La Rambla, the main tourist street in Barcelona - what can't you miss?

La Rambla is the main tourist, entertainment and shopping street in Barcelona. It is a long narrow avenue stretching from center from Plaça de Catalunya until port, where it ends with a famous one Columbus Monument (Mirador de Colom).

La Rambla is located exactly in the middle of the intersection of two historic streets urban districts belonging to the so-called Old Town (Ciutat Vella): Gothic Barri Gotic and immigration El Raval – and he takes something from everyone. 

La Rambla in the early morning hours – almost without tourists – you don't often see it like this :)

If you have the chance, be sure to walk La Rambla during the day and at night. You won't believe how one street can change in a few hours and above all you will recognize its two faces.

During the day, it is worthwhile to walk the entire street, buy some souvenirs at one of the stands, look at the local buildings such as the Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house or stop in the middle of famous mosaics od Joana Miró. Or almost at the end, where there are so-called living statues.

La Rambla can be crowded in high season – be careful and keep an eye on your belongings!

If hunger haunts you, I recommend leaving La Rambla, better to get lost in one of the side streets and find something there. So - there are a lot of restaurants and cafes on La Rambla, but most of them are purely touristic, the prices are unnecessarily high and the quality local food and drinking is highly debatable…

At night, La Rambla has a completely different atmosphere than during the day. There are street lamps all over the place, you can browse between the stalls and have an ice cream, a drink, or admire the street artists, dancers, magicians... 

Lots of tourists, but also thieves...

As La Rambla is one of the biggest tourist attractions, expect them to be there amount of people. It is also related to the fact that you should carefully guard your belongings, because it is precisely this street where he steals the most. Pay particular attention to pickpockets, carry all valuables somewhere on your body rather than in a backpack on your back. Avoid crowds and innocent-looking mundane situations that you may be drawn into - there are often more than one thief and one's job is to distract you while the other robs you. Also read my article about thieves and pickpockets in Barcelona, to learn how to safely recognize and defend against them. 

The beginning of La Rambla – in the right part you can see the fountain (Font de Canaletes), the legend of which says that whoever drinks from it will fall in love with Barcelona and will keep coming back. 

In the lower part of the "Rambly" you will find living statues with which you can take a photo for a few small coins. 

What else to see on and around La Rambla?

Except incredible living sculptures you must also see other things that are located on La Rambla or in its immediate vicinity. Let's name the three main ones:

• Plaça Reial - an amazing neoclassical square with lots of restaurants, bars and a fountain in the middle, the design of which he participated in Gaudí. I recommend a visit especially under the cover of night, because everything lights up beautifully and it looks like in a fairy tale... 
• Palace Güell - one of the first works of Gaudí's early work, which he created for his patron, Count Eusebi Güell, can be found on Carrer Nou de la Rambla. This palace is the very first building that the enlightened count ordered from Gaudí. It is an interesting building with typical Gaudí elements, such as colorful mosaics, arches and bulges. The most photographed part of the entire building is the roof with brightly colored chimneys. 
• Boqueria Market - a huge market with an unmistakable atmosphere, where you can buy fresh vegetables, fruit, fish, meat and cheese from the early hours of the morning. I recommend going here for a quick and stylish lunch at one of the many stalls.
• Carrer de Petritxol – historic streets full of small shops, cafes, galleries and shops