Passeig de Gràcia

Gràcia, Barcelona –

Like in any metropolitan area, shopping is a favorite pastime for many in Barcelona, and while the Catalan capital certainly offers something for every taste and budget, the Passeig de Gràcia is arguably the most elegant stretch to get one’s shop on.

Those looking for extravagant fashion will find it all along this stunning street, where Chanel, Armani, Gucci, Prada, and other haute couture stores seductively display their wares to well-dressed women with plenty of cash to spare.

Besides its elegant shops and parade of upper-crust shoppers, this lovely tree-lined boulevard is also home to some wonderful examples of modernist architecture, as well as three of Gaudí´s stunning masterpieces – Casa Batlló, and Casa Milà.

Parallel to the Passeig is the narrow and more scenic Rambla de Catalunya, which offers excellent places to lunch as well as the stores of celebrated local designers Antonio Miró and Custo.

More affordable fashion can be found on Avinguda del Portal de l´Angel at the boulevard’s southern end, with Spanish chains Zara, Mango, and Springfield, as well as at the department store El Corte Inglés on nearby Plaça Catalunya.

All in all, Passeig de Gràcia creates a nearly three-mile-long mecca to capitalism, and it’s surely a testament to their dedication that those stiletto-clad ladies can walk so far.