When you think of Champs-Élysées, Via del Corso, Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive, which cities come to mind? Yes, sometimes an entire city can become world-famous thanks in part to a single street. For Barcelona, that street must be the Ramblas, a string of shady avenues that tempts citizens and tourists alike into taking a leisurely saunter from the grand Placa de Catalunya down to the Christopher Columbus monument overlooking the harbour.
Hardly a single day passed without us finding ourselves treading on at least some of its pavements. There is no single must-see attraction along the length of the boulevard and it seemed the primary reason for many people walking along was not to see anything, but to be seen.
Not that the shops and cafes on the street are particularly stylish (in fact, many are overpriced tourist traps), but because the street itself is always full of life and diversions such as flower stalls, caged songbirds and highly inventive street performers. Everything is designed on a human scale: hundreds of leafy trees shade the pavements, with cars limited to a single lane on either side, making the stretch of road a green oasis in a traffic-choked city.
Even the pigeons go on promenade.
For a street known for its greenery and vitality, you'll be surprised to learn that the Ramblas are named after the Arabic word for sand,
ramla. For many centuries this was a riverbed that was often dry for much of the year, the hardpacked sands of which made for a smooth road.
At the top of the avenue is the city's main gathering place, Placa de Catalunya, which is ringed by some of the city's most exclusive department stores and shopping centres, plus the main tourist information office.
Large fountains, impressive monuments, mosaic pavements, palm trees and flowerbeds all do their best to encourage people to pause a spell after emerging
en masse from the metro station underneath the plaza.
Leaving the hustle and bustle of this interchange behind, the trees of the Ramblas begin closing in. Keep your eyes open for a bubbling fountain under an ornate iron lamppost: a drink from its waters is said to guarantee a return trip to Barcelona.
Among the landmarks along the top stretch of the Ramblas are an old theatre, a 17thC church and many stately villas. One of these, the sumptuous Palau de la Virreina, is run by the civic government as a craft shop and art gallery. At the time of our visit, they were exhibiting the photography of the French artist and WWII resistance activist, Claude Cohun.
Next are the gates of the Mercat de la Boqueria, the city's main food market (don't worry, we'll definitely have a closer look some other time). Yet another foodie hotspot is the nearby Antiga Casa Figueras, a bakery whose flamboyant
modernista frontage looks good enough to eat.
By now we've reached the halfway point of the Ramblas, marked on the pavement with a large mosaic by Joan Miro, who was born only a few streets away. For all the times we found ourselves on the Ramblas, we didn't call into either its famous opera house or its infamous wax museum, nor sit down at any of its pavement cafes.
Approaching the harbour, the street becomes a bit seedy, with tattoo parlours and sex shops starting to outnumber the tapas bars and flower stalls. The boulevard itself however remains every bit as handsome, with street artists and human statues keeping the avenue busy most all day and well into the night.
Reach the water's edge and you'll find the maritime museum (closed for renovations at the time of our visit) and a massive 150-foot column topped by a statue of Christopher Columbus. This marks where Columbus was met by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella when he first returned from America in 1493. A lift takes visitors to the top. Here, as you admire the views in all directions, you might feel a bit sorry for Columbus pointing out to sea, as his back is forever turned away from the Ramblas, one of the many gems of Barcelona. Click back next time as we continue to explore the city's treasures.
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