Las Ramblas, Barcelona - Spain
By Amy Lambert
Las Ramblas is Barcelona´s most important street and without doubt one of its most famous tourist attractions. It is made up of a series of boulevards leading from Plaça Catalunya, which is in the centre of Barcelona, down to the coast, running a total of approximately 1.2 km. Traffic is only allowed to flow at each side of the wide street, leaving the central area as a pedestrian only zone. Las Ramblas is always full of people, attracted by its great market stalls, street artists and famous ´living statues´. Tourists should be careful, however, as the area is also known to be popular among thieves and pickpockets.
During Roman and medieval times, Las Ramblas actually had a stream flowing through it, which acted as a moat that marked out the old city (the Gothic area). The word rambla comes from the Arabic word meaning ´dry stream´. However, when water was flowing through it, the stream was also a sewer which would sometimes overflow, flooding the surrounding area with raw sewage and providing a breeding ground for all types of vermin.
As of the 14th century, the stream began to be filled in to allow the city to expand, and from the 19th century it acquired trees, benches, beautiful buildings and everything else that gives it its unique character. The street has been known to inspire many poets and writers over the years and the famous Spanish writer Federico García Lorca once said: "Las Ramblas is the only street in the world that I wish would never end".
The boulevard is split into 6 short parts:
- La Rambla de Canaletes is the highest part, next to Plaza Catalunya, and is names after the famous fountain situated in this area. It is said that anyone who drinks water from the Canaletes fountain will always return to Barcelona and it is also a renowned meeting point for supporters of Barcelona football club.
- La Rambla dels Estudis is so called because of the university building that was once situated in this part. However, King Felipe V got rid of this university during his reign and the building was eventually destroyed.
- La Rambla de les Flors is the part famous for its flower markets, once the only place in Barcelona where flowers were sold. It is also known by the name Rambla de Sant Josep as it is near to the square of the same name.
- Next is the Rambla dels Caputxins, which boast not only a huge floor mural by the artist Joan Miró, but also the famous Liceu theatre.
- The penultimate stretch of Las Ramblas is la Rambla de Santa Monica, which is also home to a theatre, as well as the maritime museum and one of the symbols of Barcelona: the statue of Christopher Columbus.
- La Rambla del Mar is the final part, going beyond the statue of Columbus and into the sea. It is a wooden footbridge with a modern design, leading to one of the newer areas of the city, where you´ll find the Maremagnum shopping centre, the IMAX cinema and the aquarium.
The Liceu Theatre
Along the Barcelona Ramblas there are many points of interest and things to visit. Some of the best known include the Mercat de la Boqueria, a fantastic food market that has been running since 1941 and the Liceu Theatre, which offers a wide range of theatre and opera. Founded in 1837, the Liceu Theatre suffered severe damage during a fire in 1994, and its future existence was called into question. Thankfully however, a reconstruction project was carried out to give it the form it has today. The building was enlarged and fitted with the newest technologies to ensure the highest quality sound. The ´living statues´ and other street performers also characterise Las Ramblas and are worth seeing.
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