Rambling La Rambla

Location:
Spain

Culture & Architecture

By Peter Anderson

La Rambla, whenever something important happens to the city of Barcelona this is where everybody shows up to celebrate or protest. This wide, tree-shaded avenue, just over two kilometres in length runs from Plaça Catalunya, past the Gothic Quarter to the Columbus Memorial at the waterfront. From dawn until the wee hours, La Rambla is a human river as thousands of tourists and locals wander this part of Barcelona. Cafés, restaurants, florists, tarot readers, artists, pet shops, living statues, souvenir outlets, bookshops, and street entertainers line the centre of the tree-covered avenue. The Liceu Opera House, the vast Boqueria food market and imposing mansions border the avenue. Here the pedestrians have the road and the motorists are relegated to the footpaths.

The name of this avenue comes from the Arabic, ramla, dried-up riverbed. Barcelona’s 13th-century city wall followed the left bank of the river that flowed from the Collserola Hills. Convents, monasteries and the city’s university were built on the opposite bank in the 16th century. As time passed, the riverbed was filled in and those buildings demolished, but they are remembered in the names of the five Ramblas that make up La Rambla; namely Rambla de Canaletes, Rambla des Estudis, Rambla de Sant Josep, Rambla des Caputxins and Rambla de Santa Monica.

People-watching while having coffee, watching portrait and landscape artists create their masterpieces while the modern artists spray paint futuristic scenes, browsing through books, observing the living statues, having your future read, perusing souvenirs and knick-knacks. Drinking from Canaletas fountain, which is said to confer Barcelona citizenship to whoever drinks from it – there is so much to see and do.

The “living statues” are outstanding as well as a droll interlude as one wanders La Rambla. Dressed as famous and infamous, fictional and factual characters these monochrome mime-like figures attract an appreciative audience. All their clothes have been spray painted one colour with all visible skin covered with matching make-up. Actually, they are only mime-like until someone deposits coins in their cash container. This rouses the mime who begins clowning around while the depositor has their photograph taken with the mime. The Simpsons, headless accordion player, cyclists, Long John Silver and many more line La Rambla. One of the favourites with the tourists and locals was a man sitting on a toilet reading a book. This white statue attracted a large gathering and was a source of great amusement.

La Rambla passes the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter). This is the oldest part of Barcelona, it was chosen by the Romans in the reign of Augustus (27 BC – AD 14) as a site to build a new town. It has been the location of the city’s administration ever since. Catalonia’s Government seat is in the Palau de la Generalitat on Plaça de Sant Jaume where the Roman forum met. The centrepiece of the Gothic Quarter is the Barcelona Cathedral. Construction began in 1298 but the main façade was not completed until 1889 and the central spire until 1913. It was based on the original 1408 plans of the French architect Charles Galters. Other historic buildings and places are Casa de la Ciutat, Casa de l’Arciaca, Palau Reial Major, Museu Frederic Marès and Plaça del Reial.

A visit to Barcelona would not be complete without visiting one of Antoni Gaudí’s masterpieces. Close to La Rambla is the Neo-Gothic Palau Güell, which many consider one of Gaudí’s most important works. Perhaps his best-known work is the uncompleted Sagrada Família situated in the northern Eixample area of Barcelona. This building is simply incredible; one can spend hours discovering amazing detail in every piece of construction. Gaudí not only designed buildings but furniture, street lamps in Plaça Reial and gates. He is an architect that you either detest or admire. He believed in “Organic Construction”, back to nature and the use of recycled materials, this was Gaudí’s main theme over 150 years ago – perhaps he was ahead of his time.

There are many restaurants in the Rambla area and one not to-be-missed is the ‘4 Gats’, on Carrer Montsio in a building designed by the Modernist Puig Cadafalch. The name comes from the Catalan expression “quatre gats” which means “almost nobody” and was used in relation to the possible success of a bohemian café in Barcelona. It became the Mecca for the artists and bohemians living in Barcelona in the early 1900’s. Pablo Picasso had his first exhibition here when he was 17 years old and he designed the first menu cover for the restaurant in 1897. Devotedly restored the 4 Gats is an outstanding restaurant offering fine cuisine and excellent service. The atmosphere and décor are exemplary of Barcelona’s best cultural and artistic periods. Reservations for dinner are essential, open 1:00pm to 1:00am. “Es-serveix-beure-y-menjar-a-totes-hores 4 Gats”.

An ideal hotel to stay is the H10 Catalunya Plaza, situated in Plaça Catalunya at the top of La Rambla. The breakfast is superb even if you do not indulge in the free champagne. A small 3-Star hotel offering 5-Star service it offers the perfect location to see Barcelona. The airport bus and hop-on-hop-off Barcelona Bus Turístic stop in the Plaça.

Barcelona, the capital of the Catalonian area of Spain is perhaps one of the most interesting cities in Europe, it offers something for everyone and if you don’t find something in Barcelona that interests you, you must be tired of living.

Further Information

Must see/do at this place: Visit Sagrada Familia, Barcelona Cathedral