Catalogue English 2009

51
Customized Services and Cultural Guided Tours 2009 C/Muntaner 185, 1º 2ª 08036 Barcelona 0034 93 4101405 0034 93 3212501

Transcript of Catalogue English 2009

Page 1: Catalogue English 2009

Customized Services and

Cultural Guided Tours

2009

C/Muntaner 185, 1º 2ª

08036 Barcelona

0034 93 4101405

0034 93 3212501

www.iconoserveis.com

[email protected]

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CONTENTS

Icono Serveis Culturals

General Barcelona

Thematic Barcelona

Some of our special tours

Through the pages of Barcelona, a literary city

Excursions outside Barcelona

Cultural services and special activities

Other services

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ICONO, Serveis Culturals is a company of customized cultural services. We are based in Barcelona but we provide services all over Spain.

We offer:

۰ Tailor made products: cultural and artistic tours based on our client

preferences, time and interests.

۰ Teambuilding activities for congresses and incentive meetings.

۰ Design of trips, transfers, escorts and private transport.

۰ We are your PARTNER in Spain.

۰ Direct communication with our clients.

Our Team:

۰ Native Spanish guides in all languages.

۰ Professional staff in the offices specialized in Arts, History,

Architecture…

Our client:

۰ Tour operators and travel agencies.

۰ Cruise lines.

۰ Companies and private entreprises.

۰ Official organisms, Goverments, Museums and Public institutions.

۰ Exclusive groups and individuals.

Quality in our services:۰ 24 hours availability.

۰ Personal service and operational ability.

۰ Logistic coordination from our offices.

۰ Attention to detail.

۰ FolIow up of pre-event, the event and the post-event.

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GENERAL BARCELONAFor those who want to discover Barcelona in a global way, following general itineraries

displaying the history and culture of our city, we propose the following tours:

1.Barcelona 2000 years of history (4 hours tour)

This is a panoramic tour of the main historical and cultural points of the city.

The tour starts with a panoramic view of the Sea Front showing the architectural

changes of the area. Then the group will do a walking tour around the Gothic Quarter

depicting its religious centre —Cathedral square—, civil centre —St. Jaume square—

and royal centre —King square—. The group will learn of the importance of Les

Rambles and then it will move to Passeig de Gràcia, where some of the most important

modernist façades are situated —la Pedrera and Casa Batlló —. The last point will be

the Sagrada Família and its façades and symbolism.

This tour can include the visit of an interior.

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2.Barcelona 2000 years of history (8 hours tour)

This is a panoramic tour of the main historical and cultural points of the city.

The tour starts with a view from Montjuïc Mountain, from where all the urban

structure of the city can be admired. The group will also see some of the buildings of

the 1992 Olympic Games. Then the group will be transferred to the Sea Front, showing

the architectural changes of the area. From here the group will do a walking tour of Les

Rambles and the Gothic Quarter depicting its religious centre —Cathedral square—,

civil centre —St. Jaume square— and royal centre —King square—. In the afternoon

the group will visit the Sagrada Família and admire its façades and symbolism. The final

point will be Gaudi’s Güell Park, where Naturalism and Symbolism come together in a

perfect recreation of Nature.

This tour can include the visit of an interior.

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3.Gaudí (4/8 hours)This is a unique opportunity to discover the personality and masterpieces of

Gaudí in its entirety, from a historical, cultural and artistic point of view. Both tours, 4

hours and 8 hours offer you outdoor and indoor visits to the most representative

buildings designed by the genius, such as Güell Palace, Batlló House, La Pedrera,

Sagrada Familia, Park Güell or the Güell House.

4.Montjuïc –Fundació Miró– Spanish Village

This is a panoramic tour of the main historical and cultural points of the city.

The tour starts with a panoramic view from Montjuïc Mountain, from where all the

urban structure of the city can be admired. The group will also see some of the

buildings of the 1992 Olympic Games.

One of the fixed stops on this tour is the Miro Foundation, one of the most important

museums in Barcelona. Then the group will be transferred to the Sea Front, showing

the architectural changes of the area.

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THEMATIC BARCELONA

Why choose a thematic tour if this is your first time in the city?

