Barcelona area guide

Most visitors to Barcelona head first to the Old City (Ciutat Vella), a maze of meandering streets, alleys and squares, where Gothic churches nestle next to lofty palaces, and ancient fountains trickle in quiet plaças. Beyond lie the architectural glories of Gaudí and the Modernistas, the long stretch of beach, the hills of Montjuïc and Tibidabo, and parts of the city with a wholly different feel, untouched by the hand of tourism.

Barri Gòtic

Combined with a wander down frenetic, commercial La Rambla, a stroll through the narrow alleyways and secluded squares of the Old City is the best possible introduction to Barcelona and the starting point for most visitors upon their arrival in the city. For a taste of the town's more grandiose architecture, Plaça Sant Jaume is flanked by two government buildings, the Renaissance Palau de la Generalitat and the neo-classical façade of the Ajuntament.

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Born & Sant Pere

The Born and Sant Pere are two districts divided by C/Princesa. The pedestrianised Passeig del Born, the Born's main artery, is one of Barcelona's prettiest thoroughfares, bookended by a magnificent 19th-century market building and a glorious 14th-century church. Highlights of the slightly scruffier Sant Pere include Domènech i Montaner's magical Palau de la Música.

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Raval

Once a no-go area for tourists, the Raval is being transformed. Some of its gems have been around for years – Gaudí's medievalist Palau Güell was an early attempt at gentrification. But others are newer: the revival began in 1995 with Richard Meier's monumental MACBA, housing the city's main collection of modern art, and carried on in 2008 with the futuristic Barceló hotel.

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Barceloneta & the ports

The city's seafront was ignored until 1992, when it underwent a massive transformation for the Olympics. Despite initial resistance, it was wildly successful: the city now has seven kilometres of golden sands from the bustling Port Vell to the upscale Port Olímpic and beyond. Inevitably, this is also where you'll find some of the city's best seafood restaurants.

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Montjuïc

It's often left off visitors' itineraries, but the hill of Montjuïc merits a wander. In summer, the hill is a few degrees cooler than the city below, and its many parks and gardens are excellent places for a shady picnic. There are also museums: the Fundació Joan Miró is as impressive for its Corbusier-influenced building as its collection.

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Eixample

Leaving the Old City and entering the Eixample (literally, 'Expansion'), narrow, labyrinthine streets and alleys become broad, traffic-clogged, geometrically precise roads. The area is a Modernista showcase: its buildings include the Sagrada Família, La Pedrera and the Hospital de Sant Pau.

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Gràcia & other districts

Beyond the Eixample lies the low-rise barrio of Gràcia. Like workaday Sants and well-heeled Sarrià, it was an independent town that was swallowed up as the city spread, but it retains its own identity. Other notable areas outside the centre include the forested Collserola hills and, to the north, the former industrial neighbourhood of Poblenou.

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