Barcelona Shopping
For those interested in taking a shopping excursion, Barcelona is an irresistible destination. Known over the globe for its 5KM stretch of shopping, which extends from avenue Diagonal to the top of the Ramblas and houses over 50,000 different shops, Barcelona offers one of the best shopping experiences in the world. From world famous designer stores to traditional European markets, Barcelona’s shopping scene is remarkable.
The atmosphere in Barcelona is one in which the shopper can feel welcome. The 5KM of shopping is designed almost exclusively for pedestrian traffic, offering visitors the ease of walking from shop to shop without the dangers that result from heavy vehicle traffic. Major designers such as Versace, Cartier, Burberry, and Calvin Klein have stores located there, in addition to the stores of local Spanish designers.
Barcelona contains many large department stores, but two are quite notable, Fnac and El Corte Ingles. Both reside within the 5KM shopping zone and the large El Corte Ingles, comprised of nine different floors and a basement, dominates the skyline in the area with its charming Spanish style architecture. As a typical department store, they offer every kind of product imaginable.
Aside from the large commercial entities that make shopping in Barcelona so spectacular are the traditional European markets that enhance a Barcelona shopper’s experience. Mercat de Sant Josep, or La Bocqueria, is one of Barcelona’s most well known markets, and it is comprised mostly of food vendors, and specialty ingredient sellers. Catalan artists sell their wares at the Mercadillo de la placa de Sant Josep, offering market goers many different artistic styles and mediums. From oil paintings to watercolors, and landscapes to portraits, the artists are usually very friendly, and enjoy chatting with passersby. For those interested in entering a flea market, the Mercat Des Enchants will no doubt prove worthwhile. Known for its wide variety of goods, and its sometimes bizarre collection of wares, the vendors in this market sell every conceivable product.
Due to its sheer number of stores, their diversity, their concentration in the 5KM stretch of shopping, the presence of immense department stores, and the great number of sprawling markets, Barcelona is certain to please any serious or amateur shopping connoisseur.