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El Raval in Barcelona
Barcelona's Barrios: El Raval

By Damian Corrigan, About.com

El Raval is one of Barcelona's 'barrios'. Barcelona is split up into a number of districts. Each district ('barrio' in Spanish and 'barri' in Catalan) is quite distinct from the others. Explore them all to get a real idea of Barcelona.

Where is El Raval?

El Raval is separated from Barri Gotic by Las Ramblas. When walking down Barcelona's most famous street from Placa Catalunya, El Raval is on your right-hand side, with Barri Gotic on your left.

What is in El Raval?

Despite its former reputation for being one of Barcelona's roughest districts, El Raval has been revitalised in recent years and is now one of the hippest places in Barcelona. Its streets aren't as charismatic as those of Barri Gotic, but its trendy shops and restaurants (especially the restaurants) rival those on the other side of Las Ramblas.

In addition to shops and restaurants, El Raval is home to the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) and the Centre De Cultura Contemporanea De Barcelona (CCCB).

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