Getting Oriented

Getting Oriented

The baseball diamond-shaped area at the bottom of Barcelona is Ciutat Vella (Old City): it's the heart of the city and a sensory feast, from the Rambla's human parade and the Boqueria's fish, fruit, and vegetables, to the beaches of Barceloneta and the steamy corners of the Born. The checkerboard grid expanse north of Ciutat Vella is the post-1860 Eixample (Expansion), rich in Moderniste architecture. Gaudí will take you into the outlying villages of Gràcia and Sarrià, paintings will lead you to the Montjuïc promontory, and music will bring you into the city's finest architecture. In Barcelona, a city addicted to the avant-guarde, uncommon originality is a common virtue.