Because all our tours refer to general concepts of Barcelona to give a full vision,

guided by professional experts who give you the important information in a unique

and original way; because the thematic tours give particular visions of the real city, and

they can’t be found in a tourist guide; and because the thematic tours give you a

mixture of professionalism, fun, history, research and information that is difficult to

find anywhere else.

ICONO Serveis Culturals STARTS THE YEAR 2009 with new unique tours and

innovative itineraries for Barcelona. Our aim is to offer an original and authentic view

of the city. All the tours can be personally adapted. The duration is of 2/4 hours. All the

tours are based on strict research and historical thesis. We can provide a bibliography

of related literature.

With our new tours we continue to approach the secret heritage of Barcelona for the

curious and specialist traveller.

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1.Barcelona

1900’s: the Bohemian city

This is a very special tour, as it

combinates arts, history, society and stories related to 1900’s Barcelona, the city that

Picasso found when he moved here with his family. A Barcelona of art galleries,

Modernist art, artists and intellectuals, strong cultural connections with Paris, secret

districts, literary bars and cabarets.

The tour takes you to some of Picasso’s studios and homes, as well as old bars

and shops of that time and other related places.

This tour finishes with the amazing visit to the Picasso Museum.

2.Walking Gothic Tour Long before many cities were founded, the kingdom of Catalonia was a bastion

of art and architecture. Barcelona’s ancient city center – which was surrounded by

walls during Roman times – makes up what today is the Gothic Quarter.

Surrounding Barcelona’s impressive cathedral, medieval palaces emerge such

as Casa dels Canonges, La Pia Almoina, and Casa d’ Ardiaca. Whether the Gothic

Quarter (or Barri Gòtic as it's called in Catalán) is truly Gothic is the subject of endless

debate, but it is one of the most evocative neighborhoods in Spain and hides lots of

bewitching places with many stories to tell.

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Its richly textured streets, quiet squares,

attractive corners, gurgling fountains,

vintage stores and ancient fortifications

inspired such artists as Pablo Picasso and

Joan Miró (who was born in this

neighborhood).

This tour will include a guided tour to the Cathedral (entrance fees not included

in the tour price).

3.Gaudí’s BarcelonaAfter the success of The Year of Gaudi 2002 we

continue to offer a wide range of exclusive tours of Gaudí’s

Barcelona. We want you to discover the genius of the

architect, his historical and artistic influences, his social life

and his mentality. We propose the visit of an interior and a

walking tour to complete the visit. Some of our Gaudí visits are:

Gaudí and the Güell Family: a visit to Güell Park and to Güell Palace to

understand the social and artistic relation between Gaudí and the Güell family, real art

patrons of their time.

Personality and stories of a genius: a visit to la Pedrera or la Casa Batlló

explaining stories and anecdotes of Gaudí’s life and work.

The nature and Gaudí: a visit to Park Güell to discover its technical innovations

and symbolic relationship with nature.

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Gaudí, the architect of God: a visit to exteriors and interiors of the Sagrada

Família through Gaudí’s original project and the present state of the works. We will

hear about the influence of religion and mysticism in Gaudí’s works.

4.La Ribera Quarter, the secret tourThis is the way in to one of the most magical and personal parts of the old city (Ciutat

Vella): the Ribera quarter, the area of the medieval and powerful guilds and

merchants. This tour will follow the old medieval streets to discover how the artisans

still live and work in the quarter: we will visit old century studios, a museum of Magic,

old century shops and other special and hidden treasures.

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El Barrio Chino – Chinatown

A wander around the most flamenco district in Barcelona

Neither the lower districts of Genoa,

nor the port district of Marseilles, nor the

Parisian Vilette, nor Whitechapel in London

can be compared to our wonderful Chinatown,

or to the atmosphere of this forbidden area,

where the heart-rending lament of flamenco

will follow you everywhere. What’s more

Barcelona’s barrio chino surpasses them.

There’s no other district in the whole world with more sparkle.

Coinciding with the universal exhibitions of 1888 and 1929, Barcelona would be able to

count on having one of the raciest districts in Europe, and its soundtrack would be flamenco.

From this same district such gems as Carmen Amaya, a gypsy born in Somorrostro and who

prided herself on her Barcelona roots, would shine. She would become the most universal

bailaora – flamenco dancer.

