Eixample is Catalan for ´extension´, meaning an extension of the old Barcelona city, and it is one of the most popular districts in the Catalan capital. Eixample was designed by Catalan-born architect, Ildefons Cerdà, who took traffic and sunlight (amongst many other things) into consideration when drawing up the plans of the new area.
Eixample is now characterised by its octagonal blocks and its grid-like pattern, with wide streets and both commercial and residential areas. It is split into two parts, Eixample Esquerra (Left, or in Spanish, Izquierdo) and Eixample Dret (Right, or in Spanish, Derecho), and is home to one of the most famous streets in Barcelona, Passeig de Gràcia, known for its high fashion stores and trendy restaurants.
The street is intersected by the long Avinguda Diagonal, which runs through the entire city.
Eixample Derecho is home to many gems of ´Modernisme´ architecture, including the unique Casa Milà (La Pedrera), the colourful Casa Batlló and the towering Sagrada Familia, known as Gaudí´s unfinished masterpiece. You will also find plenty of great bars and cafés here, too, and if you decide to choose one of the many Barcelona apartments in Eixample Derecho for your stay, you will be able to easily explore the city, due to the neighbourhood´s convenient, central location and excellent public transportation services.