In all the rest of posts we have talked about the places where we usually go, most of them close to home. After all, this is our Barcelona. But we wanted to comment on some curious places where we go from time to time, and maybe they are less known.
the catalan manchester
In the neighborhood of Poblenou (literally the new village) technological companies are now concentrated, but during the 19th century it was the center of Catalan industry. The neighborhood was full of factories, especially textiles, of which now only a few remains remain. We love them. You can go on the metro L1 to Glories, which is a horrible square. There you have the modern Agbar tower (you will see it quickly) and the old La Farinera factory (Gran Via 837). From here you can find other factories such as Can Ricart (Emilia Coranty 5), Ca l’Aranyó (Llacuna 123), Ca l’Alier (Fluvià 120), La Escocesa (Pere IV 345) or Oliva Artés (Espronceda 142).
To complete the visit to the neighborhood you can go for a drink at the Rambla del Poblenou, a walkway full of bars and terraces. If you feel like it, from there you can easily reach the beach.
let’s have some views
To have a good view of Barcelona it is best to climb some of its mountains, such as Montjuic or Tibidabo. Another option is the Park Güell, which really is a nice place but too crowded in the peak season. So we want to talk about the Carmel bunkers, a place that until 2010 was almost unknown but that is becoming very fashionable. Go early in the morning and avoid weekends. It is about old bunkers with spectacular views over the city, perhaps the best.
To get there you have to take bus V17 in Via Laietana, get off at the stop called “Gran Vista – Doctor Bové” and walk for about 10 minutes to Marià Labèrnia street. With the mobile it would not have to be difficult to arrive, and you can always ask someone.
Next to the viewpoint you have the Guinardó park which is good for a walk, and you can even walk back to the Hospital de Sant Pau (a very nice modernist building) and there take the metro back home.
the real village
In another post we talk about the neighborhood of Gracia, which was once a village and retains a special atmosphere. The same happens with many other neighborhoods such as Sants, Sant Andreu or Les Corts, but perhaps the one that still looks more like a town is Sarrià. In fact it is the one that was later incorporated to Barcelona since it was independent until 1921. Take the metro L6 in Plaza Cataluña and get off at Sarrià. There, look for the street Major de Sarrià and stroll through its streets and squares. There are two traditional things that everyone does: buy something sweet in the Foix pastry shop (Major de Sarrià 55) and eat some patatas bravas in Bar Tomás (Major de Sarrià 49). For us it’s best the former than of later. You can finish your visit with a very nice park called Parc de l’Oreneta.
let’s go hiking
To the west of the city (the opposite side to the sea) are the Collserola mountains, which are a good place to go for a walk. The highest peak is the Tibidabo we talked about here, but there are many areas to walk around. Some time ago we did this one, which ends and starts at a train station easy to go from home. But there are many more.