In those days you could hear Manuel Torre or Antonio Chacón coming from the

gramophone in the Ca’l Manquet; the upper echelons of the Bullfighting world would gather at

the Hotel Oriente; and Carmen Amaya, just a girl, who was described by Sebastià Gasch as “the

interpretation of the soul through dance”, would show off her talent in any one of the fifty bars

in the area which offered flamenco.

We will discover the Barri del Portal, nicknamed ‘La Islita’ by Vázquez Montalbán, the

cradle of the Rumba Catalana, where the stars of this musical genre are still living today: Peret;

Los Amaya; Chipen…

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However, hardly anything remains of the gloomy, sombre and seedy barrio chino

depicted by so many authors. Amongst others: Jean Genet in ‘The Diary of a Thief’; Pieyre de

Mandiargues in ‘La Marge’; Vázquez Montalbán in almost all of his novels about Detective

Carvalho; and more recently Maruja Torres in ‘Un calor tan cercano’.

Discover the little that remains of this

quarter before it’s too late, since a large part

of this cultural legacy will be lost when its

last inhabitants pass away; after that books

and documentaries will be all that we will

have. Today the superheroes of the district,

friends of Camarón de la Isla, and fans of Bullfighting (a dying species) still wander the streets.

Social phenomena like flamenco that live on, surrounded by the multiculturalism that the

district transpires nowadays, which advances are relentlessly extinguishing any trace of

Maritime Barcelona’s street-life past.

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“BARCELONA: THE MOVIE WALKING TOUR!”

A walking tour mainly based on the locations of the most filmed city. Enjoy with the

great locations of the great “Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona”. Discover its shooting secrets and walk

through your favourite city places by knowing more about Pedro Almodóvar, Woody Allen,

Mario Camus, Tom Tykwer, José Luis Guerín or Bigas Luna’s art and their films “The Parfum”,

“L’auberge spagnole” or “Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona”, among many others.

WHAT IS “BARCELONA: THE MOVIE WALKING TOUR!” ABOUT?

“Barcelona: the movie walking tour” shows the main locations where popular scenes from

“Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona” and other master films have been shot. At the same time, this

route discovers films that used the city as the set to construct other atmospheres, such as “The

Shangai spell” or “The parfum”. You will learn about actors and actresses who have been in

Barcelona while filming: Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall,

Cecilia Roth, Ben Whishaw, Dabiel Brühl, Claudia Cardinale, Rita Hayworth or John Wayne,

among others.

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Did you know that the first film ever shot in Spain took place in Barcelona in 1896? Would you

like to enter the locations and talk to people who worked in the shootings? Do not hesitate to

discover Barcelona like you have never seen it.

You will walk through tourist and emblematic places with the guide of well-known film

characters. The walking tour focuses on directors’ and actors’ anecdotes as well as filming

situations. The guide provides pictures in order to visualize every scene that is commented.

Visit: Monument to Columbus, Moll de la Fusta (harbour with locations of “The Shangai spell”,

“L’Auberge spagnole” and “Manuale d’amore”), we will get inside the Raval quarter with “En

Construcción”, walking through emblematic squares such as the one of Duc de Medinaceli (“All

about my mother”), Plaza Real (Royal Square), the hundred-year-old herbalist’s “El Rey”,

Ferran St. (“The parfum”), Plaza Sant Just I Pastor, Plaza Sant Jaume, Plaza Sant Felip Neri,

Catedral,Quatre Gats, Palau de la Música Catalana until we get to the modernist Eixample of

Woody Allen in “Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona”.

Meeting Point: Monument to Columbus (Colón). (Metro L3 Drassanes)

Duration: about 2 hours 30 minutes

End of visit: Palau de la Música Catalana (Metro L4 Urquinaona, L1, L3 Pl. Catalunya).

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Barcelona Gourmet Tour

Gastronomy shapes our culture and with this tour we

offer you a spicy itinerary that will allow you to discover Barcelona from another point

of view. The itinerary begins in the Boqueria market where one can admire the shapes

and colours of our food and you can try some of the exotic fruits sold in this

emblematic market.

From there we will wander around the gothic quarter admiring the most reputable

gourmet shops. A sweet and salty itinerary that ends in the Ribera Quarter next to

Santa Maria del Mar. This tour can be completed with a wine tasting session and a

“pinchos” appetizer.

