Ok, you are in Barcelona. Sure, you’ll take a picture of Sagrada Familia. Sure, you’ll visit Park Guell but please take some time and visit the Old Town of Barcelona. The Gothic Quarter. Truth to be told you will probably visit it without even telling me to do so but I want to put an accent on this one. And when you go there I would advise you to go though the entrance and literally lose yourself in there. Take off all maps and GPS devices and just wander around. Enjoy.
Before you do that though I would like to point your attention to 3 things in the area.
- The Cathedral of Barcelona. A magnificent piece of architecture
which definitely deserves your attention. Not only you’ll be stunned by the interior but there’s an option for you to go on the roof where is incredible. Don’t miss it! Further more… you can even go inside the cathedral for FREE. Check this post for more details.
2. There’s a small piece of an aquaduct ruin just where the entrance of the old town is. Well what do you know… it’s a fake one! There have been 2 aquaducts going out from the two towers of the entrance but they have been lost. So Catalunya decided to add this aquaduct in the Old Town of Barcelona in the 1960s!
3. PICASSO. A really curious and probably not a well known fact.. you can see an original Picasso work just opposite that aquaduct I just mentioned.
I know, right? It was hard for me to believe as well 😶
Once we have checked few things at the entrance of the Old Town of Barcelona, it’s time to dive in. I already told you to get lost in those little, narrow streets. I mean it! Still do it. But find Plaça Sant Felip Neri. It’s in between those narrow streets.
Once you find it you’ll see a small cafe. Don’t go there. If I remember correctly was over the regular budget. But give yourself some time on the Plaça. It’s a nice place to spend some time .. especially if the weather is pleasant and you can get some history there as well. You can even touch it.. literally. You’ll see a building (a church) with a very bad looking facade. It is supposed to be like that. It is left on purpose as a reminder of the bad times and how we don’t have to repeat them. Those bad times were pre- WWII during the Spanish Civil War and the marks you see are from bombs and bullets.
Check this short video for more details on the last story with the bombing of Sant Felip Neri as well as more footage on the rest of the article ⬇⬇⬇
THANKS FOR READING! Say HELLO to me on INSTAGRAM and TWITTER. I’M @CURIOUSPAVEL
Michael Gask
February 12, 2018 at 18:13You’re fuelling my need to see Barcelona with these posts, CuriousPavel! ❤ And I know that high-speed trains and cheap flights make it more accessible than ever before… no excuse for me, really!
Pavel
February 12, 2018 at 18:18You can wait a bit more. Elon will probably make your journey even shorter 😉
Michael Gask
February 12, 2018 at 18:21🤣 I’ll stick with the TGV for now. I don’t want to overshoot my target. 🤣🤣
Pavel
February 12, 2018 at 18:22😁