The other Barcelona

La Ribera neighbourhood is a must for anyone taking a walk through Barcelona. Whether you get there from the Via Laietana or the Arc de Triomf, as you explore the maze of narrow streets in this neighbourhood where merchants, artisans and guilds once, you’ll discover the city of design, leisure and fashion.

This natural park, which emerges as if from a dream, protects the spiritual essence of Catalonia. For almost 1,000 years, a Benedictine community has lived in these mountains located 60 km away from Barcelona. Their Basilica houses the serene image of the Virgin of Montserrat, the patron saint of Catalonia.

A walk through Girona, the city located 100 km north of Barcelona, traces the history of Catalonia. Its historic centre, known as the Call Jueu, preserves Roman, Romanesque, Jewish, Gothic and Baroque walls, squares, buildings and churches. The famous 19th-century painted houses line the river Onyar.

A stroll through Barcelona’s Gothic District brings to light the early Roman city of Barcino and the medieval town with its palazzos, mansions and Gothic churches. This is the style that defines “the heart of Barcelona”: a neighbourhood where the splendour of the historic past coexists with the vibrancy of the present.

The Sagrada Família is Antoni Gaudí’s best-known work and has become an undisputed symbol of Barcelona. Extravagant, ambitious and controversial, this unique modern temple has been under construction since 1882, and is expected to be completed by 2030.

No other neighbourhood in Barcelona better encapsulates traditional charm and vibrant modernity than Gràcia. Formerly a separate village, it now forms the core of the Barcelona’s 6th district, which hosts the fantastic Parc Güell.

The old harbour, Barcelona’s Port Vell, which stretches from the Columbus Monument to the Barceloneta, offers endless possibilities to enjoy your leisure time, such as Imax, Aquàrium or Maremàgnum, amongst others. Following a long historic process, the Port Vell, with its landmark buildings and monuments, now gleams like one of the most valuable pearls on the Mediterranean coast.

The Parc de Montjuïc is located in the Sants neighbourhood and it occupies a vast swathe of the imposing hill overlooking the port, offering a plethora of green areas and gardens, museums and cultural attractions, sports facilities and Olympic sites. Montjuïc speaks to us about the history and life of a hill that has helped define Barcelona's personality.

The Costa Brava is located to the north of Barcelona, and stretches for more than 200 km from Blanes to Portbou. It is renowned for the diverse landscape of its beaches and coves, the quality of its waters, its excellent cuisine and centuries-old cultural legacy.

The Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia watches impassively the passing of time in a constantly moving and changing Barcelona. The Cathedral also reflects the different generations who have left their imprint and the blend of architectural styles in this predominantly Gothic building which needs to be viewed inside in order to fully understand its splendour.

Barcelona wouldn’t be Barcelona without the Rambla. A wander up and down this famous boulevard is a ritual well worth observing. Just soak up the atmosphere and admire the buildings, from the Canaletes fountain to the Columbus Monument, which connect the old and modern city with places like Liceu and Boqueria. A walk through the life and history of the city.

Barcelona’s extensive Eixample district brings together a large number of modernista buildings of great architectural value. However, it is the central part which showcases most of the buildings designed in this style. Known as the Quadrat d’Or (Golden Square), it is the place where Barcelona’s moneyed classes came to live in the flats designed by the leading architects of the day, such as Gaudí.

Figueres, the capital of the Alt Empordà, is located 136 km north of Barcelona. It boasts the surrealist Salvador Dalí’s Museum. Buyers from all over the county meet in the outdoor traditional markets. The city has the largest 18th century fortress in Europe, the castle of Sant Ferran