This broad boulevard was laid out in 2000 as part of the city's plan to open up this formerly sleazy neighbourhood, with some success. Now lined with palm trees and terrace cafes, it hosts a craft market every weekend and is presided over by the glossy Barceló Raval hotel. Fernando Botero's 7m-long, 2m-tall bronze sculpture of a plump cat, El Gat de Botero, which stands near the bottom of the Rambla, is something of a Barcelona icon.
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