La Rambla

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La Rambla

There may be no better place in the country to indulge in the Spanish ritual of the paseo (stroll) than on this wide, pedestrian street that is anything but pedestrian. An orgy of activity day and night, La Rambla is voyeuristic heaven. Spray-painted human statues stand motionless among the passing crowds; buskers croon crowd-pleasing classics; caricaturists deftly sketch faces; bustling stalls create an open-air market of bright bouquets and chattering parakeets; and round-the-clock kiosks sell everything from The Financial Times to adult videos.

Metro: Catalunya; Liceu; Drassanes

Gran Teatre del Liceu

open 11:30am–1pm daily
€4
guided tour of the main building: 10am(€8.70)
guided backstage tour of the stage, rehearsal rooms, wardrobe and make-up room: 9:30am(€10); box office: open 1:30–8pm Mon–Fri, one hour before the performance Sat–Sun

Mercat de La Boqueria

open 7am– 8pm Mon–Sat
DA

Palau de la Virreina

open 11am–2pm, 4–8:30pm Tue–Sat, 11am–3pm Sun
free
DA

Centre d’Art Santa Mònica

open 11am–8pm Tue–Sat, 11am–3pm Sun
free

Església de Betlem

open 8am–1:30pm & 5:30–8pm daily

La Rambla

Street performer

Kick back at the Cafè de l’Òpera at No. 74 and soak up the Rambla ambience with a cool granissat (crushed ice drink) in hand.

Be warned: La Rambla is rife with pick-pockets.

NOTE

See Barri Gòtic & La Ribera for more information on its sights

NOTE

See El Raval for more information on its sights

Top 10 Attractions

Gran Teatre del Liceu
The city’s grand opera house founded in 1847, brought Catalan opera stars such as Montserrat Caballé to the world. Twice gutted by fire, it has been fully restored.
Monument a Colom
Pointing resolutely out to sea, this statue of Christopher Columbus (1888) commemorates his return to Spain after discovering the Americas. An elevator takes visitors to the top for sensational views (see Mirador de Colom).
Mercat de La Boqueria
A cacophonous shrine to food, this cavernous market has it all, from stacks of fruit to suckling pigs and writhing lobsters.
Flower & Bird Stalls
Will the real Rambla please stand up? Amid the here-today-gone-tomorrow street performers and tourists, the true Rambla old-timers are the flower and bird stalls that flank the pedestrian walkway. Many of the stalls have been run by the same families for decades.
Font de Canaletes
Ensure your return to the city by drinking from this 19th-century fountain, inscribed with the legend that anyone who drinks from it “will fall in love with Barcelona and always return”.
Miró Mosaic
Splashed on the walkway on La Rambla is a colourful pavement mosaic by Catalan artist Joan Miró. His signature abstract shapes and primary colours unfold at your feet.
Palau de la Virreina
Constructed by the viceroy of Peru in 1778 – the name means “Palace of the Viceroy’s Wife” – this Neo-Classical palace hosts a range of temporary exhibitions, from sculpture to photography to video.
Centre d’Art Santa Mònica
Once the hallowed haunt of rosary beads and murmured prayers, this former 17th-century monastery was reborn in the 1980s. Thanks to a massive government-funded facelift, it is now a cutting-edge contemporary art centre. Temporary exhibitions run the gamut from large-scale video installations to sculpture and photography.
Bruno Quadras Building
Once an umbrella factory, this playful, late 19th-century building is festooned with umbrellas.
Església de Betlem
A relic from a time when the Catholic Church was rolling in pesetas (and power), this hulking 17th-century church is a seminal reminder of when La Rambla was more religious than risqué.