Today we take you on a tour of the vast Eixample district in Barcelona. This modernist district dates from the 19th century and is based on a grid of wide avenues. Travellers can't get lost.
The Eixample district is home to so many buildings from this period that it feels like walking through an open-air museum. We invite you in this article of our travel blog OneDayOneTravel to discover our vision of the district, its history, and of course our advice for visiting. If you visit the Eixample district on foot, bring good shoes ^^
By the way, we are Franck and Richard. We are travel bloggers and have been exploring the world by sharing our inspiring stories, itineraries, city guides, practical tips and alternative plans with you since 2008 on OneDayOneTravel.
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We also have a local travel agency MimpiGO, based in BALI, Indonesia. Since 2021, we have been offering 100% tailor-made, authentic, eco-responsible and solidarity-based trips.
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Before telling you more about the Eixample district, find our tips, tricks and good advice on each district in our Barcelona City Guide. If you are preparing your first trip to Barcelona, don't hesitate to read our article my first trip to Barcelona. You'll find plenty of advice to help you prepare for your stay in Barcelona.
And it all starts with a video!
Here is the summary of this Eixample city guide in Barcelona.
1. Map of the districts to visit in Barcelona
On the interactive map of Barcelona below, you can find all our favourite addresses in Barcelona.
The hotels where we like to put our suitcases in blue,
The gourmet places where we eat good tapas in purple,
Our must-sees in Barcelona in red,
Some ideas for walks in green.
This picture was taken from the window of one of the flats we rented in the Eixample district. In fact, the district is made up of wide perpendicular avenues lined with wealthy buildings. Generally speaking, the flats all have a street view and a courtyard view, a square courtyard where all styles of balconies are found.
2. The Eixample district: its history and orientation
Eixample means "extension" in Catalan. The district was born in 1860.
Initially, this new district was chosen by the rich Catalan industrial bourgeoisie to build modernist buildings, so that the Eixample district of Barcelona is the largest concentration of buildings from this period.
The architects who designed this "new" district were Antoni Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner, Puig i Cadafalch. Walking around the district is like visiting a gigantic museum of Art Nouveau, or rather Modernism. This is the term used in Catalan. The urban plan is based on a grid of wide avenues designed by Cerdà in 1850, avenues forming blocks.
Try to imagine the number of square courtyards and gardens in the whole Eixample district. And that's not all, visibility and traffic flow are also improved. The icing on the cake is that it is very easy for tourists to find their way around!
It is really one of the best areas of Barcelona, for its simplicity, as we said, but also for its "lively" side: full of independent shops on all themes and many restaurants and tapas bars.
3. How to get to the Eixample district ?
The main metro stations are Passeig de Gracia, Diagonal, Sagrada Familia , Girona and Urquinaona. See our article on transport in Barcelona to know everything and why not download and print the Barcelona metro map in pdf
4. What to see and do in the Eixample district?
The Eixample district is where you can find some of the most famous streets and squares in Barcelona: Passeig de Gracia, Rambla de Catalunya, Plaça Catalunya, Avenida Diagonal, Calle Aragon, Gran Via Catalan Corts, Calle Balmes, Ronda de Sant Antoni, Ronda de Sant Pere, Passeig de Sant Joan, Plaza de la Sagrada Familia, Gaudí's square...
Welcome to an open-air museum where facades of wood, glass, wrought iron and ceramics rub shoulders. An architectural delight.
The district is so large that it is divided into 2: the Eixample izquierda and the Eixample derecha.
5. Visiting the Eixample izquierda
5.1. Passeig de Gracia between architecture and shopping
This is the avenue of the big brands such as H&M or Zara, but also the avenue of luxury boutiques such as Hermès or Louis Vuitton. Let's not forget the luxury hotels. One of the most touristic avenues in Barcelona. The Corte Inglés, the equivalent of our department stores, is not far down the avenue, on Plaça Catalunya.
Metro: from Plaza Catalunya, walk up the avenue opposite Tibidabo.
Metro: from Diagonal (Green line, L3) and (Blue line, L5), go down the avenue.
There is plenty to see and do!
5.2. La casa Milà or La Pedrera
This magnificent building is by Antoni Gaudi and was built in 6 years. Completed in 1912, La Pedrera has become one of the 10 most visited sites in Barcelona and is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. What is striking about the interior is that the walls are not straight. The residents must have had a hard time finding the right furniture. Not to be missed in the Eixample Izquierda.
