The Raval is home to the most noticeable cosmopolitan territory: vibrant, eclectic, dense, exciting… and alive, more alive now than ever.
Raval is a neighborhood noted for its own verb: “Ravalear”, which refers to the action of exploring the life that the Raval neighborhood of Barcelona is known for. Until recently, this neighborhood boasted its own culture, a historic place outside the city walls known also as China Town and that now, specially in its higher areas, has become Barcelona's fashionable neighborhood, 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 in the purest Barcelona style, and restaurants with the most exotic cuisines on the planet. If you visit the Boquería Market, be prepared for one of the most unique experiences you can have in Barcelona. In this place you are exposed to an explosion of colors, shapes and magnificent scents, a place where you can enjoy afternoon snacks in the atmosphere of a truly unique market. The list of stalls you can visit in La Boquería includes Fruites Ibáñez, Fruites Costa, Peix Marta, Avinova-Aviram, Symposion, Carnisseria A. Casanovas, Llegums cuits Boquería, Aroma Ibèric, Paramí, Ous del Calaf.. as well as others that will definitely catch your attention.
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 this unique place. Included among these 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 Center. All of them promise to make this a fascinating experience. And Las Ramblas is just a short walk away, the great downtown thoroughfare 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 a diversity of street performers, flower stalls and restaurants to enjoy.
Another of the best examples of the vitality of Raval is the Museum of Modern Art of Barcelona (MACBA), a perfect opportunity to understand the artistic trends of the second half of the 20th century. Its location, next to the CCCB - the Center of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona, makes it easier to get to know the latest urban cultural offerings from an eclectic neighborhood unlike any other in Barcelona.
