Barcelona/Sant Martí

Sant Martí is a district in Barcelona which extends north of the Ciutat Vella. Developed from the former industrial areas of Poblenou, medieval district of Clot and suburbs of Sant Martí, it became a place of large-scale ambitious urban redevelopment. This resulted in many landmarks of postmodern architecture, especially along the northern part of Avenida Diagonal, which was pretty much reconstructed in the 21st century. Sant Martí also features beaches along the coast and a handful of parks and other tourist attractions.

Understand
The Sant Martí district is administratively divided into 10 boroughs, each with a slightly different character. Areas of interest to the tourists are generally south of the Diagonal. The barris south of Diagonal are (from West to East): The barris north of the Diagonal are:
 * El Parc i Llacuna del Poblenou - includes the majestic Plaza Glories and buildings along the Diagonal and Meridiana, such as Torre Agbar
 * La Vila Olímpica del Poblenou - the former Olympic village built for the 1992 Olympic Games
 * El Poblenou - the core of the former industrial area of Poblenou, undergoing gradual block-by-block redevelopment as part of the "Area 22@" plan
 * Diagonal Mar i Front Marítim del Poblenou - the former industrial areas and slums have undergone large-scale urban redevelopment in the 21st century, becoming a commercial and business hub
 * El Clot - of some interest due to the fact that the El Clot-Arago station is in this area
 * El Camp de l'Arpa del Clot
 * Provençals del Poblenou
 * Sant Martí de Provençals
 * El Besòs i el Maresme - the part on the Besos riverside, which is mostly industrial
 * La Verneda i la Pau

History
Barcelona and Catalonia in general suffered both from different forms of repressions under the Franco regime, as well as rather catastrophic and ill-fated planning. As a result, large parts of Barcelona, including those falling within present-day Sant Martí district, dilapidated into post-industrial slums.

An impulse for change in Sant Martí came with the 1992 Olympic Games, for which several facilities, including most importantly the Olympic Village, were built within the district. To improve the quality of life, as well as image and perception of city, much of the former industrial constructions were demolished to make way for a new waterfront and publicly accessible beaches.

Further to that was the development of the Diagonal Mar area at the northeastern tip of Avenida Diagonal, which focused around the 2004 Universal Culture Forum. While the event was marred with controversies and regarded a flop in many ways, it turned the formerly wayward area into a business hub and a modern, enjoyable place to live.

Finally, the ongoing Area 22@ planning activities redevelop vast areas of Sant Martí along the principles of modern urbanist mixed development with focus on modern economy sectors such as ICT, media, biotechnology and design.

Get in
The only railway station within Sant Martí is which is an underground station served by , as well as some regional trains travelling within Catalonia. The railway station is directly connected to the metro station Clot.

The metro line connects Sant Martí with the Ciutat Vella, Eixample and the northern suburbs. It brings you close to the beaches and the Forum, but you will still have to walk to reach them.

The Green line on the Barcelona Bus Turístic is very handy for getting around the district and gets you closer to the beaches than the metro or tram. Stops include Bogatell Beach, Parc Diagonal Mar and the Forum. At a one day cost of €23 or two days at €30, it doesn't make sense to buy a ticket just for the Green line, but if you plan on using the Bus Turístic's other lines, it could work. The Green line only runs from Apr - Sept.

Trambesos
The Trambesòs tram lines T4, T5 and T6 run, for the most part, within Sant Marti, across the whole district from Northeast to Southwest (the northeastern termini of all lines fall within the municipality of Badalona, outside of Barcelona). All the lines stop at, which is a transportation hub in Plaça Glories and offers the possibility to change to metro. The trams do not stop at the El Clot-Arago railway station or anywhere close.

is perhaps the most handy to tourists, as it runs from stop (between Sant Martí and Ciutat Vella) along Avinguda Meridiana and then Avinguda Diagonal to its terminus at Sant Adria in Badalona

starts at Glories, but takes a more northern route along Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes to terminate at Gorg in Badalona

follows a hybrid route, starting at Glories and following the T5 along Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, but terminating at Sant Adria in Badalona instead

The termini in Badalona may not be of much interest to a tourist, but their names can be handy to identify the direction the tram is going.

Metro
complements the trams by following the coastline and then going northwesternwards, and connects to them at Vila Olimpica (T4), Selva de Mar (T4), El Maresme/Forum (T4) and Besos (T5, T6).

may be used to travel between Clot, Glories and Marina, connecting to T4, T5 and T6.

cuts across the northernmost part of the district, even further northwards from where T5 and T6 run. There is an interchange between L2 and T5, but only in Badalona. This line is possibly of least use to tourists and mostly one for commuters.

See






Do
There are five beaches along the Sant Martí oceanfront. These beaches are typically less busy than those in Barceloneta and get less busy and have fewer amenities the further north you head up the coast. Starting from Barceloneta and moving northwards, the beaches are in order:

Sleep
If you are looking for a modern, comfortable hotel, Sant Martí is a good choice for a place to stay in Barcelona as the abundance of new building projects, as well as offices and other locations of interest to businessmen provided for the construction of many new hotels. The most upscale (and expensive) properties are along the Diagonal and the coastline, while cheaper accommodations are to be found between the blocks of Poblenou and Sant Martí, south and north of the Diagonal.

Budget




Splurge