What to see in the Gothic area in Barcelona

You have reached the oldest part of Barcelona. You can imagine there’s lot of interesting places here so sometimes it may be hard to know what to see in the Gothic area in Barcelona. No problem. That’s why we are here.

The musts

A normal tourist guide has no doubt about what to see in Gothic area. Here is a quick list:

• The Cathedral: A Gothic masterpiece with a neogothic façade, devoted to Santa Eulàlia.
• Plaça Sant Jaume: No other place in Catalonia holds so much political power: the town hall and the regional government one in front of another.
• Plaça del Rei: The king of the crown of Aragó had their palace here. It has attached the Palau del Virrei and Esglèsia del Rei: The tower of the Kings Palace, also called Mirador del Rei Martí is especially beautiful.
• Plaça Reial: Not to be confused with Plaça del Rei, this one is broad with modernist buildings all around. Some scenes in the movie ‘The Perfume’ were shot here.

At Discover Walks we want you to experience what others just see. We like to bring you beyond the obvious. Here we go, then!

El Call: the medieval guetto of Barcelona

For some people, it is hard to regard the medieval Jewish neighborhood as something interesting. But for me it is one of the most interesting places to see in the Gothic area. Not easy to find, it’s narrow and dark streets hide lots of history. Between Plaça Sant Jaume and Las Ramblas, the Call hosts the former synagogue and some interesting places such as Satan’s Coffee Corner (perhaps the best coffee in town). Just in front of this bar, you’ll find one of MUHBA’s centers to let you know everything about this historic neighborhood.

Temple d’August

Literally on the backyard of the Palau de la Generalitat (through carrer Paradís) you’ll find a building that can be at the same time one of the oldest and most beautiful places in town. So, when asking what to see in Gothic area, the ruins of this ancient temple are a must. However, there’s only those columns on the picture to see: just the front side of a former temple devoted to the roman emperor in a little Mediterranean roman city called Barcino. For me it’s almost unbelievable that these columns have survived in that oasis of peace in the city centre for almost 2000 years.

A museum about the future

I suppose you didn’t expect a museum about invention, creativity and futurology in the medieval heart of Barcelona. We are full of surprises, you see. The point is that, in my list of what to see in the Gothic area the MIBA always has it’s place. They curate good ideas from around the world and feature them, independently if they are prototypes, real inventions or just drafts. They host creativity workshops (also for children) and have an amazing shop with cool gadgets. It is placed at Carrer Ciutat 7. Get there by facing the town hall and taking the street to the left. The soul behind the MIBA is Pep Torres, a Barcelonian entrepreneur who created several mind blowing inventions that became viral before the word “viral” was in fashion.

I hope you found our list of ideas for what to see in Gothic area useful. Don’t hesitate to ask for more from one of our trained local guides!