The seventeenth edition of Primavera Sound will be held in Barcelona from 31 May to 4 June. The main centre of operations is the Parc del Fòrum, but concerts will also be hosted at other points in town (check out the festival website for these extra concerts and ticket availability). Barcelona will actually become the world’s music capital for five days. This year the line-up is headed by a wide variety of top-notch artists, notably Van Morrison, Grace Jones, Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Frank Ocean, The xx, Aphex Twin, Slayer and Solange, as well as a number of highly interesting b-series artists, including The Damned, Wild Beasts, Angel Olsen, The Magnetic Fields, Marie Davidson, Julie Dorion and Mac Demarco, among others.

Apart from treating visitors to myriad musical offerings, Primavera Sound also gives you the chance to see the city. Barcelona is a comparatively compact city, so you can tour it in a short space of time. Here, then, are some tips on how to do it at your convenience.

Room Wanted

Barcelona is a tourist resort and, as such, offers a host of hotel accommodations. Then again, that makes it difficult to decide on an option. Here are three quite different proposals to help you make your choice. The first is Hostel Generator, located on Calle Córcega, well placed in terms of the city centre, the Gràcia district and the Verdaguer metro stop where you can get Line 4 straight to the Fòrum. Another interesting option is Melon District Marina, a student residence which also accepts bookings for just a few days, located halfway between downtown Barcelona and the main Primavera Sound venue (it’s just a fifteen-minute ride by either Metro or Trambaix to the Parc del Fòrum). Lastly, if you’re on a shoestring budget, you could always check out the Couchsurfing Barcelona website to find free accommodation.

Affordable Snacks

Barcelona’s culinary array is also endless. Here, we focus on a few reputable restaurants serving a Mediterranean diet and, more importantly, at reasonable prices. Let’s begin at Urretxu, a Basque restaurant near the Olympic Village which serves up market cuisine – ideal for a quick meal before any of the concerts. It is close to several stops on Line 4 and just a stone’s throw from the Fòrum. More centrally located – specifically, on Calle Diputación – is Gelida, with its typically Catalan culinary offerings which will suit all pockets. They do not have a house menu, but the list of dishes based on fresh products is great. Winding up these recommendations is the Bacoa hamburger chain, with several outlets scattered about the city. You can sit down to a meal of their organic meat hamburgers in any of their establishments, or opt for a takeaway, a good choice if you’re looking to get to the festival grounds as early as possible.

Hunting For Vinyl

If you’re left with any spare time after the flurry of activity generated by Primavera Sound, why not drop in on some of the city’s most venerable record shops? It’s worth embarking on that quest for the vinyl you’ve been seeking out for some time in the Calle Tallers, right next to Barcelona’s Rambla. There you will find the two stores owned by Discos Revolver, who celebrated their thirty-fifth anniversary just a short while ago. Another place of pilgrimage for music lovers which you should make a point of visiting is Ultra-Local Records, located on Calle Pujades, just a few metres from the line 4 metro stop of Llacuna (three stops from the Fòrum). Another way of “searching for the lost record” on the Sunday hangover morning is by visiting Mercat de Sant Antoni, an emblematic second-hand street market where, apart from vinyls, you can pick up all sorts of collectibles at very reasonable prices.

Book your Vueling to Barcelona and gear up to revel in the Primavera Sound festivities.

Text by Xavi Sánchez Pons

From David Bowie or Iggy Pop, to U2 or R.E.M, Berlin has long been a source of inspiration for the most famed ambassadors of pop and rock (their impact on club culture deserves a separate article). With the iconic Hansa Tonstudio recording studios as the hub of experimentation and creation, the German capital stands out as the inextricable backdrop for beacons of musical genesis over the last few decades.

“Heroes” (David Bowie, 1977)

David Bowie took refuge in Berlin in search of inspiration in the late seventies. His German sojourn ended up spawning the Berlin Trilogy,a triptych of albums that began with Low (1977) and ended with Lodger (1978), although epitomised by the second album, Heroes.Recorded in the legendary Hansa Tonstudio (or Hansa Studio by the Wall), the title track recounts the story of two lovers who hide their idyll in the shadows of the Berlin Wall.

“Lust For Life” (Iggy Pop, 1977)

Following in the footsteps of his friend, David Bowie, Iggy Pop headed for Berlin to develop his career as a solo artist. The first chapter in that new venture was The Idiot (1977). A bigger hit still was Lust for Life, released that same year. With the Hansa Studio by the Wall again becoming his centre of operations, Iggy Pop took just eight days to breathe life into such essential titles in his repertory as Lust for Life, The Passenger and Tonight.

