Barcelona neighborhood
Barcelona consists of 11 districts (barrios). This guide is concentrated on Ciutat Vella (Old City) where most tourists stay and spend their time in Barcelona.
Ciutat Vella (Old town)

Ciutat Vella (Old town) is the historical centre of Barcelona and is divided in 4 quarters:

Ciutat Vella the most visited neighborhood in Barcelona. Astonishing architecture, narrow and picturesque streets, bars, restaurants and cafes, fashionable boutiques, vibrant nightlife insure an unforgettable experience.

Famous Las Ramblas is in the heart of Ciutat Vella between Raval and Gotico.

All HiBCN apartments are located within the walls of Ciutat Vella. If doesn’t matter which HiBCN apartment you choose, you are guaranteed to be in the center of it all.

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Gotico is the historical centre and the oldest part of Barcelona. It is still centre of the political life in Barcelona and Cataluña. The Gothic Quertar is a wonderful place to spend time with all of its narrow streets and squares full of stores, street-cafés, terraces, bars and restaurants.

Picasso lived and worked in Barri Gotic, Joan Miró was born and few up here.

Points of interest in Gotico

  • Cathedral
  • Church of Santa Maria del Pi
  • Plaza del Rei, Plaza Real and plaza del Pi
  • La Plaza Sant Jaume (City hall, Government of Catalunya).

Location

  • Gotico is situated on the east side of the Las Ramblas

Born is the most fashionable and bohemian district in the Barcelona. It is a picturesque and cultural part of the city with a vibrant café culture and bar scene. Although it is modern it’s still the very authentic part of old Barcelona. Much of the beautiful gothic architecture in Barcelona can be found here.

Walk around the little streets around the Cathedral and breathe the old Barcelona. Discover the antique dealers and the trendiest young designers, great boutiques and shoe shops. Las Ramblas, the beach and the very centre of the city is pleasant 10 minute walk away. You can have both: a beach vacation and a vibrant city adventure at the same time. El Born is perfect for families as well as tourists. Noise is not as bad as in the very centre of town.

Points of interest in Born

  • Church of Santa Maria del Mar, one of the most impressive examples of the Catalan gothic architecture
    Behind the church starts the
  • Montcada Street with old palaces, museums (Picasso Museum, Museum of Textile, etc.).
  • Palau de la Música, an extravagant mixture of sculpture, mosaic, glass and tile
  • Passeig de Born, trendy bars and boutiques, numerous fountains, young fashionable crowd
  • Parc Ciutadella, relaxing park and the Barcelona zoo

Location

  • East part of Ciutat Villa (the north-east side of the busy street Via Laietana)
  • On the north-west of Barceloneta
  • 10-minute walk away from both Las Ramblas and the beach
  • Metro: Barceloneta and Jaume

Barceloneta is a beach front district of Barcelona and the smallest of the 4 quarters of Ciutat Vella. The neighborhood has many old charming houses, bars and open-air restaurants. In the narrow streets of Barceloneta you will find typical restaurants and bars with excellent fish and seafood. Barceloneta is a beach area. The beaches of Barceloneta are crowded with both tourists and locals.

Along the beachfront you can find almost anything for sale. If you go looking for an ice cream or a beer you can easily end up with a bag, sunglasses or a scarf.

Point of Interest:

  • Wonderful beaches of Barceloneta

Location

  • Next to the beaches of Barcelona
  • On the south side of El Borne
  • West of Las Ramblas

La Rambla (Las Ramblas) is the most well-known street in Barcelona, a big landmark in Barcelona and everyone ends up walking along and exploring this beautiful area. The wide boulevard connects the Plaça de Catalunya, a busy square, to the Monument a Colon, a tall column erected in honor of Christopher Columbus. The crowded street is popular with tourists and locals alike. The middle part of the Rambla is a pedestrian street and it’s bordered by trees. Restaurants with outside seating’s, kiosks, flower stalls and street artists are in abundance here. Las Ramblas is often the first place tourists find. It is the central boulevard of Barcelona which cuts through the heart of the city centre. The Boqueria market is on this part of Las Ramblas and it’s a wonderful place to get acquainted with local food and cuisine. Famous Liceu Opera House is located on Las Ramblas.

