Raval represents the most distinctive cosmopolitan area; it is vibrant, eclectic, densely populated, exciting… and alive, more alive than ever before.
Raval is a neighbourhood that has its own verb: “ravalear”, which refers to the action of exploring the life that the Raval neighbourhood of Barcelona houses. Until recently, a neighbourhood boasting its own culture, a historic place outside the city walls known also as China Town and that now - above all in its higher areas - has become the fashionable neighbourhood of Barcelona, an area where the charm of the old is preserved and where multi-ethnicity prevails.
Raval belongs to Ciutat Vella, a place where, for example, you can enjoy lovely terraces, tapas bars of the most pure Barcelona style and restaurants with the most exotic cuisines on the planet. At the Boquería Market, be prepared for one of the most unique experiences you can have in Barcelona. Here one sees an explosion of colours, shapes and magnificent scents, as well as enjoying afternoon snacks in the atmosphere of a truly unique market. The list of stalls to visit in La Boquería market includes Fruites Ibáñez, Fruites Costa, Peix Marta, Avinova-Aviram, Symposion, Carnisseria A. Casanovas, Llegums cuits Boquería, Aroma Ibèric, Paramí, Ous del Calaf, and many others stand out too.
La Boquería is perhaps the most well-known attraction in Raval, but not the only one. There are all types of cultural, architectural and human reasons to “Raval” around. Some of them are the Moja Palace, the Canaletas fountain, the Palace of the Virreina, the Film Library of Catalonia, the Monastery of Sant Pau del Camp, the Liceu Opera House, the modernist Güell Palace, the Library of Catalonia or the Santa Mónica Art Centre. They all promise to be fascinating moments. And just a short walk away, Las Ramblas, the great thoroughfare of the centre that goes from Plaza de Catalunya up to the Christopher Columbus monument. It is divided into a series of shorter streets, which are the Ramblas de Canaletes, Estudis, Sant Josep, Caputxins, Santa Mónica and de Mar. On Las Ramblas you can find street performers, flower stalls and restaurants.
Another of the best examples of the vitality of Raval is the Museum of Modern Art of Barcelona (MACBA), perfect to understand the artistic movements of the second half of the 20th century. Its location, next to the CCCB - the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona, makes it easier to get to know the latest urban cultural offerings from an eclectic neighbourhood like no other in Barcelona.
