Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia is the second largest city of Spain.

Neolithic remains point to early human inhabitation. The city is said to be founded in the 3d century BC by the father of Hannibal, but this is strongly disputed.

It became a Roman city 1st century BC.

 

Later Visigoths, Moors, Carolingians, Aragonese, Spanish monarchs and Napoleon all had their share in history.

 

During the Spanish Civil War the city was bombed several times by Mussolini's airforce, who sided with facist Franco.

 

Presently Barcelona is thriving and it receives millions of tourists per year.

Main sites are the Montjuic, Gaudi's Casa Milà and his unfinishedSagrada Familia.

 

Do not miss the National Museum, La Rambla and Camp Nou of the champions.

 

We visited Barcelona in 1990 and returned in 2015.