L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
Spain · Europe
About L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, often shortened to L'Hospitalet or just L'H, is a city and municipality in the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain. It is part of the Barcelona metropolitan area, the Barcelona province, the Barcelonès comarca and of the Barcelona conurbation. With a population of 282,299 as of 2024, it is the 15th-largest city in Spain and the 2nd-largest city in Catalonia.
By population, it is the second largest municipality in Catalonia and the sixteenth in Spain. It is one of the most densely populated cities in the European Union.
The name of L'Hospitalet (literally, 'the small hospital' in Catalan) makes reference to a hostel. The name of the river Llobregat is added to differentiate it from other towns with the same name.
The first records of the settlement date to the Neolithic era with artefacts showing human habitation in the Llobregat river area. Roman artefacts have been found dating to the 2nd century BC such as a funeral decoration representing the head of Medusa, now in the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia. However it is not until the...
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat travel guide
Understand
This town doesn’t have anything special. It doesn’t have its own identity and personality. When people in L’Hospitalet want to go shopping or have fun, they travel to Barcelona where they find the charm that you miss in l’Hospitalet. The weather here is good. L’Hospitalet is a Mediterranean town and its climate is wet and warm. It sometimes rains a few days, normally in the spring and in the autumn. The winter isn’t very cold and it hardly ever snows. The summer is sunny, but also very wet, so it feels hotter than it really is. People that don’t live in l’Hospitalet maybe know it for its big hospital Residencia de Bellvitge, and for its Hotel Hesperia Tower, a skyscraper. It’s 106 metres tall. At the top of this building there is a dome that looks like a flying saucer and where there is a luxury restaurant owned by Santi Santamaria. The menu costs about €100.
See
In the oldest quarter, Barri Centre, you can find the City Council and the biggest church of the town Sta Eulàlia de Mérida, built after the Civil War above the remains of the old Gothic church. The oldest street is Xipreret street. It’s a narrow street and it’s full of historical buildings, such as l’Harmonia (a renaissance building), the house with Gothic windows, la Talaia (a watchtower), or Ca n’Espanya, which is the museum of the city. Also across this street, there is other narrow street where you can find Can Sumarro, the town library.
Do
Around the Rambles, there is an area where people can find fun. The Rambles is great for walking around. There are a few outdoor bars and restaurants and at the weekend, people sit in the sun, to have some drink. Also in the Rambles there is the oldest cinema of the town, Rambles Cinema. On Tuesday evening it shows alternative films in thrir original version. There isn’t a city festival. Each neighbourhood has its own local festival (Sant Josep, Sant Joan, Mare de Déu de Bellvitge.) and the others festivals are the same as those in Barcelona.
Buy
Nearby the Rambles there is a big shopping center, La Farga Max Center. There are many well-known shops such as Berska, Spriendfield, Zara, and Mango, a multiplex cinema and a few restaurants (Mexican, Chinese, Japanese).
Drink & nightlife
At the end of Rambles there is a local disco Salamandra where almost every weekend you can listen to live music.
Sleep
Hotel Hesperia Tower, Gran Via 144, ☏ +34 93 413 50 00, fax: +34 934 135 010, [email protected]. Modern 5-star hotel designed by British architect Richard Rogers. This 105-meter high building is also host to the renowned restaurant Evo, run by chef Santí Santamaria.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.