Spain Trip #9: Barcelona Bike Tour: Port Vell and Barcelonta

Port Vell

In today's blog you'll learn about Barcelona's Port Vell and Barceloneta.  When we were on the bike tour, temperatures were in the mid-60s, so it wasn't a beach day! 


WHAT IS PORT VELL - Port Vell is a waterfront harbor in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and part of the Port of Barcelona. When we saw it, it reminded us of Annapolis, Maryland. 
   It was built as part of an urban renewal program prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Before this, it was a run-down area of empty warehouses, railroad yards, and factories. 16 million people visit the complex each year .It is now a focal point of the city and tourist attraction, containing the Maremàgnum (a mall containing shops, a multiplex cinema, bars and restaurants),

Dan, David  and Bruce listening to Marit

WHAT IS BARCELONETA?  It's a fisherman's village built in the 1800s on landfill around one part of Port Vell. Barcelonetta is known for it's "cuarts de casa" or "one-quarter sized houses." Each house has about 28 meters squared in space. Because they are close to the port, and accessible to downtown Barcelona, Marit told us that some of them lease for 500 Euros a week!  

UPDATED - The 1992 Olympic Games led to a major clean up of the seafront and, since then, the old neighborhood has gained beaches, sports complexes and renowned restaurants.

WHAT'S ODD ABOUT THE HOUSES? All of the original homes were one story. Additional stories were built a top them to create apartments. We learned that many of them are rented out as "Air B&B" apartments for ridiculous amounts of money and the people that live there are not happy with all the week to week tenants! 

Barcelonetta on a beach day (Cr; barcelonaturisme.com)

NEXT: The Olympic Marc and his "Twin" and Barcelona's Venice Beach