Las Ramblas is one of the best-known tourist hotspots in Barcelona.
It’s the busy central boulevard that cuts through the heart of the city centre from Port Vell on the waterfront to Placa Catalunya.
The bustling street has a central pedestrianised section, with two service roads running along either side.
It is very crowded during the summer season, and is known for attracting pickpockets and petty thieves.
But despite some seedy areas nestled along it, it is still an integral and beloved part of the city, with Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca declaring that it is the “only street in the world which I wish would never end”.
It certainly has charm, with kiosks dotted around selling everything from flowers to snacks, and street traders and performers compete for the passing tourists’ attention.
Landmarks include the Palace of Virreina, and the famous Liceu Theatre where ballets and operas are staged.
One of the foremost attractions along the strip is La Boqueria market, one of the must-see sights listed in many guidebooks.
Below ground, the L3 line of Barcelona Metro runs beneath it, stopping at Catalunya, Liceu, and Drassanes stations.
The route of the street was originally a stream-bed, but for hundreds of years has been established as the heart of city life in Barcelona.
It has been used for festivals, markets and sports events, and in 1703 trees were planted for the first time – which have now grown into pleasant borders between the central boulevard and the roads, shops and houses which line the street.
