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Venue
Arriving at Barcelona
Arriving by plane:
The Barcelona airport is situated 12 Km from the city. Since summer 2009, the Barcelona airport has a new terminal building, named T1. Due to the renovation works in the old terminal building, named now T2, most of the flights arrive and depart from the new T1 terminal building. However, most of the travel facilities to the city still depart from the old T2 terminal building. There is a shuttle bus connectiong both terminals. Information about this new terminal building can be found at the T1 Barcelona Airport website.
There are several ways to get from the airport to the centre of Barcelona.
- TRAIN: Trains leave from the T2 airport terminal approximately every half an hour (at minutes '29 and '59) and goes to Sants Train Station. There you can take the L3 (green) metro line and stop at the University area (station Palau Reial). The train takes about 20 minutes.
A single ticket costs 2.60e, however, you can also use a T-10 bonus (which costs 7.20e) and allows you to travel 10 times with any public transport in the city (metro, train or tram).
There is an airport shuttle (bus) connecting the T1 with T2 terminal buildings.
- BUS: From the summer of 2009 there are two Aerobus airport buses to Barcelona airport, so before boarding the bus, you need to know which Barcelona airport terminal your flight departs from.
- The A1 Aerobus goes to the new T1 Barcelona airport terminal
- The A2 Aerobus goes to the old T2 Barcelona airport terminals A, B and C.
The journey takes about 40 minutes for A1 and 35 minutes for A2, but it is a good idea to add 15-30 minutes as traffic conditions can vary. Another good tip is that most people board this bus at Plaza Catalunya and the bus can be quite full during peak season, so if you are boarding on a stop nearer the airport a good tip is to be a little early to allow for missing a bus that is full.
A1 Barcelona Airport Bus to Terminal T1 ticket price (2009):
- Single ticket: 5 euros (ticket sales on the bus)
- Return ticket: 8.65 euros (ticket sales on the bus)
[NOTE: Stops at Barcelona airport T1 outside T1 Arrivals (P0) and T1 Departures (P3).]
A2 Barcelona Airport Bus to Terminal T2 ticket price (2009):
- Single ticket: 4.25 euros (ticket sales on the bus)
- Return ticket: 7.30 euros (ticket sales on the bus)
A1 Airport bus departure times from Plaza Catalunya:
- First and last departure from Pl. Catalunya to T1: all week: 05.30 to 00:30
- Last and last departure from T1 Airport to Pl Catalunya: all week: 06.05 to 01.05
A2 Airport bus departure times from Plaza Catalunya:
- First and last departure from Pl. Catalunya to T2: all week: 05.30 to 00:15
- First and last departure from T2 Airport to Pl Catalunya: all week: 06.00 to 01.00
[NOTE: More information about the airport buses can be found, e.g., here.]
If you are staying at the UPC residence, you can stop at Plaça Espanya, Sants Train station or Plaça Catalunya, since from all of them you can link with the L3 (green) line of the metro which brings you to the University area. Among the three stations mentioned, Plaça Espanya is the first stop of the Aerobus and the closer one to the University. Recall that the metro station which is closer to the UPC Campus is the station Palau Reial of the L3 line.
- TAXI: The black and yellow Barcelona taxis can also be found at the airport. They cannot carry more than four passengers. When a taxi is free, a green light will be alight and a LIBRE or LLIURE sign will be visible. A taxi to the Sants station will cost around 20-25euros from T2 and 25-30 euros from T1.
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Arriving by train:
| The main train station is called 'Barcelona Sants'. Its location is centric and is well connected by subway (Sants Estació station, on lines 3 and 5) to any other point of the city. Some trains get to the more exclusive station of 'Barcelona Estació de França', also centrically located. The closest subway station is called Barceloneta (on line 4). For more information, you can contact RENFE, the spanish railroad company. |
Did you know that 73.8% of those living in Barcelona see themselves as walkers more than as drivers? Did you know that 37% of the trips in the city are done by foot? Barcelona is clearly a city to enjoy by foot at any season of the year. Check this website if you plan to walk around the city and/or to the symposium location.
Locate any address in the city in the following website, and check how to go from one place to another in the following website. In general, you will find all kind of information about the city in the website of the city hall.
The size of Barcelona makes it possible to use the bicycle to move around. Check this website if you want to reach the symposium location by bike. |
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
The symposium will take place in the North Campus of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). The Technical University of Catalonia is a public university that specialises in the fields of architecture, engineering, merchant seamanship, economics, health sciences and applied mathematics. UPC was founded in March 1971.
To get to the North Campus, please have a look at the following information:
(have a short virtual tour at UPC) |
Culture and Tourism in Barcelona and Catalonia
The city of Barcelona is slightly over 90 km2 in area, and has a population of 1,700,000 inhabitants. It is the centre of a large metropolitan area which has over three million inhabitants. Over two thousands years old, Barcelona is the capital of the historic nation of Catalonia.
There is not just one Barcelona, but several. The old city (Ciutat Vella) offers the visitor a wide range of routes to follow and reconstruct the history of Barcelona by starting at the Roman walls, moving to the medieval streets of the Gothic Quarter and going to the popular promenade know as La Rambla. From there you can discover the architectural and decorative models of the Modernism, with many works of Antoni Gaudi such as theSagrada Familia.
Barcelona is a city fomous for its cultural tradition. The city has over twenty museums, covering all aspects of art and culture. The best known are the National Museum of Art of Catalonia with one of the major collections of Romanesque and Gothic art, the Museum of Historic Art, the Picasso Museum, the Miró Foundation and the Tàpies Foundation. The Science Museum also presents a wideranging display of scientific and technological advances. The Fòrum de les Cultures recently buit is another cultural target.
Besides some major art show rooms, most musical events take place in three large venues: the Palau de la Música Catalana, a real modernist gem, the Auditorium, and the Gran Teatre del Liceu, which is a leading opera house, reconstructed after its burning. Many stage troupes and actors in Barcelona are the best in Spain, and achieve international acclaim. A glance at the programme of cultural and entertainment events published in the Barcelona daily newspapers is the best way of keeping abreast of what is in the city.
For thousands year Barcelona has had a strong trading tradition. You can buy all kinds of goods in Barcelona. Althought purchasses can be made all over the city, there are certain particular shopping areas such as theAvinguda Diagonal, the whole Eixample, the old town...
More information on Barcelona can be found in the following Web sites:
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Catalonia
Catalonia is a European Mediterranean country. A modern, advanced country, with a strong personality and very attached to custom and tradition.
The Catalonian landscape is very varied. The Pyrenee mountains contrast strongly with the coastal regions, although the pleasant environmental quality is generalised. Catalonia is a very pleasant country to live in. One look at life expectancy figures shows that the Catalans are among the longest living in the world. Their secret is a combination of good environmental conditions, a healthy diet, good health and social services and a life style in which, despite the hard work, one always finds time for leisure.
The Catalans have always placed a high value on work and have distinguished themselves with their capacity for improvisation. This has allowed Catalonia to grow into a solidly structured country, with a well developed civil society and an active work culture.
More information on Catalonia can be found in the following Web sites:
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