{"id":26,"date":"2019-01-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/24\/ena-guide-to-settling-in-to-culture-and-lifestyle-in-barcelona\/"},"modified":"2020-09-21T13:43:34","modified_gmt":"2020-09-21T11:43:34","slug":"ena-guide-to-settling-in-to-culture-and-lifestyle-in-barcelona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/ena-guide-to-settling-in-to-culture-and-lifestyle-in-barcelona\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Settling into Barcelona’s Lifestyle and Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Barcelona: a mesmerizing seaside city full of fascinating history, breathtaking architecture and a thriving nightlife scene. The city\u2019s lively nature and friendly atmosphere is enough to draw anyone in, whether they\u2019re a tourist, expat or local. Let’s take a look at Barcelona’s lifestyle and culture and what this cosmopolitan city can offer.<\/span><\/p>\n

While visiting Barcelona and experiencing its lifestyle and culture is exciting, moving there as an expat comes with its own challenges. Getting used to cultural differences is a particularly common one. So to help you better understand a city that\u2019s proud of its Catalan identity and immerse yourself in such a rich culture, here are a few tips to help you settle in like a local.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Historic Barcelona<\/h5>\n
\"Casa

Casa Batll\u00f3 in Barcelona.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/b><\/h5>\n

 <\/p>\n

To fully understand the city you see today, you need to understand Barcelona\u2019s past. You can see the city\u2019s history in its stunning architecture. From imposing buildings and towers to archaic columns and secret subterranean corridors there is something for everyone. The Middle Ages for example, are reflected in Barcelona’s Gothic quarter where you\u2019ll find narrow passageways, tranquil plazas and soaring 14th-century cathedrals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Like many European cities, Barcelona has seen conflict, the rise and decline of power, rebellion and liberation.\u00a0The arrival of the Moors and rise of Turkish power in the Mediterranean shaped the area in its early days. The later occupation of the area by Napoleon\u2019s army and subsequent Civil War upheaval saw another large cultural shift. Catalan culture was only then restored in the late 1970s.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h5>\n
Catalan Politics
\n<\/b><\/h5>\n

In 1977, an autonomous Catalan government known as the Generalitat was restored. Two years later, the Spanish national government made an agreement with this autonomous government. These outlined new areas for self-government and encouraged a wide range of developments in Barcelona. <\/span>Since this time, Catalan culture and identity has thrived and continues to do so, especially since the <\/span>referendum<\/span><\/a><\/span> in 2017. In this, Catalonia fought for independence from Spain and the foundation of an independent Catalan republic.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Catalonia\u2019s independence referendum was deemed illegal by Madrid and the aftermath has been rocky to say the least, Catalan people are fiercely independent. They see themselves as their own state even though they still form part of a wider nation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Expats settling into<\/span><\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Barcelona today are also settling into its past, and a grounding in the regional history goes a long way to living in, rather than alongside, Barcelona\u2019s lifestyle and culture. <\/span><\/p>\n

Abound with archives, libraries and museums, there are many ways you can dive into Barcelona\u2019s rich culture and fascinating history. While you may feel more like a tourist than a resident at first, it won\u2019t be long before you\u2019re immersed. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Settling in and living like a local<\/h5>\n
\"Barcelona's

La cerveza Catalana.<\/p><\/div>\n

Leaving one country and finding home in another can be an exciting but daunting experience. Luckily, <\/span>87%<\/span><\/a><\/span> of expats living in Spain say that local populations are friendly, and almost three quarters settled in easily with plenty of opportunities to make friends. <\/span><\/p>\n

Internations Expat Insider Survey 2018<\/span><\/a><\/span> also revealed that 65% of expats in Spain find that learning the language is generally easy, compared to the global average of just 36%. \u00a0Expats should note is that the Spanish language is very different to Catalan – the native tongue of Barcelona and Catalonia. In fact, Catalan shares more similarities with French than Spanish. While you don\u2019t need to be immediately fluent, the quicker you learn Catalan the easier life will be. <\/span><\/p>\n

As with many parts of Spain, life in Barcelona is very much lived outdoors. With such a beautiful climate, this is an easy way of life to follow. Expect to experience independent caf\u00e9s, long lunches, late night parties, festivals, beach trips amongst other outdoor splendors while living in Barcelona. <\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re looking to spend your evening in a laid-back bar or a bustling club, the nightlife in Barcelona has you covered. Evenings out are often spent dining alfresco in stunning city squares or along the beach at a local <\/span>chiringuito<\/span><\/i> (beach bar). The pleasantly drawn-out evenings are arguably one of the most attractive aspects of living in Barcelona. In particular given there are such a wonderful variety of places to wine, dine and socialise. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adjusting to change
\n<\/b><\/h5>\n

Depending on where you\u2019re originally from, adjusting to the slower pace of life can be one of the biggest changes you’ll face. This is especially relevant if you\u2019re from a country where you live your life at 100mph. <\/span><\/p>\n

Many expats find the long, siesta-punctuated afternoons a blessing. However when it comes to experiencing long waiting times at the bank or when you\u2019re using public <\/span>healthcare facilities<\/span><\/a><\/span>,<\/span> it can be less appealing. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is because service culture in Barcelona, as with the rest of Spain, is still relatively young. For example, the role of <\/span>gestor<\/span><\/a><\/span>, a paid intermediary, has few equivalents elsewhere in the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

