Spain · Catalunya · Barcelona
el Raval, Barcelona — Area Guide & Where to Stay
el Raval lies alongside La Rambla in Barcelona's Ciutat Vella, an old-town neighbourhood once known as Barri Xinès.
About el Raval
Where to stay in el Raval
The right area depends on your trip — here's what each neighbourhood is best for.
el Raval puts visitors alongside La Rambla in the heart of Barcelona's Ciutat Vella. Beds sit minutes from the old town. If you want to cross La Rambla to the Barri Gòtic, wake near the MACBA and the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, and walk down to the old port, this neighbourhood of Barcelona keeps all of it within a short walk in Catalonia.
About el Raval
What are the main landmarks in el Raval?
el Raval gathers several of Barcelona's cultural landmarks. The MACBA and the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona stand within it, a pairing of contemporary-art institutions. Sant Pau del Camp sits among its streets, while along La Rambla the Betlem Church marks the edge with the Barri Gòtic and the Maritime Museum of Barcelona rises near the old port at the seaward end of Ciutat Vella.
What is the history of el Raval?
el Raval grew as one of the two historical neighbourhoods along La Rambla, paired with the Barri Gòtic on the far side. Its name shifted over time. The blocks nearest the old port were long known informally as Barri Xinès, or Barrio Chino, meaning Chinatown, and the quarter remains a core piece of Barcelona's Ciutat Vella in Catalonia.
Where is el Raval?
el Raval lies on one side of La Rambla within Barcelona's Ciutat Vella, set opposite the Barri Gòtic and reaching the old port at its lower end.
Good for
More areas in Barcelona
Updated July 2026