L'Eixample
Practical information about the Eixample
The Eixample district is one of the most famous neighborhoods in Barcelona, located in the city center of the Catalan capital, Spain. The Eixample is divided into two parts by the Diagonal avenue. For simplicity we speak of the eixample dreta (right eixample) and eixample left. The neighborhood is bounded by the following streets; To the north: Marina street/ To the east: Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes street/ To the south: Paral-lel street/ To the west: Passeig de Gràcia.
To get to the Eixample by public transport, there are several options:
Metro: The metro lines L2, L3, L4, L5, L6, L7 and L8 all pass through the Eixample, serving the different areas of the different areas of the neighborhood. The most important metro stations are Passeig de Gràcia, Diagonal, Sagrada Família, Tetuan, Urgell, Hospital Clinic, among others.
Bus: There are also many bus lines that pass through the Eixample. The most frequent bus lines are H10, V15, V17, 20, 24, 39, 45, 47, 50, 51, 54, 56, 59, 62, 66, 67, 68, 141, N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, N6, N7, N8, N9, N11, N12, N13, N14, N15, N16, N17, N18, N19, N20, N22 and N24.
Hop-on hop-off Bus: Eixample, Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, Perdera, Plaçade Catalunya.
Train: It is possible to get to the Eixample by train, especially with the R2 North train line which serves the Passeig de Gràcia and Clot-Aragó stations.
Map of the Eixample district
Eixample in Catalan means "Extension" or "Enlargement" because it was built in 1860 to enlarge Barcelona after the demolition of the medieval walls. Today, it is a wide commercial and residential area. With its intersection of perpendicular avenues, often photographed from the air, it illustrates a new vision of the city. At its heart, "Quadrat d'Or" - the Golden Square - like a small open-air museum, which concentrates the largest number of modernist buildings in Barcelona signed by Antoni Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner or Puig i Cadafalch among other architects of the Catalan Art Nouveau. Facades of stone, glass, wrought iron and ceramic: an architectural delight.
To see in the Eixample district
The Eixample is known for its unique modernist architecture and famous monuments such as the
Sagrada Família, Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, Arc de Triomf, Casa Amatller and Casa Lleó Morera. But we love to stroll along Passeig de Gràcia or Rambla de Catalunya for its stores of famous brands such as Hermès, Fendi, Versace CH Carolina Herrera, Moncler, Loro Piana, El Corte Inglés, Zara, Mango, Massimo Dutti, Desigual... And its many restaurants.
Our advice: You have understood, staying in this district is an excellent idea because this district is central, animated, rich of major monuments of the city andgreat for shopping > Your hôtel next to Passeig de Gràcia
The history of L'Eixample
The Eixample district was built in the 19th century, at a time when Barcelona was experiencing strong economic and demographic growth. The city had become too small to accommodate all the new inhabitants and it was decided to build a new neighborhood beyond the old medieval city limits. The Eixample urban plan was designed by the engineer Ildefons Cerdà, who won a competition to design the new neighborhood in 1859. The plan was innovative for its time because it was based on a regular grid of streets, with square blocks of about 100 meters on each side. This allowed for maximum use of space and smoother flow of people and vehicles.
A unique feature of Barcelona's Eixample urban planning is that the building blocks are cut diagonally on their sides. This diagonal cut allowed for larger and wider spaces at the intersection of the streets, thus improving the circulation of pedestrians and cars. In addition, the diagonal cutting of the corners also increased the amount of natural light entering the buildings, which was important at a time when the people of Barcelona did not have access to electricity and relied on natural light to illuminate their homes.
The construction of the Eixample took over 50 years. During this time, many architects were involved in the architects were involved in the design of the neighborhood's buildings, creating a mix of architectural styles ranging from Art Nouveau to Neoclassical. The facades of the buildings were decorated with elaborate ornaments and sculptures, giving the neighborhood an elegant and sophisticated appearance. Construction interrupted due to the economic crisis of the late 19th century and the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s.
Tourist route in L'Eixample
More places to discover:
>>Take advantage of our good addresses such as restaurants and shops.This is also part of discovering a city.
>>> We recommend the best Hotels Barcelona Eixample district, both in the centre but slightly off the tourist trail, a great quarter for a stay...
1- Casa Calvet***
2- The Passage of Gràcia
4- Casa Mila***
5- Manzana de la Discordia***
6- Tapies Foundation***
shopping is the same as everywhere in the world so nothing new ;-)
4 comments
a district not to be missed - Luise (29 Mar 2023 - 10:18)
Eixample of course!!! mainly for la Pedrera and Batllo...
shopping is the same as everywhere in the world so nothing new ;-)
En hora buena - Omar (23 May 2012 - 09:45)
Son uno de los 3 mejores sitios para planear una visita a Barcelona, y vaya que he visitado muchos.. muchos :)
ok - massy (7 Jul 2011 - 10:15)
tra un mese vado per la prima volta a barcellona, le tue guide sono utilissime, ma la sagrada familia non l'hai messa?non si trova nel quartiere eixample?
grazie ancora e se hai qualche dritta aiutami, non parlo lo spagnolo :) ma mi faccio capire
Gaudiosa - Alfonso Cioccio (11 May 2011 - 09:45)
Semplicemente "GAUDIOSA", avete reso la bellissima Barcellona ancor più interessante, stuzzicando il visitatore non solo ad andarci ma a ritornarci più e più volte. Complimenti per il sito.