Few cities give off more aroma of basketball than Badalona, where all children dream of one day making it to the Joventut first team. The Palau Olímpic hosts the KO tournament for the first time in history.
Not in vain, the last time that this coquettish Catalan town had been the venue for the event dates back to the distant 1985 when the Olympic venue had not yet been built. On that occasion, the Cup was contested in the Pavilion of the Catalan Countries, then known as Pavelló Ausiàs March, and La Penya reached the final, clearly losing to Real Madrid.
“An injection of self-esteem and pride”, defined the mayor, Rubén Guijarro, in the summer of last year shortly after the ACB made official the designation of Badalona as the venue.
Everything indicates that this edition will be a resounding success, taking into account how green and black fans live the sport of the basket or also Baskonia fans’ hunger for the Cupwho have not enjoyed this uniquely charming competition on the spot since the 2018-19 season –the coronavirus pandemic and the sad absence last year in A Coruña due to Barça’s poor track record on the court– are to blame– and, for example, will reissue the famous kalejira this Saturday that unites the faithful of the remaining classified teams.
“We will be able to put aside worries, problems and the usual traffic of our day to day to try to celebrate and savor a few days in which the values of solidarity in sport must prevail”, Guijarro recently assured regarding the preparations for this Copa del Rey to leave an unbeatable taste in the mouth.
Despite the high prices set to witness the tournament in certain areas of the pavilion, the Badalona Olympic looks like presenting an unbeatable appearance from Thursday to Sunday. There will be four days not only to enjoy basketball at the highest level but also to participate in the countless activities that are organized in parallel to the matches.
Gastronomy and leisure
OPTIONS FOR ALL TASTES: RICES, MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE, TAPAS, WORLD CUISINES…
Both the center and the promenade have a wide gastronomic offer suitable for all budgets. From restaurants dedicated to rice dishes, such as Can Mario’s or El SotaventMediterranean cuisine, such as the Classual, Balsamic or the Mare del Tanoworld cuisines, Tariq or Baires or Caño 14, pizzerias like Miranapoli or Can Pizza or local tapas like La Guingueta or Lolin Café.
NIGHT LEISURE: SANTA MADRONA and CAN RIBÓ
The Santa Madrona area in the center and especially Can Ribó are the ones with the most nightlife on offer. In Can Ribó, in the far north of the city, you can find numerous bars and pubs with a varied musical offer. For the night of friday the 17th A special program dedicated to the Cup is being prepared in this area, with concerts, food trucks and entertainment both inside and outside the premises.
Route through Badalona: What to see?
FROM THE PALAU OLIMPIC TO THE CENTER
Two metro stops from the Olímpic, or about 15 minutes walking, we will arrive at the center of Badalona (metro Pompeu Fabra L2) in which the remains of the Roman past of the city stand out. You can visit the Badalona Museum, the House of the Dolphins and the Gardens of Quinto Licinio.
the historic center
The entire historic center is semi-pedestrian and connects to the waterfront. From the Town Square (City Hall) you can go down Carrer del Marcommercial hub of Badalona, and appreciate the modernist casa Pavillard or ca l’Amigó. Also noteworthy is the park Can Solei and Ca l’Arnús romantically inspired.
CROWN JEWEL
We are getting closer to the sea, jewel in the Badalonina crown. The seafront is divided into two zones. Going down Carrer del Mar to the left, it is known as La Rambla and it is the promenade area par excellence, full of cocktail bars and terraces.
On the seafront, the Pont del Petroli and the modernist Anís el Mono factory stand outIts interior is highly recommended, as well as its beaches, which although at this time of year do not invite you to take a bath, the mild Mediterranean temperatures will allow you to enjoy the wide gastronomic offer that the promenade offers on its terraces. And don’t forget to take a photo with the monkey statue.
WALKS
If you come wanting to take a morning walk, you can enjoy the Serralada de la Marina and visit the gothic monastery of Sant Jeroni de la Murtra or the Iberian town of Turó d’en Boscafrom the 4th century BC
Practical data
- Headquarters. Badalona is a city of approximately 225,000 inhabitants located north of Barcelona.
- The pavilion. The tournament will be held at the Palau Municipal d’Esports, better known as Palau Olímpic since it hosted the basketball competition of the 1992 Olympic Games. It has a capacity for 12,500 spectators. It is located next to the Gorg metro stop (L2) and can also be reached by numerous bus lines.
- Fanzone. It is located in Plaça President Tarradellas and Rambla del Gorg (in front of the Palau Olímpic). It will open from Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m., with activities until 6 p.m. (6:30 p.m. on Sunday). The Food Trucks, bars and gastronomic spaces will also open between matches and after the matches. For its part, in the Plaça de Pompeu Fabra there will be an exhibition of ACB historical photos in the center of Badalona, along with a 3×3 children’s tournament and other activities and exhibitions.
- Hobby meeting. On Saturday 18 from 11:30 a.m. The tour will begin in the Rambla del Gorg. At the end, there will be an exhibition of the Castellers de Badalona.
- Hours of entertainment venues. From the City Council, the hours of leisure and restaurant venues have been extended. The Badalona City Council has organized a big party on the night from Friday to Saturday (0:00 to 04:00) in the Can Ribó industrial estate, where the main nightclubs in the city are.
