The Port of Barcelona is holding its first Open Days to reach out to the public
The event will be held on the weekend of 24, 25 and 26 May.
There will be guided tours by land and sea and various recreational, educational and cultural activities to promote the Port of Barcelona.
The Port of Barcelona is holding its first Open Days during the weekend of 24, 25 and 26 May, coinciding with European Maritime Day. This event will offer members of the public the chance to learn first-hand about the working and the significance of the Catalan infrastructure, as well as its history and its future projects. Land and sea tours and various fun and educational activities will give visitors the chance to get to know the Port of Barcelona in greater depth.
“We want to continue bringing the Port closer to the general public, which is why we are very excited to be holding our first Open Days. It will be a unique opportunity for everyone to get to know the Port up-close and learn about its great contribution to the daily life of the city and its surroundings", announced Port President Lluís Salvadó during the presentation held on the Rambla of the old Breakwater, in the Marina Vela area. Also present at the event was the manager of the Port Vell [Old Port], David Pino.
With the motto "Explore the Port", the Open Days are structured around three axes: Discover the Port, with land tours by bus, sea tours on board the Golondrines pleasure craft, and historical walking tours; Get to know the Port, through an Agora Port with a programme of talks, workshops and family activities and a Port container, and Live the Port, with a seafood market in Port Vell, photocalls for selfies and side events.
Over the three days, visitors will be able to explore the Port through guided bus tours (departing from Portal de la Pau, the La Marina neighbourhood and El Prat de Llobregat) that will enter the restricted area of the Port, as well as sea routes in the Golondrinas pleasure craft. It will also be possible to experience the history of Barcelona's port and discover how it has evolved over time, by going on free walking tours of the Port Vell, some of them involving enactments. All tours can be booked from today, 29 April, via the website www.portdebarcelona.cat/portes-obertes, with a symbolic cost of EUR 1 per reservation, which will include a gift for all attendees. In total, more than 240 tours will be offered from Friday to Sunday, allowing thousands of people to enjoy the Port from 10 am to 9 pm.
Agora Port: a space open to everyone, with educational and entertainment activities
Portal de la Pau square, in front of the monument to Columbus, will host the Agora Port, a space open to everyone involving a packed programme of talks, roundtables, fun workshops and performances for people of all ages. Attendees will be able to enjoy instructive explanations of the workings of a container terminal or essential information for following the America's Cup. The Port of Barcelona's most innovative projects will also be showcased, such as the wharf electrification project or integrating drones and 5G technology into operations, all explained by people responsible for each project. In the evening, the Agora stage will be filled with music and entertainment with sea shanty singing (havaneres), processional giants (geganters), traditional instruments (grallers) and traditional figures (giants, animals, dragons etc) from the Barceloneta district, Catalan rumba workshops, to name just a few.
The Agora will offer specific activities for younger visitors to learn about the port in a fun and educational way with storytellers and face painting. They will also have the opportunity to explore the vehicles of the Port Police and the Port of Barcelona Fire Brigade, and get to know up-close how they work to keep the port area safe and secure.
A sailors’ market with local products and much more
Gastronomy will also feature in these open days with a sailors’ market located in the Portal de la Pau square, offering a wide variety of local and sea-related products. Visitors will have the opportunity to both buy and taste the products in the tasting area and enjoy a gastronomic experience by the sea.
Instagram prize draw
The Port of Barcelona will organise a prize draw on Instagram, giving away ten tours for two people on board the Port of Barcelona vessel Consulat de Mar. There will also be photocalls distributed around strategic points of the Port to encourage visitors to take photos and share them on social networks.
About fifteen entities, associations and companies linked to the Port of Barcelona will participate in these Open Days, which are part of the activities organised by the Port Authority and also organising parallel activities. Specifically they are: Museu d’Història de Catalunya, Museu Marítim de Barcelona, ZAL Port, Associació de Guies de Catalunya, Fundació BCN Capital Nàutica, Amics de la Rambla, ACIB La Barceloneta, Associació de Comerciants La Marina, Eix Comercial del Raval, Associació de Comerciants Poble Sec-Paral·lel, Born Comerç, Associació de Geganters de la Barceloneta, America’s Cup Experience, l’Aquàrium, Maremàgnum and Marina Vela.
For more information and registration, visit the website:
www.portdebarcelona.cat/portes-obertes
