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District of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain
Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sant Martí is a district in Barcelona which extends north of the Ciutat Vella. Developed from the former industrial areas of Poblenou, medieval district of Clot and suburbs of Sant Martí, it became a place of large-scale ambitious urban redevelopment. This resulted in many landmarks of postmodern architecture, especially along the northern part of Avenida Diagonal, which was pretty much reconstructed in the 21st century. Sant Martí also features beaches along the coast and a handful of parks and other tourist attractions.
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Formerly known as Torre Agbar. Distinctively-shaped office tower which stands out in the Barcelona skyline. It stands out even more Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights when it is lighted in several colours. The viewing platform on the 30th floor has views in all directions. Tickets start at €15 and come with a complimentary glass of cava and access to Hyperview Barcelona, an exhibit of the city’s real-time environmental data as an audiovisual installation, which is hosted in the tower’s lowest floor.
Design Museum of Barcelona
Much to the dismay of Mickey Mouse aficionados, Disseny is Catalan for "design", not "Disney". The "Disseny Hub" houses the amalgamated museums focusing on applied arts and design, including Museu de les Arts Decoratives, Museu de Ceràmica, Museu Tèxtil i d'Indumentària and Gabinet de les Arts Gràfiques. The new building has an intricate, multi-level structure, with the protruding tower overhanging the Praca de les Glories roundabout.
The Blue Museum (Museu Blau)
Museum with a number of exhibitions about the Earth and its natural history. One exhibit covers the origin of life on Earth and how it has evolved. A second exhibit deals with nature and life on Earth today. The third exhibit covers some of the issues relating to humans and their relationship with nature.
Port Olímpic
It has a large number of restaurants, bars and other establishments. In this wide offer you can find also the Barcelona Casino.
One of the most unusual landmarks in this otherwise ultra-modern area is this 19th-century (finished in 1882) brick water tower. Standing 62 metres tall, it is now overshadowed by neighbouring residential, office and hotel towers and easy to miss unless you know where to look for it.
Urban park created from redeveloping industrial land. It covers 14 hectares and includes seven areas like a children's play area, a lake with sculptures and a central plaza.
Next to the Port Olympic, has easy access to restaurants and shopping.
Mar Bella is considered the nudist beach for Barcelona
Bright & airy vegan fusion restaurant. on-line table reservation.
A great place to meet up with a large group of friends or to make a large group of new friends! It is a beer hall styled in a traditional Catalan manner. It has been around for decades in the Poble Nou district of Barcelona. It has huge wooden tables that seat no less than ten people. It has exposed stone walls and large wood supports so you feel you are in a barn or old farm house. The Black Sheep is also immediately opposite one of the finest clubs Barcelona has to offer "Sala Razzmatazz" and acts as the perfect pre-gamer spot (including sangria & beer pitchers!) before heading across the road to dance late into the night / early morning! There are 2 bar locations. One in Raval close to Las Ramblas and one in Poble Nou (the one mentioned here).
Large and popular club with several rooms, each one a different style of music (pop, retro, house, trance). It is loved by the visitors and locals. €15 will get you in with a free drink. It's worth paying an entry fee. Saturdays at 02:00 is the absolute best time to go, and worth the 5-minute and 400-m line to get in. Closes at 06:00. Note: If you are going to see something at Razzmatazz 2 or 3, the entrance is through the arch on C. de Pamplona.
Given the popularity of Spain among British vacationers it is no wonder that Britain's favourite budget lodging chain finally got a pied-a-terre in Barcelona. Just like any other Travelodge, it is as simple as can be, but just as cheap.
This simple new hotel tries to live up to its name by undercutting competition by a wide margin.
A simple and slightly dated hotel right next to the Clot train station.
One of the three Catalonia hotels in the area, this one is a tad north from the Clot train station. Rooms are small, fixtures and furniture have their best times behind them but prices are very reasonable.
A sister property to the Catalonia Albeniz, it is a simple and slightly aged hotel squeezed into a block a very short distance from the Clot train station. The Sagrada Familia itself is six blocks away towards the southwest.
