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Sports and outdoor
activities
B
arcelona is well placed for access to the sea and mountains, which is
one of the reasons it was picked for the 1992 Olympics. A spin-off
from the games was an increased provision of top-quality sports and
leisure facilities throughout Catalunya, which have attracted an
increasing number of major games and events – the city is now gearing up for
the European Athletics Championships (
W
www.bcn2010.org), to be held here
in 2010. However, while there are scores of sports centres and swimming pools
in the city, there aren’t actually that many that will appeal to tourists or casual
visitors. Most people are content to hit the city beaches or take off for a hike
or jog in the surrounding hills of the Parc de la Collserola.
Attending the big match, whatever that might be, is a different matter.
Tickets
for all major sporting events can be bought from the agencies,
ServiCaixa
(
T
902 332 211,
W
www.servicaixa.com) or
TelEntrada
(
T
902
101 212,
W
www.telentrada.com). The main source of information about
municipal sports facilities is the Ajuntament’s
Servei d’informació Esportiva
(
T
010,
W
www.bcn.cat, look under “Esports”), which has a drop-in office
(Direcció d’Esports) on Montjuïc at Avgda. de l’Estadi 30–40 (
M
Espanya), at
the side of the Picornell swimming pool.
Basketball
Second only to football in popularity, basketball has been played in Barcelona
since the 1920s. Games are usually played September to June at weekends, with
most interest in the city’s two main teams.
Club Joventat de Badalona
,
founded in 1930, were European champions in 1994, while
FC Barcelona
(an
offshoot of the football club as early as 1926) finished runners-up five times
before finally becoming European champions in 2003. Tickets to games are
fairly inexpensive (€11–60, depending on the seat and game), and it’s easiest to
go and watch FC Barcelona, as Badalona is out in the sticks.The team plays at
the Palau Blaugrana, adjacent to the Camp Nou, and you can either buy tickets
online (
W
www.fcbarcelona.com)or go to the stadium (the day before the
game) – see “Football” below for main stadium contact details.
M
SPORTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
|
Basketball