A Visit to Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter

When most people think of Barcelona, Spain they think of Gaudi’s architectural wonders, such as the beautiful Sagrada Familia. However, the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona deserves your attention too. Here are just a few highlights.

The streets of the Gothic Quarter are fun to wander, there is something of interest around each corner.

Barcelona’s Gothic Cathedral (La Seu)

The 14th-century cathedral is beautiful and worth a visit – check out the main interior (nave), choir, side chapels, crypts, cloister, and chapter house. You can also do a rooftop walk of the Cathedral for a great view overlooking the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona. There was some restoration work going on while we were visiting the Cathedral.

The main facade of Barcelona’s Gothic Cathedral.
Above – interior views of Barcelona’s Cathedral, including the nave and beautifully painted choir stalls.

Left – Crypt of Saint Eulalia, Barcelona’s patron saint, constructed at the start of the 14th century. Right – the beautiful and peaceful cloister.

Palau Reial Major

The 14th-century Royal Palace in the Gothic Quarter is right next to the Cathedral. It houses some interesting displays and provides a great overview of the history of Barcelona.

Exterior view of Palau Reial Major. It is now a museum.
A two-headed calf in the museum and various displays of Catalan history at the Palau Reial Major.

Barcino – The Roman City

Right underneath your feet in the Gothic Quarter are the partially excavated ruins of Barcino, the 1st century B.C. Roman settlement on which modern Barcelona was built. The Barcelona History Museum has done an excellent job creating displays and building walkways over the old streets, houses, and craft shops of Barcino, now all underground. The explanatory signs are in English as well as other languages and are very informative. Wine making and fish processing were important industries in Barcino.

A 3rd-century salted fish tank – alternate layers of chopped fish and salt were left to marinate in these tanks for 20 days – yum!
Wine vats in Barcino.
Other views of Roman Barcino. On the right is an ancient baptismal font.

Other Sights Near the Gothic Quarter

Just down the street (Via Laietana) from the Gothic Quarter is the harbor waterfront (Marina Port Vell) of Barcelona, with a large plaza (Plaça de Correus), numerous cafes, walking paths and gorgeous yachts everywhere. Marina Port Vell calls itself “the premier superyacht marina in Barcelona” and they aren’t kidding!

Robyn in front of Plaça de Correus.
A couple of the amazing yachts at Marina Port Vell. I’d really like to cruise the Mediterranean Sea in one of these!

Las Ramblas is the main pedestrian thoroughfare in downtown Barcelona. Great for people watching, viewing architectural points of interest and grabbing a meal. We made our tour reservations to visit Montserrat Monastery (outside of Barcelona) at a tourist information booth on Las Ramblas.

Everywhere you turn there is interesting architecture to be seen in Barcelona. These images are of the exterior of Palau de la Musica Catalana.

Note: We spent a full half-day in the Gothic Quarter after arriving on a morning flight from Menorca. Our second day was spent touring the Gaudi sights, and our third day was spent visiting Montserrat Monastery. It was a perfect 3 days in Barcelona! We stayed in Casa Mathilda right in the heart of Barcelona, an excellent small hotel within walking distance of many sights and the metro (subway) system.

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