Bicycle Street art tour of Poblenou: discover a world of urban art!
Once upon a time, in a half-hidden little place in an old street of the Gothic quarter, was a very original little corner shop: a world of bicycles in the middle of the old town!
In this parallel universe dedicated exclusively to bikes, everything – and we mean everything – is made out of bicycles: the table lamps, the sliding door – they even sell jewelry made out of chains and pedals!
- It’s worth a visit just to see the decor; You will feel as though you’ve been transported to another world! And the next time you need bicycle advice, you will know where to head!
Street art tour by bike, with a packed itinerary!
I was lucky enough to be able to take a 3 hour tour of Poblenou, and it was a very positive experience. We started with a pleasant route from Drassanes to Poblenou. On the way, Olga explained to us various interesting facts about urban art to get us into the spirit of the tour, and we also passed some painted murals.
- Once in Poblenou, we made a few stops, always accompanied by detailed explanations and interesting and very surprising facts! But sshh, we can’t tell you them, because you’d miss out on all the fun!
- From Poblenou we headed to the Sant Marti district (yes, the route is more than 3 hours long, so get ready to pedal!).
- After this, we headed back down to Selva Negra, and from here back to the shop in Drassanes.
- The last leg was my favorite, the cherry on the cake. Olga brought us along the coast where we enjoyed the sea breeze and one of the last magnificent sea views of the Summer. Life is good!
Bicycle Street art tour: breathtaking artworks!
Artists from all over the world pass through Barcelona every year, and some of them are are internationally renowned artists who come here just to paint! In fact, the Catalan capital organizes festivals where you can see renowned artists working and watch them as they paint. What’s more, there are also interior design festivals where they might for example take over the painting of a wall.
On the other hand it’s important to remember that there are many techniques and trends in street art, of which the principal ones are Old School (traditional) and modernism.
In terms of styles some paintings are done with sprays, others with a brush (the most common) and some with stencils, which are the most impressive in my opinion.
Olga explained to us in great detail how all of the works were made, and the amount of work that goes into each one – work that might not be obvious at first glance, but is crucially important to the final result. It’ all very impressive!
- In Barcelona there are various spaces set up for urban art, you only have to reserve your space online. Furthermore, it is also possible to paint legally during festivals such as “open walls” which are organized all year round.
In general the subject matter is very varied and although it’s common to see works of social criticism there are also other themes such as people, animals and even abstract art.
Street Art Tour on a bamboo bicycle
Bamboo bicycles like that shown above are used on the tour. They come straight from Argentina and they are light and easy to handle.
- This is a truly original concept, and what’s more they are very comfortable!
Useful Information
I tried the 3 hour tour bike tour of Poblenou and I would certainly recommend it, as it’s a unique opportunity to see a very interesting part of the city, and get off the tourist-beaten track.
They also offer other tours to see urban art in the Catalan capital:
- Walking tour Raval or Gothic/Born: 2 hours
- Bicycle tour Raval + Gothic/Born: 2 hours
- Bicycle tour Poblenou: 3 hours
- Bicycle tour Poblenou + Raval + Gothic/Born: 5 hours (includes a meal of tapas and a drink)
Groups start at 2 people, and the maximum is 16. if you are more than 16 people, the group is divided.
- Groups of more than 10 people can get a discount
Are you ready to pedal right into the world of street art?