and culinary wealth?
It is for you to find the answer as you tour this kaleidoscopic city.
The perfect launch pad to the city’s evocative delights is the
Quadrat d’Or, The Golden Square, the heart of the Moderniste movement.
The graceful Paseo de Gracia that runs through its centre, parallel to
Las Ramblas, Europe’s most exciting avenue of shops, cafés and street
vendors. A few steps from your hotel could bring you face to face with
the genius of Gaudi’s Casa Milà; round the corner is the extraordinary
Fundació Tàpies with its wire ‘cloud and chair’ created in 1879. If you
can tear yourself away, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia is a gentle stroll
away. And, in the opposite direction, is the Gothic cathedral (begun
1298) in the Old Town. Amongst its many captivating places to visit
are the Picasso Museum and The Palace of Music, a Moderniste
masterpiece with its breathtaking stained glass dome.
It is a such rich cultural diet, you will appreciate a culinary
interruption. You will be taken to the Boqueria food market as a
prelude to a hands-on cooking class where you will prepare a
four-course dinner. You will also taste some fine Catalan wines with a
commentaries by wine experts.
There is a choice of hotels where the accent is on style,
superior comfort and excellent facilities with easy access to the
principal places of interest. The four-star Condes de Barcelona on the
Paseo de Gracia includes a rooftop swimming pool.
Barcelona is so much more than a city, it is an inspiration
Itinerary
DAY ONE
Your gourmet vacation starts with a private transfer
from Barcelona Airport in our exclusive Mercedes to our selected hotel
in the centre of Barcelona (We have carefully chosen charming and
boutique 4 star design hotels located in historic buildings in Paseo De
Gracia, Gothic Quarter or Ramblas, all of them situated in the heart
of Barcelona).
Our selection of hotels are ideal places to relax and
enjoy a magical ambiance, and taste superb gourmet dishes. Check-in at
our hotel and free time to settle.
Evening free before starting your gourmet-architecture
adventure. We can provide a list of activities to do, places to visit
or restaurants to dine on the first day depending on your arrival time
DAY TWO
After breakfast you will meet your gourmet expert
guide who will take you in the first gastronomy adventure visiting the
famous Boqueria food market, . You will enjoy an incredible contrast
between colours and activity, ideal to discover why Mediterranean
cuisine is internationally known due to its ingredients. Your culinary
expert will guide you to the best booths of fruit, vegetables, meats,
seafood, bread and desserts.
After the market visit your guide will take you through
the winding streets of The Gothic quarter enjoying the Cathedral, a few
churches and squares, explaining the history of Barcelona with its
Roman and medieval past. In this walking gourmet tour you will be
stopping in speciality food shops for tastings of Catalan cheese,
charcuterie, pastries, olives and chocolates.
For lunch you will be taken to some of the numerous
tapas bars to sample some of the specialities of the Spanish cuisine
accompanied by delicious local wines.
In the afternoon you will have a guided walking tour of
the Modernist district enjoying the famous buildings of world renowned
Architect Gaudi, including Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera and Casa Batlló.
DAY THREE
-Following breakfast, you will head to our venue for your first
hands-on cooking class. This cooking workshop consists in cooking a
4-course meal of our traditional cuisine. Every dish is prepared one
after the other, in a successive way, so everybody gets to cook and you
see the whole process for all the recipes prepared. It takes around 2 ½
hours and it is followed by the meal, accompanied by wine and water.
This will be an example of a set menu :
Tomato soup shot flavoured with Idiazabal cheese
Potato omelette with tomato bread
Seafood paella
Catalan cream
In the late afternoon at 18.00 you will assist to our
location for a commented wine tasting, immersing you in a wine
experience right in the centre of Barcelona.
You’ll learn about Spanish wines with four tastings
accompanied by typical snacks in a unique wine shop. The wine tasting
is led by an English and Spanish speaking wine expert, who will share
the history of local wines and its different tastes.
Optional. Flamenco show with dinner.
DAY FOUR
Right after breakfast you will have free time before
your private transfer to the airport in our exclusive car. Depending on
your flight times we suggest to take an excursion to Montserrat from
9.30 to 14.30.
Crossing picturesque provincial villages, we´ll arrive at
the incomparable setting of the Montserrat Mountain, which rises to
1,235 meters in height. We´ll visit the Royal Basilica, were the
Moreneta Virgen is kept, a Romanesque sculpture from the XII Century.
You can also have a relaxing morning at the port visiting
the aquarium, the Mare Magnum centre, strolling along the sea or
have a nibble at the numerous bars and restaurants.
Also you can visit The Spanish Village known as Pueblo
Español, comprised of a wide range of houses, squares and streets from
different villages of the seventeen autonomous regions in Spain,
creating this way an ideal model of all the villages and a unique and
peculiar place.
Another work of the Master Gaudi is Parc Guell, it is a
garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of El
Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, It was designed by Antoni
Gaudí and built in the years 1900 to 1914. It is part of the UNESCO
World Heritage Site "Works of Antoni Gaudí".
We can help you to book the above excursions and many
more like a visit to Montjuic, a Catamaran cruise, a bicycle or
segway and many more, we can book them privately for you or if you
prefer you can join a group.
Accommodation
ACCOMMODATION IN BARCELONA
Hotel CONDES DE BARCELONA
4 STAR SUPERIOR 4 NIGHTS
Location:
This attractive hotel is situated in the tourist
heart of Barcelona, in Paseo de Grácia, the most elegant avenue of the
whole city, right in front of Gaudí’s masterpiece La Pedrera and
within walking distance to all of Barcelona’s major attractions. It is
located in a typical Barcelonan modernist building, declared monument
of interest by the city’s town hall.
A wide range of restaurants, bars, clubs and the best boutiques are located in the immediate vicinity.
General facilities:
The large reception is manned 24 hours a day and the
hotel also has a safe, a currency exchange and lift access. Further
facilities include a piano bar and an à la carte restaurant. Business
guests may take advantage of the conference facilities with Internet
access, WLAN access points, communication possibilities and secretary
and hostess services. Guests can additionally make use of the room and
laundry services, as well as a garage and an open car park.
The rooms:
All the pleasantly furnished rooms comprise of a
private bathroom, hairdryer, direct dial telephone, satellite/ cable
TV, Internet access, a minibar, a double or twin beds and a safe. The
heating can be individually adjusted and the air conditioning is
centrally regulated.
There are two kind of rooms in terms of decoration: classic and contemporary, but both are equipped equally.
Hotel CIUTAT DE BARCELONA
3 STAR SUPERIOR
Location
This brand new comfortable, modern hotel is located
in the heart of the Gothic Area, on the border between the Barrio
Gótico and the Barrio del Borne and guests have extremely easy access
on foot to the many attractions in the area, including the Picasso
Museum (1 minute away), Barcelona Cathedral (2 minutes away), Las
Ramblas (5 minutes away) and Plaza Cataluna (10 minutes from the
hotel.)
The rooms
The rooms are all decorated in a modern style, with
free ADSL Internet connection. Each comes with an en suite bathroom
with hairdryer, as well as a direct dial telephone, a TV, a double bed,
centrally regulated air conditioning, central heating and a safe.
General facilities
Built in 2006, this air-conditioned city hotel has
78 fully equipped rooms. The hotel offers to their guests an internet
and photo-shop corner without additional charge. Water on the room
floors with no charge. Facilities on offer here include an entrance
hall with 24-hour reception, a hotel safe, lift access, and a
restaurant, as well as a magnificent outdoor pool located in the top
terrace
