Apple Store Barcelona entrance

 A grand doorway with a simple logo leads you into The Barcelona Apple Store which follows many of the design conventions of Apple Stores around the World. The store has three separate storeys, each joined by Steve Jobs patented glass staircase.

Ipads, Iphone, Macbook and more in Store

On the ground floor of the Apple Store, is the iPhone and iPad displays, laid out with plenty of space and with plenty of chance for people to have a “hands on” Apple experience. The other half of the floor is taken up by various models of MacBooks. A back drop of illuminated boards display different product helps to remind you, as if you would need it that you are in the Apple Store in Barcelona.

Looking down on the iphones and ipads in the Apple Store Barcelona

We can only imagine how this place will look like when Apple introduces its new iPhone 5! The iphone 5  launch date (release date) by Apple of 12th September 2012 has now passed.  We now know some if the new features of the iphone 5 include a new iSight camera with a low light mode and a panarama function.   The phone is twice as fast as the iphone 4.  Yes, we expect queues  at the Barcelona Apple Store at the release date in Spain of 28th September 2012.  The launch will mean that this will be the new place for luxury shopping in Barcelona

This new store opening is notable for a few reasons. One for its amazing location. Second for its unique Apple logo and banner, which was heavily noted last week by the media, and, third, because it is predicted to be one of Apple’s largest European-based retail locations. But for me one of THE most interesting things is that we counted nearly ONE HUNDRED staff on hand to help you with the products.

We, from our side, will be happy to provide you with nice self-catering holiday apartments close to Plaça Catalunya and this new Apple Store!

You can read more about shopping in Barcelona.

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15 things you must know        Family vacations..         Montserrat

This is the theme of our latest project. Not so long ago the team at Barcelona Flats have done a throughout research and published an eBook, an accumulation of people’s experiences in Barcelona. Next step in this grand project was to interact directly with the tourists that are now seeing the city. During one week we went out and about, talking to people and admiring Barcelona. We covered it all, from the busy Las Ramblas, too crowded for conversations to the Magic Fountains and narrow streets in the Gothic distric, where people are more likely to chat and even ask you for directions.

We talked with people from all over the world, some who do not speak English but it did not come as a surprise as English is not the most common language. Some were happy to share their thoughts on camera, others were shy, but left us with a smile and a “good luck with your project”. The overall impression is that people admire the architecture, the sports and come to this famous city to relax on the beach. They visited Barcelona more than once and keep coming back because it is too wonderful to stay away from it. Last but not least, we ask you, our readers, what do you like about Barcelona?

You might also like…

Magic Fountains        Barcelona eBook Guide         Montserrat

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Summer is a symbol of enjoyment, freedom and light. Children have fun on their longest holiday of the year, adults plan their annual leave, we all want to exchange our worries and daily chores for the warm sun, parties and lazy days.

And how better to celebrate this season of parties, if not through a party? San Juan, or the Night of Fire commemorates the summer solstice. It is the perfect time to experience Barcelona and take part in the many, many fiestas happening on the night of 23rd of June, everywhere in the city!

The festival dates back a long time. Summer solstice has its roots in pagan times, when the change of surrounding nature was the only measurement of the passing time.  The night of 23rd June has rituals concerning the elements of life. Fire – expect a bright night! Bonfires and fireworks lighting up the Barcelona beaches and streets (watch San Juan Fireworks). By burning wood, one will burn away bad luck, says the ritual.  Apparently the recipe for a “happily ever after” life is to jump over a fire, holding your loved one’s hand, 7 times. Keep in mind, fire is enough of a hazard to add syncronizing a jump with another person..and then do it 7 times…at a party! Please leave it to the experts!

There is another way of celebrating fire through taking part in “Flama del Canigò” which basically means carrying a flame around the city.

As there is no Ying without Yang, there is no fire withouth water, another sin purificator. If you are on the beach that night, you will notice an abundance of people taking a swim. It is the perfect time to go for a dip as the powers of the water are multiplied that night. Again, be careful combining swimming with partying.

Another ritual concerns herbs. “The herbs of Sant Joan retain their virtues all year round’ – people often collect herbs to eat on the day of San Juan. Legend has it that their healing powers are enhanced one hundred times during these 24 hours.

As the 24th is Midsummer’s Day, it brings good luck to see the sun rising that day. It is also a great excuse for partying throughout the night. Last but not least, and our favourite San Juan custom, food! A long bread filled with tasty, sweet ingredients is the most popular Catalan dessert of San Juan.

