Intensive spanish in Barcelona

Barcelona: One of your options for an intensive Spanish program

Over the past decade, building upon the global media attention generated by the 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona has placed itself firmly on the world’s map of principal tourist destinations. The city has many cultural attractions: a well preserved medieval city centre, the modernist architecture epitomised by Gaudi and his Sacred Family temple (the one that is famously still under construction after more than a century), and museums and galleries which have given the city a reputation for being a hub for modern and avant-garde art. If you are looking as well for a place to brush up your language knowledge, a program of intensive Spanish in Barcelona makes sense.

Language programs in Barcelona have benefited from the city becoming one of Europe’s top short break destinations, on a similar level with Amsterdam, Paris and London. With a population of approximately two million people, the city receives double that number, that is to say, four million foreign visitors each year. These visitors are all potential students who might come back later to participate in a program of intensive Spanish in Barcelona. What other city in Spain can offer a costal location combined with such cultural and entertainment attractions.

Before the Olympic Games, the city was not really considered in costal terms. It had no real beachfront to speak of, as this had been occupied by wharfs and docks since the time of the industrial revolution. Part of the urban regeneration that accompanied the Games sought to reopen the city to the sea, and this has been a definite success. Students on programs of intensive Spanish in Barcelona can now enjoy the several kilometres of beachfront which the city now proudly boasts. The shore front area on either side of the Olympic Port is a great place for an afternoon or evening stroll after a long day of studying on an intensive Spanish course. After taking in the sea air and beach ambience, the restaurants and cafés of the Olympic Port are ideal for quenching thirst, or a quick aperitif before going to dinner.



Intensive spanish in Barcelona

A hop on and hop off city bus tour is probably the best way to get to know the downtown area quickly. If you arrive on the weekend before your program of intensive Spanish in Barcelona starts, such a tour is a great way to get into the swing of things. There are several organisations that offer such tours, both private companies as well as the town hall. Many of the tours take place in two storey buses, with the top deck being open. The three bus routes (red, blue and green) organised by TMB, the Barcelona Metropolitan Transport Authority have a total of more than forty stops at museums, beaches, and interesting city sites. When you purchase a ticket for one of these tours, you will also receive a multilingual guide in six languages which explains the attractions at each stop, as well as a discount voucher book. This is the perfect introduction to the city for anyone following one of the many intensive Spanish language programs on offer.

The city has introduced a new way of moving across town on bicycle. It is called Bicing, and is ideal for getting around each day at the end of your lessons of intensive Spanish in Barcelona. The system started in March 2007 and is made up of over 400 bicycle stations where, after swiping your Bicing card (annual cost of less than 30 euros) you have 30 minutes to return the bicycle to a station close to your destination. The system is very successful and has attracted over one hundred thousand users in its first nine months of use.
Students on intensive Spanish courses in Barcelona should consider the possibilities this system offers over more traditional public transport such as the bus, train or metro.


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