El Raval
The sleek, shiny, white walls of the Museu d’Art Contemporani (MACBA) juxtapose the decrepit, ramshackle tenement buildings; Asian grocery stores sell herbs and spices next to what were once the most decadent brothels in Europe; and smoky, decades-old bars share dark, narrow streets with high-ceilinged art galleries showcasing video installations. The old-town barrio of El Raval is a traditional working-class neighbourhood in flux. Over the last decade it has been undergoing an enthusiastic urban renewal, led by the arrival of the MACBA. The barrio now even has its very own Rambla, a new pedestrian street called La Rambla del Raval. Not surprisingly, all of this has sparked a real-estate boom, with renovated old-fashioned flats now commanding top-tier prices and acting as a magnet to the city’s young, savvy crowd.
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Sights
Museu d’Art Contemporani
An eclectic array of work by big-name Spanish and international contemporary artists is gathered in the city’s contemporary art museum. Excellent temporary exhibitions feature everything from mixed media to sculpture and photography. See Museu d’Art Contemporani & Centre de Cultura Contemporània.
Centre de Cultura Contemporània & Foment de les Arts Decoratives
Housed in the 18th-century Casa de la Caritat, the CCCB is a focal point for the city’s thriving contemporary arts scene. It hosts innovative art exhibitions, lectures, film screenings and more, including multimedia and technology fairs during the popular Festival del Sònar. A medieval courtyard is dazzlingly offset by a massive, angled glass wall, which has been cunningly designed to reflect the city’s skyline. Nearby, Foment de les Arts Decoratives is an umbrella organization of art and design groups, founded in 1903 and housed in the restored, Gothic-style, 16th-century Convent dels Àngels. Here you’ll find exhibits, lectures and debates, and a smashing café-restaurant, Fad Food (open Mon–Fri). See Museu d’Art Contemporani & Centre de Cultura Contemporània.
Museu Marítim
Barcelona’s mighty seafaring legacy comes to life at this impressive museum housed in the vast, 13th-century Drassanes Reials (Royal Shipyards). Wander beneath looming Gothic arches and relive Barcelona’s maritime history through exhibits of model ships, old maps and figure-heads. A highlight is the full-scale replica of the royal galley, commanded by Don Juan of Austria during the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Entrance also includes a visit to the Pailebot Santa Eulàlia , a restored wooden sailing ship dating from 1918.
Av de les Drassanes
Open 10am–8pm daily
Adm
Palau Güell
For an artist, a wealthy patron spells survival. The luck of young Gaudí turned when count Eusebi Güell recognized his talents. In 1886, Güell commissioned Gaudí to build a mansion that would set the count apart from his wealthy neighbours. The result is the Palau Güell, one of Gaudí’s earliest works. An imposing façade gives way to an elaborate interior of lavish pillars and carved wooden ceilings, while the rooftop has a melange of mosaic chimneys. The building is partially open due to restoration work.
C/Nou de la Rambla 3–5
Open 10am–2:30pm Tue–Sat
Free
Central salon cupola, Palau Güell
La Rambla del Raval
This palm tree-lined, pedestrian walkway is the latest attempt by city planners to spark a similar social environment to that of the city’s famed La Rambla. So far it is off to a creaking start, with barely a fraction of the crowds that ply the original Rambla. Its advocates, however, are quick to point out that La Rambla del Raval is far better than the two dark, run-down streets that formerly existed here. New shops, bars and cafés mean it could well rival its cousin in years to come.
Carrer Nou de la Rambla
In the first half of the 19th century, El Raval’s main street was a notorious strip of cabarets, brothels and other nocturnal dens. Today it still bustles with transactions, but of a different sort. Frayed-at-the-edge local eateries, ethnic grocery stores, and discount clothing and shoe shops dot the street. And nightspots, such as the atmospheric London Bar, which have conserved their age-old identity and fixtures, lure partying visitors.
Carrers Tallers & Riera Baixa
Looking for bootleg CDs of Madonna’s European tour? Or vintage blue-and-white French navy tops once favoured by the likes of Picasso? Dotting Carrers Tallers and Riera Baixa, in the heart of El Raval, is a host of vintage music and clothing shops selling everything from vinyl to the latest CDs, original Hawaiian shirts and Dickies workwear. On Saturdays from 11am to 9pm, Carrer Riera Baixa hosts its own market, when the stores display their wares on the street.
