Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rambla del Poble Nou
Poble Nou
Poble Nou may be in the throes of dramatic change, but the main avenue still ticks along
largelyunaffected.Pretty,tree-lined
RambladelPobleNou
remainsentirelylocalincharac-
ter-nocardsharpsorhumanstatueshere-witharunofmodestshops,cafésandrestaurants,
including the classic milk and juice bar of
ElTíoChé
, which serves orange or lemon
granis-
sat
(crushed ice) and their famous
orxata
(milky tiger-nut drink).
Cementiri de Poble Nou
Av. d'Icaria • Daily 8am-6pm; free guided tours on first and third Sun (Spanish & Catalan) • 934 841 999,
cbsa.es
• Bogatell or bus #36 from Port Olímpic
The vast nineteenth-century
Cementiri de Poble Nou
has its tombs set in walls 7m high -
the families that tend them have to climb great stepladders to reach the uppermost tiers. With
traffic noise muted by the high walls, and birdsong accompanying a stroll around the flower-
lined pavements, quiet courtyards, sculpted angels and tiny chapels, this village of the dead
is a rare haven in contemporary Barcelona.
Diagonal Mar
El Maresme Fòrum, or tram T4 to Fòrum via Glòries and Av. Diagonal
ThewaterfrontdistrictnorthofPobleNouwasdevelopedinthewakeoftheUniversalForum
of Cultures Expo, held here in 2004. It's promoted as
Diagonal Mar
, anchored by the Di-
agonal Mar shopping mall, and with several classy hotels, convention centres and exhibition
halls grouped nearby. Everything here is on a grand scale, starting with
Jacques Herzog
's
dazzling bluebiscuit tinofabuilding hovering-seemingly unsupported -abovetheground.
This houses the main exhibitions of the Natural Science Museum (the
Museu Blau
), while
the vast, landscaped area beyond is one of the city's showpiece urban leisure projects, the
ParcdelFòrum
. The district can still seem a bit soulless at times - hot as Hades in summer,
buffeted by biting winter winds - but it's worth the metro ride if you're interested in heroic-
scalepublicprojects.Thetramcomesdownheretoo,soyoucouldalwaysglidethereorback
via Avinguda Diagonal and Glòries to see more of Barcelona in transformation.
