El Raval

Full of contrasts, seducing and vibrant, the dark and the sordid at the same time, El Raval is a dificult-to-describe place. The neighborhood, located out of the walls of Barcelona destroyed at the end of the 20th century, used to house the city's red light district in its southern part.

Nowadays, walking in El Raval means entering a world where students, artists, illegal immigrants and prostitutes live together.

This fascinating diversity is marked by the presence of the MACBA (Museum of Contemporary Art), the CCCB (exhibition center) and art galleries, cool shops of alternative clothing, bookshops like 'Central' and restaurants and bars with a great atmospheres.

El Raval is the second established neighborhood of the old Barcelona. It was created in the medieval period, with the successive extensions of the walls of the city and became a poor neighborhood, even dangerous in some places, where it was better not to go at night.

Now it is the complete opposite, it is being renovated and is becoming trendy once again. There are various museums and attractions in the part close to La Rambla, like the MACBA, the museum of contemporary art of Barcelona, with concerts of the electronic music festival Sónar, among other things.

El Raval is the place to discover a more authentic Barcelona than on the other side of Las Ramblas, the one of the Gothic Quarter, more touristic and packed with people.

El Raval is a neighborhood of Barcelona, the Ciutat Vella district, born of the extension of the medieval walls of the city, even though it probably had previous settlements.

Nowadays in El Raval locals and people coming from other countries and cultures live together. In the streets you can see shops from all nationalities and also fashion shops and new trends, especially in the higher part of the neighborhood.

It is a dynamic and multicultural neighborhood offering a great variety of tempting cafés, restaurants and bars. The place became famous because it houses many art studios, galleries, modern bookshops, apart from the imposing MACBA (museum of contemporary art) and the CCCB (exhibition center). Arrabal, Chinese neighborhood and now Raval: different names for the same place, El Raval is one of the neighborhoods that suffered most changes in Barcelona. It is currently a place of contrasts with the highest level of immigrants in the city.