On this fiesta night everyone is having fun, and indeed Barcelona is the place to be!

Like Spanish Fiestas?        Barcelona eBook Guide         Get into Festa Major

Of course Barcelona is one of the best shopping city in Europe and of course you want to come back from your stay with some great discoveries, Barcelona fashion and souvenir. So you have lot of choice, you can stroll in Rambla for souvenirs, get into the streets of Born for designer shops and around Plaça Catalunya for mainstream store which still are unique in Barcelona with impressive settings. (We will tell you everything about Shopping in Barcelona in our new eBook: Barcelona Insights.) But maybe you would prefere to really bring with you a bite of Barcelona?

Do you know about Mercadillos? they are markets set in the streets where you can find everything from fresh food to clothes passing through body products. It is a nice and cheap way to make your everyday shopping outdoor. There are 21 around the city. The most famous one is Mercadillo de la Zona Franca every Sunday beside Montjuic at Carrer del Ferro. Another kind of markets are the Rastros with second hand poducts, this is the one that may interest you much. There, locals set up their stands and sell the things they don’t use any more. In the middle you can find some little treasors like vintage clothes, jewellry and accessories, some old fashion equipments or even art pieces. There are 10 rastros in the city. One of them is situated in Ronda de Sant Antoni just next to the Raval. It is a nice area with lot of Bars, Bakeries and there is the famous Moritz Factory. It is hold every sunday morning from 8:30 to 14:30.With the good weather of Spring and Summer it is such a good way to make shopping.

Another market that we would like to talk you about is quite original since it is organized by a jazz bar: Tres Gardenias. The DELICATED JUNK is situated in Plaça Catalunya from 13:00 to 18:00 and is a second hand market with clothes, shoes, books, discs, and any glamour thing that people would bring for selling. What makes it special is that the rastro is combined with great music, tapas and drink! Indeed, you will enjoy Vermú+pincho for 1,50€. You will experience a warm atmosphere besides the locals and be able to interact with them at the same time you buy some nice typical things you like. Do you know a better way to catch and bring a bite of Barcelona with you?

You have already been in Barcelona before. You know that you still have a lot to discover and you can’t wait to comeback, but not doing the same touristic tours as always… what about Creative tourism? Barcelona is a moving, cultural, artistic city. It makes its visitors feel creative and open minded and give them lot of opportunities to express their art.

Want to practice Tango?

In the Tango school el Desbande de Barcelona you can enjoy open lessons with Carmen María Hergos every wednesday from 21.30 to 22.30. No need to be a couple or to have any previous practice to come. After the lesson and untill 01.00 am you will have the opportunity to dance and improve your movements and technique in a familiar atmosphere. You will spend a tremendous night for only 6€. Contact Carlos for more details.

Look for Gastronomy Workshop?

The Woki Organic Market is a new concept mixing restaurant, take away and market, all organic. They organize regularly thematic workshops like local wines and cava tasting, ethical coffees, organic bakery, etc. You will so have some expert insights, experience the products and methods yourself and finaly savour high quality dishes in a very warm atmosphere. workshops use to be in spanish (castellano) so even is it is no need to speak spanish to experience amazing products, some basics are great to undertsand the real added value which is the expert insights and tailored advices. You can see the programmation in the event section of the Woki Organic Market Facebook page.

Tread grapes on a Wine and Cava Tour and Tasting

The area around Barcelona is where most of the Spanish sparkling wine called Cava is produced.  If you haven´t yet tried it, do.  It is slightly lighter than Champagne which makes it even more enjoyable and it is only a fraction of the cost.  The region around Barcelona is also a large wine producing region.  One of the best areas is Penédes and at the heart of this area is a small town which is dedicated to making Cava.  The town Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, is the home of Freixenet, who have been making Cava since 1861.

Guided Tour and Tasting of Wine and Cava including Freixenet Cava Tasting

Want to make the most amazing Photos of your Barcelona Stay?

EBooks are a brilliant

invention!

An eBook is a book in electronic format which you download to your computer and read on your screen. It can include a table of contents, pictures and graphics just like a physical book.

All you have to do is to search for the book you want on the internet and purchase it online. Afterwards you will either be directed to a downloading page or receive the download link in an email.

Then you save it in a folder of your choice, and then, that’s it! – it is yours permanently to read whenever you wish and it does not require internet access.

