Barcelona - Catalonia
Best known apart from the capital, Barcelona, is of course the Mediterranean coast, Costa Brava, with ample beaches and mild climate, doubtlessly a first rate touristical attraction. Catalonia also has the Pyrenees in the north, the curious formations of Montserrat, the inactive volcanoes of Garrotxa, and a wide plain area in the region's center.
Its capital is Barcelona. 4,906,117 people live in the province (2002), of whom fewer than a third live in the municipality of Barcelona.
Some other cities and towns in Barcelona province include L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Badalona, Cerdanyola, Martorell, Mataró, Granollers, Sabadell, Terrassa, Sitges, Igualada, Vic, Manresa, Berga.
The Capital - Barcelona
A handsome modern city, Barcelona has broad avenues, bustling traffic,
and striking new buildings. The old city, with winding, narrow streets
(Roman walls are still visible), has many historic structures,
including the imposing Cathedral of Santa Eulalia (13th–15th cent.) with its fine cloisters, the Church of Santa María del Mar, the city hall, and the Lonja or exchange. Also notable is the Church of the Sagrada Familia (begun 1882), designed by Antonio Gaudí. Barcelona is the site of the Fine Arts Museum of Catalonia, the Picasso Museum, the Contemporary Art Museum, and a noted opera house.
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