/ Nordic Estate: the pulse of the Mediterranean /
Feel the vibrant pulse of a passionate culture in which tradition and modernity live side by side in perfect harmony, where the light sculpts every space and time seems to stand still.
Indulge in a relaxed lifestyle in which meals are transformed into a quasi-sacred experience, where the murmur arising from the terraces and cafés hangs in the air, dinners with friends stretch on well past midnight and good wine flows freely.
/ Values by Patrick A. Westerlund /
Hi! My name is Patrick Westerlund and I’m the CEO of Nordic Estate. Although I was born and raised in Stockholm, I have called Barcelona my home for the past three years. My great passions include sports and healthy living.
I came up with the idea to establish Nordic Estate whilst attempting to purchase a home in Barcelona. After suffering numerous setbacks, I realised that there was a need for an agency that’s not only highly professional but also trustworthy and approachable—an agency that would advise clients regarding every aspect, not only the legal and commercial ones. In short, an agency where clients from abroad could feel at home
Personally, I love Barcelona: the houses, the design, the Mediterranean lifestyle, the tradition of enjoying life’s little pleasures… But what interests me the most are people. That’s why I felt that Nordic Estate was the next natural step in my personal development. I believe that it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to contribute something as important as a home to the lives of our clients, and to do so in a way that’s simple and supportive.
My philosophy is to treasure each day and live it to the fullest, whilst accomplishing something meaningful. And I wouldn’t be able to do it without the help of the wonderful people around me.
/ Barcelona living /
From the magnificent Collserola mountain range, the ‘goddess of the Mediterranean’ plunges towards the sea. A city with more than two thousand years of history recognised the world over for its fascinating modernist architecture, whose greatest exponent was the genius Antoni Gaudí.
With over 10 kilometres of city beaches, sports centres, gourmet markets, a vibrant cultural scene and a vast network of public transportation, Barcelona offers a quality of life that’s difficult to match.
Its eminently cosmopolitan character favours synergy between cultures from every continent. In this sense, Barcelona holds a special attraction for Scandinavian countries. In fact, some studies estimate that there are forty thousand Swedes residing in the area.
/ Days of sunshine /
Good weather is one of the reasons for the festive mood that prevails in the streets of the city centre at all hours. The days are generally sunny, with winters that rarely go below zero degrees and summers that are milder than in the southern part of the peninsula, allowing locals and visitors to enjoy outdoor sports activities and social events to the fullest.
/ Good food and good health /
In 2019, the Bloomberg agency named Spain the healthiest country in the world, thanks in large part to the quality of its public health system, but also thanks to the virtues of its exquisite cuisine, based on the Mediterranean diet.
Extra virgin olive oil, Iberian ham, fresh seafood, legumes and local fruits and vegetables are just a few of the stellar products you’ll find in every corner of the country.
In this respect, Catalonia is one of the favourite destinations for gastronomic tours. In the kitchen of any farmhouse, you can sample traditional dishes, like the famous calçots (a type of spring onion) in romesco sauce. You can savour seafood paella in one of the restaurants in the old maritime district of Barceloneta… Snack on the delicious tapas at Cervecería Catalana in the Eixample, not far from the elegant Passeig de Gràcia… Or—why not—celebrate a feast of the senses in one of the best restaurants in the world: El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, just an hour away from the capital.
/ Cava tours /
When it comes to wine, Catalonia boasts a dozen protected designations of origin, but the most well-known is, without a doubt, Penedés, thanks to the fame of the region’s cava, the sparkling wine it exports to all parts of the world.
Visitors can take a tour through the capital of cava, Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, less than an hour away from Barcelona. On the weekends, they offer guided tours through the vineyards and cellars, including tastings. Not to be missed is a visit to the Codorníu Winery with its modernist architecture and 26 kilometres of underground cellars.
Afterwards, if you like, you can spend the night at one of the region’s cosy rural houses, many of which have their own vineyard.
/ A wealth of culture and leisure /
Each day, this city with its Bohemian spirit makes you yet another offer you can’t refuse:
Art exhibitions in the galleries of El Born, independent theatre in the Gràcia district, concerts in fabled halls, like Razzmatazz in Poblenou… The opera and ballet season at the Gran Teatre del Liceu enjoys international prestige.
Perhaps a visit to the Picasso Museum or the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA) is more your speed. And immediately afterwards, you could stop for a drink at Eclipse, a club located on the 26th floor of the iconic hotel W Barcelona.
In the spring, the number of after-work parties explodes: from places like 4 Latas, located on Carrer d’Enric Granados in the heart of the Eixample, featuring parties every Wednesday, to the multitude of hotels that compete for the most charismatic rooftop, the most provocative cocktails and the best live music.
The terrace of Casa Batlló, designed by Antoni Gaudí, is famous for its nights of pure magic, with boleros, bossa nova and jazz.