The advantage of an eBook is that it is portable and it does not take up storage space. You can have hundreds of books stored on your computer, USB, CD, Smart Phone or whatever you prefer.

You can buy a book in just a few minutes without leaving you chair, and you can buy one every hour of the day! Also, eBooks are cheaper and some of them are even free!

EBooks are also a great way for new authors to spread their work in an easy, cheap and environmental way!

It is also a perfect way of getting information about almost everything.

There are thousands of eBooks of  “how to” and the advantage here is, eBooks can contain links and videos and often you can just press the table of content and get straight to the page you need.

If you prefer to have a physical book it is easily printable and you can resize both the text and the pages to whatever size you prefer.

Some eBooks can even be transformed into audio books. Meaning that if you suffer from blindness or cannot read you can still have the experience of listening to a good book without having to purchase a tape and a tape-recorder.

EBooks are available to everyone who has some kind of Wifi. If you live in a small country house out of the city you can easily get access to the newest book by your favourite author, or if you are going on vacation you do not need to carry books in your suitcase, you can just download the ones you feel like reading at that specific time.

There are so many advantages of eBooks which is why we would like you to help us make one!

We are making an eBook on the hidden treasures of Barcelona. We are going to include subjects such as shopping, food, nature, museums, culture, small streets, beautiful places and everything there is to know about Barcelona.

Our aim is to make a guide which is not just about the usual and typical tourist attractions in Barcelona. And, one which you can download whenever you want and even print-out!

Which is why, we would love you to tell us about one of your favourite things and places in Barcelona.

How?  We will ask a question on Facebook every week and we would like you to answer! The 3 most popular answers will be included in the eBook and the 3 people who supplied these will each be named as a co-writer of the eBook.

We want to make a unique and personalized Barcelona Guide made up of the favourite experiences and choices of us and you!

If you would like to contribute by telling us your favorites of Barcelona press here!

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Try Easter in Barcelona         Hidden Gem in Borne, the story unfolds          Travel El Prat airport

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We were at the MWC 2012

The team of Barcelona Flats was at the MWC 2012 during all last week.

We enjoyed meeting people from all over the world during their participation at the MWC. It was funny to observe all kinds of cultures and interactions and then presenting our campaign to them!

We offered them stickers, on which they could write and then take back home for a person, who they might want to bring back to Barcelona for a holiday. Some people were totally charmed by our initiative, while others were wondering what and why.  Also, the sticker contained a QR code, which people could scan, if they had the QR-scanning App on their phones (same case in our own team).

English people in particular enjoyed the campaign. They are used to seeing street marketing and generally like this kind of interaction. Other nationalities were more surprised…we hope in a good way!

On Wednesday we unfortunately ran into to what seemed to be a civil war with a helicopter covering the area, tens of police vans and the main street blocked. But it was just an ill-timed demonstration from students. Fortunately the sun was shining and it just give us a break from the busy afternoon. You can be perfectly safe in the city of Barcelona, as the police are very efficient!

We received lots of feedback about peoples stays in either apartments or hotels, and we will take this into account, to continuously improve our own service.

We were also able to give them some tips about where to go to have a good meal or to spend a relaxing evening, where to go to shopping, what to see in Montjuic (which is just behind the Congress) and how to get into all these places. We always love to be helpful with people and help them enjoy their stay.

Finally, we are happy to be in touch with lots of business people coming toBarcelona and to keep in contact with them through Facebook.

The competition of the MWC campaign was to win 3 Free Nights in one of our amazing apartments and the race is still on until the 7th March mid-day. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity!

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                        Afterwork parties BCN           De Cajón Flamenco Festival                Moritz Factory

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Sport in Barcelona

Sport in Barcelona is like a religion. The football culture especially is something which gets imprinted in early childhood, surrounding one with various opportunities for football summer camps etc.

It is an important part of the famous social culture of Spain. Whether they watch the Sunday night fixtures in the living room or go out for a beer and tapas with their friends, it is a very treasured tradition and a gathering point for the whole country no matter what region, class, gender or age.

Even though football is Spain’s national sport and easily the country’s most important participant and spectator sport, there are lots of other sports participated in and valued in the country and inparticular in Barcelona

In fact, the Barcelona calendar is stuffed with sports events.

