The Barcelona Summer Festival, popularly known as the Grec Festival, is the most important cultural event in the city during the summer months.

But, why "Grec"? And why is the festival's symbol a faun? "Grec" has been the trademark of the festival since back in 1976 when, during the period of transition towards democracy, a group of actors, directors, writers and technicians, took the Greek amphitheatre on Mount Montjuic as the scene of an enthusiastic initiative aimed at making of their professional aspirations a reality.

This initiative led to the organisation of a theatre festival made up of four large productions and a season of smaller shows of all kinds which acted as a catalyst for the growing energy of a sector which was fast becoming consolidated and conscious of its importance within the ailing theatre scene of the time.

The success of the undertaking encouraged the members of the profession involved to continue it each year until 1979, when the now-democratic city authorities took over the organisation of an event which is now one of the most deeply-rooted traditions of summer in Barcelona.

The Mediterranean, the atmosphere of the city and the character of its people make Barcelona a vibrant and happy place which is both magical and mysterious. Barcelona has so many things to see and do that you won't have time to be bored during your stay.

There's the waterside leisure and shopping complex at the Port Vell -Maremágnum-, which has the biggest aquarium in Europe and an IMAX cinema; the top of Tibidabo (520 m.) from where you can go up the Collserola Tower and enjoy a magnificent view of Barcelona from its observation deck; the Zoo, where you can see Snowflake, the world's only white gorilla; and the Poble Espanyol on Montjuic, which brings together magnificent examples of Spanish architecture.

Riding displays in summer, Flamenco shows...let yourself be captivated by the charms of an open city, a city you can experience to the full both day and night: opera, jazz, salsa, theatre, design bars, discotheques... you'll be pushed for time to fit them all in.

Barcelona's range of shops makes it a shopping city of international standing. In Barcelona, traditional establishments, which date back hundreds of years and are housed in beautiful buildings in the Gothic Quarter or modernist Eixample, coexist with recently built shopping arcades, where you can buy the latest fashions; long-established department stores, which sell the most characteristic design products made in Barcelona; specialised shops; franchise chains; leading international names; and shopping centres.

Wandering around Barcelona's streets and browsing in its shops is, without a doubt, an unforgettable experience. The wide pavements and pedestrianised precincts are perfect for a quiet stroll. As you turn a corner you might come across a modernist chemist's shop or an innovative window display. There is always a surprise in store.

The city has plotted out a route for this wealth of shops: the remarkable, five-kilometre-long Barcelona Shopping Line. The route makes it possible to visit Barcelona's main shops, which are an integral part of its urban fabric, and, at the same time, walk around places of great interest to tourists. The Shopping Line links up the city's different shopping areas which have evolved naturally during its history, and enables people to get from one to another on foot: the Port Vell, La Rambla, the historical centre, the Gothic Quarter, the Pl. de Catalunya, the Eixample (Rbla. de Catalunya and Pg. de Gracia), the main thoroughfare of the Av. Diagonal and the new business and shopping district of the Av. Diagonal.

During your visit to the city, in order to find out about the shops on the Shopping Line, we recommend the Barcelona Shopping Guide which features a comprehensive selection of the best shops on the Shopping Line. It is on sale at the best bookstores in the city and at the BCN Original shops.

Visitors to Barcelona can also use the buses on the special Tombbus service, which can be identified by the sticker Barcelona Shopping City. They operate along the Shopping Line from Pl. de Catalunya to El Corte Inglés-Av. Diagonal and back again.

To sum up, we can say that Barcelona has a range of shops which can be gauged in terms of quantity and quality. They provide a high level of service and customer attention at very competitive prices, making Barcelona an extremely attractive shopping city which is ready to deal with the most stringent demands.

Getting around Barcelona and discovering all its charms is easy because its metro and bus network serves nearly the whole city. You will easily get your bearings, as Barcelona is bounded by the sea and the mountains. The city's Eixample district is also easy to find your way around.

The ring-roads, known as the Rondes, make it quicker and easier to enter and leave Barcelona. They are served by the two main arteries which run through the city: the Av. Diagonal and Gran Via.

Barcelona currently has five metro lines covering a total of 79.1 kilometres and passing through 111 stations. It also has a city railway network, run by the autonomous government, the Generalitat de Catalunya, which supplements the metro network. A fleet of 873 buses connects all the city's districts. There are a number of travel passes which can be used on public transport (metro, city railway and buses). These are valid for 1, 3 or 5 days; com també la Barcelona Card, que ofereix transport públic gratuït durant 24, 48 o 72 hores a més d'importants descomptes en 70 establiments de la ciutat. These are valid for 1, 3 or 5 days; as is the Barcelona Card, which offers free travel on public transport for 24, 48 or 72 hours, as well as important discounts at 70 of the city's attractions, restaurants and shops.

Barcelona has a fleet of 11,000 taxis which can be easily identified by their yellow and black livery. A green light on top of the taxi indicates its availability. You can take a taxi from any of city's numerous ranks and if you want to hail one in the street, just put out your hand when you see one approaching. There are a number of telephone taxi services. Many taxis accept payment by credit card.

The city also has unique forms of transport which provide a number of specific services.

More information about Barcelona