A favourite summertime activity is the open-air cinema ‘cinema a la fresca’, where you can bring your own food and have a picnic in the gardens of Montjuïc Castle whilst watching a film on the big screen.
/ A whole world of sports /
The city is brimming with the sporting spirit. Let’s not forget that Barcelona hosted the 1992 Olympic Games.
In addition to the facilities, high-performance centres, running tracks, tennis, paddle-ball and basketball courts, pools, football fields and skate parks, there are countless places nearby where you can engage in sports like trekking, running, cycling or rock climbing.
Passeig de les Aigües, located high in the Collserola mountain range, offers not only a spectacular panoramic view but also an ideal greenway for running and cycling. An estimated two thousand runners and cyclists visit it each day.
You will also find magnificent golf courses in the vicinity of the urban area, as well as various riding clubs, like the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona.
Naturally, aquatic sports are common all along Barcelona’s coastline. You’ll find plenty of surfing, kitesurfing, stand-up paddle boarding, sailing and diving schools.
Skiing and snowboarding are also very popular, as the city is connected by railway to the La Molina ski resort a little over 100 kilometres away.
/ Professional life /
Barcelona is one of the most important centres of business in the European Union and a veritable magnet for investors. According to a survey of 366,000 professionals in 197 countries, conducted by the Boston Consulting Group in 2018, Barcelona is the fourth most attractive city to work in, with 15 percent of respondents willing to move to Barcelona for work.
A number of major IT companies, R&D centres, advertising agencies, video game and artificial intelligence developers, film producers and international start-ups are headquartered in 22@,
the technological district located in Poblenou, on the shores of the Mediterranean.
Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Google, Autodesk, Glovo and Microsoft are just a few examples. The city hosts the Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest exhibition and conference for the mobile industry, boasting more than two thousand exhibitors and over a hundred thousand attendees annually.
Barcelona is also a fashion capital, with local labels like Custo Barcelona and Mango making a splash on runways and shops around the world. The bi-annual 080 Barcelona Fashion Show is the best showcase for the collections of young designers and venerated fashion houses, alike.
An interesting side note: Barcelona is the only city in Spain to have its own Soho House, situated in a nineteenth-century building in the Gothic Quarter. Soho House is an exclusive private club primarily aimed at creative types, artists and entrepreneurs. It’s a sophisticated cosmopolitan establishment open only to members and invited guests. A perfect setting in which to network with professionals from throughout Europe, dream up projects and do business, either over drinks or in the relaxing atmosphere of the rooftop pool and spa.
/ Places of interest /
/ Sitges /
Just an hour away from Barcelona, Sitges is a well-known coastal city, surrounded by the El Garraf Nature Park. A former fishing village, it’s famous for its carnival, its vast beaches and its promenade surrounded by mansions.
Hotel Meliá is the site of the most famous horror film festival in the world: the International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia.
Fun fact: what is probably the most famous dance club of all time, Pachá, opened its first location in the port of Sitges at the hands of local impresario Ricardo Urgell back in 1967. The original club is still open to this day.
/ Maresme /
Maresme is a region encompassing 16 municipalities, 45 kilometres of coastline, 37 beaches, 4 marinas and 4,000 berths.
It’s a privileged residential zone, notable for the dazzling beauty of the countryside, where the intense green of the lush vegetation intermingles with the crystal blue of the waters along the expansive fine-sand beaches.
Maresme enjoys easy access to Barcelona city centre by train, which is one of the reasons why many inhabitants of Barcelona have chosen this coastal area as their primary residence.
/ The Costa Brava /
The Costa Brava extends from the end of the Maresme coastline all the way to the border of France. It is characterised by its steep rocky landscape with abundant vegetation and pine forests and a multitude of beautiful but inhospitable secret coves that can only be accessed by traversing the mountainous terrain on foot.
The Costa Brava is also punctuated with pretty little towns that, before tourism, were primarily fishing villages. Some are capped by medieval castles or by fortifications against pirates, for example, Tossa de Mar (an hour’s drive from Barcelona). Great artists, including Picasso, Dalí, Chagall and Ava Gardner, once lived in the area. While you’re there, a visit to the Salvador Dalí House Museum is highly recommended.
/ The Ebro Delta /
In the south of Catalonia you’ll find the Ebro Delta Nature Park, the region’s largest wetland area, which UNESCO has declared a Biosphere Reserve.
It’s a fascinating place, situated at the mouth of Spain’s mightiest river, the Ebro, surrounded by an infinite number of rice paddies and crisscrossed by a labyrinth of narrow streets. The lagoons harbour an enormous ornithological reserve, sheltering herons and flamingos, amongst numerous other endemic and migratory birds.
You can navigate the majestic river by kayak, enjoy six different varieties of Protected Designation of Origin rice, observe flocks of birds, go kitesurfing and more, all just a two-hour drive from Barcelona.
