Passeig de Gracia

You’ve just arrived on Passeig de Gràcia, the grand boulevard at the heart of Barcelona’s Eixample district. It was born from an ambitious urban plan launched in 1860, as a response to a pressing problem. In the early 19th century, Barcelona was one of the most densely populated cities in Europe, trapped between the sea and its medieval walls. The streets were narrow, overcrowded, and unhealthy — leading to diseases and poor living conditions. Meanwhile, the rest of Europe was modernising fast — and Barcelona didn’t want to be left behind.This is why the city held a design competition, and it was Ildefons Cerdà who won.
His vision? A bright, open, humanist city where rich and poor alike could enjoy better living conditions. He designed a strict grid layout, with blocks called manzanas, and three main avenues to link the city together: Avinguda Diagonal, Meridiana, and Paral·lel. Building heights were regulated. Streets had to be at least 20 metres wide. Every intersection was designed as an open plaza — ideal for local shops, fresh air, and neighbourhood life. Passeig de Gràcia connects Plaça de Catalunya by the sea to the Gràcia district up towards the hills — a 1.6 km stretch of elegance, now lined with luxury boutiques and iconic architecture. For the sidewalks, take a closer look — they’re covered in hydraulic mosaic tiles. Gaudí first designed them to decorate the space in front of Casa Batlló, then later extended them to Casa Milà.These tiles were so successful that, in the end, the whole boulevard was paved. Not a bad legacy, right?