Getting to know the city through partying

You may ask yourself: what is Spanish culture? Is it the food, the language, or the architecture? But don’t forget the partying because Spain is known to have an incredibly vibrant nightlife. Before I left my home country to attend this mobility week, I got told that Spain and especially Barcelona, is one of the best cities to party in Let me tell you this: If you thought partying in your home country was good – you haven’t been to Spain yet Bars and clubs are open all night, and people party until six in the morning or till sunrise, sometimes stopping for some churros or food in general before finally going to bed

You may ask yourself: ‘’But in most others countries, they also party until late? So, what makes Barcelona so special?’’ It’s mostly because of the atmosphere. The Spaniards know how life is more than just going to work They have to ability to live life to the fullest For instance, in Norway we don’t sit beside each other on the bus That is not good and almost like an unspoken rule

Here in Spain, everybody sits beside each other, everybody talks to each other and everybody have fun together. Even though there is a bunch of foreigners from diverse nationalities, I know that they’ll party as hard as the Spaniards.

Another important aspect of Spanish nightclub culture is the emphasis on late-night socializing. Spanish people are known for their love of dancing, and nightclubs are a great place for them to showcase their skills on the dance floor. The social atmosphere in Spanish nightclubs is highly conducive to meeting new people, and it is not uncommon for partygoers to make new friends on the dance floor.

In conclusion, Spanish party culture is a rich and vibrant aspect of the country's cultural heritage It reflects Spain's diverse history and its willingness to embrace new ideas and influences. In an intercultural context, Spanish party culture offers a fascinating insight into how different cultures can interact and influence each other. Whether it's through music, food, or dance, Spanish party culture is a celebration of the country's cultural heritage and its place in the world

Barcelona is a city that has a lot to offer for both worlds. You can stroll through the picturesque streets admiring the architecture during the day, visit a few museums or art galleries, and showcase your moves on various dance floors while listening to your favorite music at night. Moreover, it has lovely nature both inside and outside the city which can be easily considered as a separate piece of art. I mean nature is so pretty it could be exhibited in a gallery.

However, even though it all sounds so nice, Barcelona, like any other big city, has a side of it that's usually avoided by tourists and not recommended by locals. It is simply not as posh as you see in vlogs or IG pictures, and is considered to be dangerous. Like elsewhere, there are plenty of homeless people, beggars, unsafe neighborhoods, or plenty of rubbish on the streets. As I said, every bigger city has this side, so there is nothing to be ashamed of.

My fellow girls from Lithuania and I happened to live in a place that’s referred to as “not the best neighborhood”. We found that out only after the city guide told us during the tour that took place on our first day. We should have done better research beforehand, I guess.

The place was close to La Rambla's street which is one of the places of tourist attractions. La Rambla is considered to be one of the most famous and busiest streets in the city. It has many restaurants and a variety of shops in it, so it gets really crowded and touristy. Because there is constantly so many people in there, it can get tricky, and you can get easily scammed or pickpocketed. Luckily, neither happened to any of us.

However, you could meet all types of people there – starting from lost tourists with their backpacks wandering around, ending with aggressive locals doing drugs in the middle of the street. So, the street has weird dynamics to say the least. But that’s what I liked about it – its uniqueness.

I remember during the first night in Barcelona we went out clubbing. We were so frightened of the idea of walking in that neighborhood alone at night, we made some boys promise they would walk us home later that night. Now it’s pretty hilarious and silly when we think about it. But, because of the poor choices we made as well as our cowardice, we made a bunch of new friends that night, so in the end the risk that we took paid off.

So, even though every vlogger or tour guide screamed how dangerous the neighborhood was, I am glad that we've lived there and got to experience Barcelona as it is - different and colorful without only sticking to the posh side of it. I believe that it is fun to end up in such places as La Rambla street or to live in not the best neighborhoods. It brings some exhilaration to the whole experience.