THE BASICS to help you orienteer

THE OLD TOWN
Barcelona's old town, or Ciutat Vella, is the heart of the city. It's made up of many small neighbourhoods, full of old-world character, linked by narrow, winding streets. The old town has recently enjoyed an economic revival after many years of decline. Students, foreigners and artists have moved into the area, attracted by its sense of history and cosmopolitan feel, along with its trendy bars, concert halls and good restaurants.

Start your tour from Plaça Catalunya and take Les Rambles (or Las Ramblas in Spanish) towards the sea. On the right, you'll find Raval district with its museums, art galleries and notorious red-light area, Barri Xines. On your left, the medieval Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter) is home to the cathedral, peaceful Plaça del Pi, art galleries and lots of cafes serving delicious hot chocolate. If you go even further left, across busy Via Laietana, you'll come to Born market, in La Ribera district. This trendy neighbourhood is also home to the graceful Santa Maria del Mar Church and the impressive Museu Picasso.

THE GOTHIC QUARTER (Barri Gotic)
The beautiful neighbourhood known as the Gothic Quarter is so called because it used to be the Roman village and thus has some remnants of its glorious past. These days because of the constant modernization it is very possible to spot an ancient building right next to one built in the 90s. It is this mix of old and new that brings people from all over the world to stay in the Gothic Quarter.

The narrow, winding streets create quite a labyrinth and means that it may take a while to get your bearings. I recommend that you should always look up and around you or you may miss some of the best bits.

The Gothic quarter has many peaceful squares (placas) where you can relax and enjoy your surroundings. However one of the main attractions, right in the heart of the district is the huge Cathedral which has a stunning courtyard full of plants and oddly, geese.

You will be spoilt for choice of restaurants and bars, especially around Placa Reial which is always full day and night. The night-life in the Gothic Quarter is lively to say the least and you will always find somewhere to have a drink or a dance. Calle Ferran, which is just to one side of Placa Reial and leads up to Placa Sant Jaume with its imposing government buildings is also good for bars and cafes.

Shopping is also amazing in the Gothic Quarter, from the more commercial area of Calle Portal de L´Angel to all the little boutiques on Calle Avinyo. Make sure you walk around to experience all you can, the Gothic Quarter is perfect for that afternoon stroll. Carrer Petreixol, a small narrow street just off.....

There are metro stops on both sides of the Gothic Quarter, there are 3 on Las Ramblas which runs up one side of the area, and on the other is
Jaume 1. However you are in the centre of the city and many of the city’s attractions are a walk away.

At the top of Las Ramblas is Placa Catalunya from where you can go onto Psg de Gracia if your shopping tastes are slightly more designer orientated, or if you want to see Gaudi´s buildings.

El Raval is another interesting area worth a visit, you can get there by crossing Las Ramblas…go with caution…although it is becoming a “cool area to live”, it is also one of the more problematic ones due to the large number of immigrants in this area.
The Barri Gotic area is the first choice for many visitors to Barcelona. It is the cultural hub of the city and great for any type of traveller.

THE BORN
El Born, has been transformed almost overnight into the stylish, in-vogue heart of the city. Just imagine Soho, Covent Garden and Notting Hill all rolled into one. Small, intimate, friendly and funky, 'Born' (as those in the know call it) is where just about everything fashionable is happening now - in art, clothes design, interior decoration, smart restaurants, cool cocktail lounges, chic wine bars and hip dance clubs.

The heart and soul of this community is the wide open, tree-lined Passeig del Born. From the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries, this was pretty much the main square of Barcelona, the site of the city's public festivities, which included jousting tournaments, carnivals and even the burning of heretics during the Inquisition.

The Born has two distinct personalities, one daylight, the other nocturnal, the former geared up to shop till you drop, the latter dedicated to some serious partying. Here are a mixture of day and night locales, but just remember that to explore the neighbourhood's vibrant nightlife, you need to pace the evening well by not starting out too early. Most bars and restaurants do not even open till 9pm…and if you’ve come by metro, remember it shuts at midnight on weekdays..

THE EIXAMPLE (Dreta and esquerra, right and left)
When the old town became overpopulated in the mid-19th century, the city expanded inland, north of Plaça Catalunya. The streets of the new suburb, called L'Eixample, or the extension, were laid out in a grid pattern. Catalan modernista (Art Nouveau) architects designed a number of striking buildings in the area around Passeig de Gràcia and Rambla Catalunya.

You'll find the extraordinary Sagrada Familia on the right-hand side of Eixample if you're coming from the old town. This controversial church, unfinished because of the untimely death of its architect, Antoni Gaudí, in 1926, has become the city's most visited monument.

As Barcelona expanded further north, more new neighbourhoods were built. Villages were absorbed within the city boundaries giving rise to districts like the charming Gràcia, Les Corts, Sarrià and Hortà-Guinardò, up in the hills.

The working-class neighbourhood of Sants marks the city's southern boundary and has excellent public transport to the centre.

Green Areas: MONTJUIC hill, in the southwest of the city, offers many attractions including the Olympic stadium and other facilities used for the 1992 Olympic Games, along with the impressive Fundació Miró. The best way to get to the hill is to take the cable car from the nearby harbour.

Barcelona's other major green area is 550 meter Tibidabo hill to the northwest, with its panoramic views of the city, amusement park on the summit and Torre de Comunicaciones de Collserola (Collserola Communications Tower).

Both Montjüic and Tibidabo offer good sports facilities as well.

THE SEASIDE
The mild Mediterranean climate and calm seas mean you can sail and windsurf all year round from Port Olímpic (Olympic Port). Little boats (golondrinas) leaving from the harbour will take you on a sightseeing tour of the city's waterfront and nearby coastline. The fishing district of Barceloneta offers excellent seafood restaurants. Ultra-modern Maremagnum has busy bars with outdoor terraces, discos, shops and cinemas. You'll also find seedy open-air music bars in Port Olímpic in the summer. Half an hour's journey to the south, Sitges' pretty beaches attract a cosmopolitan crowd. For more peaceful surroundings, head north to one of Costa Brava's deserted coves.

GRACIA
The neighbourhood of Gracia is just one stop up from the top of Passeig de Gracia but it feels like a whole different world. Gracia was an independent town until the late 19th century and even now the community is small and tight. The people are exceedingly proud of their roots, they don’t say they come from Barcelona, they say Gracia.

The area is popular with artists and a generally bohemian crowd, it also has a high ethnic population and possibly the highest concentration of foreign restaurants in Barcelona. Placa de Sol is the most renowned area of the neighbourhood, it’s lined with terrace cafes and at night this is where the people convene to drink and be merry. However despite the trendy nature of Gracia it is also a very traditional barrio with a large elderly population which makes for an amusing and odd mix - and very entertaining people-watching!

Gracia is also well-known for it’s festival which is held for 5 days in August and sees the locals competing in street decoration (they take it very seriously!). The results are usually spectacular, and at night the festival comes alive with drinks stalls and stages of live music of every variety.
Fontana is the metro stop, and from there you can get into the centre of the city, Placa Catalunya in less than 10 minutes. Also near the metro stop is a cinema that plays films in their original language (version original).

The area is perfect for those who want something a little bit different, those who perhaps have been to Barcelona before and want a different tourist experience. Although really because central Barcelona is so easily accessible from Gracia it is suitable for everyone.
One of the best features of Gracia is that there are not so many tourists so you feel like you’ve discovered something a bit new and diverse.
Shopping is also good in Gracia, where new, arty boutiques stand next to traditional Spanish stores.

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