Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Teatre Nacional de Catalunya
Pl. de les Arts 1 • Tues & Thurs tours on the hour 10am-1pm; €5; reservations required • 933 065 747,
tnc.cat
• Glòries or tram T4
Off to the southwest of Glòries, the
Teatre Nacional de Catalunya
- Catalunya's national
theatre - was designed by local architect Ricardo Bofill and auspiciously inaugurated on
the Catalan national day, the
Diada
(Sept 11) in 1997. It presents the neighbourhood with a
soaring glass box encased within a Greek temple on a raised dais, surrounded by manicured
lawns.Thereareguidedbuildingandbackstage
tours
foranyoneinterestedinlearningmore,
aswellasabarandrestaurantthatareopenintheevening-asummerevening'sdrinkonthe
open-air
terrassa
is a nice way to take in the grandiose surroundings.
TREASURE-HUNTING AT ELS ENCANTS VELLS
A trove of dusty delights, the city's flea market, El Encants Vells, has a shiny new home.
Now adjacent to the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, the new site (Av. Meridiana 69; Mon,
Wed, Fri & Sat 9am-8pm, plus public auctions 8-9.30am except Sat;
encantsbcn.com
;
Glòries) sports multiple levels of open-air, treasure-hunting action - all protected by
a large reflective canopy. And while it's definitely modern looking, the new incarnation
hasn't lost its street-bazaar vibe. You name it, you can buy it: old sewing machines, cheese
graters, photograph albums, cutlery, lawnmowers, clothes, shoes, CDs, antiques, furniture
andout-and-outjunk.It'sbestintheearlymorning,andhagglingforany“oldcharms”(en-
cants vells) you might fancy is de rigueur, but you're up against experts.
