Barcelona Neighbourhoods: Gracia

Long before Barcelona was the sprawling Metropolis that it is today, the area around the old Roman Citadel of Barcino had plenty of countryside. The oldest church in Barcelona, "Sant Pau del Camp" literally translates as Saint Paul of the Countryside. This church now lies in the old town district of El Raval - considered to be the city centre.



In this vein, many of the adjoining neighbourhoods were small towns themselves, and one such neighbourhood perhaps keeping it's small town feel is Gracia. Gracia lies just above Eixample - it was joined seamlessly to Barcelona with Ildefons Cerdà's expansion of Eixample itself. Barcelona's most popular boulevard, Passeig de Gracia, bears the name - as literally a passage to Gracia. Access to the city centre is fantastic, just a short stroll south, and you will arrive to Plaça Catalunya, the city's main square. Gracia also houses Casa Vicens - one of Antonin Gaudi's masterpieces often overlooked by travellers too caught up with two of the UNESCO World Heritage sites on nearby Paseeig de Gracia; Casa Mila and Casa Battlo.

Gracia is a fairly small neighbourhood, with many plaças dotted around the tiny streets. Buildings here are a far cry from the tall storey buildings in neighbouring Eixample, and are generally only two or three stories high. The neighbourhood has a high student population, and is a favourite spot for alternative Spanish nightlife, with Plaça del Sol full of bars and terraces. The area has plenty of shops and local commercial outlets, as well as supermarket chains, fast food restaurants and famous eateries, too, such as Moncho Neira's Botafumeiro - which used to have a Michelin Star.

Each Ausgust, the neighbourhood transforms itself in the week-long festival celebrations, with the narrow streets decorated to the maximum with fantastic models and murals which line the streets wide and high - it has the unofficial title of throwing the best neighbourhood party in Barcelona. Locals complain about the noise and sleepless nights, but that's all part of the fun at hosting the best party in the city!

Gracia residents, like many Barcelona neighbourhoods, are a mix of locals, immigrants, expats and foreign students who live in harmony with one another, giving the neighbourhood an international, yet local feel about it.

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