Las Ramblas is the busiest from 10 in the morning and forward. There are attractions and activities for all types of people here day and night.

Location

  • In the heart of Ciutat Vella (Old town) between Raval and Gotico (Barri Gotic)
  • Las Ramblas in Barcelona is approximately 1.2 kilometers long.
  • Port Vell (near the cruise port terminal) at the Southern end and Placa Catalunya at the northern end.

The Raval (Chinese Quarter) is the bohemian quarter of the city. Many artist, intellectuals, transvestites and prostitutes live here. Today is the most multicultural quarter of Barcelona, with food from all over the world, modern bars, stores and restaurants.

Point of Interest:

  • MACBA museum (Museum of Contemporary Art)
  • CCCB (The Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona)

Location

  • On the west side of Las Ramblas
  • On the west side of Gotico
Other Districts (Barrios) of Barcelona
Gràcia

The Gracia is a district of small businesses and craftsmen. Gràcia district is full of narrow streets and small squares. There are a lot of restaurants which offer all type of food, from Catalan kitchen to the most exotic dishes. The famous street festival Fiesta de Gràcia, celebrated on 2nd and 3rd week in August, is one of the most known festivities in Barcelona.

Eixample

Eixample (“El Ensanche”) is the geographic centre of Barcelona. Designed and built in the nineteenth century by the pioneering Catalan engineer Ildefons Cerdà, Eixample is a wonderful neighborhood which gives Barcelona a lot of its personality. Also know as Gold Square (Cuadrado de Oro) it contains the greatest amount of modernist buildings of the city of Barcelona.

Today, Eixample is the most important business, economical and shopping district of Barcelona.
Passeig de Gracia, which starts at Plaça Catalunya, is the heart of Eixample and the line that cuts the area into two from "Eixample left" and "Eixample right". It is the most elegant street in Barcelona. You can find Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Armani as well as La Pedrera and Casa Batllo, two of Gaudi´s characteristically dreamlike buildings.

  • Eixample Dreta (right side – containing Gaudí´s renowned Sagrada Família
  • Eixample Esquerra (left side – connecting the Eixample area with the Sants-district).

The Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece and Barcelona's most important landmark as well as other Gaudi building are on the right side of Eixample.

Eixample is a residential part of the city with advance café culture and busy night life. Eixample is a beautiful barrio to wander round, take in the glorious architecture and people-watch from one of the many terrace cafes.

Sants-Fira

Sants is a quiet, residential area. It’s on the way to Plaça Espanya and Montjuic where there are attractions such as Poble Espanyol, the Magic Fountain and the Fira Barcelona. There are many restaurants here.

Montjuïc

This zone includes the commercial port, cruise ships. There are some interesting buildings such as the Palau Nacional Museum the start of Montjuic Hill. The Montjuïc area houses the Castell de Montjuïc. There are also the hill houses the Olympic Site of the Olympic Games of 1992, the Spanish Village (or “Poble Espanyol” in Catalan, a reconstruction of about 100 of the monuments and buildings that are most renowned in Spain), and the MNAC (Museu Nacional d´Art de Catalunya – the National Art Museum of Catalunya).

Sant Gervasi – Sarrià – Pedralbes

The Sarrià-Sant Gervasi is an affluent residential area with numerous parks and green zones, combined with prestigious educational and health centers. It is Barcelona’s main point of access to Collserola Park, the most important green area of the city. Today, Sarrià combines corners that are still reminiscent of tits former rural village status, especially around calle Major de Sarrià, with the city’s modern areas and the wide arteries.

Villa Olímpica

The Vila Olímpica is one of the most modern and architecturally ambitious sections of Barcelona. Facing the sea is a long line of fine restaurants, bars, cafés and stores. Many nicest residential properties in the city are located here.

Diagonal Mar

Recently developed Diagonal Mar is a vibrant neighbourhood of high rise apartment blocks, commercial centres, parks and great beaches. Located on the north-eastern edge of the city, right in front of the Mediterranean coast, and with kilometres of open beaches, it’s the ideal place for lovers of the sea. There are also modern shopping centres with a wide variety of shops, and the public transport system, and wide avenues leading back into the city, give easy access to the centre, and just as easy access to leave.







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