Gothic District
By Advisor. Filed in Florida |
Barcelona has several fantastic neighbourhoods, but the oldest, with perhaps most beautiful for its architecture and history is the gothic quarter, or “Barri Gotic”. Barcelona was founded by the Romans atop the hill Mont Taber and was firstly called Barcino. Las Ramblas, that runs through the aged town, used to be a river, and the district which is now the Raval used to be countryside. Indeed the oldest church in Barcelona is in El Raval, Sant Pau del Camp (Saint Paul of the countryside).
Half way along the river that’s now Ramblas, stood the old city gates – made from Iron and with the watering troughs for the thirsty horses. This can still be seen today at Calle Portaferrissa (literally “Iron door”) one of the city’s main shopping streets. You can also get there with Bus Touristique Barcelone
The Gothic Quarter has some fantastic examples of Gothic architecture including the Santa Maria del Mar Cathedral, The Palau de la Generalitat with it’s impressive chapel of Sant Jordi, and of course the city’s main cathedral.
Many walking tours will take you along the old streets of the gothic quarter, where Roman ruins sit alongside brand new shops and some of the ideal and oldest restaurants in Barcelona. No visit to the gothic Neighborhood is complete without a tour into the Pla
