La Rambla is probably the most famous street in Barcelona. It goes from Plaça Catalunya to the sea, separating the neighborhoods of El Gòtic and El Raval. For many years now, the locals abandoned this walk that was once the heart of the city and that is now full of horrible bars and shops. It was the target of the terrible attack of Aug 17, 2017.
children playing in the square
If we were to choose a single site in Barcelona, this would surely be Plaça Sant Felip Neri. Maybe it’s because our children’s school is here, but the plaza has a special charm.
cheese and wine in the best setting
In the neighborhood of La Ribera there are two main tourist attractions. The first is the Church of Santa Maria del Mar, which is one of the 3 big churches in the old city along with the cathedral and Santa Maria del Pi. If you have to choose a single monument of Barcelona, choose this one. There are many people, but it’s worth it. On the internet you can read about its history, it’s quite interesting.
sushi in the playground (and a coffee from the 14th century)
In Barcelona it is very common what is called “hacer el vermut”, which consists of sitting on a terrace about 12 or 1 (here you eat later, between 2 and 3) and have a beer with a small “tapa”(a small portion of food).
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the village in the city
The neighborhood of Gracia was formerly a small town, which was joined to Barcelona in 1897. Until 1860 the old city was embalmed, and between this first Barcelona and the town of Gracia there were only fields and a path that is now the Passeig de Gracia (Literally the road that leads to Grace). Now the walk is one of the main commercial axes of the city, where there are some of the main modernist buildings of Barcelona. You have several on the corner with Calle Aragó, and La Pedrera on the corner with Calle Provença.
the darkest times
Spain is a parliamentary monarchy since 1975, when the dictator Francisco Franco died. Franco was a soldier who staged a coup in 1936 against the democratic government. Then began a civil war that ended in 1939 with the victory of Franco. His dictatorship ended when he died in 1975. At that time a new democratic constitution was drafted, and the first elections were held in 1977.
the amusement park in the moutain
The tallest mountain in Barcelona is Tibidabo, and it is about 500 meters high. Right at the top there is an amusement park that is also called Tibidabo, and is one of the oldest in Europe.
cerdà didn’t mean it this way
Until 1860 Barcelona was only what today is the old city, and was surrounded by a wall. In 1860 it was decided to demolish the wall and start the expansion of the city with the construction of what is now the Eixample district (which literally means expansion). In a very short time, thousands of houses were built where before there were only fields, and Barcelona multiplied by 10 its population.
best bread in town
Most people who go to La Barceloneta do it on their way to the beach. We have already talked about the beach in another post, but now we want to talk about the neighborhood. The neighborhood of La Barceloneta was built in the 18th century, and in fact until just before it was under the sea. It is built in a grid, just as it would be with the Eixample district in the 19th century (we have it here). But unlike the Eixample, La Barceloneta has always been a poor neighborhood. His neighbors were basically fishermen or workers.