El Raval - Barcelona - page 146

Neighbourhood Top Five
Shopping and browsing at the buzzing and beautiful Mercat de la Boqueria , and eating
at one of the lively market bars.
Exploring the Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu and relaxing with a coffee in its court-
yard cafe.
Getting to know the art collection at the MACBA and watching the skaters in the front.
Having a glass of cloudy absinthe in one of the Raval's historical bars .
Walking around the artfully restored Palau Güell .
Explore: El Raval
Long one of the most rough-and-tumble parts of Barcelona, El Raval is now so hip in a
grungy, inner-city way that barcelonins have even invented a verb for rambling around El
Raval: ravalejar .
The northern half of El Raval is the best place to start your ramble - this part of the barri
(neighbourhood) has an almost respectable air about it. Spend a day wandering around the
art shops on the streets around Carrer del Pintor Fortuny, lunching in the colourful Mercat
de la Boqueria and dedicate a few hours to the fascinating MACBA . Join the set of people-
watchers on the terraces along Rambla del Raval and check out the strip's assortment of bars
and the striking cylindrical designer hotel Barceló Raval and its fashionable restaurant.
Night-time is El Raval's forte, and not only because of all the illicit activities taking place
under the shroud of darkness. This is where you will find some of the more eccentric, trendy
and downright ancient bars and clubs. The better part of Universitat de Barcelona's fac-
ulties, with some 6000 students, is nearby and fills the bars and clubs along Carrer de Vall-
donzella and Carrer de Joaquín Costa.
The area between Carrer de l'Hospital and the waterfront - also known as Barri Xino - is
where El Raval retains its dodgy flavour of yore. Beware of boozy middle-of-the-night ram-
blings here, since the area around Carrer de Sant Pau remains a haunt of junkies and dealers.
Carrer de Sant Ramon is particularly busy with prostitutes. The national cinema and film
archive, Filmoteca de Catalunya , has been relocated to the area bounded by the Carrer de
Sant Pau and the Carrer de Sant Rafael in an attempt to change the face of this part of town.