Iconic shops

Over the course of the centuries, the streets of Barcelona have seen the emergence of a rich, diverse and ambitious network of small businesses. Today, some of the shops that opened their doors many years ago are still open. They bear witness to the city’s past, but also reflect a valuable cultural heritage that Barcelona City Council wants to preserve and promote.

That’s why on 26 February 2016, the plenary session of the Municipal Council passed the Special Plan for the Protection of Urban Quality. Titled Catalogue for the Architectural, Historical and Aesthetic Protection of Iconic Shops in the City of Barcelona, it contains a detailed list of unique city shops with great historical value. These are known as iconic shops.

  • There are currently 209 iconic shops listed in Barcelona. These are often centuries-old businesses that have maintained their original business activity and have never relocated. All of them are a symbol of the city and an expression of Barcelona’s business identity. But they’re also spaces full of unique characteristics, artistic beauty and quality products, making them a highly valuable asset both for the neighbourhood and for tourists visiting the city.

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  • To promote and protect these shops, Barcelona City Council has passed the Government Action Plan for the Preservation and Promotion of Barcelona’s Iconic Shops (2021-2024), a document that seeks to address new situations threatening iconic shops. Its four main goals are as follows:

    1. Work for the preservation and promotion of iconic shops.

    2. Establish Barcelona as a leading example of a city that preserves its iconic shops.

    3. Put together resources and tools to learn about the current situation of these shops and implement local policies.

    4. Involve iconic shops in municipal policies related to local commerce in order to guarantee their competitiveness.

    With the goal of promoting and raising awareness of these shops among Barcelona city residents, the Ruta dels Emblemàtics website has been created so that anyone can take a tour of these iconic businesses and sights that have emerged over the centuries and that are today a valuable part of our heritage, as well a great asset in terms of culture and tourism, worthy of preservation and recognition. The project is an initiative of the Fons d’Imatges del Comerç de Catalunya [Catalonia Shop Images Collection] in collaboration with Barcelona City Council. 

    Emblematic Route

  • Iconic shops are among Barcelona’s major historical features and help shape a sustainable city model that is committed to social harmony and cohesion. That’s why City Council is launching several initiatives to promote, publicise, restore and preserve these shops. You can see them all here.

    More information

  • Coordinated by the producer Fuera de Campo with the support of the Ciutat Vella District, this initiative is part of the strategy to regain and give vitality to small retailers and restaurants in the area.

    Conducted periodically, the routes aim to get away from the usual tourist trail and discover the most unique local heritage of the neighbourhoods through their historical establishments, where participants can enjoy some unique activities. The routes last for 2 hours.

    Places are limited and anybody interested should sign up in advance on the website: http://www.redescobrintciutatvella.com

  • Twelve historical establishments are taking part in the initiative offing routes around the neighbourhoods of El Gòtic, El Raval and Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i La Ribera. Those establishments have an illuminated sign designed by the Emiliana Design Studio with references to traditional Christmas sayings and the produce and values represented by the different establishments.

    The initiative is promoted by the City Council’s Directorate for Commerce, Restaurants and Food, and Barcelona Design Centre (BCD), in line with the government measure for the preservation and promotion of iconic establishments. The goal is to highlight Ciutat Vella’s iconic establishments, coinciding with the Christmas campaign.

    More information

First International Conference on Iconic Retail Establishments in European Cities

On 7 March 2023, Barcelona hosted the 1st International Conference on Iconic Retail Establishments in European Cities, with the aim of creating joint strategies to preserve Europe's commercial heritage. In the framework of this event, the cities of Barcelona, Paris, Rome and Lisbon will sign the Barcelona’s Declaration on the preservation and the promotion of iconic commercial establishments. The document, which is to be sent to the MEP Marcos Ros, calls for the promotion of a municipal alliance for the preservation and protection of these types of establishments through shared governance led by local governments.

The event was attended by leading national and international speakers in the field, as well as the institutional participation of the European Parliament. Moreover, attendees were able to visit an exhibition on iconic establishments; discover the conclusions of the report of the European working group on European cities and trade, and learn about best practices cases being carried out in Barcelona, Rome, Lisbon and Paris with these types of businesses. The conference closed with a recognition of the figure of Maya Ruíz Picasso, who was closely linked with flagship commerce.

Galeria d'imatges

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