Barcelona is located on the north-east of Spain on the Mediterranean coast of Catalonia. This is the second largest city in the country. Its population (with suburbs) - about five million people. According to everyone who has ever visited here, this is one of the most beautiful and cozy corners of the earth, which is likely associated with the south of France than with a typical Spanish Seville or Madrid. This ancient settlement (he more than 2000 years) we can find monuments of the Roman period and medieval Gothic. However, all that most accurately reflects the nature of Barcelona, built in the last 100 years. The capital of Catalonia is a center of Art Nouveau architecture, which is largely associated with the name of the genius of Antonio Gaudi. And of course, is the most cosmopolitan and economically active city in the country, following the latest trends, and sometimes ahead of them. Complex history is generally accepted that the Carthaginians founded a settlement, and even the great Hannibal gave him the name Barsino - in honor of his father Hamilcar Barca. To protect against attacks of the barbarian city was surrounded by a fortified wall, but it degraded the Roman Empire gave way to domination over him the King of the Visigoths Ataulfu. Later, in 716, Barcelona, captured by Arabs. Their reign ended in 801, when the city released the king Louis the Pious, son of the famous Charlemagne. Incidentally, it is against the Arabs (Moors), and was born so characteristic barselontsev desire independence. Then came the heyday of Barcelona, where she became the richest city in the Mediterranean. Only in 1717 Catalonia became part of Spain, King Philip V of Bourbon, struggling with any signs of separatism, banned the Catalan language. It took nearly three centuries, and in 1992 the world is once again talking about Catalonia: the success of the Olympic Games held in Barcelona, the capital has brought her fame and sports shows all the economic power of the Spanish province. It was the high point of Barcelona. Metropolis carefully prepared: on the Mediterranean coast have been built the Olympic Port and Olympic Village, and citizens have a new resort area with beautiful beaches and seaside restaurants. Olympics new buildings designed by the best architects, have radically changed the orientation of the city, expanding his face to the sea. After all, Barcelona is located in the valley has always been unusual seaside town: its streets are not running down to the shore, on the contrary, it is all the towers and terraces, as if stretched upward, climbing the high hills of Montjuïc and Tibidabo. The main attractions Who has not seen (at least in the photo) famous Cathedral Sagrada Familia (Holy Family)! Its construction began in 1883, architect Francisco de Villar, and in 1891 he continued the great Antonio Gaudi. This unique structure was to be the temple of the new century. The brilliant architect until his death was engaged in construction, considering it the main business of his biography. After the death of Gaudí in 1926 the temple was never completed (only one built a new facade with a few strange modernist sculptures). Barcelona is rightly called the city of Gaudi. Here is a majority of the works of Catalan master: lights in the Plaza Real (Royal Square), home of Mila, or La Pedrera ("Quarry"), Battle House ("House of bones"), Park Guell, where now stands the house-museum of Gaudi. These creations are included in the List of World Heritage Sites. Any other city would have sufficed with a vengeance. But in Barcelona there is the Gothic Quarter Barrio Gothic with a network of narrow streets and magnificent cathedral, the famous La Rambla - the street character, Boulevard about two kilometers in length with a large pedestrian area in the middle, where they were based artists, musicians, mimes, bird sellers and books; Montjuic mountain, where for the World Expo 1929 has been constructed "Spanish Village" (Pueblo Espanyol) - open-air museum, a model of a typical architecture of the various Spanish provinces; Mount Tibidabo amusement park with a delightful, well-known throughout Europe, and the temple of the Sagrada Corazon (Sacred Heart ), topped with a statue of Christ, one of the world's finest opera and ballet El Liceo, the majestic Plaza Catalunya, the Picasso Museum, 60-foot tower, topped by a statue of the great navigator Christopher Columbus, an aquarium with sharks, singing fountains in Piazza di Spagna and much more . Diagonal Avenue A bird's-eye city looks like a checkerboard. It consists of small square blocks with cut corners, separated by narrow streets. This layout has remained ever since