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

The medieval heart of the Old City, the Barri Gòtic is a spider’s web of narrow alleyways and secluded squares and the best introduction to the city, combined with a wander down La Rambla, frenetic and shamelessly commercial, but with a certain charm. For a taste of Barcelona’s more grandiose architecture, Plaça Sant Jaume is flanked by the Renaissance palace of the Generalitat (Catalan government) and the neo-classical façade of the Ajuntament (City Hall).

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Born & Sant Pere

The Born’s main artery, the Passeig del Born, is a former jousting ground and one of Barcelona’s prettiest boulevards, bookended by the magnificent wrought-iron 19th-century market building and the glorious 14th-century Santa Maria del Mar church. Highlights of the slightly scruffier Sant Pere are the swooping polychromatic roof of the Santa Caterina market, and the Modernista 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, brave 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 with the creation of the wide Rambla del Raval.

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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

In summer, the hill of Montjuïc 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

With the demolition of the medieval walls in 1854, the fields beyond the city became a blank canvas. The Eixample, with its grid layout, became a Modernista showcase, with buildings such as the Sagrada Família and Pedrera. Bisecting the area is the elegant Passeig de Gràcia; the area to its right is the fashionable Dreta, while to the left is the more down-at-heel Esquerra.

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Gràcia & other districts

Beyond the Eixample lies the low-rise barrio of Gràcia, an independent town that was swallowed up as the city spread but that 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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