Barcelona is well known all around the world for its beauty, gastronomy and superb weather, but did you know some of these facts that may surprise you about the Catalan capital?
1, Barcelona is the only city to ever win a Royal Gold Medal from the Royal Institute of British Architects. Normally, the award would be presented to individuals but Barcelona was given it in 1999.
2, Over 10 Million visitors come to Barcelona every year which makes it the 3rd most visited city in Europe after only Paris and London.
3, The Eiffel Tower was originally planned to be built in Barcelona. However, when the designs were presented to the council they were rejected on the basis that it would destroy the aesthetics of the city.
4, Barcelona has a staggering 22 Michelin star restaurants, furthermore, there are another 33 in the rest of Catalonia.
5, Montjuic Castle helped to determine the length of the meter when it was used as a measuring point alongside Dunkirk, on the south coast of England. French scientists used the 2 points to measure the Meridian Arc back in 1792.
6, The Sagrada Familia has taken longer to build than the Great Pyramids in Egypt despite the use of modern technology. An additional interesting fact is that the Gaudi designed a basilica will eventually measure 170 meters high which is purposely 1 meter lower than Montjuic. The reason for this is that he believed nothing man-made should be higher than God´s own work.
7, Portal de l'Angel is the busiest street in Barcelona, with an average of 3500 people walking down it every hour. This means it has the highest rent in Spain. The average rental price for a shop in 270 euros per square meter!
How many did you know?
