During my stay here in Barcelona, I have been living in the
Residencia Onix in the neighborhood of Fort Pienc. It is located in the Eixample district of Barcelona.
The neighborhood’s name comes from the name of a military fort that used to exist in that location until the 19th century (Fort Pius). The area has a bus station, called Estacio del Nord, and a metro stop, called Arc de Triomf.
The most interesting places in the neighborhood include the Arc de Triomf, Ciutadella Park, and the Estacio del Nord. The Arc de Triomf was built for the 1888 World’s Fair in the Neo-Mudejar style by Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas. It stands at the meeting point of the street Passeig de Sant Joan and the promenade of Passeig de Lluis Companys, which leads to Ciutadella Park.
This park was created in the 19th century when the old Citadel was finally demolished. Within the 70 acres of the park, one can find a zoo, a lake, a beautiful fountain designed by Josep Fontsere, and much more.
The neighborhood’s name comes from the name of a military fort that used to exist in that location until the 19th century (Fort Pius). The area has a bus station, called Estacio del Nord, and a metro stop, called Arc de Triomf.
The most interesting places in the neighborhood include the Arc de Triomf, Ciutadella Park, and the Estacio del Nord. The Arc de Triomf was built for the 1888 World’s Fair in the Neo-Mudejar style by Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas. It stands at the meeting point of the street Passeig de Sant Joan and the promenade of Passeig de Lluis Companys, which leads to Ciutadella Park.
This park was created in the 19th century when the old Citadel was finally demolished. Within the 70 acres of the park, one can find a zoo, a lake, a beautiful fountain designed by Josep Fontsere, and much more.
The zoo used to house a
very famous albino gorilla named Snowflake, but it died in 2003. This year, they hosted a few exhibits
in honor of the 10th anniversary of the gorilla’s death.
Estacio del Nord is the current bus station of Barcelona. However, it also serves many other functions as well. It contains a large sports complex, with a gym and open areas, and it still holds the table tennis room that was used for the 1992 Olympics.
The market in our neighborhood is called Mercat de Fort Pienc. It is relatively small but still has many varied stands with fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, fish and more. The market is run by the vendors, and is closed during the traditional “siesta” time every day and all day on Sundays.
Estacio del Nord is the current bus station of Barcelona. However, it also serves many other functions as well. It contains a large sports complex, with a gym and open areas, and it still holds the table tennis room that was used for the 1992 Olympics.
The market in our neighborhood is called Mercat de Fort Pienc. It is relatively small but still has many varied stands with fruit, vegetables, meat, bread, fish and more. The market is run by the vendors, and is closed during the traditional “siesta” time every day and all day on Sundays.
In the basement, below the market, there is a Mercadona, part of a chain grocery store. The fresher items in the Mercat are generally more expensive than those in the Mercadona, but with certain items of food, the higher price is very worth paying for the delicious freshness.
Finally, the Civic Center in Fort Pienc is a center that offers many services and activities for children, adults, and seniors. It contains a library, a daycare/children's center area, kitchens, classrooms, music rooms, and many other facilities. The center also offers courses and workshops, including different forms of art and exercise classes! Often, when I am walking to the market, I can see that in every arm chair in the library sits an old man reading the day's newspaper.