With that said, it\u2019s also worth remembering that the slower pace of life is a major positive cited by expats in Spain. Mornings spent on sunny terraces and long evenings dining with friends are only a few benefits of a slower pace of life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Getting acquainted with shopping and eating times can also be a challenge depending on what you\u2019re used to. Most businesses open around 9am or 10am, close for approximately two hours after lunch and stay open until late. <\/span><\/p>\n

Shopping centre and local business close during Sundays. However, on special shopping days and public holidays during the year, they remain open. The busiest time for restaurants is around 9pm or 10pm. Clubs and bars on the other hand will continue to fill up well into the night.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Feeling at home<\/h5>\n

Just remember, learning Catalan and fully understanding the history, lifestyle and culture all takes time. Don\u2019t pressure yourself too much when you first make the move, and don\u2019t rush yourself either. <\/span><\/p>\n

Slowly immersing yourself in Barcelona\u2019s rich culture and taking the time to learn this city\u2019s fascinating history can be an enjoyable and eye-opening experience. All you have to do is keep an open mind and enjoy all the perks of life in Barcelona.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now you know everything you need to know about Barcelona’s lifestyle and culture! If you like what you read, check out more posts here on our blog<\/a>.<\/span> Alternatively, if you want a hand finding a place to live, check out our properties here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Guide to Settling into Barcelona’s lifestyle and culture taking advantage of the many activities and scenarios the city can offer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":312,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-moving-to-barcelona"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\n","aioseo_head_json":{"title":"A Guide to Settling into Barcelona\u2019s Lifestyle and Culture - Blog and news","description":"A Guide to Settling into Barcelona's lifestyle and culture taking advantage of the many activities and scenarios the city can offer.","canonical_url":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/ena-guide-to-settling-in-to-culture-and-lifestyle-in-barcelona\/","robots":"max-image-preview:large","keywords":"","webmasterTools":{"miscellaneous":""},"schema":null,"og:locale":"it_IT","og:site_name":"Blog and news - Casamona International Real Estate","og:type":"article","og:title":"A Guide to Settling into Barcelona\u2019s Lifestyle and Culture - Blog and news","og:description":"A Guide to Settling into Barcelona's lifestyle and culture taking advantage of the many activities and scenarios the city can offer.","og:url":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/ena-guide-to-settling-in-to-culture-and-lifestyle-in-barcelona\/","article:published_time":"2019-01-23T23:00:00+00:00","article:modified_time":"2020-09-21T11:43:34+00:00","twitter:card":"summary_large_image","twitter:title":"A Guide to Settling into Barcelona\u2019s Lifestyle and Culture - Blog and news","twitter:description":"A Guide to Settling into Barcelona's lifestyle and culture taking advantage of the many activities and scenarios the city can offer."},"aioseo_meta_data":{"post_id":"26","title":null,"description":null,"keywords":null,"keyphrases":null,"primary_term":null,"canonical_url":null,"og_title":null,"og_description":null,"og_object_type":"default","og_image_type":"default","og_image_url":null,"og_image_width":null,"og_image_height":null,"og_image_custom_url":null,"og_image_custom_fields":null,"og_video":null,"og_custom_url":null,"og_article_section":null,"og_article_tags":null,"twitter_use_og":false,"twitter_card":"default","twitter_image_type":"default","twitter_image_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_fields":null,"twitter_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"schema":{"blockGraphs":[],"customGraphs":[],"default":{"data":{"Article":[],"Course":[],"Dataset":[],"FAQPage":[],"Movie":[],"Person":[],"Product":[],"ProductReview":[],"Car":[],"Recipe":[],"Service":[],"SoftwareApplication":[],"WebPage":[]},"graphName":"","isEnabled":true},"graphs":[]},"schema_type":"default","schema_type_options":null,"pillar_content":false,"robots_default":true,"robots_noindex":false,"robots_noarchive":false,"robots_nosnippet":false,"robots_nofollow":false,"robots_noimageindex":false,"robots_noodp":false,"robots_notranslate":false,"robots_max_snippet":null,"robots_max_videopreview":null,"robots_max_imagepreview":"large","priority":null,"frequency":null,"local_seo":null,"breadcrumb_settings":null,"limit_modified_date":false,"ai":null,"created":"2023-11-16 09:39:39","updated":"2025-09-18 06:49:36","focus_keyword":null,"additional_keywords":null,"truseo_locale":null,"seo_analyzer_scan_date":null},"aioseo_breadcrumb":"

\n\t\t\tHome<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span>»<\/span>\n\t\t\tMoving to Barcelona<\/a>\n\t\t<\/span>»<\/span>\n\t\t\tA Guide to Settling into Barcelona\u2019s Lifestyle and Culture\n\t\t<\/span><\/div>","aioseo_breadcrumb_json":[{"label":"Home","link":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/"},{"label":"Moving to Barcelona","link":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/category\/moving-to-barcelona\/"},{"label":"A Guide to Settling into Barcelona’s Lifestyle and Culture","link":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/ena-guide-to-settling-in-to-culture-and-lifestyle-in-barcelona\/"}],"featured_image_url":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/barcelona-1586254_960_720-300x209.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3961,"href":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26\/revisions\/3961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.casamona.com\/blog\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}