Passeig de Gracia

Passeig de Gracia

The Barcelona audio-guided tour leads you to Passeig de Gracia, the central axis of the Eixample district. Born of a vast mid-19th-century urban plan, this grand, elegant boulevard is one of the finest arteries in the city.

The Cerda plan

At the beginning of the 19th century, Barcelona was one of the densest cities in Europe, hemmed in between the sea and its walls, with narrow streets where epidemics and hardship spread. To modernise, the city launched a tender, won by Ildefons Cerda, who designed the Eixample district, a regular grid of blocks with chamfered corners. Passeig de Gracia became its most prestigious artery, about one and a half kilometres long.

What there is to see

Passeig de Gracia is dotted with prestigious modernist buildings, including Gaudi's Casa Batllo and Casa Mila, which make it a true open-air gallery of architecture. Luxury shops, cafes and street lamps designed by Pere Falques complete the setting. It is one of the most elegant and lively walks in Barcelona.

Practical information

Passeig de Gracia is freely walkable on foot, in the heart of the Eixample district of Barcelona. Accessible at any time and served by the metro, it is the ideal axis to link the great modernist masterpieces. The shops and cafes follow their own hours; the visit of Gaudi's houses is, however, ticketed.

What is Passeig de Gracia ?

It is the central and most prestigious artery of the Eixample district, lined with modernist buildings including works by Gaudi.

Who designed the Eixample district ?

The engineer Ildefons Cerda, from 1860, with his regular grid of blocks with chamfered corners.