The Raval Neighborhood in Barcelona

For a long time, Raval was known as the Barrio Chino. Passing by the Rambla and catching a fleeting glimpse into the alleys of this neighborhood, one could see prostitutes and their clients, street people and drunks, thieves and delinquents who made this Barrio their home. But Raval was also the lucky Barrio for bullfighters, who before every bullfight would spend the night at the same run-down hotel. Raval is located in the Old Town of Barcelona, in the Ciutat Vella, to the left of the Rambla.

Until the 1990s, it was a place for outcasts, one of those found in every metropolis. If you weren't a criminal, a drifter, or a prostitute, it was advised not to enter. Today, with the main goal of taking a photo with the Botero Cat, a piece of art donated by the famous Colombian artist, many tourists overcome their wariness to discover this neighborhood that is regaining its own identity, thanks especially to art, creatives, and local businesses.

The name Barrio Chino was tied to this story of metropolitan marginalization that dates back to the early 19th century; back then, Raval, just a stretch of land, was the only area of the city that allowed the construction of large buildings close to the center. With factories, the population increased, mainly due to immigrants from Pakistan and the Philippines. The living conditions of these people brought problems of coexistence and serious epidemics to Barcelona due to a lack of hygiene; thus, Raval became a ghetto no one dared to enter, a cursed area known as the "Chinese neighborhood" because it resembled the same squalor and overcrowding of San Francisco's Chinatown.It was the darkest and most cursed Barcelona, remaining so until, in the last decades of the 1900s, the Administration decided to adopt a policy of reforms and rehabilitation of housing, creating and opening spaces for the community. The clearest example is the Raval Rambla, inaugurated in September 2000. Today, Raval is a halfway neighborhood; in some alleys, it is still advised to avoid venturing out at night; for the rest, it is one of the liveliest neighborhoods in Barcelona. Undoubtedly, it is a border neighborhood, hybrid, open, modern, and cosmopolitan.

Today, Raval has become a trendy neighborhood, very popular among locals who love multicultural and multiracial venues, featuring bars, cafés with music, museums, and cultural centers, as well as trend shops and ethnic restaurants. Raval is now a neighborhood that appeals not only to the inhabitants of Barcelona but also to foreigners who have found their identity here: Pakistanis, Indonesians, and Arabs who have filled it with convenience stores and old shops with incomprehensible signs. Before becoming a symbol of fashion and trends, it was chosen as a home by creatives who opened design shops here or by more extravagant designers who found their ideal space in Raval. Solitary street artists displaying their stunning paintings and sculptures have also settled here. During the day, you can have lunch and linger at one of the many outdoor tables, sheltered from the shade of colorful awnings or read a book in the characteristic cafés of the area's bookstores, not forgetting to stop by the famous bookstore "La Central del Raval" located in an extraordinary historic building. In the evening, the allure comes from the lights of the shop windows and the fashionable venues where the nightlife crowd gathers; places where you can dine to the rhythm of DJs mixing Brazilian, Mexican, or electronic music, among ethnic food and Catalan traditions.

Opening hours and ticket prices for MACBA

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday: 11 AM to 7:30 PM.Saturday: 10 AM to 8 PM.Sunday and holidays: 10 AM to 3 PMClosed: Tuesday, December 25, and January 1.

Ticket price: €11.

How to get there:

Metro: L1 (Catalunya or Universitat), L2 (Universitat), L3 (Catalunya or Liceu)

CCCB, Barcelona Contemporary Culture Center

C/ Montalegre 5Tel. 93 306 41 00 Fax. 93 306 41 01Metro: line 1, 2, and 3 (Pl. Catalunya and Pl. Universitat)Ticket for two exhibitions: €6

Today, Raval has become a trendy neighborhood, very popular among locals who love multicultural and multiracial venues, featuring bars, cafés with music, museums, and cultural centers, as well as trend shops and ethnic restaurants. Raval is now a neighborhood that appeals not only to the inhabitants of Barcelona but also to foreigners who have found their identity here: Pakistanis, Indonesians, and Arabs who have filled it with convenience stores and old shops with incomprehensible signs. Before becoming a symbol of fashion and trends, it was chosen as a home by creatives who opened design shops here or by more extravagant designers who found their ideal space in Raval. Solitary street artists displaying their stunning paintings and sculptures have also settled here. During the day, you can have lunch and linger at one of the many outdoor tables, sheltered from the shade of colorful awnings or read a book in the characteristic cafés of the area's bookstores, not forgetting to stop by the famous bookstore "La Central del Raval" located in an extraordinary historic building. In the evening, the allure comes from the lights of the shop windows and the fashionable venues where the nightlife crowd gathers; places where you can dine to the rhythm of DJs mixing Brazilian, Mexican, or electronic music, among ethnic food and Catalan traditions.