Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
previous life (though some alleys
still hint at illicit activity). As for
the name, the area has nothing
to do with the Chinese, but was
named in the barrio's early-1900s
heyday as a general reference to
its large immigrant population. To-
day you can browse in cheap thrift
shops and small grocery stores by
day and bar-hop your way through
the area by night.
d
Map K4
(
Antic Hospital
A Ramble in El Raval
Morning
Start your ramble mid-
morning by perusing the
innovative temporary art
exhibits at the
CCCB
(see
p81)
. Here the two world's
have meshed harmoniously.
The eye-catching blend of
old-meets-new in this cut-
ting-edge art space prov-
ides a fitting introduction
to El Raval's new identity.
Head south along C/Monta-
legre to the Plaça dels
Àngels. Sip a coffee be-
neath the Gothic arches of
the restored Convent dels
Àngels, which houses the
café-restaurant and art and
design exhibition rooms
of
Foment de les Arts
Decoratives
(see p81)
.
Round off your art amble
with a trip down nearby
C/Doctor Dou, which is
speckled with commercial
art galleries. If you're look-
ing for contemporary art
to jazz up your home, pop
into
Ras
or
Cotthem
Gallery
(see p84)
.
de la Santa Creu
A rich reminder of the neighbour-
hoods' medieval past is this
Gothic hospital complex (1401),
which is today home to educa-
tional and cultural organizations.
Within, you can wander a pleasant
garden surrounded by Gothic
pillars.
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Entrances on C/Carme &
C/Hospital 56 • Map K3 • Courtyard
open 9am-8pm daily • Free
Afternoon
From here, it's a short
saunter to
Mercat de La
Boqueria
(see p12)
. Walk
along C/Carme, turn left on-
to C/Jerusalem, and go into
the back entrance of this
cavernous market. Make a
beeline for El Quim de La
Boqueria (stall 584-585)
where you can pull up a
stool and dig into fresh fare
from baby prawns drizzled in
olive oil and garlic to steam-
ed mussels. After, head to
the medieval gardens of the
Antic Hospital de la Santa
Creu
, off C/Hospital, and
take in the Gothic am-
bience of pillared arcades
and courtyards. Then, get
to
Marsella
(see p86)
and
kick-start the evening with
an absinthe before making
for
London Bar
(see p86)
,
where live music awaits.
Cloister, Església de Sant Pau del Camp
)
Església de Sant
Pau del Camp
Deep in the heart of El Raval is
this Romanesque church, one of
the oldest in Barcelona. Originally
founded as a Benedictine
monastery in the 9th century and
subsequently rebuilt, this ancient
church reveals a 12th-century
cloister.
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C/Sant Pau 101 • Map J4
• Church open for mass only: 8pm Sat,
noon Sun; cloister open 10am-1:30pm
Tue-Sat, 5-8pm Mon-Fri • Adm
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