Secret Barcelona ('Secret' guides)

The secrets of Gaudí and the Sagrada Familia, a terrific tour of small trains hidden under the main station, a mysterious hand, a fascinating amphitheater of dissection, an unsuspected air-raid shelter, a kiss of death, a museum tucked away in the back of a shop, a magic talisman on a street sign, secret Mason symbols, the emblem of FC Barcelona in Santa María del Mar…

During the day and night, Barcelona reveals its secrets only to locals and travelers seeking to get off the beaten path. To that end, it is key to know where to go. An essential guide for those who think they know Barcelona well or for those looking to discover the hidden side of the city.

Rocío Sierra Carbonell is a freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker. Having lived on five continents, she now resides in Madrid with her two young kids. These days, Rocío mainly travels in her imagination, writing fiction for TV, theatre and feature films. After decades of writing about investment, finance and tourism, she is now immersed in the world of electronic music, finding the fusion of flamenco–funk–hip-hop particularly fascinating.

A history graduate from the University of Barcelona, Dani Cortijo is now a secondary-school teacher. He specialises in the city’s history and for years worked as an official Catalan tour guide, focusing on revealing unknown sides of the city to Barcelona locals. In 2009 he won Catalonia’s Culture Blog Award for his altresbarcelones.com project, and has spent the past 15 years researching and shedding light on the history of the city through books, TV, radio and the written press. He has collaborated in a wide range of media outlets, most prominently Catalunya Ràdio, Betevé and, currently, NacióDigital.