La Rambla, considered the most well known street in central Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, provides a successful example of cities creating public spaces for people to meet and socialize.
A tree-lined pedestrian street, it stretches for 1.2 kilometres (3⁄4 mile) connecting the Plaça de Catalunya in its center with the Christopher Columbus Monument at the port of Barcelona (Port Vell). La Rambla forms the boundary between the neighbourhoods of the Barri Gòtic to the east and the El Raval to the west.
La Rambla can be crowded, especially during the height of the tourist season. Its popularity with tourists has affected the character of the street, which has shifted in composition to pavement cafes and souvenir kiosks. It has also suffered from the attention of pickpockets. Its overall success as a metropolis comes from the combination of eateries, shops, markets, and cultural institutions that create an attractive and diverse experience for pedestrians.
La Rambla is primarily a pedestrian promenade; there are only two narrow, single-lane roads running along both sides of the central boulevard of La Rambla.
Barcelona City Council has restricted the flow of traffic through this area, and you feel that pedestrians reign supreme in this area (a very welcome change). Unlike other cities, which have huge streets running through them, Barcelona chose to structure its street system in such a way that the heart of the city centre is mainly pedestrianised and the major streets connect this sector to the periphery.
Transport
There are three metro stops along Las Ramblas; this makes it an excellent point from which to catch a means of transport to visit the rest of the city.
At the southern end of La Rambla, near the Christopher Columbus monument, you have the Drassanes metro stop (Green Line, L3).
In the middle of Las Ramblas, just outside the Liceu Theatre, you have the Liceu Metro stop (Green Line, L3).
To the north you have the Metro stop, served by the (Green Line, L3) and the (Red Line, L1).
Plaza Cataluña is also the point where you can catch the Aerobus (the express bus service that takes you to the airport) and the Tourist Bus, which runs 3 circuits around popular tourist attractions.
Coordinates 41°22′53″N 2°10′23″E
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