The Eixample (pronounced eshampla, the expansion) is the district between the old city and Gràcia, a grid of parallel and perpendicular streets instantly recognisable from above. It is Barcelona's most populous district and the heart of modernisme: here stand Casa Batlló, La Pedrera, the Sagrada Família and hundreds of decorated buildings. It is part of the Barcelona guide.
The Cerdà plan
In 1859 engineer Ildefons Cerdà won, at the Madrid government's insistence, the project to expand the city beyond its newly demolished walls. His plan was revolutionary and hygienist: a grid of square blocks 113 metres per side, with corners chamfered at 45 degrees, the xamfrans, to improve visibility and traffic flow; streets 20 metres wide; blocks built on only two sides with interior gardens, to give everyone light, air and greenery. Two great diagonals, avinguda Diagonal and avinguda Meridiana, cut across the grid. Property speculation later filled in almost all the blocks, but the city has now reclaimed dozens of interior courtyards as public gardens.
Passeig de Gràcia and the golden square
Passeig de Gràcia is Barcelona's most elegant avenue, with Pere Falqués's wrought-iron bench-lamps, luxury boutiques, top hotels and modernista masterpieces: Casa Batlló, Casa Amatller, Casa Lleó Morera (the "Block of Discord") and further up Casa Milà, La Pedrera (see Gaudí and modernisme). Around it spreads the Quadrat d'Or, the golden square, with the highest concentration of modernista buildings: it is worth walking around looking at doorways, balconies, stained glass and historic shops. Parallel to it, Rambla de Catalunya is a quieter pedestrian tree-lined avenue with cafés and terraces.
Eixample Dreta
The right half, east of Passeig de Gràcia, is the most monumental: besides the golden square, it includes the Sagrada Família, the Concepció market, the Casa de les Punxes on the Diagonal and, further north, the Hospital de Sant Pau, linked to the Sagrada Família by avinguda de Gaudí. Many hotels are here.
Eixample Esquerra and Sant Antoni
The left half, to the west, is more residential and lively in the evening. Around calle del Consell de Cent and calle Muntaner is the Gaixample, the LGBTQ+ district, with bars, clubs and restaurants. Further south, Sant Antoni revolves around the great Sant Antoni market, a restored iron structure of 1882, with a second-hand book and collectors' market every Sunday morning. The surrounding streets, such as calle del Parlament, are full of bars, brunch cafés and vermouth spots.
Superblocks
Since 2016 the city has been trialling superilles, superblocks: groups of blocks where traffic is reduced and junctions become squares with benches, trees and play areas. In the Eixample, Consell de Cent, Rocafort, Comte Borrell and Girona streets have been turned into pedestrian "green axes". The project is debated, but it has changed the face of the district.
Shopping and food
- Passeig de Gràcia for luxury, Rambla de Catalunya and calle Pelai for chains, the Diagonal for big stores.
- Historic pastry shops, such as Escribà on the Gran Via, and design shops.
- The Eixample is full of restaurants in every price range, from tapas to Michelin-starred cuisine; the set lunch menu is an excellent choice.
Tips
- The Eixample is one of the best areas to stay: central, safe, well connected and quieter than the old city.
- The blocks are big: crossing the district takes time, so use the metro for longer distances.
- Look up: the best details are above ground floor.
See also Barcelona neighbourhoods and shopping.