Avinguda del Paral·lel

Avinguda del Paral·lel is one of the main streets of the city of Barcelona, dividing Ciutat Vella, Eixample and Sants-Montjuïc districts. It receives this name because it is parallel to the Equator. It runs from Plaça d'Espanya, where the city's exhibition halls are located, to the seafront, Plaça de la Carbonera and the passenger ship port, dividing the neighbourhood of Poble Sec, on the side of Montjuïc, from the neighbourhoods of Sant Antoni and El Raval. It was officially inaugurated on 11 October 1894.
El Paral·lel, as the avenue and sometimes the surrounding quarter are called, is most known for theatres, as well as cabarets and erotic shows, or the Sala Apolo. In the past it was the core of Barcelona's nightlife, with music halls and other venues, but in the last two decades its importance has diminished greatly, in favour of the city centre and Eixample, and some urban decay is visible. El Molino, once one of the city's most renowned cabarets, has recently been renovated and reopened.

Other names

The original name was Paral·lel, the Catalan language name of the street, according to the city layout plan of 1859 by Ildefons Cerdà.
The street was officially opened 8 October 1894.
The street had other official names at different times, although it was always known locally as Paral·lel:

from 1874: Avenida del Marqués del Duero
from 1932: Avinguda de Francesc Layret
from 1939: Avenida del Marqués del Duero
from 1979: Avinguda del Paral·lel

The dot between the L's is used in the Catalan language to indicated a geminated L:. Without the dot, a double L is pronounced in Catalan.

Transport

There are three stations of the Barcelona Metro network on the avenue: Paral·lel, on L2 and L3 ; Poble Sec, on L3; and Espanya, underneath Plaça d'Espanya, served by lines L1, L3, L8 and a number of Baix Llobregat-bound Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya commuter lines.
The Funicular de Montjuïc is accessed from Paral·lel station.