When tourists talk about “the bullring” in Barcelona, they are typically referring to Las Arenas, the former bullring on the Placa Espanya traffic circle that was redesigned into a circular shopping mall in 2011 by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. It offers an eclectic mix of chain stores and an upper deck with a nice view of the traffic circle, but it doesn’t offer much of an authentic experience, unless you really like round shopping malls.
But Las Arenas was not the only bullring in Barcelona. There is another, much-less-traveled arena that still carries the ambiance and style of a real bullring and it hosts a museum celebrating the gruesome sport’s history in Barcelona. The arena is also a spectacular example of 1900s design and craftsmanship, constructed at the time when modernisme was sweeping through the city.