Tapas Tour in the Gothic QuarterWhether the Gothic Quarter (or Barri Gòtic as it's called in Catalán) is truly Gothic is

the subject of endless debate, but it is one of the most evocative neighborhoods in

Spain and hides lots of bewitching places with many stories to tell. Discover this Gothic

Quarter enjoying tapas and pinchos during your walking tour.

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Modernist designs and colors!No architect in Europe was as fantastical as Antoni Gaudí y Cornet, the

foremost proponent of Catalán modernism. Barcelona is home to many works of this

extraordinary artist, all of which UNESCO now lists as World Trust Properties. A recluse

and a celibate bachelor as well as a fervent Catalán nationalist he lived out his own

fantasy in his work. Nothing is more stunning than his Sagrada Família, Barcelona's

best-known landmark, a cathedral on which Gaudí labored for the last 43 years of his

life. Work to complete the landmark cathedral still continues today, and when it will be

finished, "The Sacred Family" will be Europe's largest cathedral.

This guided walking lecture tour concentrates on his three other most well-known

works in Barcelona including La Pedrera, Casa Batlló, and Park Güell. We are

introduced to the genius – including his historical and artistic influences, his social life

and his thinking.

Contemporary Architecture Tour

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Barcelona has lots of faces: apart from the Gothic quarter and the modernist

one, there is a contemporary city that looks to the future, another Barcelona where

the most renowned architects all over the world have been challenged to build their

buildings. The purpose of this itinerary is to discover the recent patrimony of both 20th

and 21st centuries.

We start visiting the Pabellón Mies van der Rohe, initially conceived for the

Universal Exhibition in 1929. We continue along Montjuïc Mountain having a look at

the Olympic ring and the Sport facilities where the Olympic Games where held in 1992:

the Stadium, Sant Jordi Palace by Arata Isozaki, the Tower by Santiago Calatrava. The

tour will continue with the Miró Foundation, a beautiful Mediterranean construction,

inaugurated in 1976 and designed by Josep Lluís Sert. We will stop in a window of the

bay to enjoy the views of the harbor and the city from the heights. Arriving to the

entrance door of Barcelona’s harbor, there is the World Trade Center, inaugurated in

1999, a work by Li Pei’s.

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Following the maritime façade we arrive to the Olympic Village, a new neighborhood

by the sea, where we can find masterpieces by, Bohigas-Martorell-Mackay (Olympic

harbour, Folch’s Chimney), Franck Gehry (hotel Arts and Golden Fish Sculpture), Álvaro

Siza (Meteorology Centre), León-Ortiz (Mapfre Tower), Enric

Miralles and Benedito-Mateos (The Temple of Abraham). We

will walk across, where the new icon of Barcelona is situated,

Torre Agbar by Jean Nouvel.

Finally we will traverse the new and modern Diagonal Mar

quarter where the Centro Internacional de Congresos de

Barcelona was built, the biggest in the South of Europe, inaugurated in 2004 and

designed by Mateo & Asociados and the Forum Building by Herzog y De Meuron. We

can go inside.

Century-old shopsOne of our star tours, this itinerary

visits the interior of century-old shops still alive

and part of the sentimental geography of the city.

In neo-classical, modernist or traditional style, with

home-made products, the shops and their secrets

are shown by their owners. Some of the shops are El

Rei de la Màgia, El Indio, Cereria Subirà and El Cafè

de l’Òpera.

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Discovering the artistic heart of Barcelona

Barcelona has been a reference for many artists through its history. Nowadays

lots of them work in our city. The possibility of visiting their studios is as exceptional as

knowing their works of art presented by themselves.

Three different itineraries will take us through these studios located in The Old Town,

The Born and The Raval quarter.

After careful selection we have chosen artists and works of art including painting,

sculpture, ceramics, installations...

After a brief introduction to the tour in a typical café, we will visit their workshops,

know their personality and discover their works of art: content and meaning.

The itinerary can include a break for an appetizer or a cheese and wine tasting

session...

It has been planned for groups up to 8 people. We can organise two visits at the same

time.

Discover a new city: Barcelona from the heights

It is always amazing to look at things from a different point of view, especially if

we are referring to a city. This tour lets us see Barcelona from its heights, moving

around terrace rooves and high points of the city from where we can admire

Barcelona.

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Brief description of the tour: we are going to begin walking from different

terrace rooves, such as the Cathedral roof, the roof of the Batlló house, and the roof of

the Güell house. Then, we are going to climb even up to the Collserola Tower and

Montjuïc, among others.

