Barcelona districts and neighborhoods
Barcelona area guide
Old City
Gothic District (Barri Gotic) is located in the very heart of Barcelona, to the north-east of La Rambla. The area used to be a Roman village, this is where the name of the district came from. Dark, winding streets built in 14-15 centuries now neighbour with the modern buildings built in the 90s.
Streets are narrow and so tangled, that it is easy to get lost here. The squares of the district are full of cafes and bars. But one of the main attractions of the 
area is a famous Catedral, one of the largest gothic buildings in Spain. Around the Cathedral you will see the remains of the ancient walls.
There is plenty of bars and restaurants, especially around the Placa Reial, a market square where the life of the district is concentrated. Barri Gotic lives both by day and night. During the daylight you can enjoy a wonderful shopping, from the commercial area on Calle Portal de L´Angel to the small private boutiques on Calle Avinyo. At night you will always find a place to sip on a drink, dance and make some new friends.
Barri Gotic is located in the center of the city, not far from the main central attractions.
On both sides of Barri Gotic there are the metro stations: 3 on Las Ramblas and one, Jaume 1, on the other side of the district.
Barri Gotic is a must for all the visitors of Barcelona.
El Raval is one of the most controversial and yet interesting districts of Barcelona.
It is located in the heart of the city, just minutes walk from the Gothic District, Eixample and Las Ramblas. The nearest metro stations are on Las Ramblas, which runs up along one side of El Raval.
El Raval is far not the safest and cleanest areas of Barcelona, but it has its own character, that attracts the visitors.
El Raval used to be very densely populated till the beginning of the 20th century, when the new quarter Eixample has been built. The Southern part of the El Raval, situated near the port used to be considered the city’s red-light district. However in the end of 20th century the area has been cleaned and regenerated, and became much safer and cleaner.
However you should not forget that even now El Raval has some place that are not quire safe by night.
So what is the appeal of El Raval? This is a vivid and lively district with a huge choice of bars, cafes and restaurants.
If you are an experienced traveller, I would not hesitate to recommend you this area, however if you feel uncomfortable meeting poverty, dirt and noise, this is not the right place for you.
The area has also become fashionable due to a wide variety of art studios and galleries, the imposing MACBA (museum of modern art) and CCCB, the exhibition centre.
You can also spend an afternoon shopping in the small private boutiques, selling clothes, that you can not find anywhere else.
Ribera/ El Born-is a district, stretching to the east from the Barri Gotic to Parc de la Ciutadella on the north-east, to Barceloneta on the south and to Via Lietana on north-west.
Nearest metro station: Jaume I, Arc de Triomf, Urquinaona, Ciutadella, Barceloneta
During the Middle Ages La Ribera was knows as a whelthiest neighborhood of Barcelona. Nowadays you could call it SoHo of the city. The main street of the district, Passeig del Born, is full of fashionable bars, boutiques and restaurants. Since the life of the disrict is concentrated around the main street, the district got the second name "El Born."
In La Ribera one of the most visited tourist attractions of Barcelona is located, Picasso Museum.
Barceloneta is a land running from the city center along the sealine. Fishermen were naturally the first to settle here.
Metro station - Barceloneta. 1 metro stop to the center of the city. Las Ramblas is just 15 minutes walk.
Originally a fishermen village, Barceloneta is now a cosmopolitan, tourist-driven district, that lives by day and night.
The beach is obviously the main attraction of Barceloneta in summer. It is absolutely packed by locals and tourists. Thanks to the people who sell everything from water to massages you could lie on the beach all day without moving. There are also beachside bars which play music and serve drinks and snacks.
It is no surprise that in Barceloneta you will find some of the best seafood in the city. You can choose between the restaurants offering an excellent seaview and the ones that are hidden furthet in the built up part of the area.
Barceloneta is a perfect place for the family holidays. Besides the beach, there is an Aquarium, the biggest in Europe and the IMAX.
Эшампле (Eixample)
Eixample district is a large area north spreading left of Placa Catalunya and right of Passeig de Gracia. In distinction from the Old City, streets in Eixample are wide, geometrically straight. It is difficult to get lost in Eixample since the streets are built by blocks.
This district includes the largest part of what is known as a heart of modern Barcelona. By the end of 19th century the district has been built over by the bourgeoisie and is now famous as the most beautiful architectural ensemble of the city.
Nowadays Eixample is famous for being home to the majority of Barcelona’s art nouveau masterpieces. Here are famous Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera by Gaudi and Hospital de San Pau.
The central street, Diagonal, cross the district diagonally. All other streets are designed as squares, crossing under the right corner.
Сантс-Монтжуик (Sants-Montjuic)
Montjuic means Jewish Mountain. The district has become popular due to its location. A spectacular view over the city opens from the hill where Montjuic is located. The medieval castle now houses a military museum which contains a good collection of guns, swords and uniforms
.
There are different ways how to get to Montjuic:
Metro station at the Placa Espanya is a perfect place if you wish to visit Palau Nacional. From the metro station Parallel to the castle goes a funicular. Besides you can take a cable car, that takes you from the Mirador and the castle all the way to Barceloneta.
At Montjuic you can see the following attractions:
-Palau Nacional, also known as MNAC, houses a museum with the largest collection of Catalan art in the world.
-Poble Espanyol. Poble Espanyol was created to illustrate the different styles used in the d
ifferent autonomies of Spain. There ar craft shops, such as glass-blowing that you can watch. The Poble Espanyol also houses many varied restaurants and cafes. At night you can also visit 2 nightclubs.