The Four Points offers simply furnished yet sunny rooms thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows, straight on the Diagonal.
The hotel is very aptly named, as it faces the sea directly across the Nova Mar Bella beach. As the property has aged quite badly by the beginning of the 21st century, it offers relatively attractive prices.
Old-style Spanish vacation hotel (CRT TVs in rooms!) is close to the Mar Bella beach. Do note that the hotel is sideways versus the sea, so not all rooms have the same brilliant views.
A little run down Holiday Inn Express offers some of the cheapest hotel stays in Barcelona with breakfast included.
This is a standard ibis hotel, despite its name not really close to the Plaza Glories. Of note is the fact that no twin rooms are offered, only doubles.
The hotel is not really on or near the Diagonal, nor especially central, but all in all offers the usual NH standard in the middle of Sant Marti.
In a round modern tower a few blocks north of the Diagonal. Typical Tryp features, including family rooms with foldaway bunk beds.
This unexpectedly stylish hotel is two blocks towards the north from the Diagonal shopping centre. Each floor's corridor is decorated in a different, unusual theme and the cheerful yet tasteful variety of decor makes up for quite small and simple rooms. For thrifty holidaymakers, a Lidl supermarket is around the corner
The other Vincci is just as maritime as any other hotel in Sant Marti, as it is actually close to the Diagonal and not the seaside. It is also less adventurous in style, but nonetheless very pleasantly and contemporarily outfitted.
The AC is basically a part of the Convention Centre, towering over its meeting spaces. It features an unusually contemporary design theme for a Marriott-branded property.
Right at the Nova Mar Bella beach
The Princess occupies a tower at the very tip of the Diagonal, boasting great views in all directions and a very metropolitan ambience. The postmodern design mix is enhanced in some rooms appointed with lavishly colourful decorations and patterns by the Spanish apparel brand Desigual.
There is nothing really special about the Confortel, apart from really small windows. Rooms are quite sombre and the building is squeezed into one of the blocks at Poblenou.
A long shot (five blocks) from the actual marina in the Olympic Port, the H10 is a regular midmarket city hotel with a selection of 235 rooms in different sizes and standards. A rooftop terrace with a pool provides a nice overview of Poblenou.
Adjacent to the Congress Centre and facing the Centro Commercial Diagonal Mar.
formerly ME Barcelona
Upscale hotel in Poble Nou neighbourhood. Amenities include free high-speed internet, minibars in all rooms, 24 hour access to the gym, pillow-top mattresses and a pillow menu.
The Novotel boasts a brilliant location on the Diagonal, with excellent views of the neighbouring Agbar Tower, especially from its rooftop pool and terrace. Regular rooms are of the usual old Novotel standard, the upscale categories have been renovated and feature a more modern, edgy design with the use of dark colours.
262 rooms and suites, with many having sea views. Amenities include free Wifi, a fitness room, spa, executive floor and a pool with views from the 17th floor.
Modern hotel close to the beach and Port Olimpic. Amenities include free Wifi, a solarium with a pool and fitness room. Some rooms are suites with either a study (for business) or a jacuzzi.
Postmodern extravaganza right next door to the Agbar tower.
This hotel with a spa is actually a bit north of the actual Olympic Village. Due to its constrained location within one of the old blocks of Poblenou, the experience there may be less rewarding than in some of the newer hotels.
A large shopping centre by the Diagonal, right at the Plaza Glories. Includes a large Carrefour supermarket, a cinema and a number of the usual chain stores, including Zara, H&M and C&A. There is also in. al. a drugstore, optician and a post office.
Another shopping centre at the opposite end of the Diagonal. A similar selection of tenants, including a cinema.
The only railway station within Sant Martí is {{station|El Clot-Aragó|L1|L2 }} which is an underground station served by , as well as some regional trains travelling within Catalonia.
Read in the guideMetro
complements the trams by following the coastline and then going northwesternwards, and connects to them at Vila Olimpica (T4), Selva de Mar (T4), El Maresme/Forum (T4) and Besos (T5, T6).
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