Barcelona is one of the few major European cities located at the sea. Beaches, seafront promenades and ports play a big role in the lives of the 1.6 million people living here.
The Old Town ("Ciutat Vella") is located in the center at the sea. From there, a couple of big and perfectly straight streets lead into almost all directions.
The two most important streets for visitors are "Rambla" and "Passeig de Gràcia" – popular both for shopping and walking. They start at sea level, lead uphill through the Old Town right into the famous "Eixample" quarter.
The big arterial roads are connected by the diagonally running "Avinguda Diagonal" that spans over 7 miles from one end of Barcelona to the other end and thereby divides the city in two parts.
North of the "Diagonal" are the areas of Barcelona that are usually not as interesting for visitors. Apart from Sagrada Familia and Parc Güell, the tourist and expat life happens in the southern part of the city.