Avinguda Diagonal slices across Barcelona’s Eixample grid at an angle, running 11 kilometers from the working-class neighborhoods near the Besòs river to the wealthy Pedralbes district in the west. It’s one of the city’s major arteries and a useful orientation landmark.
The stretch between Passeig de Gràcia and Francesc Macià is the commercial heart, lined with department stores like El Corte Inglés and L’Illa Diagonal shopping center. East of Passeig de Gràcia, the avenue passes close to Gaudí’s Casa de les Punxes and the Torre Glòries (formerly Torre Agbar). West of Francesc Macià, things get quieter and more residential as you approach the university campus and the Palau Reial gardens.
Walking the full length is impractical, but the central section makes a good alternative to the more tourist-packed Passeig de Gràcia for window shopping and cafe stops.