Transport is needed.

Timetable depends on the schedule of the different sites.

It lasts from 3 to 4 hours.

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Shopping & Design

First and Last Names

The city and its business is one of the most perfect unions that Barcelona can have when

expressing its economic activity and its most

intimate personality. Because, in Barcelona, selling

is not only a commercial transaction, it is also a

way to express pleasure, fashion, and tendencies.

In short, and without blushing when saying it, it is

an art. We should not forget that Modernism, one

of the architectural and artistic tendencies that has

defined the city was externally expressed with an

impressive force in different commercial

establishments.

Trade in Barcelona has a democratic vocation. A

common nexus exists among the simplest stand in

a neighborhood market and the sophisticated

store in its smartest streets that is expressed in the presentation of the product and in the

human treatment. Because in Barcelona, whenever you

enter any shop, the sale is also a public service. A

shopkeeper in Barcelona is like a doctor or a fireman: a

professional dedicated to his community. And, next to

the good shopkeeper, we find the good buyer who

demands redress when the service or product does not

match the price.

Because more than in any other city, the shops here

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have names. And not only the name on their entrance sign, but also that of the manager or

assistant who establishes a relationship with the clients and gets to know their likes and

dislikes. And next to the name, there is also a surname.

Many premises are known for their architects, their interior designers,

their window dressers or their graphic designers. Trade in Barcelona is a wide expression of

the idiosyncrasy of the city: economic progress, innovation coexisting with tradition,

competition, risk and a sense of pleasure.

We will build a tailor made tour based on your preferences, please

have a look to the options we propose. Please choose some of them, it’s impossible to visit all.

Vinçon: Passeig Gràcia 96; Bd Ediciones de Diseño: Mallorca 291; Sephora: Pelai 17-37;

Camper: Pelai 13-37; Polopelo: Magdalena 6; Custo Barcelona: Plaça de les Olles 7;

ArtQuitect: Comerç 31; Bisazza: Fusina 11; Cortana: Flassaders 41; Desigual: Argenteria 65 y

Vitra: Plaça Comercial 5.

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Capture Barcelona & Remember

your trip forever!

Barcelona is one of Spain's most

beautiful cities: the graceful lines of the

cathedral La Seu, deep in the heart of the

Barri Gòtic (Gothic district), the urban whimsy

of Park Guell, and the shops and cafes of Las

Ramblas all combined to make a destination

that is rich, lively, and very photogenic.

We want to help you to take home the

best memories of Barcelona with our walking photography tours. Our experienced

professional photographer will lead you on an adventurous route through the city, showing

you the most famous sites and some of the most hidden areas, while at the same time

teaching you the art of great photography. Learn about Barcelona and local Spanish culture

while picking up great advice and tips on how to use your camera and getting fantastic photos.

Whether you are an amateur wanting

to learn more about photography, or a more

experienced ‘pro’ keen on finding the best

places to take photos in Barcelona this tour is

for you!

The route:

At the start of the tour a brief introduction is given which includes some practical

advice on photography in Barcelona. From the meeting point we head down Rambla Cataluña

which, with its wide leafy tree lined pedestrian walk way, is often considered to be one of

Barcelona’s most beautiful and elegant street! At this point we study the movement along the

street and how is best to capture it using various shutter speeds and a technique known as

panning.

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From the Bottom of Rambla Cataluña we will move onto Barcelona’s most famous

streets, the Ramblas. Along the top section of the Ramblas the living statues, which this street

is so well known for, provide excellent portraiture opportunities, and a chance to work on

technical aspects related to zoom, focus, angle and also study how aperture settings alter the

depth of field.

From the Ramblas we will then move along the typical windy streets of the Raval into

the contrastingly large, modern, open plaza at Barcelona’s’ Museum of Contemporary Art, or

MACBA as it is commonly known. Using this hugely popular and lively space, we study the best

ways to capture fast moving subjects.

After this we head into Barcelona’s world

famous food market - La Boqueria. With its myriad of

tastefully stacked fresh fruit and vegetable stands and

fish stalls there are many amazing colors and still-life’s

to be photographed here! After being advised on the

protocol of taking shots of the market sellers and their

wares we will learn how metering and ISO setting and

aperture size can be used to take the best photographs

in low-light situations.

