Las Ramblas

Spend any time in Barcelona and you'll likely find yourself strolling this leafy pedestrian thoroughfare. It makes an appearance on just about every city sightseeing tour, including walking, biking, and Segway tours. Several notable attractions line its sidewalks, including La Boqueria Market, the Liceu Opera (Gran Teatre del Liceu), the Barcelona Wax Museum (Museu de Cera), the Erotic Museum of Barcelona (Museu Erotic), and Plaça Reial. As the border between El Raval and the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic), it passes right through the heart of Barcelona's Old City.

• Las Ramblas is an excellent place for people-watching.

• Stay aware of your belongings when walking along Las Ramblas, as the area tends to attract pickpockets.

• Bring some cash for street souvenirs or to have your portrait drawn by a cartoonist.

Las Ramblas (sometimes known as La Rambla) is within walking distance of most attractions in the Old City (and in the surrounding neighborhoods of the Gothic Quarter and El Raval), and can also be reached by metro at the Drassanes, Liceu, or Plaça Catalunya stations.

Las Ramblas can be just as crowded at 2am as at 2pm. During peak tourist season (July and August), the pedestrian walkway running between the two lanes of traffic gets especially busy, but it also makes for lively people-watching. If you'd prefer to see the street when it’s relatively quiet, plan to visit first thing in the morning when the sun is up but the night owls of Barcelona are still in bed.

Each day, thousands of people walk right over a mosaic by Catalan artist Joan Miró known as Pla de l'Os. The pavement mosaic, set about halfway along Las Ramblas, was installed by the artist in 1976 near the place where he was born 83 years earlier. After decades of foot traffic, the mosaic became so faded that the Barcelona City Council stepped in and restored it in 2006 to mark its 30th anniversary.