A beautiful and modern Mediterranean city, Barcelona, due to its geographical location in Spain's far northeast, use of Catalan (a unique language similar to both French and Spanish) and longstanding cultural independence, reveals itself to be quite different from the rest of Spain. A visit to Barcelona would be incomplete without observing some local traditions and festivals that are a product of this independence. Of course, the famous Sagrada Familia Cathedral and Barcelona's long stretches of high-quality beaches also deserve mention.