Where to shop at Barcelona ?
This city is full of shops, each square meter is used for a bank to get money or a shop to spend money !!! So what you want to buy ? Depending of your wishes, you will have to go at some particular places or just spend your day in the downtown. I will describe the different sections where you can go to shop classified by topics. Just keep in mind that my starting point will always be Plaza Catalunya and you can go by using your own feet !!! Cloth If your goal is to buy clothes, you have a lot of options, every street has a shop which sells famous brand or |
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personal brand. When you are in the Plaza Catalunya, you are already surrounded by them. Let’s say that in your front, the mountain, and in your back, the beach.
At your left side, you will see the Triangle building where you will find Massimo Dutti for example – I like this brand because they have very nice things for man and woman and not so expensive. At your right side, you will find the famous big shop of Spain, El Corte Ingles composed of numerous floors and you will find everything – clothes, foods, perfumes, furniture...
By going down the Avinguda del Portal de l’Angel and walking around this area, streets are full of shops and you will find famous brands like Zara, Mango and less famous ones. If you get bored of this area, just walk until the Born neighborhood and take the Argenteria street.
By going up, you have 2 choices. Go Rambla de Catalunaya or Passeig de Gracia. Since both streets are full of shops, the main difference is that in Passeig de Gracia, you will find Channel, Gucci, Luis Vuitton... and if you are not tied, you can keep going up to Gran de Gracia until Plaza de Lesseps (it is a long walk).
By going left, you have the Tallers street and by going right, Ronda de Sant Pere street. This street is very famous because it is full of chinese cloth shops and a lot of people come here to buy for their own shop.
If you want to go to the outlet area, you have to walk down the Girona street (crossing Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes street). Don’t be excited !!! It is very little but at least you will find the Mango outlet.
Book/Stationery
Book shops and stationery stores are everywhere in this city, it should not be a problem for you to find books you need and papers, pen, notebook… The chapel of Mercy has been converted in a book shop called La Central del Raval (c/ elisabets 6) with a coffee space where you can enjoy your purchase quietly. One of the big shop to buy papers, pens… a lot of things to find everything is Konema (c/ consell de cent 296) and very close to Plaza Catalunya.
At “gran via de les corts catalanes 616” there is Altaïr, a great shop to buy any travel guide, mapping, score… Laie (pau claris 85) is a book shop specialized in architecture, cine and art with a coffee space to enjoy a great reading. Looking for a comic shop, you have to go to Norma Comics (passeig sant joan 9) at 5 minutes from “Arc de Triomf” by walking up the main street. Meanwhile visiting the city, you will automatically stumble to more shops no matter where you are !!!
Furniture
At Passeig de Gracia, you can go to Vinçon shop, you will find normal and particular furniture – a little expensive in my opinion. At the Triangle building, you will find Habitat, it is like Ikea but better – I like this shop, majority of my furniture are from them. By going up Rambla de Catalunya, you will find some like Zara Home. When you are at the end of this street, go up the Diagonal street until Plaza Francesc Macia, you will find much more.
Electronic
At the Triangle building, you can go to the FNAC but if you want more cheaper you can go to Plaza Universidad - if you are an electronic fan, this area is made for you. Around this place you will find camera, TV, cell phone, mobile, game console, computer, laptop... From this place, you can take Ronda de Sant Antoni street and you will find some big computer shops. Still from this place, you can go to Sepulveda street and take a walk around, this area is very famous for little computer shops selling at good prices.
Cosmetic
This is not only for woman but also for man so if you are looking to buy perfume, make-up, eau de toilette, cream… you can go to El Corte Ingles and even in the Sephora located at the Triangle building. By going up the Rambla de Catalunya street, you will find more cosmetic shops.
Flower
If you have an argument with your girlfriend / boyfriend at 3 AM and you want to buy flowers to be forgiven, where to go ??? At calle valencia 328-332 (crossing bruc street), there is a big flower market open 24h and don’t think that it will be expensive, on the contrary the price is the same like a normal shop. I go often there since I can find nice flowers for only 1€ for home.