Here is a draft of what’s coming up during the next month:

From the 16^th till the 19^th of February 2012 there is Copa del Rey de baloncesto Which is a 3 day event were the Spanish Top Basketball finals are played. For tickets click here. It will be held in Palau Sant Jordi were we have just the right accomondation close by.

On the 19^th of February at 21:30 you have Barcelona-Valencia playing at Camp Nou stadium in BCN which will create an absolutely amazing atmosphere.  A lot is at stake as Barcelona FC is in 2^{nd place}  and Valencia in 3^rd in La Liga.  Tickets are still available.  Actually, we have a brand new apartment available in this area!

From the 21^st of February until the 4^th of March there is Formula One pre-season test days for the new F1 season where the participants will get to know the new cars and drivers. It takes place at Circuit de Catalunya where you can get guided tours AND the tickets are on sale now.

On the 25th of February the FIS Speed Skiing World Cup 2012 – Grau Roig takes off and goes on for two days. Grau Roig and Grandvalira ski resort,  in Andorra near Barcelona, hosts a 1 km Speed Skiing event on the 25th and 26th of February which welcomes 60 racers from 12 countries who will race on the Les Antenes slope.
On the 7^th of March we have Champions league featuring                                            Barcelona FC vs Leverkusen at Camp Nou BCN ! For tickets, click here

Conclusively the World of Sports in Barcelona is high right now. Check out the FCB calendar for more matches.

BUT it’s not only sports events which are on in Barcelona. 

The wonderful Disney on Ice is coming to Barcelona on the 1^st of March AND Festa de Sant Medir “the Sweetest Festival” where there is 100 tons of sweets that are given away every year during the colourful Sant Medir parade 2012 on the 3^rd of March.

There are lots of reasons to go to Barcelona and experience the beautiful fall and the sun warming the checks.  Also, it’s due to the fact that Barcelona Flats have apartments close to all the events! 

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Moritz Factory          La Sagrada Familia     Getting around Barcelona

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Today, 27th January, is the start of  this year’s Barcelona Opportunity Week (BCNOW!). Originally, it started out as “Barcelona Restaurant Week” but it has now grown into offering other great discounts for the next 10 days, as well as at some of  the city’s top restaurants. Included now are great discounts for Barcelona hotels, flights with Spanair, cultural attractions visits, market produce,  flowers etc.  A proportion of all proceeds from these offers will be donated  to various charities during the Barcelona Opportunity Week. Last year they raised over 20,000€ for charity.

You will find Michelin Star restaurants included in this offers week, providing a set lunch or dinner menu for 25€ or 35€. The super W hotel is on the hotels list and, at all participating florists you will be able to choose a fabulous bouquet for just 11€. For the discounted cultural attractions, theatre, cinema etc see “Set de Cultura”

So, take a look at BCNOW! to find out what’s on offer for you over the next 10 days!

To find an apartment in Barcelona whilst you enjoy your Barcelona Opportunity Week offers see Barcelona Apartments & Flats

The Moritz Factory invites us to travel in time back to 1856, when Louis Moritz opened its first factory in Barcelona, to now, and the most modern concept of Brewery, recently opened. In the city centre of Barcelona, Eixample district, you will have the opportunity to flavour the freshest Catalan beer in a modern and warm environment, designed by the famous architect, Jean Nouvel.

Moritz beer is produced in a traditional way, in low height tanks, and with high quality products to offer delicate and well balanced flavours inspired from Alsace. While they had to move the beer production to Zaragoza, due to the success they now face, the beer that you will taste in the Barcelona Moritz Factory is brewed there, on site, for the freshest taste to savour.

Jean Nouvel has driven a metamorphose from an old beer factory to a “hedonistic space” of three floors totaling 4,500 square meters. Without doubt you are in the heart of Catalan beer, surrounded by copper tanks and stone walls in an underground room, but at the same time, you will enjoy sky lights, a  outside vegetal wall and street view providing a luminous atmosphere, thanks to Jean Nouvel’s smart architecture.

Getting through Moritz factory’s gates is beginning a great experience. With a culinary multi-space concept, in addition to the micro-brewery, you will enjoy beer and wine bars, two restaurants and a bakery to exult your papilla. Between Catalan, Alsatian, French and international dishes you will have to spend alot of time there to make the most of it all. When you are full from this delicious culinary experience, you can visit the museum, the gastronomic classroom, the newsagent and the shop, to make you an expert of Moritz’s universe.

Moritz Factory is the new trendy place that you have to visit to experience Barcelona life.