This is my ‘hood people. I’m going to write a glowing depiction of this district of Barcelona, but you have to understand that I spent a lot of time growing up in Les Corts, and have an intimate connection to this corner of the city.
I know I keep repeating that tourists who come to Barcelona seem to always concentrate on the area around the Ramblas - but it is true. There is so much diversity to the city of Barcelona, encompassed in the various eclectic districts that make up the fabric of the urban quilt. Travelers to this city need to realize that Barcelona during Roman times only embodied the Gothic Quarter that surrounds the main cathedral. This part of the Gothic quarter is bordered by the Ramblas to the south and the Via Laietana to the north. Both of these borders were at one time rivers that enclosed the city of Barcelona. Those who visit the original “Roman” portion of the city will see that during the Gothic period, the city was rebuilt on top of the old Roman base. In fact, there is a Museum that I highly recommend [between the Palace of the Catalan Kings and Plaza Jaume I] were you can go underground and visit the original Roman ramparts which are still in tact underneath the entire Gothic Quarter.
As the “Gothic” part of Barcelona started bulging at the seems, wealthy Barcelonans started to build larger homes outside the original city in what is now called the “Eixample” district. The word “eixample” literally means “expansion” in Catalan. Over the centuries, the city of Barcelona started to merge with outlying independent villages, and eventually absorbed them into Barcelona. Les Corts is an example of this “swallowing” by the increasingly hungry for space monster known as Barcelona.
Whereas Les Corts was at one time an independent village, you can still gain a sense of this small town atmosphere walking its historic core. In recent years, the area around Plaza de la Concordia and Plaza Comas has become popular with home buyers wanting a modern flat in a village setting. Apartments, both new and rehabilitated, have been springing up in the old district, flanked by gorgeous art nouveau buildings, a large church and a plethora of local cheese and pastry shops. Living in the historic core is really the best of both words. You can spend a lazy afternoon having a siesta, listening to the church bells, or walk three blocks to the mega mall called L’illa. Les corts is akin to the district of Sarria, where you can feel like you live in a small village, all the while being amidst a cosmopolitan mega-city.
Shopping is a favorite pasttime for locals in Les Corts - as the main shopping thoroughfare Diagonal intersects the district. On Diagonal you will find a huge El Corte Ingles, the uber-expensive Pedralbes Center mall and the heady L’illa mall complete with restaurants, nightclubs and a four star hotel. Further down Diagonal Boulevard, prior to entering into the frightening roundabout automobile circus [called Plaza Francesc Macia], one will find stores such as DKNY and Armani.
Soccer fans will be pleased to find that the Camp Nou soccer stadium and museum, home to the Barcelona Soccer team, is located in Les Corts. The stadium is off the Travessera de les Corts on the west-end of the district, and is a must for die hard Barcelona fans. It is shocking to find out that the museum housed in the stadium has more yearly visitors then any museum in the region, some years bypassing the majestic Prado museum in Madrid. Who knew!!
One thing few tourists to this city realize is that the Les Corts district is also home to the most expensive residential neighborhood in the city - Pedralbes. Pedralbes is a must for any visitor to the city as there are many visual delights to be seen. Besides strolling through the leafy streets lined with enormous apartments or mega mansions, one must walk through the Pedralbes Palace, once home to General Franco when he visited the city. The Palace was built for the Spanish monarchs and boasts fabulous gardens and a museum. It is located on Diagonal next to the University District. Also in Pedralbes is the Pedralbes monastery which is still a working monastery with a devout group of nuns. The amber and pastel colored stone monastery is stunning, and every effort should be made to stroll its garden-lined arches and pathways. You never know, you may run into Princess Cristina of Spain, who resides in the Pedralbes area with her family, and is seen almost daily walking her children along the wide avenues.
As you can see, Les Corts has a lot to offer. Extricate yourself for awhile from the grip of the Gothic Quarter… and discover this corner of the city.
Metro: Green Line 3 - Les Corts or Maria Cristina stops.
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