“Kollaps” (Einstürzende Neubauten, 1981)

Few albums has captured so well the essence of Berlin in the early eighties as Kollaps, Einstürzende Neubauten’s debut. A landmark industrial and experimental band, the calling card of this group led by Blixa Bargeld was a collection of pieces which even today, three decades on, still resound as searing, psychotic and oppressive – an exquisite torture on the ears.

“Night Time” (Killing Joke, 1985)

The quasi-metal, industrial band, Killing Joke, achieved one of their major hits with Night Time, a work suggestive of an interlude between their strident beginnings and the calmer stretches they would subsequently experiment with, albeit fruitlessly. And, while you’re at it – listen to Eighties, the last track on the album, and then do the same with Come as You Are, by Nirvana. Influence, coincidence or plagiarism?

“Black Celebration” (Depeche Mode, 1986)

Depeche Mode went to Berlin to record their fifth studio album, with Martin Gore then consolidating as the band’s creative engine. As the title suggests,Black Celebrationstresses the darkening sound passages that the Britons had been flirting with in their previous works, Construction Time Again (1983) and Some Great Reward (1984). Definitely one of the most influential records of the eighties.

“Your Funeral… My Trial” (Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, 1986)

Nick Cave has stated on more than one occasion that Your Funeral… My Trial is the best album in their career. Indeed, his long fourth track harbours some of the most hair-raising cuts by the Australian, like its counterpart, Your Funeral, My Trial, Stranger Than Kindness or The Carny which Cave and The Bad Seeds would play a year later in the Wim Wenders film, Wings of Desire.

“Bossanova” (Pixies, 1990)

Engendered in Berlin, this third album of the Pixies is undoubtedly one of the great works of independent rock. The hideout of simply irresistible tracks like Velouria, Dig for Fire or Allison, their customary dedication to sure-fire tunes entangled with distorted guitar rasps,Bossanovareveals borrowings from surf and space rock. While not a conceptual work, many of the themes bear references to aliens, UFOs and the remaining extraterrestrial paraphernalia that so obsessed its leader, Black Francis.

“Achtung Baby” (U2, 1991)

Having scoured the roots of American music with Rattle and Hum (1988), U2’s next release marked a radical departure in sound. Having moved to Berlin to allow the winds of change blowing across the city to rub off on them, the Irishmen caught the world unawares with a work grounded in the essences of the burgeoning genres, including independent rock and electronic music. Achtung Baby is one of those definitive records in the history of rock.

“Collapse Into Now” (R.E.M., 2011)

R.E.M. was one of the most popular bands in the last few decades, with the added advantage that they managed to keep their integrity and artistic credibility intact. They split up in September 2011, a few months before the release of their last album, Collapse Into Now. Recorded in the Hansa Tonstudio, this is a standout farewell bordering on the sublime, as in Discover, Mine Smell Like Honey and Überlin.

Berlin Musictours offers an extensive, more than interesting gamut of tours to the hotspots of Berlin’s ever effervescent musical activity. Among the various itineraries to choose from, notable routes include the Bowie Berlin Tour, U2 Berlin Tour, Depeche Mode Berlin Tour and Hansa Studio Tour. Why wait to discover an à la carte musical Berlin? Check our flights here.

Text by Oriol Rodríguez for ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

If you are just about to land in Bologna, and you wonder what to do in this medieval city in northern Italy, capital of Emilia-Romagna region and home to the oldest university in Europe, you just hit the mark: following we suggest some of the amazing experiences you can have in this lovely land known as La Rossa, due to the red facades of their buildings:

1.-Take a walk around Portico di San Luca, the longest in the world

In Bologna is easy to meet with History in every corner. Take a walk down to its famous porch leading fromPorta Saragozza, crossing Arco del Meloncello, to Sanctuary de la Madonna di San Luca. It is a tradition between locals and pilgrims and you may admire this spectacular renaissance architecture whose length is 3.8 km and 666 arcs. Once at the top of the hill where this iconic and majestic sanctuary stands, you may enjoy from its stunning views to the city and to the Apennines. The most athletic ones can do this tour running or biking along the rails ouside of the porch.

2.- Discover historic center in Bologna

If you go deep into the historic center, you will know the real paradigm for Bolognese life. You should begin by Piazza Maggiore and Piazza Neptune, where there stands many monuments as the Basilica di San Petronio and you will come across different palaces, crossing Piazza San Stefano with its respective church and ending at Piazza di Porta Ravegnana, where you will find Le Due Torri, the iconic towersGarisenda and Asinelli. You can go up this latter for an old city’s panoramic view until five in the afternoon. The best pizzeria in town, Due Torri, is at its feet where it is usual to ask for take-away portions for only 2 euros each and quietly eat at Piazza Verdi, where most people get together while gazing at the Teatro Comunale.

