icono tours 2012

Customized Services

and

Cultural Guided Tours

2012

Avda. Portal de l’Àngel, 38 4º 2ª • 08002 Barcelona - Spain · Tel.: + 34 93 410 14 05 · Fax: + 34 93 410 85 88

www.iconoserveis.com · [email protected]

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

ICONO serveis culturals has developed a tourist and cultural guide of Barcelona for iPhone and iPod. Download it and visit the city from

your phone, as you have never done it before.

2

ICONO serveis culturals is a company of customized cultural services. based in Barcelona with more than 15 years of experience in the sector.

We offer

Tailor made products: cultural and artistic tours based on our client preferences, time and

interests.

Teambuilding activities for congresses and incentive meetings.

Design of trips, transfers, escorts and private transport.

We are your PARTNER in Spain.

Direct communication with our clients.

Our team

Native Spanish guides in all languages.

Professional staff in the offices specialized in Arts, History, and Architecture…

Our client

Tour operators and travel agencies.

Cruise lines.

Companies and private enterprises.

Official organisms, Governments, Museums and Public institutions.

Exclusive groups and individuals.

Quality in our services

24 hours availability.

Personal service and operational ability.

Logistic coordination from our offices.

Attention to detail.

Follow up of pre-event, the event and the post-event.



3

GENERAL BARCELONA

Our best panoramic tours

For 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:



4

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.

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 recently consacreted 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.



5

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.

4.Montjuïc - Fundació Miró - Poble Espanyol

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.



6

5.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.

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 Park Güell. 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.



7

THEMATIC BARCELONA

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.



8

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. 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?



9

4. The Jewish legacy in Barcelona

The tour is around the Call or Jewish quarter of Barcelona, the most important cultural centre of

Barcelona during medieval age. You will walk along the ancient streets of the neighborhood looking

for the traditions and the lifestyle of jewish society in those days. The tour includes the visit to the

medieval Synagogue of Barcelona.

5. 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.



10

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…

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.



11

6. Barcelona, the Movie Walking Tour!

“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.

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.

Itinerary: 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



12

Gats, Palau de la Música Catalana until we get to the modernist Eixample of Woody Allen in “Vicky,

Cristina, Barcelona”.

7. The Ghost Walking Tour

What do the streets of Barcelona hide when night falls?

Which stories marked our ancestor’s lives forever? Let

yourself become absorbed by the paranormal mysteries

of Barcelona with the explanations of an experienced

guide.

The Ghost Walking Tour is a night visit around Sant Pere, Santa

Caterina and la Ribera quarters, based on the book “Fantasmes de

Barcelona” written by Sylvia Lagarda-Mata. The tour tells the mysterious and hair-raising stories that

have been taking place in those areas for decades.

An experienced guide leads the visit. Exorcisms, witchcrafts, bewitched convents and records of

phantom apparitions invade the streets of Barcelona. Participants will have the chance to discover

those baffling phenomena in a funny and entertaining way.

Come and walk through a hidden city: meet Barcelona’s ghosts. This mysterious tour has the

possibility of including actors. A night that you will never forget, that will mark forever your

memories of Barcelona. Do you dare?

Itinerary: Arc de Tiomf, Portal Nou, Sant Pere square, Flor de Lliri St., Santa Caterina market, Marcús

square, Neu de Sant Cugat St., Rec St., Moncada St., Paseo del Borne

and Espartería St.

Duration: 2 hours

At the end of the visit, there will be the possibility to have a very

special dinner for a “paranormal price” in a restaurant around the

area of the tour.



13

8. Others tours- Women’s Barcelona

- Barcelona and the doctors

- The Born Neighborhood in 360º

STAR TOURS

1.Contemporary Architecture Tour

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



14

to the entrance door of Barcelona’s harbor, there is the World Trade Center, inaugurated in 1999, a

work by Li Pei’s.

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.

