Map of La Salut neighbourhood in Gràcia,
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El Raval
Situated between Les Rambles and Paral·lel, Ronda de Sant Pau/Ronda de Sant Antoni, El Raval is a lively, colourful, ethnically diverse neighbourhood which embraces the old and the new — hosting a thousand year old monastery, a contemporary art museum, the national film theatre, one of the largest opera houses in Europe, as well as the Boqueria, one of the world’s most famous food markets.
The Raval is the area which, more than any other, defines Barcelona as a multi-cultural, multi-generational city — 51% of registered residents were born outside of Spain.
Until the mid 14th century the area was a market garden outwith the city’s walls, supplying the city’s residents with fresh produce.
Dreta de l'Eixample
The Heart of Modernista Architecture: La Dreta de l’Eixample in Barcelona
8th May 2017
La Dreta de l'Eixample
Dreta de l'Eixample is where you’ll encounter more than 150 of the city's Modernista buildings. The area is sometimes referred to as the Quadrat d'Or — the Golden Square — because of the abundance and quality of the architecture here.
This is where Utopian engineer, Ildefons Cerdà's plan for an expanded city began to take physical form. The first buildings were constructed here during the 1850s at the junction of Consell de Cent and Roger de Llúria.
Passeig de Gràcia is host to Gaudí's La Pedrera and La Manzana de la Discordia — the Block of Discord — where you'll encounter buildings by the three giants of Modernista architecture — Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch.
Since 1327, and the founding of the Royal Monastery of Santa Maria at the behest of Elisenda de Montcada, wife of James II, Pedralbes has been inextricably associated with royalty, wealth and influence.
In 1926 King Alfonso XIII established a royal palace here. When the dictator, Franco visited the city he stayed here. The current King’s sister has a house here. FCBarcelona footballer, Gerard Piqué and his popstar wife, Shakira live here.
Nearly every house has a swimming pool in its backyard.
A local wag dubbed it the Beverly Hills of Catalunya.
Smart and Assured with Chic Uptown Shopping and Clubbing
Sant Gervasi-Galvany, above Avinguda Diagonal, is situated between Ronda del General Mitre and Carrer de Balmes/Via Augusta.
Development began here in 1866, spurred by the promises of a new railway station and a new market. The station, La Bonanova, opened in 1867 but the market, begun in 1868, was not inaugurated until 1927.
The oldest part of the neighbourhood is the area between Carrer Sagués and Carrer Amigó but the main centre is around the market.
Sant Gervasi-Galvany, above Avinguda Diagonal, is situated between Ronda del General Mitre and Carrer de Balmes/Via Augusta.
Development began here in 1866, spurred by the promises of a new railway station and a new market. The station, La Bonanova, opened in 1867 but the market, begun in 1868, was not inaugurated until 1927.
The oldest part of the neighbourhood is the area between Carrer Sagués and Carrer Amigó but the main centre is around the market.
Vila de Gràcia
Lively, radical, arty warren of fun and solidarity: Vila de Gràcia in Barcelona
8th April 2017
Map of Vila de Gràcia.
Vila de Gràcia, the heart of the district of Gràcia, is a warren of very strollable streets and inviting squares fringed with café-bars, craft, design and fashion stores, restaurants offering every kind of cuisine, cool bodegas, independent cinemas, music venues, theatres, art galleries, craft workshops, an excellent market, plus much, much more.
The neighbourhood is famed for its Festa Major in August, when hundreds of thousands of visitors cram the narrow streets to inspect the residents’ wonderfully inventive decorations.
Vila de Gràcia is also well-known for its political activism, with frequent protsts, meetings and direct action which occasionally provoke a heavy-handed response from the Mossos d’Esquadra’s Mobile Group (anti-disturbance police).
You could easily spend a whole month strolling and grazing around, stopping off at squares, window shopping and dancing ’til you drop, and never get its measure.