Winding our way back round over to the other side of the Ramblas we find ourselves in

the Gothic Quarter, probably Barcelona’s most famous area. Here we wonder the back streets

going into the hidden plazas tucked in behind the Cathedral, and taking in the charms of the

Gothic architecture. In this fascinating area we will talk about composition and the law of

thirds before attempting some dramatic images using the naturally occurring shadows and

shady areas caused by the gargoyles and ornate architecture that so typify the gothic period.

To finish the tour we will head down to the simple yet magnificent Santa Maria del

Mar, which is situated in Barcelona’s trendy regenerated hot spot, the Born. Here we finish up

with a very simple 20 minute photography assignment, where group members get the chance

to go off and discover this fabulous part of Barcelona and put into practice the tricks and

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techniques they have learnt during the tour capture the areas charms. During this time your

photography guide will of course be on hand to answer any questions and criticize the photos

that you have taken. Finally everyone can convene at a previously designated tapas bar for

light refreshments and a chance to share and compare prize photos and get some final advice

from your friendly photography guide.

Details:

The tour duration: Typically 3 hours.

Requirements: An interest in

photography and a camera.

Stories and legends of the Gothic Quarter

Legends, traditions, stories passed down from generation to generation heard

in our streets…Those will come alive in our tour.

We will walk the narrow medieval streets of the Gothic quarter,

discovering how our ancestors lived and how their relation was with this

part of the city.

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BARCINO:2000 years of History told by the city

Tour with theatre around the Gothic quarters of

Barcelona

Barcelona is a city with more than 2000 years of

history. Despite owing its name to the Romans:

IULIA AUGUSTA ROMANA PATERNA BARCINO,

the city enjoyed its splendour during Medieval

times. We will travel through time to discover

the secrets, legends and old stories that belong

to the laberinthine streets of the old city centre.

The main character of the story will accompany

us on our trip into the past. She will explain the

hidden secrets of the court, the gossip in the

streets and show us the mystery of hidden squares and secret places inside the old city

walls of Barcelona.

An unforgettable way to discover the history of Barcelona...

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The Tavern

BOTH tours can include a perfomance in a medieval Tavern!

The Tavern is the history of a strange romance between a

medieval gentleman and a tavern maid in the XVIIth century.

The brief performance offers us moments of emotion and

humour that, together with a tour full of medieval legends, will

make an uforgettable experience.

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THROUGH THE PAGES OFBARCELONA: A LITERARY CITY

“The shadow of the wind” enchanted Barcelona

All books are read but some offer the possibility to walk into... We present a

unique opportunity to wander around the amazing Barcelona shown in “The shadow

of the wind”, a novel that has captivated thousands of readers all around the world.

From writing to words, from the imagination to reality.

Like Daniel Sempere, Julian Carax, Fermín Romero de Torres, and the other

characters in the novel, we will walk through a labyrinth of mysteries and surprises

turned into a charming tour, set in a bewitched Barcelona.

We will be the characters of the novel ourselves and we are going to move

around the places that still today keep the charm and mystery of early 20th century

Barcelona. Most of these places can be easily recognised, such as : Santa Anna street,

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The arch of the Theatre, King’s square, Las Ramblas, Sant Felip Neri square and

Montcada street. However, we will discover hidden treasures like Quatre Gats café,

the Ateneum of Barcelona, the gorgeous Santa Maria del Mar, Santa Llucia asylum,

Saint Gabriel school in Bonanova quarter, Aldaya Palace and Tibidabo Avenue. It is rare

that we have the possibility to turn fiction into reality and this is one such a chance.

Literary tour, "La Catedral del Mar”From the top of Collserola Mountain, in the old

Roman way that connected the northern city

Ampurias with the southern city of Tarragona,

Bernat discovered for the first time the freedom and

the immensity of the sea! He had never imagined

something that had no end.

14th Century: the city of Barcelona was a

prosperous city and had grown towards the shore. The humble new district of

fishermen decided to build, with their own money and efforts, the greatest temple

ever to have existed: Santa Maria del Mar.

The history of its construction runs parallel to the history of Bernat and his son

Arnau, both servants who escape from the abuses of their fedual lord and arrive in

Barcelona, where they become free citizens for the first time in their lives. The young

Arnau works as a dock worker, soldier and moneychanger. However, his life, always

under the protection of the cathedral dedicated to the sea, will change when he

changes his misery for nobility and wealth.