Metro: Diagonal (Green line, L3) and (Blue line, L5) 5 minutes walk
Address: Provença, 261 - 265
Ticket: Avoid the wait with theticket to the Casa Milà
Here is another contemporary visit in the Eixample Izquierda district.
5.3. Visit the Tàpies Foundation
The Antoni Tàpies Foundation was created in 1984 by the Catalan painter Antoni Tàpies to promote the study and understanding of contemporary art. The foundation is now open to visitors again after a long period of closure due to works.
Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (line 3 green and line 4 yellow)
Address: Aragon 255
Opening hours:
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 7pm
Closed Monday
Closed 25 December, 1 January and 6 January
Access to the Fundación Antoni Tàpies possible until 15 minutes before the shop closes, which is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 7pm. Closed on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:30 to 3:30 pm. The library is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 2 pm and 4 pm to 7 pm. Access to the library is by appointment only.
Prices (May 2013) : Adults: € 7 - Student: € 5.60 - Groups of more than 15 people: by appointment only with special rates.
Tàpies Foundation : official website
This is an essential visit to the Eixample Izquierda district.
5.4. La casa Batlló
The Casa Batlló is a key piece of modernist Barcelona architecture.
Built by Antoni Gaudí in 1904-1906 and commissioned by the textile industrialist Josep Batlló, it stands out today for its extraordinary facade, which is an icon of reference in Barcelona. It is located in La Manzana de la Discordia, an island of historic buildings on the Passeig de Gràcia where the works of the most important architects are grouped. The house museum is open to the public for cultural visits and events in its sumptuous modernist rooms.
Metro: Passeig de Gràcia (lines 2, 3 and 4)
Address: Passeig de Gràcia, 43
Times: Open all year round, Monday to Sunday, 9am to 9pm. The museum closes at 8pm.
Ticket: Avoid the wait with theticket to the Casa Batlló
6. Visit the Eixample derecha
Visit the Sagrada Familia
Located in the Eixample district, Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece is still under construction to this day.
You can still visit the famous basilica. And the visit is well worth it!
This world-famous monument welcomes more than 3 million tourists per year. Why not you? Check out our article on visiting the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. More info and tips, travelogue and great photos.
Cut the wait: Avoid the wait with thethe Sagrada Familia's queue-cutting ticket !
7. Where to eat in the Eixample district?
La Cerveceria Catalana - Local tapas bar and brasserie
Often full. Try to get there early. Tartas, Catalan specialities, beers. Cheap for excellent quality. Professional service. We like the bocadillos, navajas a la plancha, or razor clams.
Address: Mallorca, 236
Opening hours: Open Monday to Friday from 8am to 1.30am. Weekends, opening at 9am.
8. Where to sleep in the Eixample district?
During our various stays in the district, we either rent a flat or stay in hotels that are always very well located and convenient for visiting the centre of Barcelona. We give you here all our tested addresses in the Eixample district.
Renting a flat allows you to live at the rhythm of the locals. Attention: if you want to do as we did, remember to find out where your apartment is located by looking at the floor. The streets are generally very busy and it is better to avoid flats located on the ground or first floor, especially if they are close to a crossroads and therefore to a traffic light.
The particularity and advantage of many flats in the Eixample district is that they often have a small balcony on the courtyard side, which allows you to have breakfast quietly in the summer.
During our last stay in Barcelona in November 2017, we tested 2 hotels in the Eixample district. We recommend them.
Hotel The5rooms in Barcelona, a stone's throw from Plaça Catalunya
Favourites for 2 hotels in the Eixample district located a stone's throw from Plaça Catalunya and the main metros of the Catalan capital.
Hotel Retrome website - book to compare
Hotel The5Rooms website - booking to compare
Also we highly recommend staying at H10 Casanova. This charming hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the district and offers comfortable rooms with modern amenities. The hotel also features a rooftop terrace with stunning views of the city, perfect for relaxing after a long day of sightseeing. With its central location, you'll have easy access to all the district's top attractions, including Antoni Gaudi's iconic Casa Batllo and La Pedrera. Book your stay at H10 Casanova today and experience the best of Barcelona's Eixample district.
Hotel Retrome in Barcelona near Girona station
See special offers on hotels in the Eixample district
In conclusion of city guide Eixample in Barcelona,
The Eixample district in Barcelona is one of the areas where we love to stay in Barcelona because it is close to the Plaza de Catalunya and very accessible by metro, bus and taxi of course. And then, the Sagrada Familia is never far away.
All our articles on Barcelona
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