3.- Move to the Bolognese Night’s rhythm

Bologna is a youth-oriented city. Proof of this is the great university atmosphere there and the best way to live it is by going to Via del Pratello or to La Scuderia in Piazza Verdi to get ready with the typical ” aperitivi ” based on some snacks, pizza and spritz before going party.. There are plenty of bars and music pubs on this street where sure the fun begins. In Via Broccaindosso there is a curious medical students association with such a great atmosphere and live concerts . This is a small and bizarre venue you get down by a staircase , from which you can enjoy live gigs while browsing the medical books from their shelves . The most odd combination, the most entertaining it is. Bring your own drinks is allowed. Finally , we should mention one of the best electronic music club in Bologna , disco Link, located on the outskirts of the city.

4.- Give Yourself A Treat

 Via della Independenzia is the center for Bologna’s comerce. Also, you can go to Montagnola‘s market tracking its many stalls because surely you will end up with some wonderful piece. If you prefer more traditional and chic shopping, you’d better go to the city center, where you will find all kinds of boutiques and a wide range of well known brands.

5.- Try the best of its cuisine

 To feel like a true bolognese, enter a “salumerie” or deli and take one mortadella di Bologna or tortellini, region’s typical food . You can not say goodbye to this wonderful city without tasting the wonderful “taggliatelle Ragu-style accompanied by a good wine”. La Trattoria del Rosso is a perfect place for this. To taste local products, Tamburini is a classic, having a shop to purchase a variety of delicatessen. They serve tables of meats and cheeses, oils and local wines. Il Veliero is the ideal restaurant for fish lovers, whose specialty is “risotto ai frutti di mare”. Finally, icecreams at Gelateria Gianni or La Sorbetteria are a must.

Picture by Szs

By Blanca Frontera

Why not take a trip to Bologna? Have a look at our flights here!

Asturias is a natural paradise, with a great variety of landscapes. Maybe that is the reason why many film directors chose this region to shoot the scenes of their movies.

But one of the towns with a bigger amount of film locations is Llanes, a beautiful fishing village with a medieval origin. The old quarter has being conserved perfectly and the location between the sea and the mountain makes that, in a little area, many different landscapes can be found.

At the historic quarter the Tower or the walls from the 13th century stand out, also the Basilica or many palaces and mansions, originally from the 16th to the 18th century. This area was used to film Spanish movies like "Porque te vi llorar" or "Los jinetes del alba".

Other remarkable sports in Llanes are the avenue Paseo de San Pedro, where José Luis Garci’s "Historia de un beso" was filmed in 2002, The Memory Cubes by Basque artist Agustín Ibarrola, the fortress, San Antón avenue, the lighthouse, the Aula del Mar or the beaches in Sablón, Puerto Chico and Toró.

There is also an interesting sample of Indianan architecture like the Casino or the Partarriú palace, the same mansion that Juan Antonio Bayona used to film The Orphanage that can be found as you get to Llanes.

By the east of Llanes, we get to the golf field of Andrín, where the movie "Mi nombre es sombra" (1966), by Gonzalo Suárez was filmed. In front of the field, there is a little way that leads to the Boriza viewpoint and by the cliffs where "El abuelo" was filmed. This offers a terrace above the sea, with a great panoramic view over Andrín and Cué beaches. The area has great beauty and other paths along the cliffs make this place the perfect spot for trekking. This is when you realize that following film locations is just an excuse or a reason to enjoy the beautiful landmarks in Asturias.

The film route along the west area of Llanes is equally beautiful. You’ll pass by the Pría jesters from the movie "La Señora" (1987) by Jordi Cadena. The jesters are breaches in the rocks and the sea waters goes through creating fountains that can reach several meters high.

The cemetery in Niembru, along to the Church of Nuestra Señora de los Dolores, make a beautiful spot where scenes from the movies "La Señora", "Epílogo" or "El abuelo" where filmed.

In total, there are about 25 locations where 42 sequences from 18 different films, 3 TV-shows and 1 short film were shot. This is divided in three different routes around the town of Llanes, east and west. Explanatory panels in every spot explain the technical remarks of the scene and will help you to orientate.

Llanes has invested a lot of effort in this initiative, along with film meetings, screenings, Q&A with the directors or live music from movie soundtracks.

We’ll be there. If you want to come too, check out our flights here.