Passeig de Gràcia

El Paseo de Gracia ("Passeig de Gracia" in Catalan) is one of the major avenues in Barcelona. It stretches from the Catalonia Square (Plaza de Catalunya) to Avenida Diagonal, where it merges into what is commonly known as "Els Jardinets de Gracia" (The Gardens of Grace), gardens that mark the beginning of the district of Gràcia. El Paseo de Gracia was built according to the Ildefons Cerdà's plan called "Eixample", which resulted in the joining of the centre of Barcelona with the rural areas surrounding it after the demolition of medieval walls in the middle of the 19th century. 

In the middle of the avenue there is a vehicular traffic, while on both sides there are wide sidewalks usually swarming with pedestrians. El Paseo de Gracia is one of the most important shopping and business centres in Barcelona, containing many boutiques with some of the most famous luxury brands and numerous restaurants. It is also a place with lots of expensive hotels, banks and the Barcelona Stock Exchange. However, its main attraction are the city's most celebrated pieces of architecture, the famous Modernist buildings: Casa Mila (also known as La Pedrera) and Casa Batlló designed by Antoni Gaudí, Casa Amatller and Casa Lleó Morera by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, and La Unión y el Fénix designed by the architect Pere Falqués.

El Paseo de Gracia is one of the most expensive streets in Spain.