Sant Marti is one of the three districts in Barcelona that is situated at sea. It is the most beautiful on the border side, with its lovely beaches and small harbors.
On the inside of the district there are not many things to see, except for the recently finished Torre Agbar. The most beautiful parts of the district are Port Olimpic and Zona Forum.
This old industrial area is undergoing a huge urban transformation named @22. The intention is to enhance the infrastructure and to locate cutting edge companies in the information technology branch. Also you can find some beautiful lofts there converted from the old industrial buildings into residential spaces.
Port Olimpic is situated next to Barceloneta. Many beautiful buildings, beaches and the port can be found in this area. What is notable in Port Olimpic, are the two skyscrapers; the Arts hotel, and an office building named Torre Mapfre.
In Port Olimpic the following things are certainly worth a visit;
The old train station, which is still in use. The station has a huge old station hall, with a beautiful entrance. Beside the station, on the outskirts, lies an old Hospital.
Another fascinating site in this area is Port Olimpic itself. It is a fancy port where numerous of pleasure boats are stationed in the port. The port is surrounded by palm trees, restaurants and bars. Beside the port lie four beautiful beaches which go all the way to Zona Forum. Here you can enjoy swimming, surfing and diving.
At the port you can find some nice places to party, have dinner or relax. These places are the Baja Beach club, CDLC (Carpe Diem lounge club), Shoko, restaurant Agua and restaurant Posit.
Zona forum is an entire new district, which was initiated for the Barcelona World Forum 2004 celebration. The area is situated at the end of all the beaches in Barcelona. Zona Forum can be divided into different areas, which are all very impressive and where you can enjoy beautiful views. Concerts are taking place in the open air during the summer.
In Zona Forum the following things are worth visiting:
La Marbella, a beautiful sport complex, located at sea where many different sports can be practiced, such as tennis, football, handball and volleyball. There is also the possibility to surf or dive.
La Fotovoltaica is an enormous large concrete object that is covert with solar panels. A large staircase underneath the panels leads you to a higher level. From that level you can enjoy a splendid view over the ocean, the mountain coast besides the city and the complete coast of Barcelona. La Fotovoltaica also contains a park called Parc de Auditoris, a very nice park made of concrete, asphalt and green combinations. A small artificial bay is attached to this park. Every year, concerts are given in this park during the summer. |