One of the most impressive tour on a Segway, this tour starts from Barceloneta beach where you can see the beautiful coast. Before we start our tour to see the sights of Barcelona, your guide will show you how to use the Segway safely. Once you feel confident, the tour will begin.
Barceloneta is one of Barcelona's oldest and most beloved beaches. It is thought to have inspired Miguel de Cervantes as the setting for the fight between Don Quixote and the Knight of the White Moon.
Leave the beach behind and we’ll go all the way down to the Old Port with their gothic buildings. History of this place begins in 4th century BC when Barcelona was occupied by the Laietani. Barkeno, on Montjuïc, was their main settlement. But Port Vell started it’s port activity only since the 11th century AD, when the Romans founded their colony Barcino. The port that you see now was built as part of an urban renewal program prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
We’ll stop in front of the Columbus monument and see famous boulevard – La Rambla. A tree-lined pedestrian mall, it stretches for 1.2 kilometres connecting Plaça de Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell. La Rambla forms the boundary between the quarters of Barri Gotic, to the east, and El Raval.
Next, we’ll go to the centrally located Parc de la Ciutadella, historical landmark of the great expansion of the city. History of the park begins in 1714. During the War of the Spanish Succession, Barcelona was laid siege for 13 months by the army of Philip V of Spain. The city fell, and in order to maintain control over it, and to prevent the Catalans from rebelling as they had in the previous century, Philip V built the citadel of Barcelona. Hundreds of Catalonians were forced to work on the construction for three years, while the rest of the city provided financial backing. In 1841 the city's authorities decided to destroy the fortress, which was hated by Barcelona's citizens. The park was built for the World Fair in 1888.
The rest of the tour, we will spend passing close to the Arc of Triumph. It was built as the main access gate for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair. Designed by Josep Vilaseca as the principal exhibition entrance, with unusual, Mudéjar-style brickwork. At the top of the arch, the shields of the 49 Spanish provinces are presided over by the coat of arms of the city of Barcelona, encompassing Catalan culture and history.
Enjoy this great tour of Barceloneta and the Old Port of Barcelona.
