Las Ramblas

La Rambla. (Open Map)
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Description

Strolling La Rambla, or ramblejar as the local people say, is a must when visiting Barcelona. It's a tree-lined boulevard, featuring a wide array of architectural delights and beautifully decorated flower stalls, and is home to some of the most talented (and certified) human statues. Foodies will have plenty of opportunity to enjoy the tapa joints at Mercat de la Boqueria, considered by many to be the best gourmet food market in Europe. It is infamous for the incredible number of pickpockets and tourist-first restaurants serving mediocre paella, but there's plenty to appreciate.

Its name comes from the Arabic word 'ramla', which translates to 'sandy or muddy area'. La Rambla used to be an open sewer named Riera d'en Malla, which also served as a natural culvert for the water coming from Collserola, the hills that limit Barcelona to the north. In the 15th century, the Barcelona Council wanted to extend its city walls by including El Raval district, so they diverted the stream, creating what is now La Rambla. Over the following decades, several convents and monasteries were built along La Rambla, but most of them were burnt down during the anti-clerical revolution of 1835. It wasn’t until then that La Rambla started flourishing, with landmarks like Plaça Reial, Mercat de la Boqueria, Teatre Liceu, and Font de Canaletes all being built in the 19th century.