Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Barcelona CicloTour
runs a similar itinerary (€22, departs from Hard Rock Café on
Plaça de Catalunya daily at 11:00, mid-April-Oct also at 16:30; night tour departs June-Sept
Thu-Sun at 19:30, Oct Fri-Sat at 19:30; tel. 933-171-970,
www.barcelonaciclotour.com
)
.
These walks through the atmospheric Old City introduce you to places you may want to ex-
plore further. They're easy to follow, pass by some major sights, and provide background to
thiscomplexmetropolis.ThefirstbeginsatBarcelona'smainsquareandleadsyoudownthe
city's main drag: the Ramblas. The second walk guides you into the heart of the Barri Gòtic,
the neighborhood around Barcelona's cathedral.
(See “Ramblas Ramble” map,
here
.)
For more than a century, this walk down Barcelona's main boulevard has drawn locals and
visitors alike. While its former elegance has been tackified somewhat by tourist shops and
fast-food joints, this still has the best people-watching in town. Walk the Ramblas at least
once to get the lay of the land, then venture farther afield. It's a one-hour, downhill stroll,
with an easy way to get back by Metro. The Ramblas is two different streets by day and by
night;strollitfromtoptobottomintheeveningandagainthenextmorning,grabbingbreak-
fast on a stool in a market café.
Theword“Ramblas”isplural;thestreetisactuallyasuccessionoffiveseparatelynamed
segments. But street signs and addresses treat it as a single long street—“La Rambla,” sin-
gular. This pedestrian-only Champs-Elysées takes you from rich (at the top) to rough (at
the port). You'll raft the river of Barcelonese life past a grand opera house, elegant cafés,
flowerstands,retreadprostitutes,brazenpickpockets,power-dressingconmen,artists,street
mimes, an outdoor bird market, great shopping, and people looking to charge more for a
shoeshine than what you paid for the shoes.
• Start your ramble at the top of the Ramblas, where it connects with Plaça de Catalunya.
Plaça de Catalunya:
Dotted with fountains, statues, and pigeons, and ringed by
grand Art Deco buildings, this plaza is Barcelona's center. The square's stern, straight lines
areareactiontothecurvesofModernisme(whichpredominatesintheEixampledistrict,just
to the north). Plaça de Catalunya is the hub for the Metro, bus, airport shuttle, and Tourist
Bus.It'swhere Barcelona congregates towatch soccer matches onthebigscreen, todemon-
strate, to celebrate, and to enjoy outdoor concerts and festivals. It's the center of the world
for the Catalan people.
