Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, or CCCB (Catalan for Barcelona Centre of Contemporary Culture), situated in El Raval, in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, is a museum adjacent to the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA). The building is a mixture of old and new styles, dating from the early 18th century up to recent renovation of a facade in the Plaça de les Dones. The centre, one of the most visited museums in Barcelona, hosts temporary exhibitions, a cinema, concerts and other cultural events. It opened in 1994 as a centre of urban development and urban culture studies administered coinjointly by the City Council of Barcelona and Diputació of the province of Barcelona, but soon after that became a museum about eclectic and varied subjects ranging from photography to sculpture or video art. Its thought-provoking temporary exhibitions frequently refer to social topics and art related to or coming from them.

Forment de les Arts Decoratives i del Disseny, or Fostering Arts and Design is a group that has been in charge of Barcelona’s design culture for around one hundred years now. It is responsible for presenting awards, recognition, grants and scholarships to artists and for promoting their work world-wide. The group also features interactive and interesting workshops for visitors.

Young artists can even sell their works and merchandise at bargain prices here and those who wish to display their art may do so in one of the many exhibitions that the centre hosts every now and then.

The headquarters has been constructed with a Gothic inspired style of architecture and has a simple, yet appealing building. The group holds an immense amount of responsibility, being in charge of Spain’s art and culture growth, the exhibitions and sales held here are a must visit for locals and tourists alike. It is here that upcoming and new talent is pushed to the forefront and into the limelight so that the world can appreciate the talent Spain has when it comes to the design culture. One can also find great pieces of art at great prices at the sales and auctions here.

The Antic Hospital de Santa Creu has the honour of being perhaps the oldest medical complexes in Barcelona. It was built in the 15th and 16th century and therefore boasts the impressive gothic style of architecture that reigned at that time. The foundation stone for the complex was laid by King Marti el Huma in 1401. The medieval building surrounds an orange grove as well as a green courtyard giving a picturesque look to it.

The complex comprises the Royal Academy of Surgery and Medicine and the Casa de la Convalescencia on either side of each other. The building also features some beautiful renaissance columns that adorn the structure. The royal Academy of Surgery and Medicine is open on weekdays till 2pm for visitors.

The greatest feature of the structure however is the image of St. Paul in the vestibule. It portrays one part of the saint’s famous conversation done in blue and yellow tiles. The creator of the masterpiece in the building was Llorenc Passolas. There is also a well included in the building which was built as a dedication to the benefactor of the complex, Pau Ferran.

The wooden doors at the entrance of the building have two horseshoes on them to wish luck to all those who visit, and also to pay tribute to Pau Ferran. (The word Ferran has origins from the word ‘ferrandura’ which means horseshoe).

Located in the Ciutat Vella district, El Raval is a famous neighbourhood in Barcelona. This area was also known as Barri Xines, or Chinatown. The famous La Rambla of Barcelona is bordered by two main, historically rich neighbourhoods; the first one is of course the El Raval while the second one is known as the Barri Gotic. Over 200,000 people reside in this particular neighbourhood alone.
This area was known mostly for its active night life in the form of cabarets, crimes and even prostitution, but over the years it has changed a great deal. Because it is centrally located, it is now becoming one of the more significant attractions that the city has to offer. The neighbourhood is home to hundreds of immigrants including Indonesians, Romanians, Indians and Pakistanis as well as many more.
Some of the prominent buildings and destinations in this neighbourhood are Placa Universitat, and Placa Catalunya located towards the north, then Ronda Sant Antoni and Ronda Sant Pau situated towards the west and southern edge of the neighbourhood. Also in the neighbourhood are the Monastery of Sant Pau del Camp, the famous MACBA and a well known cat statue created by Fernando Botero.

Sant Pau del Camp, commonly known as Saint Paul of the Countryside comprises an old church and an attached monastery in Barcelona. The monastery itself is so old that there are no accurate historical records that can confirm exactly when it was established, but experts are of the opinion that the monastery was formed in the ninth century.
The monastery is located in the El Raval district of the city. The first complex stood in its original form till the year 985, when the edifice was attacked and almost destroyed by Muslim soldiers, forcing the monks to abandon it. Several years later, in 1096, the structure underwent restoration and new monks arrived to take charge of the order. Once again, it was attacked in 1114. In 1117, the monastery became the priory of Sant Cugat after which it underwent a second round of restorations.
The building, as seen today, is adorned with scenes from the Bible, along with those of animal life, vegetable motifs, monsters and various scenes from life. The tympanum of the church has an image of Christ with Saint Paul and Saint Peter. The building has been declared a National Monument.

Carrer d'en Robador is a dark narrow street in the heart of La Rambla. It was famous for being Barcelona's Red Light District in the past. Nowadays, it is much more conservative, but nevertheless, has preserved the atmosphere. There are many bars on this street.

Gran Teatre del Liceu, or the Liceu Theatre is counted among the most famous attractions in the Catalan capital city. Located on the La Rambla, the Liceu is basically an opera house. It was inaugurated in 1847 on the 4th of April.
Usually in cities all over Europe, monarchy takes charge of the maintenance and up keeping of such buildings. In this case however, the Liceu theatre was granted funds by private share holders, individuals who later formed the Great Liceu Theatre Society, locally known as the Societat del Gran Teatre del Liceu. They organized the opera house to function in a manner that is most similar to a trading company.
One can clearly observe this point in the current structure of the building and its overall style of architecture. The first thing that one can notice is the fact that this particular theatre, unlike all others, does not have a royal box. There are several other features that indicate that this opera house is indeed different from what one usually gets to see.
The Liceu opera house regularly hosts a variety of plays and performances and promises an enjoyable time for all visitors. Tickets for the shows can be purchased by contacting the theatre.

The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, often simply referred to as La Boqueria, is a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, and one of the city's foremost tourist landmarks, with an entrance from La Rambla, not far from the Liceu, Barcelona's opera house. The market has a very diverse selection of goods. The first mention of the Boqueria market in Barcelona dates from 1217, when tables were installed near the old city gate to sell meat. From December 1470 onwards, a pig market was held at this site; at this time it was known as Mercat Bornet. Later, until 1794, it was known simply as Mercat de la Palla, or straw market. Later, the authorities decided to construct a separate market on La Rambla, housing mainly fishmongers and butchers. It was not until 1826 that the market was legally recognized, and a convention held in 1835 decided to build an official structure. Construction began on March 19, 1840 under the direction of the architect Mas Vilà.