Gothic Quarter
A journey through the city's history, discovering the secrets of ancient Barcino
The Gothic Quarter, the first Roman settlement, originally named Barcino, is the oldest part of Barcelona. Here, you’ll find Romanesque sites, Gothic churches, and royal palaces, which have not always been in their current locations. The Gothic Quarter was actually an invention of the late 19th century, when Ciutat Vella was redesigned, and with the opening of Via Laietana, buildings were moved to create an ideal Gothic Quarter, which today is one of the most visited areas in Europe.
Barcelona Bus Turístic, on the Hola Barcelona app
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The Cathedral, its surroundings, and medieval walled Barcelona: places to explore
The Gothic Quarter is located in the center of Ciutat Vella, between La Rambla and Via Laietana, around the core of Roman Barcino, which was protected by a wall built in the 1st century BC. This fortification, measuring about 1.5 km in perimeter, protected the first Roman colony established at Mont Tàber, where its governing institutions were located—today, this is Plaça Sant Jaume, formerly the Roman forum.
Expanding from its Roman origins, Barcelona grew in concentric circles, first with the extension of city walls, later by demolishing fortifications, and finally urbanizing what is today Eixample.
A "reinvented" neighborhood that is the envy of many city centers
At the beginning of the 20th century, as Ildefons Cerdà had envisioned in his plan, the city decided to open a roadway connecting Eixample to the port. Thus, Via Laietana was created, separating the Gothic Quarter from El Born, which required some buildings to be relocated stone by stone.
One example is Casa Padellàs, which was dismantled and moved to Plaça del Rei, where it now houses the Barcelona History Museum. Another is the church and cloister of the Monastery of Jonqueres, originally built in the 13th century, which was relocated to accommodate Via Laietana and is now part of Iglesia de la Concepción, near the Concepció Market and Barcelona Municipal Conservatory of Music.
Despite these changes, the Gothic Quarter remains full of original Gothic structures, palaces, and churches, many of which have stood unchanged for centuries.
How to get to the Gothic Quarter?
The Red Route of the Barcelona Bus Turístic includes a stop, Gothic Quarter, at Via Laietana, from which you can explore the historic heart of Barcelona
