Passeig de Lluís Companys

Most cities build triumphal arches to celebrate the fact that they successfully killed a lot of people in a far-off land. Barcelona, being Barcelona, built the Arc de Triomf to celebrate a party. Specifically, the 1888 Universal Exposition. It’s a massive, rust-red brick middle finger to the traditional grey stone of military conquest, and it marks the start of the Passeig de Lluís Companys—a wide, palm-lined promenade that serves as the city’s grand foyer.

Walking down this stretch is one of the best things to do in Barcelona if you want to see the city’s layers stripped bare. At the top, you have the tourists, necks craned, trying to fit the entire arch into a vertical TikTok frame. But as you move toward the Parc de la Ciutadella, the vibe shifts. The air fills with the clatter of skateboards hitting granite and the faint, sweet smell of cannabis drifting from the benches. This isn't a manicured museum piece; it’s a living, breathing artery of the Ciutat Vella.

Look up and you’ll see the lampposts. These aren't your standard-issue street lights. Designed by Pere Falqués, they are iron-wrought masterpieces of Modernisme, heavy and ornate, looking like something out of a steampunk fever dream. They line the path toward the Palau de Justícia, a grim, imposing fortress of law that sits on the right-hand side. There’s a delicious irony in watching street performers juggle fire or blow six-foot soap bubbles while the highest judges in Catalonia are inside deciding someone’s fate behind those massive stone walls.

The promenade bears the name of Lluís Companys, the President of Catalonia who was executed by Franco’s regime in 1940. It’s a heavy name for a place where children chase pigeons and teenagers practice kickflips, but that’s the Mediterranean way—life happens right on top of the tragedy. You can’t understand the history of this neighborhood without acknowledging that weight. The statues lining the walk—tributes to various Catalan luminaries—stand as silent witnesses to the city’s stubborn refusal to be anything other than itself.

Is the Arc de Triomf worth visiting? Absolutely. But don't just take the photo and leave. Walk the length of the Passeig. Watch the 'living statues' sweat through their metallic paint. Listen to the buskers playing Spanish guitar with varying degrees of talent. It’s a place of transition, taking you from the tight, claustrophobic alleys of El Born into the green, sprawling chaos of the park.

If you’re looking for cheap eats near Arc de Triomf, you’re in luck. The side streets are packed with Chinese bakeries and hole-in-the-wall tapas bars that haven't yet realized they could be charging double. Grab a coffee, find a bench, and just watch the circus. It’s one of the few places in the city where the grand architecture doesn't feel like it's looking down on you. It’s a promenade for the people, built for a world’s fair, and still hosting a bit of a carnival every single day. By the time you reach the gates of the park at the end of the walk, you’ll realize that the arch wasn't the destination—the walk itself was.