It may be due to the culture, the buzzing economic and technological landscape, the wide span of activities both for night owls or early birds, and the growing foreign presence. Still, Barcelona is chosen by more tourists by the day. Nevertheless, it is hard to keep track of all the attractions that can be visited in the city. Here, we propose a guide through “La Rambla”, one of its iconic tours.
Origins
Though now, it runs from the Square of Catalonia (plaça de Catalunya, the very core of the city) to Port Vell (in particular, to the Christopher Columbus Monument), covering the length of five streets (Estudios, Canaletas, Capuchinos, San José and Santa Mónica) and acting as the frontier between two neighborhoods (Barri Gòtic and El Raval), during the X and XIth century it was used as a waterway (like a sewage stream) that ran from upside the Collserola hills.
This is why its name derives from the Arabic ramla, which means “sand place”. Between the XIV and XV centuries, the city reconstruction plans started to redirect the stream, thus making the Rambla the street that became from that point on. It did not take long to gain its recognition as the center of urban life, and buildings (from markets to religious establishments) rose during this period.
Despite many targeted during the Spanish Civil War, some (like the Boquería, Saint Joseph Market, and a part of the Jesuit Bethlehem monastery and college) are still standing today. The trees that now seem like an unmissable part of the picture were initially planted back in 1700 and throughout the 1800s. It is now profoundly technologized (it has Europe’s most considerable technologized parking), but it was not until 2010 that the city forbade the selling and purchasing animals.
Main attractions
The must-see inside of Barcelona’s main must-see. Catalonia is a bilingual territory; if you want to address the local language, you can try catalan or Spanish lessons Barcelona.
- Great Theatre of the Lyceum (“Gran Teatre del Liceu”): though it was not always located on the Rambla (it changed location in 1847 and was rebuilt several times since then due to the attacks it suffered), it is the oldest running opera house in Barcelona and, during several years between the 1800s and the 1900s, it was the largest in Europe.
- The Boqueria: located in “Plaça Sant Josep”, this market goes back as far as the XIIth century, when it offered meat (which provides a glimpse of the origin of the name, for “boc” is Catalan for a kind of meat and “boqueria” or “bocateria” referred to the building). Now, it is both a local and foreign destination, for this food market has some of the city’s best-known restaurants in store. You can both take a seat to eat or buy your fresh seafood.
- The “Virreina” Palace (“Palau de la Virreina”): it took six years (from 1772 to 1778) to build this baroque building for the Viceroy of Peru, who named it after his wife (the vicereine or, for those taking Spanish lessons Barcelona, “virreina”). Since then, it has been host to art events and exhibitions. Since 1967, the statue Our Lady of the Rosary has stood before the palace.
- Christopher Columbus Monument: near the very end of the Rambla, in “Plaça de Catalunya”, you will find the monument to the Spanish navigator. It also has a tower that can be climbed to get a panoramic view of the city. Not far from there, you can reach the Canaletes Fountain.
- “Teatre Principal” (“Teatro Principal”): its original name was “Teatro de la Santa Cruz” (“Teatre de la Santa Creu”) and was intended to be part of the Hospital of the Holy Cross, for it to gain money from the shows. Due to this, Joan Bosch made land donations, and the theater opened its gates in 1579 (with several rebuildings afterward). Though people fought and succeeded in avoiding its demolition (making it the oldest theater in Barcelona), it has not presented shows since 2006.
- Bone Square: (“Pla de l’Os”): watch where you step, for you may pass through Joan Miro’s Pla de l’Os amid the Rambla. This pavement mosaic represents the sea in a larger corpus of Miro’s pieces that include all four elements (a mural in the airport means the air, and the sculpture “Mujer y Pájaro” represents the earth) and, from specific indication of the artist it presents no form of protection from the walkers.
- “Museu De L’Erotica Barcelona” (which loosely translates to “Erotic Museum”): the 800 pieces this museum holds wonder about the role of erotism and what was considered sexy has varied from ancient times until today and across different cultures. It is the first museum dealing with this topic and has pieces from ancient Roman times until the XXth century.
- “Arts Santa Mònica” (full name: “Centre d’Art Santa Mònica”): though the convent it stands on (which dated from 1626) became a building of national interest in 1984, it was not until 1988 that it opened its gates. It specializes in contemporary art exhibitions, both national and international.
- Güell Palace (“Palau Güell”): built during Gaudi’s early creative years, in 1888, for his patron Eusebi Güell; this palace combines oriental and Islamic elements based on eastern (Persian, Indian, and Japanese, among others) and Hispanic art and architecture. It is considered part of Catalan modernism and part of Gaudi’s presence in Barcelona, which can also be seen in Casa Batlló or Park Güell.
It is not in vain that LA Rambla is considered central to Barcelona, for it combines elements that can be seen throughout the city: it is both historical and modern, it is always lively in activity, it offers a wide variety of attractions, and in there you will find both tourists and locals that are continually drawn to this iconic place. If you are in town, take advantage of the opportunity to wander its streets.
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