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Julieta
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4 out of 5
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23
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Editor Pick

A Ramble Down Ramblas

  • November 12, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by dkm1981 from Blackburn, United Kingdom
A Ramble Down Ramblas

Barcelona's most famous thoroughfare is awash with restaurants, cafes, shops, markets and street entertainers, all of which come together in a heady mix that will fascinate any visitor. Bookended by the harbour at the bottom and the Plaça de Catalunya at the top, Ramblas is a tree lined avenue that should take you around twenty minutes to walk the length of. However in reality, there are so many distractions that it took us so much longer, although it didn't feel like it.

The most interesting things here, without a doubt, are the street performers - you will see everything from the very talented, to the truly bizarre and everything in between. Children will enjoy having their photo taken with the likes of Darth Vader and SpongeBob Squarepants, parents will enjoy the quirkiness of the man sitting on the toilet and the skill of the man with the magic ball and everyone will enjoy watching the Grim Reaper scaring his victims, fortunately, only half to death!

There are plenty of stalls in the centre of the avenue - most of which sell the usual overpriced tat, including magnets, mugs and the like. Some sell a stunning array of flowers and plants; however the most unusual are the weekend stalls that sell all manner of live animals from rabbits to turkeys and everything in between. Some may find the somewhat cramped conditions uncomfortable to see, however the animals do appear to be in good health and brisk trade of these shops means that it isn't long before the creatures find a new home with a local family.

There are plenty of restaurants, both in the centre of the Ramblas and along it's sides, but from what we could see, it seemed to be very overpriced and not that appetising in general. A better bet would be to wander of the beaten track in search of authentic restaurants. That said, there are some good offers to be had - we stumbled across one restaurant that was offering 12 courses of tapas for E15 per person. The menu changes daily and, although the food wasn't fantastic, it was certainy worth the money we paid.

Also on the Ramblas, about half way down, is the fabulous market, which is a collision of sounds, colours and smells that you simply can't miss. The fruit stalls are amazing - don't miss out on getting a chilled fruit salad at a great price!

From journal A Weekend In Barcelona

Editor Pick

Barcelona's Most Bustling Street

  • October 17, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by airynfaerie from St. Augustine, Florida
Barcelona's Most Bustling Street

Barcelona's most famous street, La Rambla, is bustling with activity no matter the hour, and a must-walk for any visitor. Because this avenue is really a series of smaller streets, it's sometimes referred to in the plural, as Las Ramblas. Either way you say it, this street offers many sights, sounds, and smells to take in.

Separating the Barri Gotic quarter and El Raval districts of the city, this avenue features a grand, tree-lined sidewalk in the center of the wide stretch of concrete and pedestrians crowd the center walking past street performers and flower carts. you'll not be at a loss of things to look at, as everything from chipmunks in cages, live music, painters at work and mimes to horses, souvenir stalls with plenty of kitsch, street performers from men painted silver and women covered in fruit fill the sidewalk.

Some of the highlights of the popular buildings and attractions that are off La Rambla include the Gran Teatre del Liceu (the city's famous opera house) and Mercat de la Boqueria (one of Europe's premier street markets). There is also the modern art museum, Centre d'Art Santa Monica, and several sculptures and fountains along the way.

You'll find plenty of shops, restaurants, cafes, and ice-cream parlors along the avenue. More than actually walking inside any of these shops, just looking at the outsides of the buildings was excited to me. Some of the architecture along La Rambla is worthy of your notice. There are strange lightposts, like a dragon holding an umbrella, and several design periods represented in the colorful, detailed facades.

A few things to note, is that because this is a big tourist attraction, and constantly gets crowded, it's one of the city's concentrations of pick-pockets, so beware and watch your belongings closely. Also, take a stroll down this tree-lined street as an attraction in itself, but wait to eat or shop when you're off the main drag, as everything along the city's famous street is a bit inflated in the prices. If you're visiting Barcelona, this is definitely a place to go!

• Located between Placa Catalunya to the north, and Port Vell to the south.
• Metro stops on Green Line, L3: Drassances, Liceu, Catalunya. Metro stops on Red Line, L1: Catalunya.
• CAUTION: one of the prime pick-pocketed areas
• Avoid the south end at night, as it can be a little shady

From journal Fun Experiences in Barcelona

Editor Pick

la Ramblas

  • February 8, 2008
  • Rated 4 of 5 by MichaelJM from Nottingham, England
la Ramblas

La Rambla, a 1.2 km tree-lined thoroughfare, means intermittent water flow and the name originate from the Arabic word RAMBLA translated as “sandy river bed”. This e Romantic sounding La Rambla is the “legendary Raval District” which well into the 1980’s was an extremely depressed uncared for part of town. I might more precisely describe it as Barcelona’s slum and it became notorious as the City’s red light district, Chinatown – an area to avoid if you wanted to escape town with your reputation intact and your wallet secure. Yes, the area was reputed as an area of pick-pockets and naire-do-wells.

