Plaça Reial, Barcelona

Place Reial in Barcelona is a popular square just off the Ramblas that was built in 1848 where it was originally the cloister of a convent. The square is a social focal point especially at night and the fountain in the centre is often packed with tourists and locals alike. All around the square are a number of very popular restaurants or bars, be prepared to wait for a table.

September 2005

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19th century Plaza Real / Plaça Reial / Royal Plaza is in fact a part of the Barri Gotico and maybe the first plaza that you may encounter in Barcelona because it usually is the meeting point of some walking tours and it's on La Rambla - the main activity avenue of Barcelona.

The elaborate lantern that may caught your eyes standing at the plaza was actually Antoni Gaudi's first commissioned work - at least according to our free walking tour guide.

You'll find lots of people here during the day, it's the meeting/starting point for the Barri Gotico walking tour as well as the Gaudi tour. In the evening as well because it houses some of Barca's nightspots.

The plaza is designed by Francesc Daniel Molina i Casamajo.

Since I was staying beside the Metro Parallel, I could easily take the metro to station Liceu BUT I don't, I normally take a leisure 10-minute walk along Carrer Nou de la Rambla, it's almost at the end of this street.

Placa Reial is a lovely square by day and a must on an evening for a meal

A wonderful place to eat and relax whilst admiring the fantastic architecture surrounding the square. It is also the best place to escape the madness and prices of La Ramblas, being just a minute's walk off to the east about 3/4 of the way down from Placa Catalunya.

The Plaça Reial (Royal Square) and its Royal Palace were the heart of the Catalan power in Medieval Times. This urban space was created at the beginning of the XIV century following king Marti l’Humà’s wishes. But its buildings are older: the palace was built in the XIIth century as the residence of the counts of Barcelona and later of the kings of the Catalan- Aragonese crown. Later it would be enlarged by king Jaume I. It has a beautiful façade formed by different sequences of arches that end with the King Marti Tower. A legend says that King Marti ordered to construct this tower tall enough to be able to breath fresh air (in Medieval times people’s hygiene was not like in our days).
Inside the Royal Palace, we can visit the Tinell Saloon, (XIVth century) where Columbus was received by the Catholic Kings before and after discovering America. On the left side there is the Palace of the Lloctinent (XVIth century) which was used for a while as archive for the Catalan-Aragonese Crown (nowadays you can find it in Almogavers Street); on the right side there is the Saint Agueda’s Chapel (also XVIth century), small but very interesting. Don’t forget to take a picture of the beautiful Renaissance staircase.

Palau Reial:
from Tuesday to Saturday 10-14h /16-20h
Sunday 16-20h

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Plaça Reial is next to the Las Ramblas and a very popular spot to sit down, have a meal or a drink and start the evening. There are a number of restaurants and clubs around the square. During big festivals like New Years Eve, La Merce in Spetember, etc, the Plaça is always crowded.

The Plaça Reial was designed by Francesc Daniel Molina i Casamajó in the 19th century. The square is twinned with Plaza Garibaldi, in Mexico DF. The lanterns were designed by Antoni Gaudí.

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This square can easily be found from the Ramblas (take C/Colom). The square has many bars and restaurants and has a lively atmosphere at night. Seems to be very popular with tourists.
The building lining the square are very impressive and makes it worth visiting during daytime as well as nighttime.
The lamp-posts were designed by Gaudi, and added to the square during the mid 1800’s.

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The Plaza del Rey is the most noble part of the old Barcelona. At the end, there is the exterior part of Palau Reial Major (Royal Mayor Palace) in which you will find the Salón del Tinell.
At the right hand you have the Capilla Palatina, or Capilla de Sant Àgata (Capilla de Santa Agueda) and at the left the palace of Lloctinent which stored the Archive of the Crown of Aragon (actually located in Almogàvers).

At the right hand at the corner with the street Veguer you find Casa Clariana-Padellàs, which is the home of the Historic Museum of the city of Barcelona

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Plaça Reial is a very lively square in Old Barcelona off la Rambla. Its surrounding arcades are lined with popular cafés which maintain a buzz around the clock. With its palm trees and traditional Mediterranean architecture, this square reminded me the most of other cities around the Mediterranean. The odd-looking lampposts in the centre of the square were designed by Gaudí.