Instead of asking ChatGPT, we went old school and did a Google search for “fun and little-known ‘facts’ about Barcelona”, the host city of our Mx3 Barcelona media innovation summit, to choose eight random morsels (not fact-checked!) from the top search results.
They are below, lightly paraphrased, and in order from the top result to the eighth one as they appeared on the Google search results page.
First, though, a little bit of business.
Think and learn | Connect and collaborate
Mx3 Barcelona brings together Creator-led, Consumer and B2B media for
two days of off- and on-the-record conversations, consultation
and connecting for collaboration. It is a unique opportunity
for publishers in different segments of the market to
engage and exchange insights.
Visit the Mx3 Barcelona website for more, and
sign up to join us on 12-13 March.
Colleagues from going on twenty countries have already done so.
On-stage, you will hear from:
>> Consumer media brands: Blick (Ringier,) Boom Saloon, Condé Nast,
Deutsche Welle, Financial Times, Her Campus Media, RBA, The Shift,
TheSoul, The Telegraph, Vox Media
>> B2B media brands: A Media Operator, Agri Media, B2B Marketing, Future,
Industry Dive, Kademy, Landwirtschaftsverlag, Questex, Splice Media, Skift,
Wolves Summit, William Reed, and more.
>> Experts such as Natasha Christie-Miller, who, among other things, is a
Senior Advisor to TED Conferences; Reed Phillips, CEO of investment firm
Oaklins DeSilva+Phillips; Wolfgang Zehrt, an AI specialist from Germany;
Lucy Küng, Senior Advisor, Non-Executive Director, Author and Speaker;
and Marco Olavarria of Berlin Consulting.
Our Early Bird Offer is available until 14 February.
Right, onto our eight Barcelona fun ‘facts’ for the ‘out-of-towners’ joining us in Barcelona.
1. From Get Your Guide:
Every year (since the 1800s), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) hands out awards recognizing a person’s contribution to architecture. Usually, the prize goes to an engineer, artist, scholar, or, of course, an architect. But just once, it went to an entire city — that’s right, it went to Barcelona. RIBA gave the award to the city in recognition of its radical urban transformation leading up to the 1992 Olympics.
2. From Cuddly Nest:
Barcelona’s beaches are artificial. There were no beaches in Barcelona before the 1992 Olympic Games. The Barcelona seaside was full of local industries until then, but it now has seven beaches with a 2,8 miles coastline. Apparently, the sand was brought from Egypt.
3. From Vicky Flip Flop:
Is Barcelona older than Rome? According to Vicky Flip Flop, the exact origins of the city of Barcelona are shrouded in a healthy bit of myth and speculation. However, many sites and ruins have been discovered around the city that date back as far as 5,000 BCE. This heavily indicates that settlers from around the Mediterranean were planting their roots in Barcelona far before the city of Rome began to rise.
4. From CEA CAPA World:
Don’t be surprised if you are wandering the city streets and come across a human tower reaching up to nine levels high! The tradition of building castells dates to the 18th Century and is now recognized on UNESCO’s Intangible World Heritage list.
5. From Afternoon Tea Reads:
Barcelona was a Roman colony known as Barcino. You can visit ancient Barcino! It’s preserved underneath the Gothic Quarter in the City History Museum of Barcelona. However, the craziest part might be that it was only discovered in 1930. It’s an entire city underground, though you can still see ruined frescoes, old city walls, and even giant basins for wine storage.
6. From Coddy Games:
The Eiffel Tower was first offered to Barcelona, but Spain (more likely the city itself) declined. This one is widely quoted. According to Google Arts & Culture, Gustave Eiffel first offered his design to the city, but the city turned it down for aesthetic reasons. Some argue the story is a myth. Either way, Barcelona has Gaudi’s Sagrada Família, and it is there for all to see ;).
7. From Nomads Unveiled:
Barcelona is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world. That is because there are more than 110 miles of bike lanes in the city. You can also rent a bike and explore this city in a completely new way when you visit.
8. From BCN.travel:
Barcelona has twelve abandoned metro stations. Not only that, but there are rumours that ghosts still haunt these stations. Therefore, if this is your cup of tea… you should certainly check them out.
There is plenty to see and do in and around the city, in addition, of course, to joining us for Mx3 Barcelona on 12-13 March.
Get your tickets today before our Early Bird offer ends on 14 February.
We look forward to seeing you at Mx3 Barcelona / Mx3 Barcelona looks forward to seeing you!
Cobus & the Mx3 Team
