Barcelona Gothic Quarter 2024 Guide & Attractions

About Barcelona Gothic Centre

The Barcelona Gothic Quarter, El Gòtico or Barri Gòtic, is the medieval part of the old walled city of Barcelona and is the oldest part of the city dating to Roman and Medieval times. Barri Gòtic is full of gothic architecture. Along with El raval and El born it makes up a zone called cuitat Vella or Vella District. It is characterised by a labyrinth of narrow winding streets with atmospheric basement bars, great restaurants and shops and is a great place for walking tours. You can find many guided walking tours in this part of town or use my recommended route found below.

The centre piece of the Barcelona Barri Gòtic is the beautiful 13th Century gothic Cathedral of Barcelona, located in Pla de la Seu. Surrounding the cathedral are the Frederic Mares museum and the Barcelona Dioceses Museum. Plaça de la Seu contains sections of the Roman city wall with Casa de la Ardiaca, the Archdeacons house, today is the city historic archives and is built into the old roman city wall. This was one of four main portal gates into the roman city centre. Remains of the Roman water aqueduct can be found here also. Note that the aqueduct remains are a reproduction and not the original from Roman times. Nearby is

Plaça de Sant Felip Neri, a medieval square with civil war bomb scars and behind the cathedral in the old Jewish quarter of medieval Barcelona are four Roman columns of temple de Augusti from the Roman Forum that are over 2000 years old.

Traveling through Barri Gòtic towards the coast and port Vell, the next large public space is Plaça Sant Juame which houses governmental palaces of Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya and Ajuntament de Barcelona, casa de la cuitat, or city hall. Inside It has some medival rooms with stained glass windows. Near to this square is the famous Plaça del Rei who's surrounding buildings form part of the Barcelona City History Museum, the basement is a museum space of the preserved Roman city ruins.

From Plaça Sant Jaume to The Barcelona cathedral is perhaps one of Barcelona's most iconic streets, Calle del Bisbe which has a gothic bridge over the street, Pont del Bisbe, connecting Casa dels Canonges (Oficial residentcy of the President of Catalunya) to the Palau de la Generalitat (government palace building).

The next focal area in Barri Gòtic is Plaça del Pi and Plaza del Josep Oriel which surround the Santa Maria del Pi Basilica that offers complete tourist visits to the bell tower roof. Plaça del Pi hosts an artisan food market and Plaça del Josep Oriel is where the portrait artists congregate. In this square are multiple restaurants in medieval buildings with great outside teraza dining.

In Plaça Ramon Berenguer III you will find more of the Roman city wall which can be followed down towards the port which has another of the main gate houses, portal del mar and the Roman baths ruins in Carrer del Regomir.

Barri Gòtic is a good place to go shopping with Avenida Portal del Angel having the major global high street brands such as Zara, H&M, Massimo Dutti, Pull&Bear and many more. Within the many narrow streets of Barri Gòtic are small boutiques for hand crafted items and some high end antiques shops in the jewish quarter behind the Cathedral.

For a detailed breakdown of the tourist attractions in Barri Gòtic, click on any of the images below.

Happy Exploring!

Where to Eat Barcelona Gothic Centre

Barri Gòtic has an abundance of restaurants so I am only going to list places that I have dined at and highly recommend.

Near Barcelona Cathedral

• Bilbao Berria La Barra: Basque and Mediterranean fusion tapas. Vegan options available.
  Plaça Nova 3, 08002 Barcelona
• Taverna del Bisbe: Bistro with gold lights & colorful floor tiles, dishing up tapas & paella.
  Avenida de la Catedral 6, 08002 Barcelona
• Els Quatre Gats: Francisco Marti commissioned Josep Puig i Cadafalch to build a house for him on calle Montsio number 3 which is famous because Els Quatre Gats brewery opened on its ground floor in 1897. This area during the period of Catalan Modernism became a hangout for many artists such as Ramon Casas, Santiago Rusinol, Isidre Nonell, Isaac Albeniz, Enrique Granados, Pablo Picasso and Lluís Millet i Pagés. Today it is a world famous restaurant. Book in advance
  Carrer de Montsió 3, 08002 Barcelona
• Onofre: Local Catalan cuisine, Mediterranean syle food, Spanish wine bar.
  Carrer de les Magdalenes 19, 08002 Barcelona

Near Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi

At winter time around the festive period it is tradition to eat Xurro (fried savory dough sprinkled with sugar) dipped in a thick chocolate drink and it is near to Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi where you will find the oldest Xocolateria Xurreria cafés.

• La Pallaresa Xocolateria Xurreria: Crispy sugar-coated churros dipped in rich hot chocolate, plus coffee & pastries.
  Carrer de Petritxol 11 08002 Barcelona
• Granja Dulcinea: Chocolate shop.
  Carrer de Petritxol 11 08002 Barcelona
• Bar Mono Barcelona: Restaurant serving tapas & meat dishes in a modern space with warm vibe.
  Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol 4, 08002 Barcelona
• Taller de Tapas: Tapas bar and single plate meals with terrace dining.
  Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol 9, 08002 Barcelona
• Bar del Pi: historic 1920s decor breakfast & Tapas bar with terrace dining.
  Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol 1, 08002 Barcelona

Near Plaça de Sant Jaume

• El Paraigua: Ground floor tapas bar with secret intimate live music bar in the basement. Visit in the evening from 9pm onwards.
  Carrer del Pas de l'Ensenyança 2, 08002 Barcelona
• Avinyó 10: Grilled meat and fish, salads, tapas and pizza inside a modern restaurant with contemporary art. The entrance to the restaurant is down a gated aleyway.
  Carrer d'Avinyó 8, 08002 Barcelona
• La Cereria: Vegetarian restaurant burgers, salads and vegetarian tapas.
  Baixada de Sant Miquel 3, 08002 Barcelona

Documents for Barcelona Gothic Centre

Click on any one of the 5 PDFs to view in full screen and download.

Where to stay overnight in the Barcelona Gothic Quarter