Barcelona, the centre of a large metropolitan region, is a creative, modern, welcoming, enterprising, friendly and attractive city. Capital of the Mediterranean, it is one of the great urban, economic and business centres of Europe, with a superb location and connections around the world. The Catalan capital has turned innovation, technological and scientific development, design, commerce, gastronomy and quality services into core elements of its identity, with an important historical, cultural, architectural and monumental legacy.