Life in Barcelona for a CELTA trainee
Barcelona is an easy city to adapt to even if you are a stressed out CELTA trainee. As you become familiar with the city you will find out just how much there is on offer. Here is some information and some useful tips to help you make the most of the city during your stay.
First question: Do I need to speak catalan?
If you come to Barcelona to take the CELTA course you don't need to learn Catalan because all Catalans speak Spanish, too. Spanish and Catalan are both official languages in Barcelona and you will find that people switch from one language to the other without even thinking about it. Information for transport, public services, etc. is in both languages (and often in English, too). Obviously, if you intend to stay on in Barcelona long-term you will need to learn Catalan.
Eating & drinking
As you walk around town you will notice that there is no shortage of bars, cafés and restaurants with long flexible opening hours. Eating out is a deeply rooted local custom, and you will find many places cheerfully crowded. Lunch is served from around 1 p.m. to 3:30 or 4:00 p.m., while dinner starts at around 8 p.m. and is often served until midnight or the early hours of the morning. Most restaurants offer a "Menu" or fixed price meal that usually includes a choice of starter, main course, dessert and wine or beverage. In the area around the school a set menu at lunchtime will cost you about 8 Euros. As a newcomer you will need to be careful to check prices because they vary a lot and some can be exhorbitant, especially in the centre of town. However, if you know where to go you will be able to eat well and cheaply almost anywhere in town. Traditional Catalan food is excellent, we are on the Mediterranean Coast after all, and star dishes include 'pa amb tomaquet y pernil' (bread, tomato, olive oil and cured ham), 'Escudella' (a kind of pasta soup) and 'butifarra amb seques' (sausage with garlic sauteed beans)... There are also plenty of ethnic restaurants in Barcelona: Japanese, Chinese, Arab, Indonesian, Cuban... and great bars offering snacks, sandwiches and tapas at any time of day or night .
Nightlife
We know that you won't have much free time during your CELTA course but there will always be that moment at the weekend when you will want to let your hair down in one of the many bar and nightclub areas of the city. Barcelona nightlife one of the city's big attractions. People (local and foreign) are sociable and friendly and the fashionable discos and bars are bursting at the seams at the weekend. The variety is never ending and the choice will depend on your taste, energy and the money in your pocket...
Click here to find out more about Barcelona nightlife
Remember to keep a close eye on you your possessions in bars and pubs. Never leave your bag on the back of a chair, and don´t leave wallets or purses on the table. There are pickpockets operating in most areas of Barcelona.
Entertainment
Cinema
Many cinemas in Barcelona show only dubbed films. If you want to see a film in English (or the film's original language) you can go along to one of the many cinemas that show films in V.O. (original version films). Here is a list of some of Barcelona original version cinemas:
Cinemas Verdi - Verdi, 32
(great cinema with a wide choice of films in the district of Gràcia)
Verdi Park - Torrijos, 49 (
next to the Verdi, we recommend a coffee in the Café Salambó next to this cinema before your film)
Cines Icaria - Salvador Espriú, 61 (
Port Olimpic - state of the art multicinema by the beach )
Cines Renoir - Floridablanca, 135, Eugeni d'Ors, 12 (5 minute's walk from the school)
Music
The Barcelona music scene is world class and no matter what style of music you like you will find a venue where you can enjoy live music concerts. Barcelona is well known in Europe for its classical music recitals, operas and concerts. Obviously prices vary greatly but there is something for most budgets. If you like opera don't miss a visit to the beautiful Liceu Opera House on the Ramblas.
Gran Teatre del Liceu - La Rambla, 51-59
Palau de la Música - Sant Francesc de Paula, 2
L'Auditori - Lepant, 150
Jamboree - Plaça Reial, 17 (jazz & dance club)
Mas i Mas - Avda. Diagonal, 477 (live music)
Razzmatazz - Almogàvers, 122 (live music)
Theatre
Most plays are in Spanish or Catalan but the 'Festival Grec' in June always has a selection of international theatre and music.
Libraries
Barcelona has a wide network of public libraries where you can borrow books for free. If you want to join you just need to go along to the library of your choice with your passport or other valid form of identity.
Barcelona Municipal Libraries Website (in Spanish).
Book shops
Most Barcelona bookshops have sections with books in different languages, including English but for a wider selection of books in English and ELT books you will need to go to a specialised book shop. Here is a list of the main ones :
BCN Books - Roger de Llúria, 118
BCN Books Cash & Carry - Rosselló, 24
Alibri - Calle Balmes, 26
Come In - Provença, 203
The English Bookshop - Entença, 63
Laie - Pau Claris, 85 ( we recommend this book shop's charming café )
FNAC - Av. Diagonal, 557 ( L'illa Shopping Center, very close to the school )
Local fiestas
Catalunya like the rest of Spain likes to keep its popular local traditions alive. You will be unlucky if your stay doesn't coincide with one or more of these traditional fiestas. They are lively and very Mediterranean - you won't be able to just stand and watch, most fiestas expect you to take part. The best known are Carnival (February), Sant Jordi (April), Sant Joan (June), Fiestas de Gràcia (August), and La Mercè (September) but there are many more.
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