Shoppers, Carrer Taller
Barri Xinès
The first thing locals will say when you ask about the Barri Xinès is that it no longer exists; the second is that the name has no real connection with the Chinese (Xinès). Both statements are true. This barri, unfolding south from Carrer Sant Pau towards Drassanes, was once one of Europe’s most infamous neighbourhoods, inhabited by the poor and working-class and rife with prostitutes, pimps, strippers and drug dealers. Today, due to enthusiastic clean-up efforts, mere vestiges remain of the barrio’s previous life (though some alleys still hint at illicit activity). As for the name, the area has nothing to do with the Chinese, but was named in the barrio’s early-1900s heyday as a general reference to its large immigrant population. Today you can browse in cheap thrift shops and small grocery stores by day and bar-hop your way through the area by night.
Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu
A rich reminder of the neighbourhoods’ medieval past is this Gothic hospital complex (1401), which is today home to educational and cultural organizations. Within, you can wander a pleasant garden surrounded by Gothic pillars.
Entrances on C/Carme & C/Hospital 56
Courtyard open 9am–8pm daily
Free
Església de Sant Pau del Camp
Deep in the heart of El Raval is this Romanesque church, one of the oldest in Barcelona. Originally founded as a Benedictine monastery in the 9th century and subsequently rebuilt, this ancient church reveals a 12th-century cloister.
C/Sant Pau 101
Church open for mass only: 8pm Sat, noon Sun; cloister open 10am–1:30pm Tue–Sat, 5–8pm Mon–Fri
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Cloister, Església de Sant Pau del Camp
Columns, Església de Sant Pau del Camp
A Ramble in El Raval
Morning
Start your ramble mid-morning by perusing the innovative temporary art exhibits at the CCCB . Here the two world’s have meshed harmoniously. The eye-catching blend of old-meets-new in this cutting-edge art space provides a fitting introduction to El Raval’s new identity. Head south along C/Montalegre to the Plaça dels Àngels. Sip a coffee beneath the Gothic arches of the restored Convent dels Àngels, which houses the café-restaurant and art and design exhibition rooms of Foment de les Arts Decoratives . Round off your art amble with a trip down nearby C/Doctor Dou, which is speckled with commercial art galleries. If you’re looking for contemporary art to jazz up your home, pop into Ras or Cotthem Gallery (see La Capella).
Afternoon
From here, it’s a short saunter to Mercat de La Boqueria . Walk along C/Carme, turn left onto C/Jerusalem, and go into the back entrance of this cavernous market. Make a beeline for El Quim de La Boqueria (stall 584–585) where you can pull up a stool and dig into fresh fare from baby prawns drizzled in olive oil and garlic to steamed mussels. After, head to the medieval gardens of the Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu, off C/Hospital, and take in the Gothic ambience of pillared arcades and courtyards. Then, get to Marsella and kick-start the evening with an absinthe before making for London Bar , where live music awaits.
Galleries & Design Shops
Galeria dels Àngels
Emerging and established contemporary artists from home and abroad are shown at this cutting-edge photography, painting and sculpture gallery.
C/Pintor Fortuny, 27
Closed Sun & Mon
Transformer
This store on one of the most arty streets in El Raval stocks an innovative range of lamps, furnishings, ceramics and hand-made jewellery. It is a good place to find unusual gifts.
C/ Doctor Dou 16
93 301 89 05
Espai Ras
Exhibits at this architecture and design gallery and bookstore include architectural models, video installations and graphic design.
C/Doctor Dou 10
Closed Sun & Mon
Bagués Joieria
Iconic Barcelona jeweller since 1839 with an international reputation. Each piece is handmade using traditional methods.
La Rambla 105
Closed Sun
Cotthem Gallery
This long-established gallery exhibits one of the finest line-ups of international contemporary artists in Barcelona.
C/Doctor Dou 15
Closed Sun & Mon
La Capella
As well as contemporary art, this gallery boasts the R. Punt space, where you can relax and read dozens of art magazines.
C/Hospital 56
Open noon–2pm & 4–8pm Tue–Sat, 11am–2pm Sun
Loring Art
Multimedia and digital design are spotlighted at this trendy bookshop space.
C/Gravina 8
Closed Sat & Sun
The Air Shop
A range of fun inflatable products by young designers are for sale and on display here: flower vases and accessories to furniture and all kinds of personalised items.
C/Àngels 20
Closed Sun & Mon am
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Vintage & Second-Hand Shops
HoLaLa
Rummage for an outfit at this three-floor vintage store, with everything from original silk kimonos to army pants and colourful 1950s bathing suits.
C/Tallers 73
Discos Edison’s
This record shop has been attracting eclectic music hounds since 1979 with a fantastic vinyl collection, including Catalan folk, Broadway tunes and Spanish pop.
C/Riera Baixa 10
Lailo
In this theatre-turned-vintage store, you’ll find everything from glitzy 1950s cocktail dresses to 1920s costumes.