Souvenir and food
Well I will say everywhere you will go, you can buy a souvenir like a post card or food like spanish ham. But for me there are 2 main places. La Rambla street and around La Sagrada Familia.
By going down La Rambla, you will find on your left and on your right, a lot of souvenirs shops. I will advise you to walk in the middle because you will see some show. Ok for the middle, the street is composed of 3 areas (4 during weekend). You will find the animal area, little shop where you can buy fish, turtle, birds... (they may disappear and replace by souvenirs stands because of a catalan law from 2004 prohibiting the exhibition of animals which are in sale) next the flower area, when you are in this area, make a stop and go visit the most nice market at Barcelona, La Boqueria where you can only buy foods and have a lunch there. Here you can buy the famous spanish ham and the price can be very expensive, spanish wine...
After that, the artist area where you can ask the guy to paint you in normal way or in funny way. You can also buy paintings and the last area (only weekend) the stalls of personal creation where people exhibit and sell their own creation. You can find bags, jewels, masks...
All along the street, you will find some show like a group of people dancing, a guy who plays with a ball and the famous human being statues where some are very amazing. Also you will see what I call false human statue – by this, I want to mean people who rent a costume and paint a little his face and they name themselves human statue artist. This is a discrimination way for the true artists who are experts on this art and who pass a lot of time to prepare themselves to provide us a very great show.
La Sagrada Familia area is also full of souvenir shops, majority are around the famous basilica of Antoni Gaudi.
Mall or commercial center
If you prefer those places, Barcelona has 8 main malls. You can go by walking but I will advise you to take the metro or a taxi if you haven’t rent a car.
Let’s start first by the Maremagnum, you can go there easily by walking, just go until the end of La Rambla street and cross the bridge of the Barcelona port - BE AWARE, La Rambla is full of THIEVES who will not hesitate to rob your purse !!!
In the Diagonal street, this one crosses the city by going up and down. Up, you will find L’Illa Diagonal, take the metro green line L3 (direction Zona Universitaria) and get off at the station Maria Cristina and walk down a little this street. Down, Glories Commercial Center, take the metro red line L1 (direction Fondo) and stop at the station Glories and the last mall Diagonal Mar, take the metro yellow line L4 (direction La Pau) and get down at the station El Maresme Forum.
During your trip by taxi or bus from the airport to Barcelona city, you should have seen GranVia 2 Commercial Center close to Ikea, just before entering in the city. To go there you have to make a change, first take the metro red line L1 (direction Hospital de Bellvitge) or green line L3 (direction Zona Universitaria), get off at the station Espanya and after take one of the FGC trains (lines : L8, S4, S8, S33, R5 or R6) and get down at the station Ildefons Cerdà.
Arenas de Barcelona is situated on the espanya square, a former bullring converted in a mall. To go there, take the metro red line L1 (direction Hospital de Bellvitge) or green line L3 (direction Zona Universitaria) and get down at the station Espanya.
The Heron City in the Nou Barris neighborhood, to go there, take the metro red line L1 (direction Fondo) and get off at the station Fabra I Puig and I will end with the bigger one La Maquinista, take the metro red line L1 (direction Fondo) and get down at the station Torres i Bages.
1 important advice, buy spanish brands like Zara, Mango… because it is very cheaper in comparison with the other countries like US, France, Germany...
Outlet village
If you want to go to a big outlet mall and by this way, enjoy great discounts on many famous brands, you have to go to La Roca Village (08430 Santa Agnès de Malanyanes, La Roca del Vallès). It is located in the outskirts of the city so to go there:
- you can drive via the AP7 highway then take the exit 12
- or take the special bus “shopping express” located at Plaza Catalunya, in front of the building “Banco Español de Crédito”.
Of course, there are many places you can go for shopping. For example around La Rambla street, by adventuring in the small streets, you will find more shops or in the Gracia neighborhood where you can find many little shops. If you play a little the adventurer, I am sure you will find your happiness.