the Roman domination. For ease of movement megalopolis is cut strictly diagonally from northwest to southeast, one of the longest (about ten kilometers) and most beautiful of its streets, which is called - Avenida Diagonal. This is the main transport artery of the city, cleaving it into two almost equal parts. Eight lanes on a daily basis, it skips over 150 thousand cars. On top of Diagonal - one of the areas of business where there are tall buildings, including the tower, "Bank of the Catalan", a giant shopping center, campus, major sports complexes. Underground Barcelona According to Chief Architect Professor Jose Acebillo Marina Barcelona - "much more than beautiful composition well-designed homes. This is a complex organism, very expensive venture. " The basis of the current concept of metropolis - the spread of the ground. If previously the city grew in breadth (west), it is now growing and deep - in the literal sense of the word. Modern Barcelona - it's multi-storey underground parking and pedestrian crossings, underground storeys of shops, railway stations and railway line, finally, of the six metro lines with a total length of 55 km (number of stations - 77, the number of passengers every day - about 7 million people). In this way, the city continues to grow, is struggling with congestion and prepare for the demographic explosion. Prices for real estate apartments in Barcelona, of course, not as expensive as London or New York, but their cost is growing very quickly. In 2006, the average annual increase was recorded in 12.8% of Catalonia, in Barcelona - 13.2%. Now you can buy housing at prices ranging from 3000 to 7000 Euro per 1 sq. km. m. In particular, the flat area of 48 square meters. m selling for 201,328 euros, to 4194 Euro per 1 sq. km. m, flat area of 75 square meters. m - for 237 385 euro (3165 euro per 1 sq. km. m). For the very good "kopeck piece," an area of 50 square meters. m in the center are asked to 269 800 euro (5396 euro per 1 sq. km. m), and a two-story five-room apartment of 500 square meters. m - 3.648 million Euro (7296 Euro per 1 sq. km. m). On the other hand, in prime locations (this includes, for example, Pedralbes, located in the southern part of Avenida Diagonal) the cost of good apartments starts from 8000-9000 EUR per 1 sq. km. m, and the houses are sold at an average of 10 000 euro per 1 sq. km. m. The most expensive street is Barcelona - Passeig de Gracia - housing prices have already exceeded the mark of 18 000 euro per 1 sq. km. m. (Note that for this money you can buy a decent villa with land and swimming pool, standing on the beach.) Issue of Barcelona, as in many other cities, is that free land there is simply no buildings and is in the suburbs . On the outskirts is worth noting a few large estates, in particular, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Badalona, Santa Coloma de Gramanet. Since 1995 there was registered a record average annual growth in property prices - more than 10%. The peak price increase occurred in the period from 1998 to 2002, which, according to experts, has been associated with the entry of Spain into the European Union and the transition to payments in euros. New on the outskirts of Barcelona in recent years are the most profitable type of investment in Catalonia. Large construction companies to purchase land acres vacant lots and old slums, in a matter of months, raising it a prestigious complex of luxury. The most typical example of such a mass of construction - the new Diagonal Mar district. This project - a dream come true architects of the junction of Central Avenue Diagonal from the sea. Now Diagonal Mar - a place for living, shopping, walking and just for fun. The area is located in a natural park, directly opposite the sea. There are already built the largest shopping center in Barcelona, where there are 18 movie theaters, entertainment and leisure, supermarket, many restaurants and cafes on the open terraces. A number of high-rise towers on the sea front completes the architectural design of the luxury and modern apartment complex. Luxury apartments with sea views are more than 1.0 million euros. Simpler options are evaluated a little cheaper. In particular, for a flat residential area of 110 square meters. m (three bedrooms, two bathrooms, terrace 6 square. m) on the fourth floor of a 12-storey building are asked to 0.805 million euros. Apartments at 200 m from the sea pass for 70-80 euro per day (minimum of three days). Closer to the sea area of 95 sq m apartment. m offer for 140 euros a day, 850 per week 2,500 per month. Source: Property and Prices, by Sergei Nechayev
No comments:
Post a Comment