Spain
BARCELONA
Overlooking the Mediterranean Sea the skyline of the modern city inevitably reflects the style of the present age with a 2,000 year old emphasis on architecture, history and religious heritage. April 23 is also the feast day of Catalonia’s patron saint, St. George.
The core of the city is the Gothic Quarter, between the Ramblas and the Via Laietana, it is a close-packed maze of narrow streets punctuated by magnificent medieval buildings. The cathedral, episcopal palace, and churches bear witness to Barcelona’s importance as a religious centre. The government buildings such as the Palace of the Generalitat, a 14th–15th-century building with Baroque and Neoclassical facades and the Royal Palac attest to the city’s importance as an administrative capital.
Panoramic views over the city of Barcelona from the terrace in front of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya towards Plaça d’Espanya.
Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina is an avenue in the Sants-Montjuïc district of Barcelona linking Plaça d’Espanya with Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya on Montjuïc hill. It is named after Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies, queen consort and regent of Spain.
MONTSERRAT Serrated Mountain
Travelling 60 kms through the Spanish countryside to the nearby mountains. Located in spectacular scenery the monastery is built into the mountainside and has been part of the 1000 years a Benedictine Community for almost 1000 years.
At the present time, the Benedictine community numbers 100 monks who devote themselves to prayer, work and welcome pilgrims.
FOODIES WALKING TOUR gastronomical & architectural experience
Our walking tour in the Ribera District, commonly known as ‘El Born’, was part of the city developed in the 15th Century and one of the closest to the waterfront.
Starting at the lively and vibrant Santa Caterina Market we continued exploring some of the amazing architecture and visited several historic and gourmet shops sampling local specialities including Jamon (dry-cured ham), sausages, nuts, olive oil, delicatessen stores and a trendy awarded patisserie.
Gothic Quarter, Barri Gòtic is so called because it used to be the Roman village and thus has some remnants of its glorious past. These days because of the constant modernisation it is easy to spot an ancient building right next to one built in the 90s. It is this mix of old and new that brings people from all over the world to stay in the Gothic Quarter.
A warren of narrow streets and alleys it is the oldest part of the city, and conceals many of Barcelona’s most impressive landmarks. From relics of the city’s ancient origins as the Roman city of Barcino to spectacular Gothic monuments and more.
CATEDRAL DE BARCELONA La Seu
In Barcelona’s so-called Gothic Quarter, also known as “La Seu” by locals, has a rich history dating back to the 13th century being built on the site of a Roman Temple and an early Christian basilica.
La Seu is a prime example of Catalan Gothic architecture with the soaring ceilings, ribbed arches, intricate carvings and a stunning cloister.
SANTA MARIA DEL MAR Cathedral of the Sea
A beautiful basilica located in the Ribera district of Barcelona, Spain. The construction began in 1329 and was completed in 1384. Its grand appearance reflects the wealth and power of the merchant and working classes of Barcelona during the Middle Ages.
One of the distinguishing features of Santa Maria del Mar is it’s lack of exterior decoration compared to other Gothic cathedrals. It is made out of Montjuïc stone, a local type of stone, and is elegant and simple, while still being imposing and impressive.
The Plaça Sant Jaume has been the city’s political centre almost since its inception. Today it is an open space, a “lung” in the middle of the Gothic Quarter. The square is the site of the most important buildings in the lives of Barcelona and Catalonia: City Hall and the Palau de la Generalitat.
PALACE of the GENERALITAT of CATALUNYA Government of Catalonia
An historic palace housing the offices of the Presidency of the Generalitat de Catalunya. It is one of the few buildings of medieval origin in Europe that still functions as a seat of government and houses the institution that originally built it.
BARCELONA CITY HALL Casa de la Ciudad
The headquarters of Barcelona City Council is located in the historic center of the city, in Plaça Sant Jaume, opposite the Palace of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
There is a façade that is an architectural blunder, it is in the arch that decorates the doorway at the top. The redesign of the arch that decorates the doorway at the top was due to the remodeling of Plaça de Sant Jaume in the 19th century, which forced the building to be moved back.
The romantic, slightly faded Plaça Sant Felip Neri is an unmissable corner of the Gothic Quarter. Presided over by the baroque church from which it takes its name, the square features a number of historic elements that make it particularly attractive, especially when you view it in silence.
