The wine region of Penedes lies south of Barcelona. The area has a world-renown reputation for producing Spanish champagne, known as cava, and superior white wines. Good quality reds also emerge from the region. Its close proximity to the Barcelona apartments and hotels makes Penedes the ideal spot for a wine and cava connoisseur to tour on a day trip.

Cava Winery Cordorniu

The Cava Winery Cordorniu sits in the village of Sant Sadurni D'Noia. The winery dates back to the 16th century. The winery's cellars were built by the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch. The imposing structure has eyecatching architecture and has been declared a National Monument of Historic and Artistic Interest. Tours to the winery usually take approximately eight hours and include a visit to Sitges, which overlooks the sea. Sitges features a picturesque white medieval quarter with winding cobbled streets. Most tours allow an hour or so of personal time to explore Sitges. The full day tours provide lunch at one of the area restaurants.

Torres Winery in Pacs

The Torres Winery in Pacs is a delightful day trip that offers visitors the chance to view the winemaking process up close. The tour of the Torres Winery usually lasts one hour, but the entire trip will take approximately eight hours. Visitors will learn about the wine making process in great detail. The tour will cover the process from vine to bottle. Visitors will also be able to tour the winery's massive cellars. After the tour at the winery, visitors are welcome to sample wine at the special tasting centre.

Jean Leon Estate

The Jean Leon estate was one of the first wineries to create white wines in oak casks. Visitors can learn about the history of the estate and its winemaking process. They can also visit the large visitors centre. Wine tasting is included in the tour. Following the wine tour, most tour companies wrap up the day by visiting the historic town of Sitges.

Wine and cava day trips from Barcelona usually take eight hours to complete, but can run up to nine hours or more. Most tour companies allow two to six people per trip. The tours run year round from January to December. Rates vary, depending on the tour company. Pickups from area hotels or apartments in Barcelona are available. Advance reservations are strongly suggested. Some tour companies require that the day trip must be booked at least seven days in advance.

Many first time visitors with extended stays planned in Barcelona wonder if it is necessary to rent a car when visiting the city, they often ask, “I’m going to be staying in one of many hotels or apartments in Barcelona, what are the options for getting around”.

The city of Barcelona is the second largest in all of Spain, and has an enviable infrastructure that includes trains, trams and railways. The public transportation system is simple and inexpensive to use, and frequented by locals and visitors alike. The busiest and largest train station within the city is the Barcelona Sants railway station, known in the city as the Sants Estació. It is easily the most important transport center not only in the city of Barcelona, but in the entire Catalonia region. The following guide offers a history of the station, routes and amenities for travelers.

 Unlike some of the older train stations found throughout Europe, the Sants Estació is actually rather new. It was built in the 1970s as a way to serve the east-west regional line in the area of Barcelona. It often is compared to an airport design thanks to its very modern design, and it houses most of the train’s platforms underneath the ground. As might be expected with a rapidly growing transport hub, changes and renovations are frequently being made, with plans to undergo some serious renovation and rebuilding in the coming years.

 The primary uses for the Sants Estació is the high speed and long distance trains that arrive and depart in the area frequently. Five major lines head through the railway station heading to various destinations around Spain, as well as nearby European countries like France. The most popular destination for long distance travel is the 2 and a half hour journey to Madrid on the AVE Madrid-Barcelona High-Speed Rail Line. The TGV rail line also operates for those journeys leading into France.

For internal travel around the city, the Barcelona Sants Railway Station also plays a role. It is home to two metro stations, operating on the local line 3 and 5. Metro line 3 brings travelers from the Sants Estació to the Zona Universitària, and the metro line 5 heads in the direction of Collblanc and Diagonal.

Facilities at the Barcelona Sants Railway Station are plentiful and high quality. The entire facility is equipped to deal with handicapped access for travelers. You’ll find all the standard amenities for travelers, including ATMs, a tourism office, a pharmacy, telephone, luggage storage and a police station. There is a local cafe, a traditional restaurant and an international fast food restaurant for hungry passengers. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays there is even a traditional art fair held in the station as a fun way to pass time or pick up some traditional souvenirs.

Travelers to and from the city will find easy access to the many hotel and Barcelona apartments via the station and connecting metro lines. Passengers arriving late at night or with early morning departures can appreciate the Hotel Sants offering affordable rooms right in the train station.

Founded 2200 years ago by the Carthaginians, Barcelona has marched through time as a city that has been besieged by numerous cultures of the ancient world. The Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Visigoths and the Muslims engaged in sacking and celebrating in this city of wine and festival. Throughout the Middle Ages and into modern times, this second largest city in Spain, which occupies a fertile plain between the mountains and the sea, has been revered as a realm of art and extraordinary architecture.

Today, this high-energy port has an exciting reputation as a sea city of marvelous gastronomy and stimulating night clubs. Finding a hotel or apartments in Barcelona will not be a problem, with many price ranges to suit all budgets, travelers will be able to afford and enjoy all the nightlife the city has to offer.

Catalan Cuisine Magnifico

The classic Catalan cuisine of Barcelona is typified by food combinations that aren’t generally seen in other countries. Beef and fish are integrated in the same dish, a wide variety of nuts are utilized in sauces and poultry is cooked with a range of fruits. The diverse culinary cultures have worked gastronomic alchemy over the centuries to make these opposites blend into unique dining experiences.

Via Veneto creates a wide range of regional delicacies that incorporate very authentic recipes from centuries past. The restaurant itself radiates an aura of another century when sumptuous spanish dishes were created to be slowly savored.

The great Spanish institution of paella can most exquisitely be experienced at Can Majo, which is right on the ocean. This beloved restaurant also creates a noodle based fideusa. Comerc 24 is touted as being the quintessential example of nouvelle Catalan cuisine. The chief, Carles Abellan, is widely noted as a flamboyant innovator of modern Catalan dishes.

Els Pescadors is reputed to serve the absolute freshest sea food in Barcelona. The menu is always filled with fish that have been caught that very day, never the day before.

For the Spanish traditionalist, the ideal restaurant is 7 Portes. With its turn of the twentieth century atmosphere and remarkably savory meat and fish entrees, the 7 Portes is a gastronomic institution with the discriminating natives of Barcelona.

Night Clubs Fantastico

Night clubbing in Barcelona frequently becomes a nocturnal adventure that extends to the crack of dawn. Club Apolo/Nitsa is a prime example of these night stalker clubs. This red hot club rocks the roof off all night with a techno focus

Octopussy is an outdoor venue on the waterfront, and it has become extraordinarily popular. Patrons are expected to be well-dressed to experience the diverse music under the stars of Barcelona.

Partyular is an unique club that is set in a mansion on a hill in the Tibidabo area. It is a quite trendy all night affair.

A club that integrates the ancient and the modern is Torres de Avila. It is located in the medieval district of Avila, but it resonates with the hippest techno music.

The most popular club with many club goers is La Terrazza. Replete with a striking terrace and huge patio dance floor, La Terrazza captures the quintessence of Barcelona night life, which can be wild and diverse but is always entertaining.

So find a Barcelona accommodation to match your budget and lose yourself in the stellar nightlife to be found throughout the city.

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