But there’s been a transformation (although it still carries its reputation for an area where tourists will be preyed upon) and now stylish cafes and fashionable boutiques have moved into the area. The long straight alleys, often culminating in petite diagonal squares (called xamfras) are home to some interesting specialist shops and the xamfras scattered with tables and chairs with smartly attired waiters anxious to gain your custom.

This area was developed in the hasty expansion of the City in the 19th Century and now it looks as if the City has done its best to recover the disenchantment of this interesting area. The broad boulevard, “La Rambla” is the main thoroughfare, with the network of small streets hanging off this central spine, stretching from the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes (one of the city’s main traffic routes) right down to the water’s edge next to the Monument to Christopher Colombus.

During the day time this is just a very broad passage way but at night it comes to life. At night, indeed every night that we were there, this boulevard was crammed with people (beware pickpockets is the advice) and a place of real excitement. It wasn’t unusual for roller bladers to be manoeuvring their way through the crowds and some of the main squares seemed to be regular venues for excited skateboarders. The small kiosks selling newspapers, flowers and fast food take on a life of their own with their lights adding to the character and excitement of the area. If you expect the boulevard to become less busy you’ll have to try it out during the early hours of the morning because we were still having to “fight the crowds” around 2.00 am!!

Off the main “drag” the small alleyways were a Pandora’s box of delights with small specialist shops and expensively exclusive fashion shops. There are a number of cheaper, more affordable clothes shops on the edge of La Rambla which although a wee bit more expensive than the UK offer some less common designs.

Once in la Ramblas district you're in the heart of Barcelonona's gothic area. At the centre is the Cathedral which dates back to 1298 and dominates one of the tiny squares. Unfortunately it was closed when we were in town so we could only marvel at the external construct and imagine what delights might be held inside.

Interstingly there are still remains of early Roman settlement in this area - keep your eyes closely peeled for the old Roman walls in the Placa de Berenguer.

A fascinating part of town that will give a whole range of experiences and architectural sights.

From journal La Ramblas and Spanish Food

Ramblas and Plaça Catalunya

  • July 19, 2007
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Celia Coene from Alameda, California
Ramblas and Plaça Catalunya

True, you won't find many locals to practice your Catalan with on La Rambla. Nevertheless, Barcelona wouldn't be Barcelona without it. La Rambla is a sight to see for its entertainment such as human statues of all kinds, puppeteers, musicians, and dancers that line up the street to entertain the tourist and make a few dubloons. The big pedestrian boulevard connects Plaza Catalunya to Port Vell. Take a rest and sit at one of the cafés outside with a glass of Sangria and just do some people-watch. As long as you steer clear of the restaurants, which may just make your day.

At one end of La Rambla is Plaça Catalunya, the hub of Barcelona, and an enormous roundabout where all the main boulevards merge. It separates Las Ramblas and the Barri Gotic with the very large Passeig de Gracia and the area of Eixample, more frequented and inhabited by locals. Plaza Catalunya is always lively. This is where you will find the tourist office, on the center part of the roundabout. This is also where you can pick up the open roof two-level touristic bus for a tour of the popular places. Buy your passes at the tourist office for that. While you're there, also pick up the Barcelona Card (about 17 euros) which gives you discounts on all the major attractions that you will want to visit anyway. On the square you will also find the big and swanky department store El Corte Ingles which has about 8 floors of absolutely everything, all neatly presented for an ultimate shopping experience.

From journal Barcelona: You 'Gaudi' See This!

Editor Pick

La Rambla

  • July 18, 2006
  • Rated 3 of 5 by Red Mezz from Inverness, Scotland
La Rambla

It seemed to me that, in Barcelona, all roads lead to La Rambla.

As I've mentioned more than once in this review, Barcelona can be a rather tricky place to navigate if you try to do it in a hurry, or rely too much on guide books for assistance, and so as I made my way around the city, trying to take in the sights, shoot as many photos as possible, and still keep track of where I was going, I often found myself doubling back towards La Rambla, which is in no way a bad thing.

I think it is the flow of people in the city that gives La Rambla the feeling of being the true heart of the city. Almost where ever you go, there is a stream of people rushing past you, and if you let yourself be turned and fall into their ranks, you will almost certainly find yourself standing in the market centre of this city.

If you come to Barcelona with kids, this is certainly a place to keep an eye on them. The amount of people moving about this little area, along with all of the performers and vendors it's very easy to get separated from people. I highly recommend that when you get there, before you start to browse, you set up a meeting place for if you get separated. It's just good sense. But once you have done that, the street is your oyster, and it's one ripe with pearls.

Most market streets I have been to in the world have the disappointing affect of actually having the same things you find everywhere else. And most of it being of little interest. So many times I have wandered up to local markets hoping to find something a bit different and walking away feeling let down. Completely not the case with La Rambla.

It's a long and busy stretch of street packed full with vendors for just about everything you can imagine. There's no point in having in a look unless you allow a couple hours for browsing, there is just so much. And some truly excellent street portrait artists as well. It all feels like a slightly tamer version of an ancient Mediterranean market place, and is well worth stopping to have a look at, an excellent place to pick up trinkets to take back home.

From journal Caught Up in the Bewitching Charms of Barcelona...

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