La Rambla's first claim to fame was simply, that it was the only wide road in Barcelona. This was back in the gothic times when the whole city was still behind walls and most streets were very narrow.
In the last century, however, La Rambls has become one of the biggest symbols of the city of Barcelona and today it is the most crowded street in Barcelona. Almost every day it is positively humming with the sights, sounds and smells of cafés, flower shops, street artists, tourists and locals each making up the tapestry of life that one street can weave.
Unfortunately every tapestry has some loose threads and on La Rambla they are called pick-pockets.
La Rambla can sometimes appear hopelessly full, when you are standing on Plaza Catalunya at the beginning of this famous street.
But do not hestitate to plunge into this human sea of pedestrians because you will find that there is always room for another pair of feet on Las Ramblas. You will be gently swept downstream in the throngs and you will find that you are rarely bumped or jostled.
Perhaps on this particular street in Barcelona the pace of life slows down a little. Everyone drops into a stroll rather than a walk and no rushing means no pushing.
It's a joy to follow the leisurely pace which has a little more room to chat, to enjoy and to look around and savour the unique atmosphere of this wonderful street of Barcelona.
The name La Rambla, originates from the Arabic "ramla" which means "sandy ground." It is thought that the name was first given to be the path next to the stream that ran through the city, where La Rambla is today.
In the 18th century the first buildings started appearing and La Rambla began the transformation into the tree lined avenue that we know and love today.
Although it is now officially called La Rambla, it actually consists of 6 Ramblas, each with its own name. Perhaps that explains why you will often hear it called Las Ramblas. In a Google search in early 2007 for both terms, "La Rambla" beats "Las Ramblas" by 200.000 search results.
The six main sections of La Rambla in the direction from Plaza Catalunya are called:
La Rambla de Canaletes.
The Rambla of the Channels.
This name comes from Fountain called Font de les Canaletes, which has been there forever. The very first fountain had many pipes that channelled the water into the trough, hence the name.
The present fountain is newer, but still has the legend that anyone who drinks it will always come back to Barcelona. This is also the part of La Rambla where Barça fans traditionally gather when FC Barcelona wins big titles.
La Rambla dels Estudis.
The Rambla of Studies.
This stretch was named after a mid-15th century building called the Estudi General or Universitat. It was demolished in 1843, but the name lived on.
At one point there were more than 140 licenced street performers on La Rambla. Today the numbers have been reduced. Opinions still differ as to whether these human work of art spoil the true culture of Barcelona, but they are here and now they have become a colourful and vibrant addition to Barcelona's culture of today. If something is alive and it's here, then it's part of the culture and should be welcomed or at least given a chance.
La Rambla de les Flors.
The Rambla of the Flowers.
In the 19th-century this was the only place you could buy flowers in Barcelona. Now you can buy flowers all over Barcelona, but you will still find any flower stalls here on the La Rambla de les Flors.
Another less popular name for this section is Rambla de Sant Josep, because of the plaza Santa Josep nearby.
This part is also known as La Rambla del Centre. Named after the old Capuchin monastery on Plaza Reial. This part of La Rambla was the first to be converted into a pedestrian area.
On this stretch you can find the Liceu opera house, Gran Theatre del Liceu, and look for the part of the pavement which is a mosaic created by Catalan artist Joan Miró and the entrance to Plaça Reial, the most famous square in the Barri Gotic.
The names comes from the church of Santa Mònica, and you now also there is a Santa Mònica art centre, in a former convent of the Agustins Descalços (which means barefoot Augustines) from 1626
Rambla de Mar
The Rambla of the sea.
In 1992 the 6th section was added. This is the walkway out to the Maremagnum shopping mall in Port Vell called the Rambla de Mar. Apart from the Maremagnum shopping centre you will also find the IMAX 3D cinema in Barcelona and the Barcelona aquarium, which is one of the biggest in Europe.
The six main sections of La Rambla in the direction from Plaza Catalunya are called:
