Walk 4 | El Raval - Seville Traveller

Walk 4 | El Raval
photo: Institut d’Estudis Catalans
WALK 4 | El Raval
Walk 4 | El Raval
The walk El Raval takes you along the most ethnic and multicultural neighborhood of
Barcelona, El Raval – an area inside Ciutat Vella, the oldest part of Barcelona. It is a neighborhood of contrasts, with a large population of immigrants coming from Africa and Asia,
and that is becoming a hipster and an avant garde area of Barcelona.
The walk El Raval does not include some highlights covered by walk 3 | Las Ramblas,
including El Indio shop, Granja Viader, Mercat de la Boqueria and Palau Güell.
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Walk duration: half day.
Walk distance: 2.5 km.
Time of the day: it can be done in the morning or in the afternoon.
If you go in the morning, continue in the afternoon with: walks number 1 or 3.
If you go in the afternoon, start in the morning with: no itinerary ends near the
beginning of walk 4, so theoretically it can be combined with any of the other walks.
Best on: a sunny day, but if it rains it would not be the end of the world.
Level of difficulty: low. The walk is done on flat ground.
Should you bring the kids?: It is a very urban walk, without any specific attractions
for children. They are going to enjoy Botero’s Cat and the panorama from the top
roof terrace of Barceló Raval hotel.
Transport: a subway ride to reach the starting point (if necessary) and a subway ride
to continue exploring Barcelona (if necessary).
You will like this walk if: you want to run away from the most touristy Barcelona,
and you enjoy a multicultural atmosphere with old and modern contrasts.
Pick another walk if: you are after Gaudí’s Barcelona or the well-known tourist landmarks.
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There are several subway stations around El Raval and many entries to the neighborhood. Your walk starts in the southern part of El Raval, in the area of El Paral·lel. Catch
the subway and get off at Paral·lel station on lines 2 (purple) and 3 (green). Take the
exit (sortida) Ronda Sant Pau.
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El Paral·lel
Paral·lel (“Paralelo” in Spanish) is the name of an avenue and
also of an area of Barcelona. In the first half of the 19th century
Paral·lel became the city’s leisure avenue par excellence, perfectly comparable to those existing in other large urban centres
in Europe.
While it was in all its splendour, during the first half of the 19th
century, more than 75% of the avenue was occupied by theatres and showrooms, similarly to Montmartre in Paris, West
End in London or Broadway in New York. Nowadays, only memories captured by old photographs remain of most of these
showrooms and theatres.
El Molino theatre, El Paral·lel
Its location nearby Barcelona’s port, with an intense traffic of
ships, people and ideas, facilitated the growth of a leisure area
based on the popular culture that was starting to flourish in Barcelona at that time. Paral·lel became, thanks to its shows, the
cultural expression of the social and political conflict, and outed
a more social perception of sex. Synonym of scenic arts, Paral·lel
was also associated with prostitution.
The remains of this glorious past are a handful of theatres that
are still open, like El Molino and Apolo, offering cultural performances mainly for locals.
Enter El Raval through Carrer de Sant Pau.
Carrer de Sant Pau, 103
www.motimahalbcn.com
12:00 to 15:30 and 20:00 to
23:30
Restaurante Moti Mahal
INDIAN
If you plan to do the walk in the afternoon right after lunch, and
you enjoy Indian food, go to number 103 of Carrer de Sant Pau,
where you can find restaurant Moti Mahal on the right side of
the street. Indian food is very much related to El Raval neighborhood, where almost half of its inhabitants come from India
or Pakistan.
Inside, the premises are similar to most Indian restaurants, simple and with different decorations on the walls. It offers a good
à la carte service and a set menu is served at lunch and dinner
every day of the week.
Continue along Carrer de Sant Pau. On the second block on the right is Sant Pau del
Camp church.
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Sant Pau del Camp
El Raval neighborhood hides one of the most incredible surprises of the city: Sant Pau del Camp, a beautiful Romanic church.
Tuesday to Saturday 10:00
to 13:30 and 16:00 to 19:30
The large stone walls, in which endless symbols are represented,
contrast with the area that surrounds it, a stronghold of North
African and Asian colors.
