Las Ramblas, the liveliest street in the Catalan city

Today's Las Ramblas street was part of a water stream in the Middle Ages. The name "Rambla" comes from Arabic and means "dry river". The word rambla is now used to describe the large pedestrian avenues. The city dates back to the 18th century, and in 1766 the street as we know it today was built. It was a meeting place for the people of the town. As the street developed, shops opened and trees were planted.

Similar to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, but in Spanish. It links Plaça de Catalunya to Port Vell, where you'll find the Column of Christopher Columbus, another Barcelona landmark. The advantage of this street is that it is entirely pedestrianised and bustling day and night.

On the famous Ramblas you'll also find the Sant Josep covered market, better known as 'La Boqueria', a legendary market and a major reference point in Barcelona's culinary culture due to the quality and variety of the produce on offer. The city's top restaurants do their shopping here. It is the most assorted, traditional, well-stocked and busy market in Barcelona. The stalls of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish are overflowing in a perfect display of colours and smells. A sight not to be missed, and a great place to enjoy breakfast and fresh fruit.

🚌 Getting there: pedestrians own the street Las Ramblas is mainly pedestrian, it has only two small spaces dedicated to cars in each direction. All along the street there are three metro stations: with line 3 you can get off at the Liceu stop or the Drassanes stop. Or Catalunya station, which is served by lines 1 and 3. You can also get there by bus.

🕑 Time on site: for a leisurely stroll, and to allow you to fully enjoy and discover every corner of the street, we recommend spending a whole afternoon there.