The Barri Gòtic, the Gothic Quarter, is Barcelona's oldest core, between the Rambla, Via Laietana, plaça de Catalunya and the sea. The Roman colony of Barcino stood here, and in the Middle Ages it was the city's political and religious heart. It is a maze of narrow lanes, arches, stone palaces, squares and courtyards, where getting lost is the best way to explore. It is part of the Barcelona guide.
The cathedral
The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia was built between the late 13th and 15th centuries, but the great neo-Gothic façade was completed only in the late 19th century. The three-aisled interior holds the wooden choir with the coats of arms of the Knights of the Golden Fleece and, in the crypt, the tomb of St Eulalia, the city's patron saint, a Roman martyr. The cloister, with palms, magnolias and a fountain, is home to thirteen white geese, one for each year of the young saint's life. A ticket takes you up to the roof for views of the bell towers and the district's rooftops. In front of the cathedral on Sunday mornings people dance the sardana.
Roman Barcino
Traces of Barcino surface everywhere: stretches of the 3rd-4th-century Roman walls with towers, visible in plaça Nova, along Via Laietana and in plaça de Ramon Berenguer; the columns of the Temple of Augustus, hidden in a courtyard on calle del Paradís; the city gates. The MUHBA, Barcelona History Museum, in plaça del Rei, lets you walk on walkways over four thousand square metres of Roman and Visigothic excavations: streets, shops, a laundry, a garum factory and an early Christian basilica.
Plaça del Rei
The district's most evocative ensemble: plaça del Rei is enclosed by the Palau Reial Major, palace of the Counts of Barcelona and Kings of Aragon, with the great Gothic Tinell hall, where tradition says Isabella and Ferdinand received Columbus on his return from his first voyage; by the chapel of Santa Àgata; and by King Martin's lookout tower. In summer the square hosts concerts.
Plaça de Sant Jaume
It was the Roman city's forum and is still the centre of power: facing each other are the Palau de la Generalitat, seat of the Catalan government, with its Gothic orange-tree courtyard, and the Casa de la Ciutat, the city hall, with the Saló de Cent where the Council of One Hundred met. The square is the stage for major festivals, demonstrations and the castells during La Mercè.
Hidden squares
- Plaça de Sant Felip Neri, a small, silent square with a fountain and the church façade scarred by shrapnel from the 1938 bombing that killed dozens, many of them children.
- Plaça del Pi and plaça de Sant Josep Oriol, around the Gothic church of Santa Maria del Pi with its great rose window, lively with artists and a weekend craft market.
- Plaça Reial, a large arcaded 19th-century square with palms and street lamps designed by the young Gaudí, full of bars and nightclubs.
El Call, the Jewish quarter
Around calle de Sant Domènec del Call lay the Call, the medieval Jewish quarter, one of Europe's most important, destroyed in a pogrom in 1391. You can visit a small ancient synagogue and the Call interpretation centre, and spot Hebrew inscriptions set into the buildings.
Museums and curiosities
- The Museu Frederic Marès, a sculptor's eclectic collection, with medieval sculpture and everyday objects.
- The Diocesan Museum and the Casa de l'Ardiaca, with its letterbox decorated with swallows and turtles designed by Domènech i Montaner.
- The Pont del Bisbe, the neo-Gothic bridge on calle del Bisbe, one of the city's most photographed spots.
- The Architects' Association building, with a frieze designed by Picasso.
- Historic shops selling candles, fans, hats and espadrilles.
Tips
- Visit early in the morning or in the evening, when the lanes are less crowded.
- The Gothic Quarter is one of the worst areas for pickpockets: backpack in front, phone in your pocket.
- To eat, avoid places with tourist menus around the cathedral and plaça Reial: look in the lanes towards the Born, across Via Laietana (see El Born).
- Many places to stay here are convenient but noisy: check soundproofing.
See also the Rambla and Barcelona neighbourhoods.