-In front of the Palau Nacional is another popular attraction that you can enjoy with all the family, Magic Fountain. The fountain lights up in different colours to a background of classic music.
Montjuic is definitely a place to visit for all Barcelona guests.
Poble Sec a barrio included in the district of Montjuic. This is a perfect place for those who are searching for the real Barcelona. This is a traditional, cosy neighbourhood with beautiful squares and open market.
Here you can take a walk on a sunny day, drop at one of the many cosy restaurants or small bars.
Thanks to its location, Poble Sec is an ideal place both for tourists and for business guests of Barcelona.
Just minutes walk away is the Plaza Espanya, famous fountains of Montjuc, and the Poble Espanyol - an outdoor open-air architectural museum, in which the architecture, style, and culture of various locations from around Spain were preserved.
Next to the Plaza Espanya are located a Palace of Congress and a Fira de Barcelona.
The area of Sants itself doesn’t offer many attractions but all the principal points of the city are easy to reach.
From Sants or Tarragona metro stops a train will take you into the centre of the city, to the famous pedestrian street Las Ramblas in only 10 minutes.
You can walk to gorgeous Placa Espanya and Montjuic with their famous attractions, such as the Montjuic, with their famous attractions, such as the Montjuic Castle and gardens, Poble Espanyol, the Magic Fountain.
In the other direction you can walk to Les Corts with Camp Nou, football museum and Barcelona FC ground.
In Sants you will find some of the hotels that accomodate business people of the next-door Les Corts, which is know as an important financial distric or participating at the conventions down at the Fira Convention centre in Placa Espanya.
The Barcelona Sants train station (Estacio de Sants) is the central point of the area. It is one Barcelona's largest and most well-connected stations with direct trains to the airport and cities on the coast.
There are many lovely restaurants and some nice bars in the area, as well as a wold famous club Space club.
In August Sants organises its own little festival. The streets then get decorated and everyone goes dancing at night with stall installed selling rum and coke!
From Les Corts district it takes you 15 minutes by metro to get to the center of Barcelona.
Nearest metro stations: Les Corts and Placa Del Centro. The central railway station Les Sants is just meters away. The trains leave from this station to the airport and to the cities on the coast.
Plaza Espanya and Montjuic are in a just 15 minutes walk. Historic district Eixample is in a 30 minutes walk, the Old City - in an hour walk.
Les Corts is considered a financial district of the city. And there is a lot of good hotels, some restaurants, bars and even a couple of clubs. The most popular of them, Elefant, is a fashionable and expensive place where you have to dress smart.
The main attractions of Les Corts is a famous football field Camp Nou. It is a must for every single football fan to visit Camp Nou.
Sarria-Sant Gervasi
Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, one of the biggest districts of, is considered a fashionable area of Bacelona. It is situated on the north-west of the city, surrounded by districts of Les Corts, Gràcia, Eixample and Horta-Guinardo.
The districts has been formed by the villages, and became part of Barcelona in 1927.
The origins of the Sarria village are a Roman colony. In the ancient Pedralbes Monastery (Monestir de Pedralbes), now the Museum Thyssen-Bornemisza is located.
Today, even in the middle of Barcelona, Sarrià still retains a village atmosphere, with narrow streets and charming little houses.
Sarria and the neighbourhood Pedralbes are consideres as the most prestigious and exclusive areas of the city. They gained this reputation mainly due to the avantageous location in the high part of the city, from where the stunning views open. Here you will find the fashionable and chic villas.
The part of the Collserola mountain also is part of the Sarria district. Here the highest part of the city - Tibidabo park is located, together with the Observatori Fabra.
Sant-Gervasi neighbourhood, famous for its restaurants, nightclubs and shops also makes part of Sarria district.
Gracia
Gracia District is situated to the north of L'Eixample, 10 minutes drive from the center of the city, Place Catalunya.
Metro Station: Fontana.
In the lower part of the district famous Park Guell is located..
Gracia was an independent town until the late 19th century and even now the local people don’t say they come from Barcelona, they say Gracia.
Gracia district is popular with artists and a generally bohemian crowd, it also has a high ethnic population and the highest concentration of foreign restaurants in Barcelona. Placa de Sol is the most renowned area of the neighbourhood. It houses many terrace cafes and at night people come here to drink and have fun.
Gracia has absolutely everything. Excellent bars, nice cafes, Mediteranean style of life. You will find less buildings, squares and streets than in the center of the city, however there is some striking art nouveau architecture to be seen.
Shopping is fantastic in Gracia district. Next to the modern boutiques you will find traditional Spani
sh stores.
Gracia is well-known for the festival held for 5 days in August. During this time locals compete in street decoration. The results are usually spectacular. At night the festival comes alive. Drinks and stages of live music are everywhere in the streets.
Although some of the trendy population can shock (there are a lot of piercing, dreadlocks and tattoos) the area is quite safe and away from the main squares it is quiet.
The area will suit ideally for those who want something a little bit different, than the traditional tourism, those who have been to Barcelona before and want a different experience. Although since the center of Barcelona is very easily accessible it is suitable for everyone.
Vila Olimpica
Olympic Port, fully restaured and renewed to the Olympic Games in 1992, is situated close to both Barceloneta beach area and Icaria beach.
This is a modern district of Barcelona, that offers plenty of bars and restaurants.
The nearest metro staion is Ciutadella Vila Olimpica. Olympic port and the beaches are situated just 10 minutes walk from the station.
