Arc de Triomf

If you have seen the famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris and you thought it is an awesome monument, let me tell you that Arc de Triomf, that is situated in Barcelona, is even better than the one in Paris! At least I liked it much, much more.

And surprisingly, Arc the Triomf is one of the rare points of interest in Barcelona, that was not constructed by Gaudi. I do admire Gaudi's artworks a lot (although I have to admit that I was not very interested in his work before I came to Barcelona), but I must say that even the creators of Arc de Triomf did a really good job.

Why was the Arc de Triomf built?

The reason why this majestic arch was built, is quite interesting. So, they decided to build it for the World Fair, that was held in Barcelona a few centuries ago. What a reason. It is like the city wanted to show its richness and power by building a great arch in the middle of nowhere! And this is all I know about the history of Arc de Triomf, but it will have to be enough. And the arch still looks as new as if it was only built yesterday. And I must say that I am really quite surprised that it was not damaged in any of the world wars.

How to get to the arch?

There is a metro station, called Arc de Triomf (Red line – L1), which will take you right to this great monument. The metro exit is situated just on the opposite side of the street. When I decided to go and see the arch, I checked the location on google maps, and the arch seemed to be situated quite far from the metro exit, so I was somehow afraid that I will not be able to find it. So I was very surprised, and happy of course, when I saw it right in front of me, when I reached the metro exit.

What can you see there?

The most important, and at the same time the most interesting thing to see there, is the arch itself. When you get closer, you will be amazed with all the incredible details on it. And if you have a better camera than I do at the moment, you will be able to capture those details in some amazing photos. The relief, and the little carvings all over the arch, are just amazing, to say at least.

There is a wide promenade behind the Arc de Triomf, which is surrounded by palm trees, and is a popular place for different street artists. The ones that you will most likely see there, are those that are making giant soap bubbles. And kids seem to love it, since there is always a big crowd around when one of them is performing.

I was surprised, how much those street artists earn. At least at this place, because when I walked by the guy that was doing soap bubbles, I saw that his hat was full of coins, and even some notes. Well, he really did good job, so no wonder everybody wants to give him a few Euros.

The promenade also seems to be a very popular place for groups that are doing segway tours around Barcelona. This is one of the things that I really wanted to do, but then I saw several people, having difficulties with controlling their segways, and now I am having second thoughts about doing it. After all, what is the point of going, if you are just scared all the time that you might fall off your segway?

When you reach the end of the promenade, turn around and look towards the arch again. It is amazing how big it still seems, even from such a long distance away!

At the end of the promenade, there is another interesting 'sight' a huge map of the area, drawn on the floor.

And after the map, on the other side of the street, you can find Parc National de la Ciutadella. But Parc National de la Ciutadela is already a story for another entry.

A few words for the end…

For the end of this quite short entry, let me just say that you should definitely visit Arc de Triomf when you are in Barcelona. Believe me, it seems much smaller on pictures that you can see online, but reality is a different story. You will definitely be amazed by this massive monument. And, after all, it makes a great spot for taking pictures. Who would not want a picture in the middle of such a majestic monument? And, to be honest, I really expected to see more people when I was there.

If you want to know more about Arc de Triomf and its surroundings, I recommend you read this post.