Affordable Europe: Barcelona

You may have to pay to stay in Barcelona, but you don't have to pony up too much to play in it. Barca's best diversions — the vast parks of Montjuic and La Ciutadella, the Gaudi-accented boulevards like Passeig de Gracia, the sun-drenched beaches, or the bustle of La Rambla — have always been free, and there are plenty of ways to get a lot of enchantment for your euro.

Where to Eat Cheaply

Tapas would be an easy choice here — especially in the Raval neighborhood behind the appetite-whetting Boqueria Market, where the stalls heave with produce and succulent cured meats and cheeses. You can put together a meal for two for less than 10 euros, $12.40, at $1.24 to the euro. At midday, strap on the feedbag. Most restaurants offer specially priced lunch menus with two or three hearty courses often costing less than 10 euros, including a glass of wine and coffee or dessert. And even in the trendiest establishments, the waiter will almost never bring the check until you ask for it, so sip slowly and soak up the sun and atmosphere beachfront at the Carpe Diem Lounge Club (Passeig Maritim 32; 34-93-224-0470; www.cdlcbarcelona.com). For a break from traditional Spanish fare, try the new-school Camper FoodBall (Elisabets 9; www.foodball.com), where everything is not only free — of pesticides and genetic manipulation, that is — but also certified organic and rolled up into appetizing and easy-to-handle round balls to be eaten with the hands and washed down with fresh juices or hemp beer for less than 10 euros.

Lodging for Under 100 Euros

Barcelona was the birthplace of boutique hotels in Spain, most of which have sprung to life well into the 200-to-300-euro territory. The Hotel Banys Orientals (Argentaria 37; 34-93-268- 8460; www.hotelbanysorientals.com) remains a bargain at 95 euros a night for a double room. It is in the heart of the fancier-by-the-minute Born district, and the rooms are modern and casual with dark-wood tester beds, chunky Parsons tables, and lots of white paint and crisp linens. The hotel restaurant, Sr. Parellada, could also easily top the list of the best values in town.

Best Deal on a Cultural Event

Between the street festivals, strolling balladeers, and impromptu drunken songfests, your next concert may be just around the next corner. But for music in more luxe surroundings, the city's famous opera house, the Liceu (La Rambla 51-59; 34-93-485-9900; www.liceubarcelona.com), has thoughtfully added a junior varsity to its all-star lineup. In productions that are otherwise identical, the "popular cast," as these excellent but nonfamous performers are known, stand in for the divas and divos, who get the night off. Tickets are at least 50 percent cheaper for these performances, with orchestra seats for "Madama Butterfly" this June selling for 47.50 euros instead of the usual 115.75.

Best Things to Do Free

Look around. So much of the city's charm and rhythm comes from doing nothing beyond taking in its rich history and endless capacity for rejuvenation, like the architectural marvel of the medieval palaces that now house a Picasso museum on Calle Montcada or a once fetid harbor that has been resuscitated into Barcelona's typically stylish riff of the Riviera. Even Gaudi's Park Guell used leftover tiles for the vast expanses of mosaic.

Best Money-Saving Tip

Buy a two-to-five-day Barcelona Card (23 to 34 euros) online (www.barcelonaturisme.com) and get a 10-percent discount on the card, which grants free or discounted entry to many museums and attractions, and, perhaps more important, offers unlimited free travel on virtually all of the city's public transport, including the airport train.

(πηγή: www.iht.com, 23/4/2007)