tourism

The Lleida-Alguaire Airport will operate flights to outside the Schengen Area this winter

December 1, 2011 10:58 PM | CNA

British skiers are able to access the Catalan Pyrenees as of December with direct flights to Lleida Airport. The Spanish Government has authorised the arrival and departure of non-Schengen flights, coming from the likes of the United Kingdom and Russia. However, the authorisation’s delay forced a Russian tour operator to cancel the flights for this season and postpone them until next year.

Tourist buses to park away from the Sagrada Família due to congestion in the area

November 4, 2011 10:30 PM | CNA

Barcelona’s City Council announced that tourist buses will not be able to access the adjacent streets of the famous Sagrada Família Basilica. The reason: in the last few months there have been too many buses and they have been congesting the church surroundings, creating problems. The church, designed by well-known Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, will welcome 900.000 more visitors this year compared to 2010, which means 3.2 million people will visit the Sagrada Família in 2011.

Russian millionaires find an opportunity within crisis buying real estate on Catalonia’s Costa Daurada

August 30, 2011 10:44 PM | CNA / Marc C. Griso

In the current times of crisis within the real state market, money from Russian tourists is particularly noticeable. Rich Russian citizens come to Tarragona’s Costa Daurada to buy houses close to the seashore. Their search is on for "exclusive homes'' with attached land to use them as summer houses or as a base to permanently relocate to. When not using the house, they may rent them.

The metro's heroine, Eliana Guerrero, protecting passengers from pick pocketing

July 25, 2011 09:24 PM | Caitlin Smith

Barcelona, the so called 'Pick pocketing Capital of Europe' takes small steps to changing its reputation by ensuring a police presence on the metro. For the last three years, the estimated 150 thieves who operate on Barcelona's metro have been met by the lone efforts of Eliana Guerrero, a native Colombian who has made it her mission to warn the city against the dangers of pick pockets.