L'Eixample
eixample
Designed by Ildefons Cerdá, the Eixample (eye-champ-lah) neighborhood of Barcelona was built in the 19th century during Barcelona's expansion, and was designed to have a more open and bright feel (notice the "honeycomb" shape in the city layout). L'Eixample's central location allows for easy access to the rest of Barcelona, plus there are tons of things to see and do within the barrio itself.
Major Metro Stations:
La Sagrada Familia (L2 - Purple and L5 - Blue)
Diagonal (L3 - Green and L5 - Blue)
Passeig de Gràcia (L2 - Purple, L3 - Green, and L4 - Yellow)
Verdaguer (L4 - Yellow)
about the barrio
Eixample, which translates to "extension" in recognition of its status as the newer part of the city, is a large area north of Plaça Catalunya spreading left and right of Passeig de Gràcia. The area is indeed an extension to the city that benefits greatly from its ingenious urban planning at the hands of Catalan engineer Cerdà in the 1850s. Cerdà had a fondness for straight lines and the whole area is set out in a grid with each block having an inner courtyard. This means that it is hard to get lost in Eixample, and moreover, easy to find places. Nowadays Eixample is famous for being home to the majority of Barcelona's art nouveau masterpieces, and a high-class residential and shopping area.
L'Eixample is huge and divided by the left (esquerra) and the right (dreta) of Passeig de Gràcia, with smaller neighborhoods within. The right side of the Eixample is older and therefore has more of the impressive architecture, but really there is not a huge difference between the two sides.
The left side (the Eixample Esquerra) of the neighborhood is also known as a very LGBTQ+ friendly area with lots of resources for the LGBTQ+ community. Here you can find many LGBTQ+ bars, restaurants, clubs, and shops - mostly found in-between the streets Gran Via, Consell de Cent, Balmes, and Urgell. But overall, Barcelona is known to be one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly cities in Europe.
Check out our section on LGBTQ+ Resources.
the eixample to-do list
Plaça de Catalunya is a large square considered the center of Barcelona, the place where the old city and the 19th century-built Eixample meet, and where some of the city's most important streets and avenues cross each other. The plaza occupies about 50,000 square meters. It is especially known for its fountains and statues and the flocks of pigeons that gather in the center.
Take a walk up Passeig de Gràcia, one of the major avenues and the most important shopping and business area. It contains several of the city's most celebrated pieces of architecture and is regarded as the most expensive street in Barcelona.
Casa Milà has been described as rising dough, molten lava, and a stone lung. The last secular building designed by Antoni Gaudí, it's known as La Pedrera (meaning "the stone quarry").
Casa Ametller was built for chocolate baron Antoni Amatller. This playful building is one of Puig i Cadafalch's finest creations and was inspired by 17th-century Dutch rowhouses. It is now an art institute and archive with an excellent display on the ground floor exhibition space.
La Casa Batlló is one of the most extreme architectural makeovers ever seen. Gaudí took an ordinary apartment block and remodeled it inside and out for textile tycoon Josep Batlló between the years 1902 and 1906. The result was one of the most impressive and admired of all Gaudí's creations.
Tour the Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí's famous modernist church still under construction. Gaudí dedicated more than 40 years of his life to the project, and is now buried beneath the nave. Many consider the crypt and the Nativity façade, which were completed during his lifetime, to be the most beautiful elements of the church.
Antoni Tàpies exploded on to the art scene in the 1950s when he began to incorporate waste paper, mud, and rags into his paintings. Today, he is one of Barcelona's most celebrated artists. His Fundació Tàpies is now a cultural center and museum. Tàpies crowned the building with a glorious tangle of aluminum piping and ragged metal netting.
The Palau Robert was originally an aristocrat residence, but is now property of the Generalitat and home to an exhibition & concert space, a tourist information office, and a bookshop. There are also public gardens out back to offer some peace from the noisy intersection where the Palau stands.
The Hospital de Santa Creu i Sant Pau is a Domènech i Montaner masterpiece and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's made up of 20 pavilions, abundantly adorned with the colorful Byzantine, Gothic and Moorish influences that characterize the architect’s style.
The Plaza Monumental, often known simply as La Monumental, was the last bullfighting arena in commercial operation in Catalonia. It was inaugurated in 1914 and had a capacity of 19,582 seats. The building originally had a noucentista architectural style. The expansion work gave it its current facade, strongly influenced by Mudéjar and Byzantine architecture.
L'Auditori is a modern building of 42,000 square meters opened in 1999 to be a concert hall. In the central atrium, a monumental cubic glass light has been built. In the same musical complex, there are three other centers focused on the teaching, research, and provision of music to Barcelona locals.
Check out the #BarcelonaBucketList items in Eixample - items #44-54!
restaurants
Tianguis - Carrer de Villarroel, 42. Authentic mexican food at reasonable prices - check out Taco Tuesday!
El Nacional - Passeig de Gracia 24. The first restaurant with different areas where you can try traditional recipes from around Spain prepared with high quality produce in unique surroundings. It's always super busy so be sure to go well before the peak dining hours.
Morro Fi - Carrer Consell de Cent 171. The petite vermouth bar serves small bites like cured and pickled anchovies, hard cheeses, marinated mussels, and thick-cut, house-made potato chips (best when doused in red “aperitivo sauce”).
Cosmo Café - Carrer Enrique Granados 3. Cosmo is a quiet place to read a book while you enjoy a coffee or fresh juice. A popular place for students attending the UB to meet and work on group projects. This is a great place for matcha latte lovers as well!
Brunch & Cake - Carrer Rossello 189. An "American" style brunch café serving brunch food all day. A very popular spot so be sure to go well before peak dining hours!
Ugot - Carrer Viladomat 138. Ugot is like the tea room of the French aunt you never had. The owner calls it a bruncherie, so you can expect a hearty breakfast (eggs in all possible variations), quality dishes of the day, and home-made pastries.
Federal Café - Carrer del Parlament 39. A trendy, minimalist restaurant with a great brunch and coffee menu.
OMA Bistro - Carrer Consell de Cent 227. A heavenly space that serves some of the best brunch in BCN.
You can find more recommendations on where to eat in Eixample here.