Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TheBarriGòtic,orGothicQuarter,spreadseastfromtheRamblasandformsthevery
heart of the old town. Its buildings date principally from the fourteenth and fifteenth
centuries, when Barcelona reached the height of her medieval commercial prosperity,
andculminateintheextraordinaryGothiccathedralknownasLaSeu.Ittakesthebest
partofadaytoseeeverythinghere,withparticularhighlightsbeingtheRomanremains
at the Museu d'Història de Barcelona and the frankly unclassifiable collections of the
Museu Frederic Marès. There are also plenty of other quirks and diversions, from ex-
ploringtheoldJewishquartertotouringthegrandsalonsoftheAjuntament.Thatsaid,
sauntering through the narrow alleys, shopping for antiques, following the remains of
the Roman walls, or simply sitting at a café table in one of the lovely squares is just as
much an attraction.
The picture-postcard images of the Barri Gòtic are largely based on the streets north of c/de
Ferran and c/de Jaume I, where tourists throng the boutiques, bars, restaurants, museums and
galleries. South of here, from Plaça Reial and c/d'Avinyó to the harbour, the Barri Gòtic is
rather less gentrified and sometimes just plain run-down. There are no specific sights or mu-
seums in this section, though there are plenty of great shops, cafés, tapas bars and restaurants
- just take care at night in the poorly lit streets. For a walk through the neighbourhood, start
at
metros
Liceu (west), Jaume I (east) or Drassanes (south).
