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Photo: Josep Renalias, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Great place to sit, relax and drink.
The Royal Square is a square in the Barri Gòtic of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is close to La Rambla, and is a popular tourist attraction, especially at night. The plaza hosts many restaurants and some of the city's most famous nightclubs, including Sidecar, Jamboree, Karma and the historic and reinvented speakeasy cocktail bar Nou Pipa Club. The square is the site of the Hotel Roma Reial and is also known for its many outdoor venues. It is a popular meeting place in the summer, during the annual La Mercè festival in September when open-air concerts take place, and during other celebrations such as New Year's Eve.
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This square is famous for the nightlife and the uniform architecture, and features fountains and palm trees. It was built during the 19th century on the site of a monastery, after the Mendizábal law expelled the monks. After some years Antoni Gaudí designed the streetlights which are still there. It has lots of activity during the day, thanks to the many terraces of the bars and restaurants.
Guell Palace
Palace designed by Gaudí for the industrial tycoon Eusebi Güell. There is a basement and three levels of the palace to explore, the highest featuring a small exhibition. It is in a different style to Gaudí's apartment blocks La Pedrera and Casa Batlló, as well as being cheaper and less crowded than those sites. The rooftop of Palau Güell features the more standard Gaudi style chimneys, and views across El Raval.
Often the first landmark that people identify with the city. It is the central and most famous boulevard cutting through the heart of the city centre — a vibrant promenade filled with Barcelona life at its best. It stretches from the harbour to La Plaça Catalunya, running through the Ciutat Vella like a spine. Come here to see street performers, enjoy the flower and pet stalls, or just sit back and watch all of Barcelona walk by. During the day La Rambla is packed with tourists; at night the atmosphere shifts and the locals come out, along with newspaper and book stands, musicians, and street artists that all contribute to a lively and unique atmosphere. Be aware that the area attracts pickpockets, particularly after dark. If you happen to be here after Barça win, you are in for a treat. A few blocks south of its north end you will find La Boqueria, a very large covered market.
A gorgeous tree-lined pedestrian walkway, the busiest and most lively street of the city. Mostly occupied by tourists, expect to pay higher prices for food and drink which tends to be low-quality and/or inauthentic. Avoid the groups of people supposedly betting on a game played on a cardboard table, they are thieves. Head off into some of the side streets for a cheaper, more local, and authentic experience of Barcelona. Often called Las Ramblas, because it is actually a series of several different streets, the sections also have distinct feels. As you get closer to Placa Catalunya, you find more street performers doing stunts. In the middle, you will find street performers in costumes. Towards the pier, there are artists who will do pencil drawings, paintings, etc.
This square next to La Rambla is one of the prettiest parts of the quarter. It has a pine tree in the middle (Pi mines pine tree), the church of Santa Maria del Pi, which is a very pretty Gothic church with a huge rose window. Many concerts are held here. The Pi square and its twin square, called Sant Josep Oriol, have several bars and artisans, painters, musicians, who are there to sell their products. Entrance into the church costs €6.50/person, or €8/person if you want a tour to the top of the church with plenty of uninterrupted views across Barcelona.