PUERTA DEL BISBE Bishop’s Bridge
This stunning bridge spanning the Carrer del Bisbe is one of the most famous sights in Barcelona’s Gothic quarter. Despite appearances however, the elaborately sculpted bridge is actually less than a century old, designed in an eccentric neo-gothic key by Gaudí-follower Joan Rubió i Bellver as part of an ambitious plan to upgrade and revitalise the city’s Gothic quarter in time for the 1929 World’s Fair.
Dedicated to Ramón Berenguer III The Great, Count of Barcelona and Knight Templar. It is located in the homonymous square, on Via Laietana, behind the Cathedral. It was made by Josep Llimona i Bruguera in 1950; It is made of bronze and represents the Count riding his horse, erected on a stone pedestal with a rectangular base.
The arch was built in 1888 as the gateway to the Universal Exhibition which was hosted by Barcelona.
Standing at the end of the Saló de Sant Joan there are reliefs on one side symbolising agriculture and industry, and commerce and art on the other. At the top of the arch the shields of the 49 Spanish provinces are presided over by the coat of arms of the city of Barcelona.
Is a surrealist sculpture created by American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Its English title is The Head of Barcelona. The sculpture was Lichtenstein’s first outdoor work using ceramic tile. It is said to acknowledge Antoni Gaudí and Barcelona’s affinity for mosaics.
CASA MILA La Pedrera
Antoni Gaudí’s last civil work, which he started in 1906 and finished in 1912. This work is considered “modern” and was included in the World Heritage List in 1984. “La Pedrera” (stone quarry), refers to its external appearance, where stone has been used as a key material for the design of the façade and the balconies.
CASA BATLLO Gaudi’s Dragon House
Gaudi oriented himself very closely to nature and the legend of Saint George, the patron saint of Catalonia. The organic and playful shapes make visitors feel as if they are in a light-flooded, colorful fairytale house. One of Barcelona’s architectural jewels
BASICILA DE LA SAGRADA FAMILIA Holy Family
Works began in 1882 under the direction of Francesc de Paula Villar, who intended to give the building a neogothic style, however the differences between this architect and municipality let him to give up the project and he was then replaced by Gaudi.
The Basilica has 3 façades, one dedicated to Jesu’ Birth, the second to Jesus’ Passion and the. third one (not built yet) will evoke the. Glory of God. Once completed the building will be 18 towers more than 100 m high. The group of architects now working on the project pan to finish the works by 2026.
Gaudí’s style is characterised by the use of organic forms, intricate details, and a fusion of Gothic and Art Nouveau influences. He envisioned the Sagrada Familia as a spiritual masterpiece, a representation of the Holy Family of the Virgin Mary, Joseph, and Jesus (“Sagrada Familia” in Spanish), and a reflection of the natural world.
Sagrada Familia is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Curiosities about Sagrada Família in Barcelona
Gaudi was a Catalan architect, whose distinctive style is characterised by freedom of form, voluptuous color and texture, and organic unity. Much of his career was occupied with the construction of the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family (Sagrada Família), which was unfinished at his death in 1926.
The architectural work of Gaudí is remarkable for its range of forms, textures, and polychromy and for the free, expressive way in which these elements of his art seem to be composed.
10 Things to Do in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona
La Chinata has been producing extra virgin olive oil since 1932, originating from the Sierra de Gata region in Spain. They utilise modern milling and pressing techniques to ensure high-quality extra virgin olive oil. Beyond olive oil, La Chinata also produces gourmet and cosmetic products using extra virgin olive oil as a key ingredient.
Restaurant: Cal Blay in the village of Sant Sadumi d’Anoia
Restaurant: El Principal Barcelona
Luisa Mendoza’s visit to Barcelona in 2025 included one of Barcelona’s 7 oldest restaurants, ‘7 Portes’ where she enjoyed the black rice made with squid ink. When Luisa received her bill she learned that Catherine Deneuve had dined at her table.
The 7 Portes Restaruant is named quite simply after the seven doors which guard its entrance. When the 7 Portes first opened in the early 1900s it was a café, frequented by local politicians, artists and businessmen alike. By the 1960s it was regarded one of the best seafood and paella restaurants in El Born. 188 years of history support a natural, generous and up-to-date cuisine, based on local products and traditional Catalan and Mediterranean cuisine without giving up the contributions of international cuisine. The stylish dining room retains a certain retro glamour with its checkered tile floor and wood-panelled walls.
Therese O'Leary 