A study showed that around 80 million tourists visit La Rambla each year. La Rambla is no doubt the most popular tourist attraction in Barcelona. The place is full of beautiful landmarks, museums, shopping spots and more which makes this place famous among tourists as well as locals. These are some things you might find helpful before you plan your tour in this place:
1. Las Ramblas & Its Divisions
La Rambla or Las Ramblas is divided into six sections, although some do not count Rambla de mar as a section as it is not a historical part of La Rambla. The parts are –
- Rambla de Canaletes – Font de Canaletes fountain is famous in here.
- Rambla dels Estudis – The bird market is a must visit.
- Rambla de les Flors – The name came from the flower stalls lined in the place. Once it was the only place for flower trading in Barcelona.
- Rambla dels Caputxins – This section contains street actors and live statues to entertain people.
- Rambla de Santa Mònica – Perfect place for art lovers. Art dealers, caricature artists, Waxwork museum – you can see these in here.
- Rambla de Mar – The modern culture of La Rambla is captured here.
2. A Place With Great Architectural Beauty
A walk on the street of Las Ramblas will introduce you to the architectural beauty of this place which is reflected in many landmarks and sculptures like the Virreina Palace, the Columbus Monument, the famous pavement mosaic by Joan Miró, Sabadell bank and more. The Royal Square or Plaça Reial is another place with impressive architecture which becomes a great place to enjoy during nightfall.
3. Enjoy The Street Performers
There are all sorts of entertainers out in the streets of La Rambla. Those performers paint their whole body to create a new character and then they might stand like a live statue or they might make your day with their singing, dancing and performance. From a fun bizarre role to a religious character, they can be anything. And they don’t say no to photos.
4. Museums in La Rambla
Museu de l’Erotica or the Erotica Museum is the museum in La Rambla where interesting history, pictures, movies, equipment etc. about sexuality are assorted. Also, you get a free champagne at the entrance. The Wax-Cera museum is another place to visit in La Rambla. The museum presents over 360 figures of important personalities all over the world. The figures are displayed in separate rooms with separate themes and presentations. There is a special horror section for visitors.
5. Theaters
Source: Ajuntament de Vilanova i la Geltrú
In La Rambla, you can enjoy visiting a couple of theaters. The Gran Teatre del Liceu is an Opera house with more than 2000 seats. It’s a huge place and quite famous among opera lovers. Teatre Principal arranges both plays and operas for the visitors. This is the oldest theater in Barcelona which contains traditional rich architectural beauty.
6. Barri Gòtic
A place with the touch of gothic history, Barri Gòtic or the Gothic Quarter is located in the centre of Barcelona. This is a great exploring area filled with various interesting sights. The main attractions are La Seu cathedral, Plaça del Pi, Placa Reial etc. The walking tour around the area is enjoyable as well as educational.
7. Popular Shopping Spots
El Corte Inglés in Plaça de Catalunya is one of the largest and most popular shopping chains in Europe. You will find the best Spanish and international brands’ product in this departmental store. One of the greatest food markets in Europe, La Boqueria, is in La Rambla. Both tourists and locals visit this place to find different variations of foods from different nationalities under one roof. Passeig de Gracia is another great shopping street in here. This beautifully decorated street with lined trees is the home of various luxurious brands from all over the world.
8. Accommodation in La Rambla
Since La Rambla is highly famous among tourists all over the world, it is filled with many accommodation options like hotels, hostels, rented apartments etc. Some of the 4 and 5 stars rating hotels near La Rambla are 1898 Hotel, Meridien Hotel, Neri Hotel, Cortes Hotel, Rivoli Ramblas Hotel, Royal Hotel etc. Among the 3 or below stars rating hotels there are Monte Carlo Hotel, NH Barcelona Centro Hotel, Jardi Hotel, Monegal Hotel, Ingles Hotel and so on. The location offers you access to the centre of the city. Although you have to consider the excessive noise which is very common in La Rambla.
9. Transportation Inside La Rambla
Although the walking tours are free and an adequate option to observe all the interesting and fun spots in La Rambla, you may also consider other ways of transportation. Metro is a common and available source of transportation in here. There are three metro stops in La Rambla, one at north end you have Cataluyna, at the middle there is Liceu near the Liceu theater and at the south end near Christopher Columbus memorial there is Drassanes metro stop. Aerobus is available for the journey from the airport to La Rambla. The stoppage is in Placa de Catalunya, with the metro stop. But in Barri Gotic, walking is the only suitable option.
10. Safety Issues
Safety can be an issue in this tourist-loaded place. Since tourists lure more burglars and thieves, extra precautions should be taken before planning a tour there. Pick pocketing and bag snatching is very common in here. A very simple suggestion is to blend in. Do not dress up in a way that makes you look like a tourist and therefore an easy target. Do not leave your bags unguarded, specially in the restaurants. Be careful about scam merchants, they can confuse people easily. At nighttime, you need to be careful as the place is filled with night ladies (prostitutes).
Have a good trip and travel!
