BARCELONA MEDIEVAL: GOTHIC QUARTER

El Gòtic ('Gothic Quarter' in Catalan; Spanish: Barrio Gótico), also known as Barri Gòtic, is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. The Barri Gòtic, in my opinion the most charming area in Barcelona, retains a labyrinthine street plan, with many small streets opening out into squares. Most of the quarter is closed to regular traffic although open to service vehicles and taxis.

Despite several changes undergone in the 19th and early 20th century, many of the buildings date from Medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. El Call, the medieval Jewish quarter, is located within this area too.

Route I recommend through the Gothic Quarter:


1- El Portal de L'Angel and Restaurant "Els 4 gats"
2- Santa Anna Church
3- Plaça del Pi and Santa Maria del Pi
4- Aqueduct and Gate of the Roman City
5- Cathedral of Barcelona 
6- Casa de l'Ardiaca
7- Casa Canonges
8- Sant Felip Neri Square and Church
9- Plaça del Rei
10- Plaça de Sant Just and Sant Just i Pastor church
11- Plaça Sant Jaume
12- Palau de la Generalitat
13- Ajuntament (City Hall)
14- Plaça Reial
15- Church of Santa Maria del Mar

This route can begin walking along Portal de l'Angel Street (near La Plaça de Catalunya).

Portal De L'Angel

This point in the middle of Portal del Angel is only fifty meters far from the Catalonia Square and the Passeig de Gràcia. Together with the Passeig the Gràcia and Pelayo Street, Portal del Angel is one of the most crowded streets in Barcelona and an ideal place for shopping inside the Gothic Quarter

Two Restaurants in Gothic Quarter

Els Quatre Gats is a modernist restaurant located in the Gothic quarter, near El Portat del Angel


Amargòs Street is one of the typical streets of the Gothic quarter. At the end of this street there is an excellent restaurant where the meal is always delicious. Its name is Mercé i Vins and the address: C/ Amargòs 1

Santa Anna Gothic Church

Cloister of the lovely Santa Anna Gothic church, in Santa Anna Street

Roman City

Aqueduct and Gate of the Roman City inside the Gothic Quarter

Cathedral

One of the bell towers of Barcelona Cathedral, built in gothic style

The altar of Barcelona Cathedral



Gothic Cloister of Barcelona Cathedral

Casa de l'Ardiaca

Casa de l'Ardiaca is a gothic house built on the Barcelona City wall

Carrer del Bisbe

Carrer del Bisbe is a street which leads you from the Cathedral to the St Jaume square, where the City Hall is

Casa dels Canonges

Casa Canonges is a beautiful gothic building near Barcelona Cathedral

Sant Felip Neri Square and Church

Sant Felip Neri is a lovely place in the Gothic Quarter

Main facade of Sant Felip Neri church

Call Jueu (Jewish Quarter)

Intersection of Sant Domènec del Call and Marlet, in the heart of the jewish quarter

Plaça del Rei

Plaça del Rei square, located next to Barcelona Cathedral, is one of the more beautiful places inside the Gothic quarter

Santa Ágata chapel is one of the gothic buildings you can see at Plaça del Rei

Santa Maria del Pi

Plaça del Pi and the gothic church of Santa Maria del Pi


Main entrance to Santa Maria del Pi gothic church



Inside the gothic church of Santa Maria del Pi, this is the view of the altar

Sant Just i Pastor Church and Square

Sant Just i Pastor main facade inside the Barcelona Gothic Quarter


Inside Sant Just i Pastor church, another nice gothic religious building in Barcelona

In front of the church, Sant Just square is another lovely place of the Barcelona Gothic Quarter

Palau de la Generalitat and Plaça Sant Jaume

Sant Jaume Square with the Palau de la Generalitat on the left

Generalitat Palace at Sant Jaume Square

Barcelona City Hall and Sant Jaume Square

Barcelona City Hall


El Saló de Cent inside the City Hall of Barcelona

Plaça Reial

La Plaça Reial is one of the more lively places inside the Gothic Quarter

Santa Maria del Mar

Church of Sta Maria del Mar, probably the most impressive and beautiful gothic church of Barcelona. Its construction is described in the best seller The Cathedral of the Sea (Ildefonso Falcones)

Inside Santa Maria del Mar church is really easy to realize the beauty of this gothic church

Santa Maria del Mar is a Gothic church but it doesn't belongs actually to the Gothic Quarter. It really belongs to the Born district, an animated quarter and an ideal place to have fun. I will shown some pictures of the Born in the next Post.

