Barcelona Photo Gallery - West of Catalunya

Las Arenas was built in 1900 as a bull ring with arched windows and Moorish influences. In the background is the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, which was originally built as Palau Nacional for the International Exposition in 1929 and became an art museum in 1934. Plaça d'Espanya and its fountain was the gateway to the 1929 International Exhibition. Designed by one of Gaudi's associates, the main sculptures represent the 3 seas that border the Iberian Peninsula and the main rivers. Barcelona is an architect enthusiast's dream come true. Even as I strolled along the less touristed areas in Sants, I came across this interesting ornament at the top of a building. Parc de l'Espanya Industrial hosts a large dragon sculpture over what used to be a textile mill. Originally slated for a housing development after the mill moved, the city turned the land into a public space and this park opened in 1985. Sants was once a rural settlement and grew rapidly in the early 20th century with textile mills and factories. Mercat del Ninot was built in 1933 and took the name of a popular tavern nearby.