No: the Gracia district is not the same as the Passeig de Gràcia avenue. They’re not even in the same area! Passeig de Gracia (which has its own tag in this blog) was the old ROAD that took you to Gracia. So you’ll find Gracia, one of the most liveliest non-touristy neighborhoods of Barcelona, right at the end of the main street. It’s a wonderful area to walk around with nothing special to do: seating in one of its plazas, maybe being testimonial of one of the multiple festivals they celebrate, and breathing it its spirit that reminds you of a little village. There are two Gaudi sites in the area (Park Guell and Casa Vicens), but they are far enough from its heart so tourists don’t get to spoil it.
MARCH 3 IN BARCELONA – FESTES DE SANT MEDIR The year in Barcelona is full of traditions, many of them of religious root that have evolve into something festive and popular. This week we are celebrating one of the: the Festival of St. Medir (Saint Emeterius). It’s maybe not something celebrated generally around the city, …
STROLLING AROUND THE PLAZAS OF THE GRACIA NEIGHBORHOOD Gracia plazas are distinct landmarks of the Gràcia district. Originally an independent village connected with Barcelona through a road that was going to become the nowadays fancy Passeig de Gracia, that part of the countryside north of the old Barcelona was often developed by private real state owners …
RESTAURANTS IN GRACIA FOR EVERY TASTE AND NEED At the top of the tourist-packed Passeig de Gràcia, right after crossing the classy Diagonal Avenue, starts a hot district that mixes the spirit of the traditional neighborhoods with the energy of the newly arrived young designers, cooks and creators. Less trendy than the Born, but not as …
WHERE TO EAT NEAR PARK GUELL (and not be fooled) There are no restaurants inside Park Guell, just one quite expensive café with touristy reheated food and sandwiches inside the paying area (there used to be another one overlooking the Plaça de la Natura, but it closed in Spring of 2016). And most of the restaurants …
IS IT WORTH TO STAY AT THE CASA FUSTER HOTEL? Casa Fuster is one of the most emblematic hotels in Barcelona, not only for being a great hotel but also for its modernist architecture with a stunning white marble façade. In 2000, the chain Hoteles Center bought the entire building to convert it in a GL …
THE GRACIA FESTIVAL, AN EVENT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Next week, the streets of the Barcelona Gracia neighborhood will decorated by the neighbors during the Barcelona Festa Major de Gracia. They use simple materials such as recycled plastic bottles and cardboard, creating amazing landscapes and sculptures that will be for a whole week the setting for …
PARK GUELL MUST-SEE HIGHLIGHTS The famous Park Guell is one of the masterpieces of Antoni Gaudi, an unfinished project where he used his famous “trencadís” broken tile technique for the first time and with amazing results. Getting to the Gaudi Park takes time because it is not located in the city center, so knowing what to see in …
The city center of Barcelona offers great possibilities for places to stay, but lately I’m getting more and more requests of people who want to go off the beaten path… but not too much, at the same time. And there is one district that is precisely that way: Today’s guest blogger Harriet Freeman shares with …
STAYING CENTRAL BUT OFF THE BEATEN PATH, IN THE GRÀCIA DISTRICT Read More »