Access to the church: free.
Cloister: 3€.
The church dates back from 911 and it is one of the oldest temples of the city. Despite such a long time has gone by, the church
and the cloister of this old Benedictine monastery are still in a
good state of preservation. It’s worth having a close look at the
large number of sculpted figures and decorations on the stones
next to the main gate.
Continue along Carrer de Sant Pau until you reach Rambla del Raval.
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Rambla del Raval
Rambla del Raval is one of the newest avenues in Barcelona.
It was built in 1995, when Barcelona’s local authority decided
to torn down the buildings occupying the area to create a wide
open space in the heart of El Raval neighborhood. Back then, it
was a very dangerous and awkward area but this has now been
replaced with palm trees, benches, cafés, and restaurants that
create a very nice place to stroll around.
La Rambla is also a meeting point for the immigrant communities that lives in the neighborhood. In the blink of an eye, you
may think that you are in a North African city, instead of the capital of Catalonia.
Gato de Botero at Rambla del Raval
Walk along the whole Rambla. Right at the beginning of the avenua, on the left hand side is the amusing Gato de Botero, a work
of Colombian artist Fernando Botero. Its chubby, rounded forms
should sound familiar to you if you know a bit of Botero’s work.
The cat has a huge success among children and the not so little
ones.
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Hotel Barceló Raval
Continuing along Rambla del Raval, a little bit further is the modern structure of Hotel Barceló Raval. Its inauguration contributed to the area’s revitalization where locals mingle with hipsters,
immigrants and tourists.
Go into the hotel’s reception, have a look around you to observe
its incredible design, and take the right-hand side elevator to go
up to the top roof terrace.
There is a fantastic circular terrace at the top of the building that
offers 360° panoramic views of Barcelona. A not to miss.
Hotel Barceló Raval top roof terrace
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How about a glass of wine in the heights? The hotel’s
top roof terrace is inspiring! An alternative for a short
stop is one of the terrazas along Rambla del Raval.
Arriving to the end of La Rambla del Raval, make a right on Carrer de l’Hospital.
Walk several blocks until you get to the outer wall of Biblioteca de Catalunya. It’s
on your left, at the corner of Carrer de les Egipcíaques. The library is inside the old
Hospital de la Santa Creu.
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Jardins de Rubió i Lluch
Cross the small access gate to enter the delightful Jardins de
Rubió i Lluch, an incredible oasis of calm in the middle of the
neighborhood.
The gardens are at the center of the old Hospital de la Santa
Creu, and considered a magnificent example of the Civil Gothic
Catalan style.
The hospital was transferred in 1929 into the new Hospital de
la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, one of the amazing Modernist jewels
of Barcelona.
Nowadays the old hospital houses the Biblioteca Nacional de
Catalunya and the Institut d’Estudis Catalans headquarters.
The gardens are very pretty and quiet. Here you can find several
tree especies with a predominance of orange trees.
Jardins de Rubió i Lluch
www.eljardibarcelona.es
El Jardí
CAFÉ AND TAPAS BAR
As soon as you enter the gardens, you can see El Jardí (the garden), on your left, a café and tapas bar.
It is an excellent place for a relaxed short stop before continuing
your walk along the neighborhood.
Cross the gardens and exit through the gate located across the one you used to
enter. You are now in a street with stone walls on both sides.
On the left is Institut d’Estudis Catalans. If the gate is open, get in to see the
beautiful cloister.
Go through the last gate to reach Carrer del Carme, one of the most traditional
streets of El Raval.
Turn left and walk until you get to number 63, where Modernist bar Muy Buenas is
located. Inside the bar original Modernist furniture has been preserved.
Retrace your steps to turn left at Carrer dels Àngels.
Make a little zig -zag. Turn right at Carrer del Pintor Fortuny and then left at Carrer del Doctor Dou.
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Barcelona Reykjavik
BAKERY
www.barcelonareykjavik.com
At number 12 of the narrow street is Barcelona Reykjavik, an
Icelandic bakery that contrasts with the Mediterranean and
Asian atmosphere dominating the neighborhood.