2.Barcelona and the Music

Barcelona is a city of great tenors like José Carreras and the soprano Montserrat Caballé and,

furthermore, the city has unique venues where you can enjoy the music.

This visit starts at the Gran Teatro del Liceu, with the

possibility to visit the main hall, the auditorium, the Hall of

mirrors, the Foyer and the private club: the Cercle del Liceu.

We can include a coffee break or in the same cafeteria or at

the Lyceum Cafe de la Opera, with the aim of recovering

strength to continue our tour of Beethoven House, a old

century shop specialized in music, located in the Ramblas.

Finall, we will visit the Palau de la Musica

Catalana, one of the main concert halls



15

worldwide. Considered one of the leading exponents of Modernism, it was built by the architect Lluis

Domenech i Montaner 1905-1908.

In 1997 it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

3.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.

4.Tapas Tour around the Gothic Quarter

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. Discover this Gothic Quarter enjoying tapas and pinchos

during your walking tour.



16

5.Century-old shops Tour

One 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.

6.Modernist designs and colours

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.



17

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.

7.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.

8.Paseo de Gracia: Luxury and Haute Couture

We all know that Passeig De Gràcia is the open air ‘museum’ of modernista architecture, the great showcase

of noteworthy buildings which have been designated World Heritage Sites. However, this is only one of things

that this elegant boulevard affords us.



18

Over the last few years the businesses located on this grand boulevard have changed hands: the

headquarters of banks have given over to the world’s most exclusive fashion labels and hotel chains.

According to experts, its unique architecture and shops (such as Chanel, Dolce&Gabbana, Valentinio, Bvlgary,

Hermés, or local labels Furest and Santa Eulàlia) have placed the Passeig De Gràcia amongst the top ten

streets in the world, and where you’ll find a high number of top-end shops; to the extent that some

companies have to wait years until they are able to open their shops here. The days when the Passeig De

Gràcia was a mere street which linked the old city and the old town of Gràcia are long gone.

With the help of an expert guide, ICONO invites you to join a route that will allow you to discover the history

and evolution of the boulevard (inextricably intertwined with the Eixample). You’ll also discover some of the

juiciest tales of its stars and the origins of the most select brands.

9.Shopping & Design Tour

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



19

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 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.

ICONO created this tour to discover the most charming shops of Barcelona’s

neighborhoods. We will build a tailor made tour based on your preferences, please have a look to the options

we propose. We can go the charming Gracia neighborhood or to the lovely Born neighborhhod to discover

little shops and workshops, or to the Paseo de Gracia to the most exclusive brands*.

*It is not a visit with a personal shopper.



20

TEATRAL GUIDED VISITS

1. BARCINO: 2000 years told by the city

Tour with theatre around the Gothic Quarter 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...

2. The Shadow of the Wind with Actors

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.



21

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.

3. Stories and legends of the Gothic Quarter & The

Tavern

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.

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.



22

LITERARY TOURS

Through the pages of Barcelona, a literary city

1.“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, 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.



23

2.The Cathedral of the Sea

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.

3.Others Literary Tours

- The Angel’s Game

- Barcelona and Don Quixote



24

TRIPS OUTSIDE BARCELONA

Tours of a duration of 8 hours. For other destinations please contact us.

1.Caves and vineyards in the Penedés

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...

2.Girona and Figueres/Dalí Museum

Transfer 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.



25

3.Girona: its iumpressive cathedral and 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.

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

4.Montserrat Tour

45 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



26

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.

5.Tarraco Rome’s Gate

Our proposal includes discovering the hidden Tarraco in Tarragona, as the great architectural

heritage that we enjoy is concealed by a medieval old town and

essentially preserves not only ruins of spaces that are rarely kept

almost entirely to other parts of the empire, such as Provincial Forum

event, but venues like the circus, which exceeds proportionately in

size to that of Rome.

6.Costa Brava Tour

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...



27

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.



28

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.



29



30

icono tours 2012

Travel