C/Riera Baixa 20
La Lluna de 2a mà
Pick from a small but select array of used clothes and shoes, which may be anything from patent leather platforms to polka-dot Dr Martens.
C/Riera Baixa 18
Le Swing
If you’re looking for Chanel shoes, a Dior coat or a YSL evening gown, this chic, boudoir-style boutique is definitely the store for you. There are some wonderful accessories too.
C/Riera Baixa 13
Smart & Clean
Hip young Barcelonians swear by this secondhand store with clothes mostly from the 60s and 70s.
C/Xucla 6
Discos Tesla
This tiny, but well-stocked, record and CD store focuses on alternative music from decades past. It is the kind of place where you can hum a few lines of a song and the owner will track it down.
C/Tallers 3
GI Joe Surplus
One of Spain’s few army and navy surplus stores, where you can find bags, backpacks and clothing from the Russian, Israeli and US militaries.
C/Hospital 82
Bars & Clubs
Bar Almirall
The Modernista doors swing open to a young, friendly crowd at Barcelona’s oldest watering hole. Founded in 1860, the bar has many original fittings, plus eclectic music and strong cocktails.
C/Joaquin Costa 33
Bar Resolis
Formerly an old-fashioned neighbourhood bar, this is now an appealing boho-chic tavern with a small terrace. Wine and cocktails accompany delicious tapas.
C/Riera Baixa 22
Marsella
This dimly lit Modernista bar serves up cocktails and absinthe to long-time regulars and first-timers.
C/Sant Pau 65
Betty Ford’s
A laidback cocktail bar on lively Carrer Joaquin Costa, Betty Ford’s has a soothing chill-out vibe.
Carrer Joaquin Costa 56
Moog
Big-name DJs spin techno and electronica, but for a boogie to classic ‘80s hits head for the second floor.
C/Arc del Teatre 3
Adm
Boadas Cocktail Bar
This smooth little cocktail bar, founded in 1933, continues to mix the meanest martinis in town for an elbow-to-elbow crowd.
C/Tallers 1
Closed Sun
London Bar
This cluttered bar has long been de rigueur, once with the likes of Picasso, Hemingway and Miró. Sip cocktails and enjoy live music – from jazz to folk.
C/Nou de la Rambla 34
Closed Mon
Café Teatre Llantiol
Barcelona’s cabaret tradition lives on at this theatre-bar, with its flamboyant shows and espectacles of mime, magic and flamenco.
C/Riereta 7
93 329 90 09
Shows at 9pm & 11pm Mon–Thu, 9pm, 11pm & 12:30am Fri–Sat, 6pm & 9pm Sun
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Good-Value Eats
Casa Leopoldo
Dig into superb mar i muntanya fare (combining meat and fish) at this friendly, family-run restaurant. Try the meatballs with cuttlefish and shrimp.
C/Sant Rafael 24
93 441 30 14
Closed Mon, Easter, Aug
Ànima
A sleek, minimalist restaurant that serves sophisticated Mediterranean cuisine. Great value lunch menu.
C/Àngels 6
93 342 49 12
Closed Sun & lunch in Aug
Silenus
Tuck into Mediterranean food in a lofty space hung with local artists’ work. Try the ostrich.
C/Àngels 8
93 302 26 80
Closed Sun
Las Fernández
This eatery has a friendly atmosphere. The original menu features dishes from the El Bierzo area in León, such as steak with Bierzo peppers.
C/Carretas 11
93 443 20 43
Closed Mon, daily lunch, three weeks Aug
El Jardí
Located in one of the prettiest spots in the city, El Jardí serves delicious, light cuisine, such as soups, salads and crêpes.
C/ de Hospital
Closed Mon
Imprevist
In an old warehouse, this café-restaurant, owned (and decorated) by Catalan artists, offers a global menu.
C/Ferlandina 34
93 342 58 59
Closed Sun lunch
Mama Cafè
Organic Mediterranean dishes (many vegetarian) are served in this airy café-restaurant. Contemporary art is projected onto the wall.
C/Doctor Dou 10
93 301 29 40
Closed Sun & lunch Aug
Fonda de España
Dine on fine Catalan cuisine under a Modernista mosaic and dark-wood ceiling by Domènech i Montaner. Try the duck with orange and cava.
Hotel España, C/Sant Pau 9–11
93 318 17 58
L’Havana
Despite the name, this serves superb Catalan cuisine. Try the selection of classic dishes such as pigs’ trotters, or the fresh fish of the day.
C/Lleó 1
93 302 21 06
Closed Sun eve, Mon
