Barcelona, world class city, city of millions. A city of prosperity and progress where the cultural present and past crowd around. Barcelona lies at the foot of Mount Montjuic which rises, as it were, from the sea, where the famous Mies van der Rohe Pavilion is to be found, as is the Pueblo Espanol, the Spanish village in which the houses, squares and streets are representative of all Spain. ‘Downtown’ in the city, lovers of culture can get their fill of painters such as Picasso and Miro. Or they can visit the many architectural triumphs, which the famous architect Gaudi has left to us. The old part of the city, the ‘Barrio Gotico’ with its old city walls and beautiful monuments, is well worth a visit. In addition to official Spanish you can hear Catalan being spoken here although, of course, people will speak to you in Castilian. If, in spite of everything, you have nothing to do for an evening, then a stroll along the elegant boulevard Las Ramblas is an experience. There is also the Mediterranean, which always invites you for a refreshing dip. Barcelona, a metropolis where you will quickly feel at home.

There is also plenty to do in the area surrounding Barcelona. the mountain ranges (Montserrat, Sierra Montseny and, a little further away, the Pyrenees) are quiet, green and dotted with pretty villages. Those who like the beach can also enjoy themselves in the neighborhood of Barcelona. Both the Costa Brava (with the beautiful Arenys de Mar) and the Costa Dorada (Sitges with its whitewashed houses) are close by.

Don Quijote, In-Country Language Courses, Ltd., a relatively young but well known language school in Spain operates year round. While this progressive institute places high emphasis on quality, it also offers a casual and relaxed learning atmosphere within the walls of its schools. It functions under the combined talents of international management and all Spanish teaching staff. More than 10,000 people coming from 25 countries have learned Spanish with don Quijote schools.

The teaching staff are university graduates and native speakers with wide experience in teaching their language to foreigners. After the lessons, the teachers are also actively involved in the school's activities, help organize a variety of excursions, show what Spanish life is really like.

The school resides in a stately building on the famous Rambla de Cataluña, the Rambla that connects the old city by the sea with the stately 19^th century ‘El Ensanche’ district. Like all the other Ramblas, this boulevard stems from the Plaza de Cataluña, the heart of the city center. The school is no more than 20 meters from this square. ‘Bar Zurich’, the best meeting place in Barcelona for students and young people is on the corner. The bus stop and metro station are in front of the school. The school is spacious with large classrooms and equipped with teaching aids such as video equipment and computers.

For information on courses and calendars for the Barcelona program, please refer to http://www.spanish-abroad.org/