La Rambla

La Rambla (Catalan pronunciation: [ɫə ˈrambɫə]) is a street in central Barcelona, popular with tourists and locals alike. A tree-lined pedestrian mall, it stretches for 1.2 kilometers between Barri Gòtic and El Raval, connecting Plaça de Catalunya in the centre with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell. La Rambla can be considered a series of shorter streets, each differently named, hence the plural form Les Rambles (the original Catalan form; in Spanish it is Las Ramblas). Nearby is the Maritime Museum (Museu Marítim), specifically devoted to naval history in the Mediterranean, which displays a full-scale replica of an ancient galley battle. The museum is housed in the Royal Dockyards (in Catalan, Drassanes) of the medieval era where the ships that connected the extensive dominions of the Crown of Aragon with other ports of the Mediterranean were built. The old port offers other attractions such as leisure venues, restaurants, an IMAX theater, and an aquarium. In the historical center, close to La Rambla, may be found the Cathedral of Santa Eulàlia, the recently restored (1968–72) Gothic cathedral and seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, the Plaça Sant Jaume that houses the buildings of the Generalitat of Catalonia and Barcelona’s City Council, as well as the narrow streets of the Gothic quarter, the Raval and the Born area. The promenade is crowded during the day and until late in the night. It is full of kiosks that sell newspapers and souvenirs, flowers and birds, street performers, cafes, restaurants and shops. Near the port are found smaller local markets and the shop-fronts of painters and draftsmen. Strolling along La Rambla one can see such historic buildings as the Palace of the Virreina and La Boqueria market and the famous Liceu Theatre (Liceo in Spanish), in which operas and ballets are staged. One of the side streets, only a few metres long, leads to the Royal Square (Plaça Reial), a plaza with palm trees and porticoed buildings containing many pubs and restaurants, and in which stamp and coin collectors gather on the weekends. La Rambla can be crowded, especially during the height of the tourist season. Most of the time there are many more tourists than locals occupying the Rambla, which fact has changed the shopping selection, as well as the character of the street in general. For this reason also it has become a prime target of pick pockets. The Spanish poet Federico García Lorca once said that La Rambla was "the only street in the world which I wish would never end." The name rambla refers to an intermittent watercourse in both Catalan and Spanish. This is reflected in the undulating design on the pavement which is also decorated with a mosaic by Joan Miró. This work was the second of three sculptures that were commissioned to welcome tourists. The first was at the airport and had been commissioned in 1968. The other was Dona i Ocell in the centre of the city.