Just northwest of the main Parc de la Ciutadella, Passeig de Lluís Companys is capped by the Modernista Arc de Triomf, designed by Josep Vilaseca as the principal entrance for the 1888 Barcelona Universal Exposition, with unusual, Mudéjar-style brickwork in an earthy red. Josep Llimona did the main reliefs. Just what the triumph was eludes us, especially since the exhibition itself was a commercial failure. It is perhaps best thought of as a bricks-and-mortar embodiment of the city’s general fin de siècle feel-good factor.
Getty Images
Arc de Triomf
La Ribera
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.92 MILES
The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family) is considered to be the symbol of Barcelona by many residents, and the…
2.11 MILES
Visitors and locals alike love Park Güell. The waving balcony and the colorful Guard’s House, with the imposing Barcelona skyline and sea in the…
0.82 MILES
One of Europe's strangest residential buildings, Casa Batlló (built 1904–6) is Gaudí at his fantastical best. From its playful facade and marine-world…
1.02 MILES
In the top tier of Gaudí's achievements, this madcap Unesco-listed masterpiece, with 33 balconies, was built in 1905–10 as a combined apartment and office…
0.77 MILES
Barcelona's most central fresh-produce market is one of the greatest sound, smell and colour sensations in Europe. It's housed in a packed-out Modernista…
0.41 MILES
Located along the grand, medieval street of Carrer de Montcada, the Museu Picasso is dedicated to one of the world’s greatest artists, Pablo Picasso. Born…
1.89 MILES
Joan Miró was a Catalan painter and sculptor born in Barcelona who combined abstract art with surrealism. He is considered one of the most influential…
0.82 MILES
La Rambla is a tree-lined boulevard featuring a wide array of architectural delights, beautifully decorated flower stalls and particularly talented (and…
Nearby La Ribera attractions
1. Monestir de Sant Pere de les Puelles
0.14 MILES
It was around this much-remodelled Romanesque church, founded in 945, that settlement began in La Ribera. In 985 a Muslim force under Al-Mansur largely…
0.25 MILES
Photography lovers should swing by this minimalist-design nonprofit foundation in El Born, which hosts thought-provoking, regularly changing exhibitions…
0.25 MILES
Along the Passeig de Picasso (western) side of the Parc de la Ciutadella, the engaging, medieval-looking 'Castle of the Three Dragons' caprice is the work…
0.28 MILES
Chocoholics have a hard time containing themselves at this museum dedicated to the fundamental cocoa-based foodstuff. Displays trace the origins of…
5. Arxiu Fotogràfic de Barcelona
0.29 MILES
On the 2nd floor of the former Convent de Sant Agustí is the modest exhibition space of this photo archive, devoted to sharing photos of the city from the…
0.33 MILES
Near the Passeig de Pujades entrance to the park stands this monumental cascada (waterfall), inspired by Rome's Trevi Fountain and topped by a golden…
0.35 MILES
Come shopping for your tomatoes or pop in for lunch at this extraordinary-looking produce market, designed by forward-thinking architects Enric Miralles…
0.36 MILES
Standing at the northern end of Carrer de Montcada, on the corner of Carrer dels Corders, this much-meddled-with Romanesque chapel was once a wayfarers’…