Monday to Saturday 10:0021:00. Sunday 10:30-20:00
Indulge yourself with a sweet if you start feeling a little hungry.
You’ve been walking for a while!
Carrer del Doctor Dou, 12
Continue along the street and turn left at Carrer d’Elisabets. You can now see the
white and modern premises of MACBA on the right.
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MACBA
MACBA (Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona) is a modern
museum that marked the begining of a new life for El Raval
neighborhood when it was inaugurated in 1995.
Plaça dels Àngels, 1
www.macba.cat
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 11:00 to
19:30. Saturday 10:00 to
20:00. Sunday and public
holidays 10:00 to 15:00
The museum’s building was designed by American architect Richard Meier, who aimed to link the contemporary masterpieces
displayed inside with the historical buildings surrounding it.
The use of large windows gives a special luminosity to the museum large rooms, where straight and curved lines alternate. The
museum focuses mainly in exhibiting art works from the last 50
years. MACBA has a permanent collection and organizes several
temporary exhibitions during the year.
Closed on Tuesday.
Adults: 10€. Students: 8€.
Younger than 14 and older
than 65: free.
The square in front of MACBA is a meeting point of skaters and
other urban tribes.
Behind MACBA there is another museum, CCCB.
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Carrer Montalegre, 5
www.cccb.org
Tuesday to Sunday 11:00 to
20:00
Closed on Monday.
Adults: 6€. Younger than 25
and seniors: 4€. Younger
than 12: free.
CCCB
CCCB (Centro de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona) was
inaugurated in 1994, after a profound renovation of a building
that was once occupied by Casa de la Caritat de Barcelona.
CCCB has an intense cultural program including music shows, cinema, courses, lectures and festivals, all focused in the city and
the new technologies. We recommend you to go to Pati de les
Dones (women’s courtyard), the central element of CCCB, that
provides access to the different areas of the museum. It is a very
beautiful place where the old meets the modern, reflected in
the huge glass façade integrated to the ancient building.
As you exit CCCB return to MACBA. Take Carrer de Ferlandina until you reach the
corner of Carrer de Joaquín Costa.
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8
Casa Almirall
MODERNIST BAR
Carrer de Joaquín Costa, 33
Casa Almirall is a Modernist bar founded in 1860. The establishment changed hands in 1976.
Opening times are changing
constantly. During the week,
it usually opens in the evening. During the weekend, it
opens after midday.
Inside, many Modernist decoration elements have been preserved. The counter is made of marble and in one of its ends you
can see an iron sculpture of 1888 Barcelona’s Universal Exposition muse.
If the bar is open (during weekdays it only opens at the end of
the afternoon), it is a great place with a unique atmosphere to
have a drink.
Turn right and go up Carrer de Joaquín Costa. It is a pedestrian street that intertwines several elements of the neighborhood, with a mixture of shops, bars, restaurants and ethnic markets.
Your walk along El Raval finishes at the end of the street. If you would like to catch
the subway, turn right at Ronda de Sant Antoni and get to Universitat station on
line 1 (red).
To end your walk as you deserve, we suggest you going to Fábrica Moritz.
Ronda de Sant Antoni, 39
www.moritz.com
Monday to Sunday 6:00 to
3:00
Fábrica Moritz
DESIGN BEER BAR
Moritz is one of the two largest beer brands of Catalonia, the
other one being Damm.
In 2012, as part of the brand’s relaunch, the old brewery became an immense space, keeping the name of Fábrica Moritz. The
project was lead by French architect Jean Nouvel, who had already left his trace on Barcelona’s skyline with his unmistakable
Torre Agbar.
The old brewery was turned into a gastronomic center that takes
up to 4,500 m2. Inside, Fábrica Moritz has different spaces, including a bar/restaurant with several subdivisions such as a bar
specialized in wines, a bakery and a gourmet shop.
Establishing a connection with the premises’ past, you can see
a lot of machines and other elements that were used in processing the beer in the different spaces of Fábrica Moritz, including
bottle machines and big beer deposits.
inside Fábrica Moritz
There are plenty of bites to choose from on Moritz’s long menu.
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Map of walk 4 | El Raval
If you are online, click here to open an interactive version
of this map created with Google Maps.
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