This literary tour will allow you to discover the scenes of this exciting novel whilst

admiring the Gothic Barcelona.

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Following the steps of a genius: the secret Barcelona of Gaudí

“The most brilliant architect, inexhaustible

creator, always unpublished, and always

logical, but in his own world”

ICONO presents its new itinerary: we would like to invite you to discover the

secrets hidden behind Gaudí’s creations and his time. Beginning in the place where he

met his death run over by a tram, we will introduce ourselves to the universe of Don

Anton, a charismatic character not only for his strange behaviour, but for his incredible

imagination capable of turning dreams into stone.

Anecdotes, secrets and the passion for his job are the three pillars that will lead

us on this tour that introduces us to the Gaudinian universe. Do you dare to follow a

genius?

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EXCURSIONS OUTSIDE BARCELONATours of a duration of 8 hours. For other destinations please

contact us.

Caves and vineyards in the Penedès

The Penedès offers us lots of rich possibilities: its wines, landscape, restaurants, small

and charming vineyards, wine tasting with dinner or lunches, monuments form the

Middle Ages...

Girona and Figueres/Dalí MuseumTransfer to Girona and a walking tour of its impressive ‘Call’ or Jewish Quarter. Visit to

the Cathedral and medieval Arabian Baths. Transfer to Figueres and visit to the Dalí

Museum, an unmissable collection of Surrealist art.

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Girona: its impressive cathedral& Jewish quarter.

Girona is a jewel of culture and history acquired over 2000 years. The medieval town

(called Força Vella) is surrounded by a magnificent wall which is preserved almost in its

entirety. The Jewish quarter, known as the 'Call', spreads out in a maze of small, narrow and

very often steeply sloping streets which still maintain their medieval atmosphere. Its

magnificent cathedral boasts the widest Gothic nave of its kind in the world, with an

impressive Baroque façade. The delightful narrow

streets and alleyways of the old city provide an insight

into another era, a time when life was moved at a

different pace.

In this tour, you will learn important,

humorous and interesting facts about the history of

the city, its various churches and convents, bridges, narrow streets, impenetrable walls,

squares and, of course, Girona's trademarks - the Cathedral and the Jewish quarter.

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This walking tour is a great way to gain an overview of the city.

Montserrat tour45 kms. out of Barcelona the mountain and monastery of Montserrat is a

symbol of Catalan identity. The Monastery houses the famous Moreneta or black

virgin. Montserrat has been home to the Benedictine Community, now numbering

some eighty monks, since 1025, and to the Patron of Catalonia, St Mary of Montserrat,

who is worshipped by hundreds of visitors daily. The monastery contains one of the

most important libraries worldwide, a fine collection of art and the escolans, the oldest

boys choir in Europe who attract visitors from all over the world to listen to their

famous virolai.

Costa Brava Tour

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The car leaves Barcelona in the direction of Pals, province of Girona, a popular

medieval town. The trip then takes you along the coast road to the famous small

beaches of Begur: Sa Tuna, Sa Riera and Aiguablava. Transfer to Calella, an impressive

seaside town, and Palamós. Lunch at Sant Feliu de Guíxols and a dirve along the coast

to Tossa de Mar (views of its impressive castle). This is a tour of magnificent views and

a coastal scenary.

Romanesque monasteries

Modernist Catalonia

Gastronomic Catalonia

And many others...

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CULTURAL SERVICES AND SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

The workshop of the traditional Catalan culture: visit to a giants and big-heads studio.

Special dinners in special restaurants and other special locations.

Gymkhana of the Gothic Quarter/General Barcelona

Wine tasting and lessons

The tour of the Gastronomic Barcelona: tapas, unique restaurants and gastronomic conference

Speech by a dressed-up actor on any of the tours

Bicycle tours

Art visits to museums and exhibitions

For other special activities please contact us.

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OTHER SERVICES

ICONO Serveis Culturals provides:

Tickets to museums and other acts and events of Barcelona and Spain.

Transport in private cars with chauffeur, minivans and cars.

Restaurants and special menus for groups.

Aperitifs in special places related to the tour.

Speakers, conferences guides and escorts.

Cultural programs for congresses.

Customized services.