Guide to Barcelona

Shoppailu Barcelonassa

27.03.2009 13:14

Shoppailu Barcelonassa

Barcelona is home to the famous 5km shopping line, with an offer of more than 30.000 shops! The shopping line extend to all the city's neighborhoods and it includes some very nice and pleasent pedestrian streets. Shopping in Barcelona is a pleasure for all the senses; it's another way of getting to know the city and the lifestyle of its inhabitants. Along the city you will find a huge selection of shops including many of the big names like Versace, Girogio Armani, Burberry, Bally, Cartier and Calvin Klein to name a few.

Whether you´re looking for the latest in fashion and design, traditional ceramics to the avant guarde, from current best-sellers to used books, from tiny traditional shops and open-aired markets to modern day malls, Barcelona has it all. For the classic to the hippest, you can find that perfect gift for your loved ones or for yourself in this diverse city.

Take a stroll down the Shopping Line, a five-kilometer thoroughfare which brings together architecture, culture, commerce and cuisine, and discover the glamour of Barcelona.

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Opening hours

Most stores are open Monday–Saturday 9am-1:30pm and 5-8pm. Some are closed Saturday afternoon. Sunday virtually all stores are closed in Barcelona. Large department stores tend to be open 9am-9pm Monday-Saturday. But be aware that stores that aren’t directly in the center often have limited hours or close in August - often a week or more for vacation. Tancat is Catalan for closed.

Note that if you’re paying by credit card, you usually have to show photographic ID, such as a passport or driving licence. Most large department stores accept American Express, DiscoverCard, MasterCard, Visa. Smaller shops may vary. Markets do not accept credit cards in Barcelona.
Sales

Sales usually run from the second week in January to the end of February, and during July and August. Don’t get in the way of the natives at the Cortes Inglés on the first day of rebajas. There are first rebajas, then a bigger mark down for second rebajas, and finally remate – final clearance sales in Barcelona.
Getting around

The comfortable TombBus, (tomb means a round-trip) links the areas, running from Plaza Cataluña (in front of Banc d’Espanya or El Corte Inglés) to El Corte Inglés store at the top end of the Diagonal and back, making 28 stops along the way.

A single ticket costs €1.25, or a one-day travelcard is €5. Buses leave every seven minutes from 7.30am to 9.30pm on weekdays, and every 15 minutes from 9.30am to 9.30pm on Saturdays. Tickets are available on the bus or from tourist offices.The Barcelona Card transportation pass will give you a discount at a number of shops on the route: They're identified by the Shopping Line logo -- four colored diamonds in a white circle within a blue circle in Barcelona.
Barrio Gótico

Barrio Gótico is filled with shops from the trendy and inexpensive to the fine and delicate. Be aware that there are some stores throughout the city, including some tucked away in Barrio Gótico that sell only to official wholesalers, they will have a sign posted saying “Venda al Mayor”, and tend to discourage individual shoppers who are even “just looking”. For artisan cheeses, herbs, and honey, on Thursdays and the first and third weekend of the month, there are vendors in the Plaza del Pi in front of Santa Maria del Pi off the Ramblas. And follow the church around to the other side, where you’ll find artists selling their work. Open each weekend. Surely you’ll come across some street musicians on the way to brighten your day.

Further down still, between Plaza Real and Plaza San Jaume, just off of calle Ferran on calle Avinyó some of the newest trends in design can be found. You can follow c/Avinyó to c/Escudellers where Art Escudellers is located. This fine shop has and extensive collection of ceramics from all over Spain divided by regions. You can also pick up a copy Barcelona Walks, by George Semler a first class travel writer who will show you Barcelona through its history and anecdotes, to a level that most natives couldn’t show you. Or, follow Ferran past the Plaza San Jaume to the Borne, often considered the Soho of Barcelona. Galleries, along with shops from Pepe Jeans to second hand stores from the Picasso Museum to Passeo del Borne. Don´t miss the shop of El Café de la Princessa on Calle Flassaders with innovative, classy, moderately priced unique gifts, gallery, and restaurant. Follow this little street to find an assortment of galleries and trendy shops recently installed in the the classic architecture.  At the end of the Ramblas, follow the statue of Colon across the bridge to Maremagnum a modern mall on the water. Take a break and see an IMAX film nearby.

Still at the bottom of the Ramblas, on the weekend you’ll find the Brocanters del Port Vell (open 10am-9pm weekends). It is a seafront bric-a-brac and antique market, held below the Columbus monument, that’s great for shopping or just a wander and a look at the stalls. Popular with locals who are on the lookout for china, coins, collectors’ records, costume jewelry, lace mantillas, pocket watches and even military gear.

Mercat de la Boqueria

Take some time to visit the Mercat de la Boqueria, also known as Mercat de Sant Josep, Barcelona's most colorful food market. Essentially any kind of fresh food you can find in Spain can be found here, at Rambla, 91. (Closed Sundays and holidays. Don’t expect to buy fish on Monday, seeing as the fishermen don’t go out on Sundays, so anything you might find won’t be as fresh).

El Born
Certainly one of the trendiest shopping areas, with up-and-coming designer shops selling everything from the funkiest of clothing to wierd & wonderful household artifacts. Coupled with its many cafes & bars. El Born is a must for window shoppers and label junkies alike.


Recommended shops for posh shoppers:
DIAGONAL MAR CENTRE

Catalonia's biggest shopping and leisure centre, next to the sea. Open-air spacious terrace with bars and restaurantes. Open from 10-22hs. Av. Diagonal, 3.
ROSA BISBE

A modern and prestigious jeweller, with daring and elegant handcraffted designs. Open from 10-14 and from 17-20hs. Ramblas de Catalunya, 86.
GONZALO COMELLA

A trend-setter since 1870: Prada, Paul Smith, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Versace, See by Chloé, Neil Barrett, Stella McCartney... Open 10-21hs. Passeig de Gracia, 6.
JEAN PIERRE BUA

Top lines exclusively in Barcelona: Alexander McQueen, Dior Homme, Jean Paul Gaultier, Lanvin, Wunderkind... Open from 10-14 and from 16.30 to 20.30hs. Av. Diagonal, 469.

REPLAY STORE

In a magnificent Art Nouveau building, over 800m2 of the best Replay and Replay & Sons design. Open 10-21hs. Passeig de Gracia, 60.
CASA MUNICH

The highly acclaimed Catalan brand of shoes, recongizable by their "x", their colours and their combiantion of materials. Open 11-21hs. Antic de Sant Joan, 4.

LE BOUDOIR

In the centre and uptown oart of the city, these stylish erotic-chic shops are specialized in lingerie and bath articles for woman, as well as sex gadgets, cosmetics, books and much more. Opens 10-20.30hs. Canuda, 21.

VIALIS

Attractively comfortable shoes and daringly original bags marked by their surprisingly innovative design and the exceptional quality of the materials used to make them. Open 11-21hs Idrieria, 15.

CUSTO BARCELONA

Began in the early 80's with 2 brothers designing distinctive, innovative, overflowingly colourful and often daring clothing. Custo Barcelona is now up there in the world of fashion as a leading fashion brand, largely thanks to "Customania" as the rich, famous & beautiful have regularly been seen sporting custo designs. Ferran st. next to Las Ramblas.

* As in any foreign city, you should be especially aware of pickpocket. So always have your hand on your bags, and don’t allow yourself to be too distracted by fantastic selections in the gorgeous settings in Barcelona.

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