I hope you enjoyed this route. Other interesting routes in Barcelona are:

• El Raval
• Modernism Route
• Montjuïc route
• A walk along the Marina and Beach of Barcelona
• Vila de Gràcia Route

Besides, clicking on the next link you will find links to more beautiful and interesting places in Barcelona.

BARCELONA: OLYMPIC VILLAGE AND BEACH

The Olympic Village is located near the beach and you can find it from every corner of Barcelona thanks to the Twin Towers, which has become a reference of the city since the Olympic Games in 1992. Next to these towers is the Olympic Marina, an interesting startpoint of a walk along the Barcelona promenade.

The two towers of the Olympic Village from the Alcaide viewpoint in Montjuïc

In the middle of the image, the Columbus column and, in the background, the two towers of the Olympic Village from the Miramar viewpoint in Montjuïc

The two towers of the Olympic Village view from Marina Avenue


A closer view of the twin towers, the Mapfre tower and El Hotel Arts, which changed the skyline of Barcelona



The twin towers from La Barceloneta, one of the most lively districts in Barcelona

Barcelona beach with the two skycrapers built for the Olympic Games in the background

Barceloneta beach

View of the Barcelona seafront from the top of the Mapfre Tower

View of the Barcelona Olympic Marina from the Mapfre Tower

- How to get the Olympic Marina:

• Metro L4, stop Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica.
• Bus 10, 36, 45, 57, 59, 71 and 92.
• Tram T4, stop Ciutadella-Vila Olímpica.
• Barcelona Bus Turístic, stop Port Olímpic. 

Finally, clicking on the next link you will find links to more beautiful places of Barcelona.

CATALONIA: BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES AND PLACES (II)

In this post I will show you some of the most beautiful cities, villages and places of Catalunya I visited until now. You will find more pictures and information clicking on the links below.

Barcelona

• Rupit
• Pantà de Sau
• Tavertet
• Castelldefels
• Sitges

Lleida

• Aigüestortes National Park
• Romanesque churches of La Vall de Boí

Girona

• Girona
• Vall de Camprodon
• Ripoll
• Tossa de Mar
• Olot-Vall de'n Bas
• Besalú

Rupit

Overview of the charming medieval village of Rupit

Pantà de Sau

View of The Pantà de Sau (Sau reservoir) from Tavertet

Tavertet

Typical stone house in Tavertet

Castelldefels

Castelldefels beach is almost 5km long. On de right, the marina of Port Ginesta

Sitges

Beach of Sitges with the palms of the promenade and the romanic church in the background

Sunset from the romanic church of Sitges

Girona

Cathedral of Girona from the city walls

Cathedral of Girona from one of the bridges over the Onyar river

Aigüestortes National Park

A snowcapped mountain in Aigüestortes

Under a lovely day, the landscape looked even more fascinating

A wooden bridge over one of the brooks of Aigüestortes

A beautiful snow-covered landscape in Aigüestortes

Another brook in Aigüestortes. The murmur of the fresh water was really pleasing

View of The Estany Long (Long lake), the end point of our day trip

Vall de Boí

Overview of the valley from the village of Boí with a snowcapped mountain on the horizon

Sant Climent de Taüll, one of the most charming churches of Catalonia

Santa Maria de Taüll, another nice romanic church

Santa Maria d'Erill la Vall has one of the higher bell tower of the romanic churches of the valley

Camprodon

Pont nou de Camprodon, a stone bridge over the Ter river

Setcases (Camprodon Valley)

Typical stone houses of Setcases, a lovely village of Camprodon Valley

Ripoll

Santa Maria de Ripoll monastery is really well-preserved

Church of Santa Maria de Ripoll monastery

Cloister of the monastery

Tossa de Mar

Overview of Tossa de Mar from the Ronda Way (Camí de Ronda). On the left, the old city with the walls and the castle

La Garrotxa - Olot

The gorg of Sant Aniol d'Aguja

Gorge of Moli de Murris, one of the most beautiful (even almost heavenly) places I saw in La Garrotxa

Besalú

Bridge of Besalu, one of the most beautiful medieval villages of Catalonia