Las Ramblas

Visiting Las Ramblas seems very common and unoriginal but, for many travelers, it is and always will be a wonderful walk. Even after many times, we keep being as fascinated as the first time we saw it.

Personally I got to know Barcelona and the Ramblas in 1976. At the time, Spain was Spain and Catalunya was less Catalunya than nowadays. To be honest, as foreigners visiting Barcelona, it is a little bit hard to understand you visit a place with a double personality. Today Barcelona is the heart of Europe, the favorite place for young people who come to live a cosmopolitan experience in an old and noble city.

Las Ramblas have it all. Hemingway didn't referred to them as the most beautiful street in the world. Not only the architecture, but also the urban life, which also includes the horse-drawn carriages, typical in the old parts of town. Take a ride and you can go from Plaza Cataluña to the Columbus monument. Nice for a romantic summer evening, even though you can also do it during the day and at different seasons of the year.

The Rambla of Catalunya is one of the large pedestrian avenues of Barcelona. There is traffic on each side, but in the center you can walk without problems, enjoying the beautiful buildings of this street of the Eixampe, built in the 19th and 20th century by the best architects of the city.

In the pedestrian area there are events all year long and art exhibition. They put sculptures there for some months. La Rambla is a parallel to Passieg de Gracia and starts from Plaza de Catalunya, going up until the Diagonal avenue. There were many reforms last year and it was partially closed to traffic but it is now completely functional.

It’s true that this street is filled with tourists which makes it almost impossible to walk at certain times of the day, there’s less flower stands, the street actors are all over the place, but the Ramblas are still a sacred spot in Barcelona.

Maybe it’s because this street seems to have a life of its own. Shadows from the trees above cover the avenue until it ends at the sea. Or maybe because you find yourself right in the heart of bustling Barcelona while strolling down the Ramblas.

Happiness, life, colors, the multitude of people, all different, everything in la Rambla of Barcelona makes it a place different to what we are used to.

At the end of the Rambla and looking at the sea there is the Statue of Columbus, more than 60 meters high. A separate mention to the people who go there dressed up, delighting everyone, children and grown-ups.

I love the Ramblas, it is my favorite spot of Barcelona. Many people, many things to see, many shops to browse or where you can buy souvenirs. There are also various places to eat or for coffee for a nice chat with your friends. Excellent for long and relaxing walks until the harbor and from there to the beach.