A Grand City Square

Like all major cities, each has a central point where all things converge and in Barcelona it is unmistakably the grand Plaça Catalunya. It is a lively hub from which all the city’s activity seems to radiate acting as its nerve centre bringing together major avenues like the luxurious Paseo de Gracia and the wild Las Ramblas.

Spanning approximately 5 hectares, the enormous plaza was historically the union between the nucleus of the old city and the Exiample neighborhood. However before the surrounding walls were torn down, the space occupied by the plaza was an esplanade situated directly in front of the principal gates of the old city from which roads exited towards outer-lying neighborhoods and towns. With the tearing down of the old town’s fortification walls, the Plaça presented itself as an ideal location for open-air markets and thus turned into a very important part of city life.

Plaça Catalunya’s roots as a place of mercantile sale and exchange can still be seen by the commercial retail giants like El Corte Ingles, FNAC and Habitat that boarder its edges. Major banks, hotels and office buildings can be found here. It is also the first real glimpse of Barcelona that many visitors catch when arriving on the airport bus and train. The Plaça remains an important transportation crossroad where you’ll find RENFE trains that support neighboring towns as well as countless inner city metro and bus lines.

Pigeons flutter in a frenzy in the mosaic-tiled center as children play catch with their parents. Hordes of travelers meander the Plaça property to contemplate the numerous sculptures, take photos by its grandiose fountains and listen to sporadic jam sessions played Peruvian bands.

It’s almost impossible to come to Barcelona or live in this fine city without spending a great deal of time in Plaça Cataluna. In fact it is a popular meeting point for just about everyone visiting or living in the city, which you’ll see when passing by the metro station situated in front of the popular Café Zurich.

 

 At Plaça Catalunya you will also find the largest tourist information office in the city. It has 700 m2 of dedicated floor space providing tourist and cultural information in different languages. It also offers services such as last-minute hotel bookings and the sale of tourism products.
Opening time: daily: 9 am to 9 pm.
Closed: 1st of January and 25th of December.

If for some bizarre stroke of luck you didn’t stop in Plaça Cataluna on your way from the airport, make it a priority stop while visiting Barcelona. Shop, eat a café or lounge on its benches and soak up the energy of the city.