Barri Gotic

The Barcelona Barri Gotic area is also known as the Gothic Quarter and is the area in which the old town of Barcelona is situated. The streets vary considerably in style but the old quarter is generally characterized by narrow cobbled streets with tall old buildings. It is Barcelona's oldest residential district is a maze of narrow streets that house some fantastic examples of Gothic architecture.

The old medieval quarter was built on the ruins of Roman Barcino. Bits and pieces of Barcino can still be found in the Barri - concrete Roman tombs, bits of Roman wall that have been patched over and over again through the centuries, the odd bits of architecture hiding in more "modern" buildings' basements. Also Picasso lived and worked in Barri Gotic from 1895 to 1904 and Joan Miró was born and lived here during his youth.

Barri Gotic is situated on the right hand side of the La Rambla as we look toward Placa de Catalunya. Although sunshine hardly gets here, it is one of the city's best places to stroll. In the Middle Ages, this neighborhood used to be encircled by the city walls. Big efforts are being made to prevent the deterioration of this quarter.

The center of the Barri is occupied by the cathedral and its square (the only sizable chunk of open space here). The cathedral was built in the 13th to 15th centuries (though the façade didn't get done until 1870). The façade was done from a 15th century design, but even so is not typical Barcelona High Gothic, but has the intricate spires of a more northerly medieval Gothic church. The cathedral is usually packed with tourists and vibrant with camera flashes. It's a wonder that anyone still comes in to worship. Stationed at various points around the cathedral are buskers - mostly classical guitarists, but also accordions, hammered dulcimers, balalaikas, and saxophones. In front of the cathedral there is a big square: "la Plaça de la Catedral", where every weekend "Sardana", a typical Catalan dance, concerts take place.

Many tourists prefer to stay somewhere along Las Ramblas, the main "vertical" street which runs alongside the Gothic Quarter from the Plaça de Catalunya all the way to the tower of Christopher Columbus at the beach. Some prefer to stay in Barcelona hotels the largely pedestrian, old Gothic Quarter itself while others prefer the more modern locations around the Placa Catalunya or in the Eixample district. Wherever you stay, most every place in Barcelona is accessible by their elaborate metro system.

Lots of trendy young designers have opened up outlets here over the last few years along with some classy (but generally not flashy) restaurants, and tapas bars that fill up with the city's youth most nights. Along with the Gothic buildings, you can see the most concentrated remains of the Roman period here, between Plaça de la Catedral and Plaça Sant Jaume. The old Roman walls still demarcate the boundary between this and its adjacent districts.

There are two outdoor cafes in this square. It's very relaxing to sit outside, have a coffee and just soak up the atmosphere. On many occasions there will be a street performer providing music or some other form of entertainment, all of which add to the atmosphere. This square often has street stalls set up by locals selling traditional Catalan craft work and on other occasions you'll find local artists displaying their artwork or a few that offer to draw your portrait. These stalls are normally set up on Saturdays and Sundays. Most of this area is pedestrianized and is free of traffic.

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