Plaça de Catalunya

You're at the centre of modern Barcelona. This vast square acts as the hinge between the old city, behind you if you face La Rambla, and the Eixample spreading out towards the hills.

1Wasteland outside the walls

Until the mid-19th century there was no city here: it was open country in front of the wall, an area where the army banned building. Demolition of the walls began in 1854, and in 1859 Ildefons Cerdà's plan for the Eixample was approved, the famous grid of blocks with their corners cut off. Curiously, Cerdà's plan didn't include a big square at this spot. For decades it was a vague, undefined space with shacks, cafés and shows.

The square you see was laid out in the late 1920s, ahead of the 1929 International Exhibition. That's why it's full of sculptures from that period, by artists such as Josep Clarà and Pablo Gargallo.

2The Canaletes fountain

At the top of La Rambla, a few steps away, you'll see an iron fountain with several spouts: the Font de Canaletes. A Barcelona tradition holds that anyone who drinks its water will come back to the city. It's also where Barça fans gather to celebrate their titles.

A square nobody planned that ended up becoming the centre of the city.

3What to look for

• The monument to Francesc Macià, by Josep Maria Subirachs, shaped like an upside-down staircase.
• The star set into the central paving.
• The Canaletes fountain, where La Rambla begins.