Before planning your activities in a city to which you are traveling or where you live you have to prepare certain technical and logistical aspects that don’t appear so frequently in the guidebooks. If you travel to Barcelona from the Netherlands there are several aspects of the city and its people you should know beforehand, it will make your life easier! In ShBarcelona we try to help you and make your stay more enjoyable, starting with providing the best apartments in Barcelona to your experience with the inhabitants.
–Moving around by bike: In Barcelona there is a “bike culture”, the city council installed some years ago a public bicycle service for city residents and this has helped to increase the use of that vehicle on the streets of Barcelona. Furthermore, bike lanes have been enabled on many streets and, despite the low respect of motor vehicles and pedestrians to cyclists, this has turn Barcelona into a more civic and ecological city. Bicing, the name of this service, can’t be used by tourists although you spend enough time in Barcelona to get your own card.
–Security: security in the streets of Barcelona, especially in the tourist areas is very high due to police presence, but keep in mind that at night, in some busy streets or in areas with big crowds (the metro, the Rambla, the beach, etc.), there is always the danger of being robbed. Always keep your belongings well protected! If you have any problems go to a police or a “mosso d’Esquadra” (the police force in Catalonia) and they will tell you what to do.
–The Civility in the streets: Barcelona is a city that promotes civility in the streets through City Council campaigns. Although some people think that these actions don’t help in any way, they create an underlying generalized social conscience. People think twice before throwing a cigarette butt in the sand on the beach, before urinating in the street, before crossing the street with the red light, before boarding the subway without paying the ticket, etc. In addition, there are a lot of recycling containers and bins. As in the Netherlands, in Barcelona there is strong awareness of citizenship, you will that notice soon…
–An open-minded city: although the Netherlands has a reputation as a gay-friendly and very open city about the sexual orientation of its inhabitants, quite contrary to Spain, if you take a walk on the Gayxample or enjoy its nightlife, you will realize that there is no such difference. Barcelona and its people have a very open mind in every aspect: your beliefs, your traditions or your sexuality can be expressed and will be respected by others.
–The Food: definitely Spain and Catalonia in particular, are places that stand out for its gastronomy, people in Barcelona are fond of eating out, but they prefer eating healthy and organic food. In the food&drinks section of our blog you will find suggestions for everyone. Check it out!
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