Passeig de Gracia

As Barcelona brims with a diverse history and a rich cultural heritage, the streets here stand as witness to the various chapters which the city had experienced. Passeig de Gràcia is one such historic street which has been a part of the city’s life for more than two centuries. Linking Plaça de Catalunya and the Gràcia district, the street is today a major attraction of Barcelona, drawing a large section of the city’s tourists to experience the quaint locale as it exists today.

Passeig de Gracia had been a major street of Barcelona, serving as an important connector in the city. The street had originally been constructed to link include the village of Gràcia in the city of Barcelona. As the street became the major connecting route, the narrow alley was eventually broadened and lined with trees along its sides. In the following years, Passeig de Gràcia was further adorned with gas lights and Italian gardens which formed the picturesque Tivoli. As numerous mansions lined the street, it had been the hub of the bourgeoisie life in the 19th century. Till the beginning of the 20th century, Passeig de Gràcia had served as the seat of the most elite classes in the Spanish society, housing them in majestic buildings along the street.

Passeig de Gracia continues to be a fantastic locale as it bears beautiful constructions along its sides. The buildings in Passeig de Gràcia are in fact an interesting display of changing architectural patterns as they range from colossal gothic constructions to delicate Victorian designs. The modernist movement that swept through the continent in the early 19th century has also left its mark in the constructions on Passeig de Gràcia. The Batlló house and the Milà mansion by Antoni Gaudí deserve a special mention here as they still marvel the visitors with their exquisiteness. The pavements too had been designed by Gaudí who laid the pavements with beautiful greenish grey relief stones. The quaint buildings share the street with two considerably recent constructions – a bull, or Meditació and a giraffe, or Coqueta.

The street wears a quaint look though several new constructions fringe the road giving it a distinct smartness. Passeig de Gràcia today throbs with numerous cafes, commercial galleries, stylish boutiques and a host of new establishments. A large number of visitors throng the street each day, giving it a lively charm which however, never imposes on the delicate old world charm which the boulevard still wears.