Streets, squares & neighbourhoods
Barcelona lived through a magical summer it will never forget. When the city hosted the
1992 Olympic Games, the city became the world"s capital during a fortnight which will be etched forever in people"s memories.
The Olympic Ring on Montjuïc was the nerve centre of the festivities.
Gradually, leisure and cultural attractions found the perfect location on La Rambla. The convents disappeared and florists and newsstands set up there premises here. As you walk along, you"ll see landmark buildings, such as the greatest theatre of Barcelona"s opera, the
Gran Teatre del Liceu, the
Palau de la Virreina and the spectacular
Boqueria Market. This human river, with its street artists, tourists and locals, who still come here for a stroll, take us on a journey through this microcosm of contemporary Barcelona.
This elegant, majestic boulevard was a showcase for Barcelona"s bourgeoisie at the turn of the 19th century, and links the Plaça Catalunya with the district of Gràcia, hence its name. The presence of Barcelona"s finest modernista buildings makes this avenue a veritable open-air museum.
The romantic, slightly faded Plaça Sant Felip Neri is an unmissable corner of the
Gothic Quarter. Presided over by the baroque church from which it takes its name, the square features a number of historic elements that make it particularly attractive, especially when you view it in silence.
The Plaça Sant Jaume has been the city"s political centre almost since its inception. Today the Plaça Sant Jaume is an open space, a "lung" in the middle of the
Gothic Quarter. The square is the site of the most important buildings in the lives of Barcelona and Catalonia: City Hall and the Palau de la Generalitat.
