Gracia - Barcelona Advertiser

Gràcia

Formerly a separate village, Gràcia has now been absorbed into Barcelona’s urban fabric. It still retains its own unique personality and age-old customs among its network of small, narrow bustling streets and numerous squares where locals meet. Despite its humble origins, Gràcia’s population has always been enlightened; it still has an active political and social life and an extensive network of deeply rooted civic, cultural, sporting and artistic institutions.

In the early 19th century, Gràcia was a village that spread northwards from just outside the old walled city of Barcelona towards the Collserola Massif. Its origins date back to centuries earlier, when settlements were established around a Franciscan convent (the convent of Jesus) and another housing a community of Barefoot Carmelites (Our Lady of Grace). In 1897, Barcelona, which was in the throes of large-scale expansion with the construction of its Eixample district, absorbed Gràcia and other surrounding villages and it became one of the city’s new neighbourhoods.

Nevertheless, Gràcia hasn’t lost any of its distinctive personality, as seen in its own festivals, such as the Festa Major, which is held in mid-August and has become one of the city’s landmark celebrations. It has also moved with the times and its time-honoured bars, restaurants and shops have been joined by cutting-edge fashion boutiques run by young, trend-setting designers, and multicultural leisure attractions and restaurants.

In addition to this, one of Gràcia’s most important tourist attractions is undoubtedly Park Güell, one of Gaudí’s masterpieces and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This garden-city project was commissioned by Eusebi Güell but never completed. It eventually became the property of Barcelona City Council. The result is a public park full of imagination and colour where every detail expresses Antoni Gaudí’s desire to integrate architecture into the surrounding natural setting.

Source: Barcelona Tourism

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Vallcarca i els Penitents is a neighbourhood in the northernmost part of Gràcia, a district of Barcelona. Locked between two hills, Putget and El Coll, it grew out of a few scattered settlements, namely L’Hostal de la Farigola, Can Falcó, Can Mas and Can Gomis

El Coll is a neighbourhood of Gràcia, one of the 10 districts Barcelona is divided in. Located at the base of Tibidabo hill, it’s 300 meters above sea level and is nowadays inhabited by 6.850 people

Hilly suburb La Salut is home to Park Güell, a cluster of mosaic-covered buildings, staircases, and public squares designed like a fairytale village by renowned architect Antoni Gaudí. The Gaudí Experience museum offers a high-tech simulated “ride” through his life and work. Trails around the area lead to lookouts over the city, while tapas bars and seafood eateries have patio seating on steep-sloped streets

Laid-back Camp d’en Grassot i Gràcia Nova has a busy, eclectic dining scene covering everything from vegan pizza parlors and Brazilian snack bars to sushi restaurants and classic steakhouses. Long-term residents and young boho newcomers hang out after dark in casual taverns and parklike plazas overlooked by 19th-century apartment blocks. The neighborhood’s popular soccer team CE Europa plays at Nou Sardenya stadium.

Gràcia is a low-key district of narrow streets and cozy squares dotted with organic grocers, hip co-working spaces and artist studios. Indie shops line Carrer d’Astúries and Carrer de Verdi, and the Plaça del Sol’s outdoor cafes come to life at night. Gaudí landmarks include Casa Vicens, a home clad in a patchwork of colorful tiles, and Park Gϋell, featuring fantastical sculptures and city views.