Walking Tour 3

El Raval

Start: Monumento de Colom (Metro: Drassanes)

Finish: Universidat (Metro: Universitat)

Time: 2 to 3 hours

Best Times: Any sunny day or early evening

This tour takes you through El Raval, a once run-down and deprived corner of Old Barcelona that has reinvented itself as an earthy cosmopolitan quarter with international eating spots and cutting-edge cultural centers.

Walk north up the main La Rambla paseo and then turn left onto the Carrer Nou de la Rambla. Almost immediately on your left is:

1. Palau Güell

Gaudí's first architectural creation -- in reality an extension of his parents' old house, which has since been turned into a hotel -- was this citadel-like moderniste building located just a stone's throw from La Rambla. Partial renovation work has been completed, but the whole place won't be totally renovated until 2010. In the meantime you can enjoy free entrance to the ground floor and admire its Venetian facade, entrance archways, and rooftop array of bizarre chimneys from the street.

Continue along Carrer Nou de la Rambla. When you reach the wide busy Avinguda del Paral.lel turn right onto Carrer de l'Abat Safont and then right again onto Carrer de Sant Pau. On your immediate right is:

2. Església de Sant Pau de Camp

This rare urban example of Romanesque architecture (officially declared a national monument) is in fact Barcelona's granddaddy of all churches, filled with fascinating small sculptures and grotesque figures. When it was originally built by monks in the 9th century, the surrounding area consisted of fields and woodlands (hence its name, "Saint Paul of the Countryside"). Today's rather squat building is a delightfully intact blend of 11th- to 14th-century styles, including some Visigothic decor and highlighted by a beautiful tiny cloister with Moorish archways and a stone fountain.

Continue along Carrer de Sant Pau to the:

3. Rambla de Raval

This is one of the city's newest paseos, created in 2000 when a large quadrangle of congested alleyways and unsalubrious tenements were removed as part of a commendable and necessary "Raval open to the heavens" plan. Today it's a sunny pedestrianized area where children play and locals can relax under the slightly uneasy-looking palm trees. Surrounded by a new blend of nifty hotels and eating spots -- including various kebab locales owned by Pakistani and Turkish immigrants -- it exudes a more international environment, though some of the earlier grittiness remains. Similar changes are continuing to take place as the area becomes increasingly gentrified and cosmopolitan. Look for the huge black "Gat" (cat) statue at the southern end.

At the northern end of the Rambla de Raval turn right into Carrer de l'Hospital. After 200 yards on your left is the:

4. Antic Hospital de Santa Cruz

The name is misleading, as the famed former hospital -- one of Spain's biggest in the Middle Ages -- ceased to cater to the bodily sick and needy over 80 years ago, when one of its last patients was the dying Gaudí. Today, instead, it provides sustenance for the mind. Its blend of Gothic, baroque, and neoclassical styles is spread throughout several buildings, which were converted in 2001, after substantial renovation work, into a variety of cultural institutions including the main Catalan library located in the Massana Arts School.

On the right of the Antic Hospital is the:

5. Carrer d'en Robador

This narrow winding sunless street in the heart of the old "Barrio Chino" (or Barri Xino, as it's known today) was once the notorious focus not of robbers (robadors), but of posturing frieze-like prostitutes of all shapes and sizes who filled every doorway and lined every corner. Today it's more low-key, though not entirely tart-free, a mildly risqué corner of unadorned medieval Barcelona.

At the end of Carrer d'en Robador turn right onto Sant Pau continue to the end where you meet La Rambla and the:

6. Gran Teatre del Liceu

Tragically destroyed over a decade ago by fire, this magnificent, traditional opera house overlooking La Rambla has resurged phoenix-like from the ashes and today once more hosts some of the best classical performances in the world. Its new facade belies the opulent interior of rich, dark colors and intricate carvings where a 19th-century setting has been revived alongside various modern accoutrements.

Carry on left up La Rambla to the:

7. Mercat de Boqueria

In a class all its own, this ever-colorful, ever-dynamic food market is among the biggest and best in Europe. Under its high wrought-iron ceilings, countless stalls sell a kaleidoscopic mix of Atlantic and Mediterranean seafood, Castilian meat, Valencian fruit, and local vegetables. The picture-postcard stalls at the front tend to be more expensive, so take an admiring look and then head further back for the better-value stuff.

Take a Break -- Inside the market you'll also find several good-value bars and cafes where locals come for early breakfasts or a snifter, or where chefs from top restaurants pause for a cafe solo between making their purchases. The bars may not look like much, but they serve some of the best coffee in the city.

Almost adjoining the Boqueria is the:

8. Palau de la Virreina

Built in 1770, this classical baroque palace is named after the widow of a viceroy who returned a wealthy man after a successful period of duty in Peru. Today it's a cultural-events center, mainly private but with occasional public exhibitions dedicated to Barcelona history and traditions. The downstairs photographic displays are usually worth a look. You can also buy souvenirs here and consult the information desk for up-to-date cultural events.

Turn west away from La Rambla along Carrer Carmé and take the fourth left onto Carrer del Angel to arrive at the Plaça dels Angels (not to be confused with Plaça de l'Angel in the La Ribera walk). Here you'll see the following trio of avant-garde arts centers. Straight in front of you across the square is the:

9. MACBA (Museu d'Art Contemporanea de Barcelona)

Opened in 1995 with a rather tentative display, this American-designed glass-walled emporium -- with its bright white walls, intricately planned ramps, and triple atrium -- illuminates its now more adventurous collection of modern art masterpieces with natural light. Alongside international favorites, like Klee, there's a strong presence of Catalan artists, reflecting various reactionary movements both in paintings and photography. Displays are constantly changing and temporary exhibitions feature new creative works.

To your left is the:

10. FAD (Foment de les Arts i Dissenys)

Located in the old Convent dels Angels, opposite the MACBA, this essentially administrative body promoting talented artists and awarding grants to promising newcomers organizes many exhibitions of its own. Workshops and "art markets" also give burgeoning artists a chance to sell their own offerings.

Behind the MACBA, reached by Carrer Montealegre, is the:

11. CCCB (Centre de Cultura Contemporanea de Barcelona)

Built on the site of a spacious former Casa de Caritat (Alms House), this is Spain's biggest cultural center. Its design -- by Viaplana and Piñon, who also created the Maremagnum commercial center by the port -- is mainly a modern conglomeration of steel and glass, though the patio and facade of the former building remain. It offers an eclectic blend of movie and video shows, art exhibitions, conferences and courses, music and dance performances, and even organized walks around offbeat areas of the city. There's also a well-stocked bookshop and a bar/restaurant.

Turn right onto Carrer Valldoncella and then left along Carrer dels Tallers past Plaça de Castella for University Square and Metro stop.