Plaça de Catalunya stop
It is practically impossible to visit Barcelona without passing through Plaça de Catalunya, the nexus of the Old Town and the Eixample district and the convergence point of the public transport network and some of the city’s most important thoroughfares.
Starting point for various routes through the centre of Barcelona
Plaça de Catalunya is the starting point of the Blue Route and of the Red Route of Barcelona Bus Turístic.
From Plaça de Catalunya you can walk down La Rambla, which forms the border between the Gothic Quarter and the Raval district. You can also walk along the spectacular Passeig de Gràcia, which is home to some of the major Modernista buildings designed by architects like Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch; or opt for its parallel street, Rambla de Catalunya, which is much quieter and has bars with terraces where you can watch the world go by.
This square is also the starting point of Ronda de Sant Pere and Ronda de la Universitat, which follow the course of the old city walls and take you to the Arc de Triomf and Plaça de la Universitat, respectively.
What to see
Palau de la Música CatalanaA unique Modernista concert hall that integrates all the applied arts: sculpture, mosaic, stained glass and ironwork.
La RamblaLa Rambla is undeniably Barcelona’s best-known street.
MACBA – Barcelona Museum of Contemporary ArtA large museum in glass and white aluminium that fills the Raval district with light and houses works from the middle of the 20th century to the present day.
CCCB – Barcelona Centre of Contemporary CultureOne of Barcelona’s most avant-garde cultural sites is actually a converted almshouse.
La Boqueria MarketLa Boqueria is not simply a market, it is a monument to gastronomy, an explosion of colours, aromas and sounds. It was inaugurated in 1840, but its origins date back to the 13th century.
Palau de la VirreinaThis late 18th-century paradigm of Catalan civil architecture is a construction that combines French classicism decorative elements with Catalan baroque components, such as the twelve large urns atop the balustrade crowning the facade that overlooks La Rambla.
Historic University of Barcelona BuildingIn addition to being a fine example of neo-Gothic architecture, the University of Barcelona building represents a symbol of the return of higher education to the city after a century of absence.
Gran Teatre del LiceuThe Gran Teatre del Liceu, known locally as El Liceu, is considered to be one of the world’s most important opera houses.
Old Hospital de la Santa CreuBarcelona’s general hospital for five centuries, a masterpiece of Catalan Gothic civil architecture and now the Library of Catalonia.
Royal Academy of Medicine of CataloniaA Neoclassical architecture building that conserves an anatomical theatre and a dissection table from the 18th century.
Urquinaona - Catalunya - Universitat - Squares and streetsThe nerve centre and transport hub of Barcelona is made up of three squares and a series of streets forming a ring that separates the Old Town from the Eixample district.
Rambla de CatalunyaRambla de Catalunya is one of Barcelona’s most welcoming streets. Even though it is a natural prolongation of La Rambla, it actually starts at Plaça de Catalunya and ends at Avinguda Diagonal.
El RavalThis district with its maze of small streets has left its past of marginalisation behind to become a new centre of culture in Barcelona.
Erotic Museum of BarcelonaDo you want to visit the only museum of its kind in Spain? Marilyn Monroe sporting her famous white dress is waiting on the balcony of the Erotic Museum of Barcelona to lead you on a journey through the world of erotica.
Eixample Block InteriorsPublic spaces designed by Cerdà to be gardens where residents could socialise which have been progressively recovered.
Central Antituberculosis ClinicAn L-shaped set of three cement buildings constitutes one of the milestones of Rationalist architecture in Catalonia.