One of the most visited places in the city is the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. Made up of different neighborhoods, all of them keep its own identity among medieval streets and institutions of all kinds.
Emerging from the remains of the old Roman Barcino, medieval Barcelona promoted the construction of palaces and Gothic churches and the progressive disappearance of many of the Roman remains in the city.
Bordering a majestic Eixample, a cosmopolitan Raval and a very charming Born, the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona is known internationally.
Located in the city center, it invites the visitor to enjoy leisurely walks through a maze of tangled streets. A path going through the Gothic Quarter and whose route is only known by the visitor.
Plaza de Catalunya, starting point
The tour around the Gothic quarter starts in Avinguda de Portal de l’Àngel, next to Plaza Catalunya. Portal de l’Àngel is the most pricey street in Spain, with shops and landmark places as protagonists. One of them is ‘Els Quatre Gats‘, a Neogothic building that welcomed a great part of Catalan modernism and where artists such as Pablo Picasso exhibited their works.
Going down Portal de L’Àngel we will get to a small fork.
On one side we find Carrer de Portaferrissa, whose new and old trades take us to the Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi. Alongside this church, painters and craftsmen meet in a bohemian atmosphere reminiscent of the Parisian district of Montmartre. Next to the church, there is one of the sweetest streets of Barcelona: Carrer Petritxol, where all kinds of creations are possible.
On the other side, Carrer dels Arcs leads us to Plaça Nova where there stand two magnificent Romans ancient towers.
These remains are preserved as testimony to the glorious past of the city, taking us up to the founding of Roman Barcelona (1st century BC).
Surroundings of the Cathedral of Barcelona
Next to Plaça Nova, you can find the Barcelona Cathedral, one of the most famous sightseeing places. Inside there is a cloister, where 13 white geese live and commemorate the martyrdom lived by Santa Eulàlia at the hands of the Roman authorities when she was 13 years old.
In front of it there is the famous square Pla de la Seu, which shines with particular intensity in special festivities, including Christmas, on the occasion of the Fira de Santa Llúcia.
Beside the temple there is the Carrer Bisbe, a beautiful Gothic bridge connecting the Cathedral with Plaça Sant Jaume. Halfway between the alleys and hidden we may find the Plaça Sant Felip de Neri.
Despite its proximity to the tourist center of Barcelona, it is a place where time seems to be suspended. But it is also a place where history has left its mark in the Gothic Quarter. You just need to look at the shocking shrapnel marks left on the facade of the church during a bombing in the Spanish Civil War.
Plaza Sant Jaume, landmark
Going out the square, it also stands out les Cases dels Canonges, an ideal place to take some of the best pictures of city built in the 20th century.
At the intersection between Carrer del Bisbe and Carrer Ferran there is the Plaça Sant Jaume, the political center of the city of Barcelona. On either side of the square we find the Barcelona City Hall and the Palau de la Generalitat. This square is an ancient agora of the Roman Barcino and hosts many of the biggest parties of the city.
From this famous square or from the Cathedral it is possible to access another important place: Plaça del Rei a square having some of the most recognized medieval buildings of the Gothic Quarter, from Palau del Lloctinent to Mirador del Rei Martí, St. Agatha’s Chapel or the History Musem of Barcelona itself.
A few meters from Plaça del Rei there is the Museu Frederic Marès, located in the oldest part of the Palau Reial Major, old home of the counts of Barcelona.
Entering the Call Jueu
From Plaça Sant Jaume and Carrer Sant Honorat we access to a neighborhood with more than 600 years of history. It is the Call Jueu (Jewish Quarter) from which we still preserve some remains in a maze of alleyways evoking its historical past. Among all these streets, Carrer Sant Domènec stands out, being one of the main roads of that time.
Further down, way to the sea and next to Las Ramblas, we find Plaça Reial. This symbolic square stands out for its fountain and palm trees during the day and for its restaurants and trendy bars at night. A meeting point for locals and visitors from all around the world.
Surrounded by Via Laietana and Las Ramblas, you will find the historical Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. Endless alleyways that, touched by the Roman Empire, the medieval city and the current metropolis, invites the visitor to get lost and rediscover history.
