Neighbourhoods
Sant Andreu
A quiet neighbourhood that will keep you connected to the city’s true spirit
A small-town pace persists in this much quieter corner of the city. It’s one of the first clues to Sant Andreu’s storied heritage as a distinct settlement turned industrial hotbed, which became part of metropolitan Barcelona when it was annexed in 1897. Also known as “District Nine”, the city’s most outlying barri has been shaped by a steely working class that banded together across generations to forge its future. If you’re looking to soak up a more authentic atmosphere, this neighbourhood feels a world away from the tourists streaming up and down La Rambla.
The metro ride from the city centre to San Andreu station takes just 20 minutes. From there, walk to the Plaça del Comerç, where the turquoise-green Casa Vidal showcases vibrant modernista architecture and still hosts the popular Bar Versalles. The basement was once used as a bunker during the Civil War, but today it houses statuesque female-figured lamps that help elderly men read the daily newspapers.
Along Carrer de Pons i Gallarza and past politically charged graffiti (which reflect the area’s dynamic spirit), notice the two-storey cottages built for the railway and factory workers who are said to have planted the naranjos (orange trees) that give these streets their aromatic air. If the scent makes you peckish, pop into Mercat de Sant Andreu, which has withstood the test of time and is still surrounded by family-owned businesses such as bakery Pastisseria Ribalta, where you can sample traditional Catalan carquinyolis (biscotti) and panellets (cookies).
Be sure to visit the former Fabra i Coats industrial complex, which serves as the district’s cultural heart, containing a contemporary-art gallery, concert hall and even a castells school that teaches children how to build Catalan human towers. Architecture lovers are advised to visit Casa Bloc, revered as an outstanding monument to early rationalism. Designed and built by a group of progressive architects during Spain’s Second Republic in the 1930s, guided tours provide a more privileged peek inside each Saturday.
Poblenou
An ex-industrial zone that still amps up inspiration
Poblenou was the manufacturing heart of 19th-century Barcelona – it even earned the moniker of the “Manchester of Catalonia” – but has since become a different type of epicentre. Former factories now house design studios, cultural hubs, ateliers, film companies and technology firms, and you’ll find creatives enjoying evening drinks on Rambla del Poblenou. Slightly removed from the tourist-trodden centre, yet still close to the beach, life here moves a little slower.
Much of the magic is hidden behind its post-industrial veneer. One of the city’s most revered coffee roasters, Nomad Frutas Selectas, sits behind a non-flashy façade. Museu Can Framis – home to one of the city’s main contemporary Catalan art collections – can be found inside a former textile factory, which is no less a masterpiece than the canvases within. And on Carrer de Batista sits Espai Subirachs, a museum dedicated to Josep Maria Subirachs, a sculptor most renowned for his crucifixion scene adorning one of the niches of La Sagrada Familia.
Browse retro furniture and bric-a-brac along Carrer de Roc Boronat, where vintage Scandinavian homeware shop Noak Room is a standout. Similarly, retro tapas bar La Pubilla del Taulat is a no-nonsense place to indulge in the classics. Later in the day, migrate east to the Platja del Bogatell, which is popular with everyone from senior citizens to fitness aficionados and stylish youngsters.
Gràcia
Discover the calm and charm of the city’s northern district
Gràcia was an independent town until 1897, when it was annexed by Barcelona as the city began to grow outwards. Today it preserves its free roots through lower-rise buildings, annual celebrations during the Festa Major de Gràcia and light-filled cafés. The main hub of this area is the old town, Vila de Gràcia. Perched above the showy Passeig de Gràcia, its narrow tree-lined lanes and picturesque places are made for lazy afternoon wanderings. It may not be as twisty as the Barri Gòtic but there are still plenty of opportunities to get lost.
Try to find the Parallelo ice creamery along the narrow Carrer de Séneca, whose most infamous flavours have incorporated ingredients such as sardines or gorgonzola with habanero chiles – but there are plenty of safer options for more traditional sweet tooths too. Coffee hotspots include SlowMov and Syra Coffee, the latter was opened by entrepreneurial architect Yassir Raïs, who has since expanded with dozens more locations across eight cities in Spain.
For a dose of culture, step through the wrought-iron gates of Alzueta Gallery into the leafy courtyard, then down the stairs into a former factory space full of art and design that’s both contemporary and classic.
Settle in for a drink on the square at Bar Virreina, which tends to get busier with neighbourhood residents as the day goes on, and take in the 19th-century church, Sant Joan Baptista de Gràcia. Once refreshed, it’s time for a sweet treat from Chök the Chocolate Kitchen, a Barcelona-based chocolatier that bakes fresh brownies and cakes on site and offers artisanal chocolate bars to take home. With the Festes de Gràcia, a renowned and rowdy street celebration colouring the entire neighbourhood each August, you might want to bottle up a similar spirit by stopping into one of many wine shops that pepper this district.
