The Complete Guide to Sant Andreu de Palomar
There are neighbourhoods of Barcelona, and there are villages of Barcelona. Sant Andreu de Palomar belongs to the second category — a historic core with over a thousand years of documented history, in the city's District 9.
Walking along Carrer Gran, around Plaça del Mercadal or through the old town's side streets, you notice something hard to define but unmistakable: people know each other. Neighbours greet each other by name. Century-old shops coexist with new ones. The squares feel like real life, not a tourist postcard.
Sant Andreu de Palomar has over a thousand years of documented history. It was an independent village until 1897, when a decree annexed it to Barcelona against the will of its inhabitants. That moment was never forgotten. During the Festa Major on 30 November, inside the church a banner makes it clear: «SANT ANDREU NO ÉS BARCELONA».
This guide is for lifelong locals who want to know their neighbourhood better, for newcomers trying to understand where they've landed, and for anyone who believes Barcelona is much more than the Sagrada Família and Las Ramblas.
Sant Andreu at a glance
First mention: 992 · Area: 174 ha · Residents: ~55,000 · Forced annexation: 1897 · Associations: 267+
Location & boundaries
Historic core of the Sant Andreu District (no. 9). Bordered to the north by Montcada i Reixac, east by Meridiana, south by La Sagrera, and west by Riera d'Horta.
Getting there
Metro L1: Sant Andreu, Fabra i Puig. Metro L9/L10: Onze de Setembre. Commuter rail: Sant Andreu Arenal. Bus: H6, V23, 40, 62, 73, 192.
Main Festival
Around 30 November, feast of Saint Andrew the Apostle. The Esclat Andreuenc marks the start.
The District
Seven neighbourhoods: Sant Andreu de Palomar, La Sagrera, El Bon Pastor, Baró de Viver, Congrés i els Indians, Navas and La Trinitat Vella. HQ: Plaça d'Orfila, 1.
The name: "de Palomar", not "del Palomar"
The historically correct form is Sant Andreu de Palomar, without the article. It comes from the church of Sant Andreu (St Andrew) at the place called Palomar, documented in 992 and joined in a 1034 text. The common variant Sant Andreu del Palomar (with "del") is widespread, but would literally mean "St Andrew's dovecote". In Spanish: San Andrés de Palomar. Locals campaign for the official article-free name.
Explore the guide
The History of a thousand-year-old village
From 992 to the 1897 annexation, through the Reapers' War, the factories and Francoism. Everything Catalonia has lived through, Sant Andreu has too.
Heritage & architecture
Fabra i Coats, the modernist Farmàcia Guinart, Sert's Casa Bloc, Gaudí's mosaic at Sant Pacià. A neighbourhood full of gems.
Market & local shops
Carrer Gran, the deli with an 1843 cannonball lodged in its wall, the century-old haberdashery, Can Tur and La Maquinista. Neighbourhood commerce that endures.
Bars & restaurants
Bar Colòmbia (1913), Bar Versalles, La Rabassada and all the terraces along Rambla de Fabra i Puig. The andreuenc table culture.
Associations & community life
La Lira (1870), Ateneu Andreuenc (1885), the Fire-runners, the Giants, Esbart Maragall and 267 more groups. The neighbourhood that organises itself.
Sports & facilities
CN Sant Andreu with its 50m Olympic pool (1992 Games), handball, gymnastics and the new CEM La Sagrera under construction.
Parks, squares & public space
Plaça del Mercadal, Parc de la Pegaso on the old ENASA grounds, Jardins de Fabra i Coats and Passeig de Torras i Bages.
Culture, education & intellectual life
Biblioteca Ignasi Iglésias, the Fabra i Coats Arts Centre, SAT! theatre and L'Exprés de Sant Andreu. The neighbourhood that thinks.
Transport & mobility
Metro L1, L9 and L10 (Onze de Setembre), commuter rail Sant Andreu Arenal, TMB buses and Bicing. Excellent connectivity in northern Barcelona.
Essential neighbourhood services
CAP Sant Andreu clinic, the District headquarters, the OAC and all the service infrastructure of a 55,000-resident neighbourhood.
Unió Esportiva Sant Andreu
Founded 1909. From Camp Narcís Sala to Primera Federación, via Estopa and C. Tangana concerts. The "quadribarrats": yellow shirt with the four Catalan bars, always.
The 7 neighbourhoods of the District
La Sagrera and the AVE, Bon Pastor with its workers' housing, Baró de Viver, Congrés i els Indians, Navas and La Trinitat Vella. One district, seven realities.