Orientation
BARCELONA
Though a large and complex city, Barcelona’s barris (neighborhoods) are fairly well-defined. The Ciutat Vella (old city) is the city’s heart, comprised of El Raval (west of Las Ramblas), Barri Gòtic (between Las Ramblas and Via Laietana), El Born (between Via Laietana and Parc de la Ciutadella), and La Barceloneta (the peninsula south of El Born). Farther down the coast (to the left as you look at a map with the sea at the bottom) from the Ciutat Vella is the park-mountain Montjuïc, and the small neighborhood of Poble Sec between Montjuïc and Avda. Paral·lel. Farther inland from the Ciutat Vella is the large, central, rigidly gridded zone of l’Eixample, and still farther away from the sea is Gràcia. The Plaça de Catalunya is one of the city’s most central points, located where Las Ramblas meets the Passeig de Gràcia; it is essentially the meeting point of El Raval, Barri Gòtic, and l’Eixample.
BARRI GÒTIC AND LAS RAMBLAS
You will get lost in Barri Gòtic. Knowing this, the best way to properly orient yourself in the confusing neighborhood, where streets still follow their medieval routes, is to take a day to learn your way around. Las Ramblas provides the western boundary of the neighborhood, stretching from the waterfront to Plaça de Catalunya. Via Laietana marks the eastern border, running nearly parallel to Las Ramblas. The primary east-west artery running between Las Ramblas and V. Laietana is known as Carrer de Ferran between Las Ramblas and the central Plaça de Sant Jaume, and as Carrer de Jaume I between Pl. Sant Jaume and V. Laietana. Of the many plazas hiding in the Barri Gòtic, Plaça Reial (take the tiny C. de Colom off Las Ramblas) and Plaça de Sant Jaume are the grandest. The neighborhood is better known, though, for its more cramped spaces, like the narrow alleys covered with arches or miniature placetas in the shadows of parish churches. The L3 and L4 Metro lines serve this neighborhood, with [Drassanes, [Liceu, and [Catalunya along Las Ramblas (L3), and [Jaume I at the intersection of C. Jaume I and V. Laietana.
EL BORN
El Born, which makes up the eastern third of the Ciutat Vella, is celebrated for being slightly less touristy than the Barri Gòtic and slightly less prostitute-y than El Raval. The neighborhood is renowned for its confusing medieval streets, whose ancient bends hide fashionable boutiques and restaurants both traditional and modern. The Passeig del Born, the lively hub of this quirky barri, makes for a good bar- and restaurant-lined starting point.
EL RAVAL
There’s no point beating around the bush: El Raval is one of Barcelona’s more dangerous neighborhoods. By no means should you avoid it, just be careful and aware—even during the day—and be prepared to deal with persistent drug dealers and aggressive prostitutes. In particular, avoid Carrer de Sant Ramon. Clearly, El Raval does not lack character, and it is actually one of the city’s most interesting neighborhoods. Everything tends to be significantly less expensive than on the other side of Las Ramblas, and a large student population supports a bevy of quirky restaurants and bars. Areas around the Rambla del Raval and the Carrer de Joaquim Costa hide small unique bars and late-night cafes frequented by Barcelona’s alternative crowd. For daytime shopping, check out Riera Baixa, a street lined entirely with secondhand shops that also hosts a flea market on Saturdays, or the ritzierneighborhood around Carrer del Doctor Dou, Carrer del Pintor Fortuny, and Carrer Elisabets for higher-end (though still reasonably priced) shops.
BARCELONETA
Barceloneta, the triangular peninsula that juts out into the Mediterranean, is a former mariners’ and fishermen’s neighborhood, built on a sandbank at the beginning of the 18th century to replace the homes destroyed by the construction of the ciutadella. The grid plan, a consequence of Enlightenment city planning, gives the neighborhood’s narrow streets a distinct character, seasoned bythe salty sea breezes that whip through the urban canyons. Tourists and locals are drawn to unconventional Barceloneta by the restaurants and views along the Passeig Joan de Borbó, by the renowned beaches on the other side along the Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, and by the discotecas at the Port Olímpic.
GRÀCIA
Gràcia is hard to navigate by Metro. While this may at first seem like a negative, the poor municipal planning is actually a bonus. Filled with artsy locals, quirky shops, and a few lost travelers, Gràcia is a quieter, more out-of-the-way neighborhood, best approached by foot. [Diagonal will drop you off at the northern end of the Pg. de Gràcia; follow it across Avda. Diagonal as it becomes Carrer Gran de Gràcia, one of the neighborhood’s main thoroughfares. [Fontana lies further up on C. Gran de Gràcia. If you’re heading uphill on C. Gran de Gràcia, any right turn will take you into the charmingly confusing grid of Gràcia’s small streets, of which Carrer de Verdi, running parallel to C. Gran de Gràcia several blocks away, is probably the most scenic. For bustling plaças both day andnight, your best bets are Plaça de la Vila de Gràcia (more commonly known as Pl. Rius i Taulet), Plaça del Sol, and Plaça de la Revolució de Setembre de 1868, off of C. de Ros de Olano.
MONTJUÏC AND POBLE SEC
Montjuïc, the mountain just down the coast from the old center of Barcelona, is one of the city’s chief cultural centers. Its slopes are home to public parks, some of the city’s best museums, theaters that host everything from classical music to pop, and a Tkickass castle on its peak. Montjuïc (old Catalan for “mountain of the Jews,” possibly for the Jewish cemetery once located there) also has some of the most incredible views of the city. Many approach the mountain from the Plaça de Espanya, passing between the two towers to ascend toward the museums and other sights; others take the funicular from [Paral·lel.
The small neighborhood of Poble Sec (Catalan for “dry village”) lies at the foot of Montjuïc, between the mountain and Avinguda del Paral·lel. Tree-lined, sloping streets characterize the largely residential neighborhood, with the Plaça del Sortidor as its heart and the pedestrian-friendly, restaurant-lined Carrer de Blai as its commercialartery.