El Raval district Barcelona or neighbourhood of El Raval also know as Barrio Chino. This part of the city has a long history of a mainly immigrant population. This brings an energetic mix of races and cultures.
El Raval district Barcelona is a neighborhood with around 50,000 habitants. You will find El Raval on the opposite side of Las Ramblas to the Gothic Quarter. It has also been known as “Barrio Chino” or China Town due to numerous immigrant inhabitants. Within this district of Barcelona almost half of the population of El Raval have been born abroad.
The great thing about El Raval district is that it gives you a chance to see life in Barcelona. The streets are energetic with the habitants of this district working from their businesses or going about their daily lives. This is one district of Barcelona that shows you the faced paced life of urban living within Barcelona. The El Raval district also has many people from different cultures, so there is a true multi cultural feel to this district.
El Raval area may not have as many historic sights such as the Gothic Quarter. Although it has an energetic night-life and does feature some more trendy museums and also Gaudi’s Güell Palace. Some streets in this neighborhood can be dangerous at night. It is important to keep your senses active if you are walking home late at night.
Notable Attractions In El Ravel District
Gran Teatre del Liceu (La Rambla) – Historic opera house that is situated on La Rambla. The Liceu theatre is a unique structure both inside and out and well worth viewing.
Güell Palace – A large mansion built for the Güell family to live and entertain the many socialites at the time. Designed and built by Antoni Gaudí, this is a unique historic building that should be visited.
Mercado de la Boqueria – An outstanding historic indoor market that visitors to Barcelona seem to love to visit. Lots of fresh produce and unique items to purchase.
Barcelona Museum of Contempary Art = Contemporary art gallery in El Ravel, with regular exhibitions by selected artists. One of the more popular of Barcelona’s modern art galleries.
Barcelona Maritime Museum – As the name suggests, a maritime museum showcasing Barcelona’s naval and maritime history. The maritime museum is located close to Drassanes metro station.
Mercat de Sant Antoni – Another historic indoor market with fewer tourists than La Boqueria market. This old market has more of a neighborhood feel to it as it is used mainly by locals,
How To Get to El Raval
To explore this neighbourhood, you can take the metro line 3 to Liceu which is on La Rambla. You can also get the line 3 metro to Drassanes and walk up into this district. Both metro stations Liceu and Drassanes are less than 5 minutes walk from Güell Palace, one of Gaudís famous buildings.
If you are already on La Rambla you can enter El Raval district from the Liceu opera house or La Boqueria market. The El Raval district of Barcelona can be found on the opposite side of La Rambla from the Gothic Quarter.
