Via Laietana was constructed at the turn of the twentieth century thus producing another divide in the Barri Gòtic : the area east of it is La Ribera. Part of La Ribera is referred to as El Born. Born is Catalan for jousting field. A little more south, Baceloneta was originally inhabited by fisherman and the neighborhood still retains the atmosphere of a seaside village.
During the Middle Ages La Ribera (the shore) was known as Barcelona’s wealthiest neighborhood. Handsome medieval mansions line the narrow streets; one of them is home to the popular Picasso Museum. Today the area closest to the sea remains affluent and lively. Fashionable bars, galleries, shops and restaurants can be found here, especially along the main thoroughfare, “Passeig del Born”, which has led to the area near the seafront being referred to simply as “El Born”.
Barceloneta is home to one of Barcelona's liveliest beaches as well as some of the best seafood restaurants to be found in the city. At night the seaside booms to the sound of the numerous, lively beach-side bars and cafes that are found here.
The route is materialized on the map by a purple line, leading to the points of interest mentioned below. It includes 7 major sites, each represented on the map by a dark rectangle, and which have in this blog their own page of description and pictures, accessible by clicking on their name. Each of these pages has a "back" link at the end to return to the tour page. All these pages can be selected by clicking the "Old City East Tour" label in the right column of the blog". The other links open in a new tab/window the maps, pictures,pages external to this blog.
Plaça de l'Angel. Known in medieval times as the Plaça del Blat ("Square of Wheat"), since all grain sales were made here, this small, atmospheric square stands at the busy junction of Jaume I and Laietana on the eastern edge of the Barri Gòtic.
From the Plaça de l'Angel take Carrer Boria right; then turn left into Carrer Mercaders and immediately right again to Plaça Santa Caterina.
Plaça Santa Caterina. The oldest working market in the area, Mercat de Santa Caterina (1), occupies the original site of a medieval convent, and provides the usual rich cornucopia of Mediterranean produce. In 2005, after a protracted period of renovation, the market was reopened with a stunning new moderniste design, whose colorful waved roof owes more than a little to Gaudí. It's open every day except Sunday.
From the south-facing side of the market take Carrer Sant Jacint, turn right into Carrer Corders, and then south into the Placeta d'en Marcus.
Placeta d'en Marcus. Well worth a peek is th diminutive 12th-century Capella d'en Marcus, nestling in this tiny Placeta, near the junction of calles Montcada and Carders (the latter means "Woolcomber's Street"). Originally conceived by one Bernat Marcus as a sanctuary for luckless travelers who reached the city after the gates had been closed, the chapel may have been headquarters of the country's very first postal service.
Continue south across Carrer Princesa to reach:
Carrer Montcada. Named after a powerful merchant, Guillem de Montcada, who in 1153 built a long-since-disappeared palace here, this charming medieval street would be interesting enough to stroll along even if it didn't contain some of the city's most interesting museums. The elegant buildings lining the street are reminders of the time it was a wealthy trading center; vast fortunes were made here by adroit and ambitious merchants.
Carrer Montcada, 15-21. Located in no fewer than five former palaces in Carrer Montcada, the Museu Picasso (2) is generally rated the most popular museum in town. In essence it covers the artist as a young man, and even the older works on display were created when the Malagueño was a mere 20-something. Exhibits range from notes and rough sketches to lithographs, ceramics, and oil canvases. Highlights are Las Meninas (his take on Velázquez's painting of the same name) and The Harlequin; although time will be short, keep an eye open for La Ciencia y la Caridad (Science and Charity), a masterpiece created while Picasso was at school.
Carrer Montcada, 12. The Palau del Marquès de Lió has been the residence of several local noble families, among which the Marquès de Lió, which today gives its name to the building. It is one of the venues of the Disseny Hub Barcelona (design hub) and hosts the temporary exhibitions of the Museu Tèxtil i d'Indumentària, The oldest preserved part is a tower and two coffered ceilings dating from the late thirteenth century.
Carrer Montcada, 14. Atmospherically housed in the 15th-century Palau Nadal, close to the above two museums, the Museu Barbier-Mueller d'Art Precolombí, a branch of the great Geneva museum, used to offer one of the best displays of pre-Columbian art and has been drawing in the crowds ever since it opened in 1997. Among its highlights was a dazzling selection of gold, jewelry, and masks. Unfortunately it closed on September 14, 2012
Continue down Carrer Montcada to the Passeig del Born. Turn right onto Carrer de Santa María.
Plaça de Santa María. Built in the 14th century during a period of just over 50 years (quick for the time), the grandiose, high-vaulted basilica Santa María del Mar (3), honoring the patron saint of sailors, used to stand on the city's shore when the sea reached further inland. As the welfare of sailors mainly depended on the clemency and protection of "Our Lady of the Sea," in those days large numbers of penniless people helped without pay on its construction. Bronze figures of two porters on the door commemorate this, and the west portal is flanked by statues of Peter and Paul.
Today it's one of Barcelona's most imposing Gothic structures, noted for its soaring columns and uncluttered aura of space. Look out for the superb stained-glass windows, particularly the 15th-century rose-shaped one above the main entrance. A belated 1997 addition to this is, in contrast, jarringly unimpressive. You'll want to return for an evening concert -- particularly a performance of Handel. In such a timeless setting it's an unforgettable experience.
Go back to the:
Passeig del Born. This short wide paseo, or avenue, was once a center for tournaments and jousting events. (The name "Born" in Catalan means, among other things, the point of a jousting lance.) In medieval times, when Catalonia was a major naval power, the paseo's fame was such that the saying Roda el món i torna al Born ("Go around the world and return to the Born") became widespread. It was the spiritual heart of the city from the 13th century right up to the 18th century, when La Rambla took over the number-one spot. Today the Born's revelry assumes a more modern nocturnal form, centered mainly around the countless bars and cafes filling the bustling side streets.
Passeig del Born, at the corner of Carrer de Flassaders, is the famous Hofmann Pasteleria- a magic corner with gorgeous cakes and colourful pastries inviting you to come in, try and return.
At the end of the avenue the Antic Mercat del Born (4), a massive building, with its wrought-iron roof, was formerly one of the city's biggest wholesale markets.
Turn left on Carrer del Comerç:
Comerc, 36. A whole museum devoted to the love and learning of the history of chocolate ? Yes the Xocolata museum (5) !
At the end of the street turn right to go to the :
Parc de la Ciutadella (6). Built on the site of a much-hated 18th-century Bourbon citadel, which was destroyed in 1878, this 30-hectare (75-acre) oasis of relaxing greenery came about in the late 1890s after serving as the site for the Universal Exhibition. Its many highlights include statues, fountains (one designed by a young Gaudí), a boating lake, a waterfall (La Cascada) with a giant hairy mammoth sculpture, the Domènech i Muntaner-designed Castell dels Tres Dragons (Castle of Three Dragons), which houses the zoological museum, two arboretums, and a small botanical garden. There's also a science museum and -- last, but not least -- the Catalan parliament, which is located in the former citadel's arsenal and can be visited by appointment. At the northern end of the park, the moderniste-cum-neo-mudéjar-style Arc de Triomf, served as the entrance to the Universal Exhibition.
Exit the park from the south corner.
Avinguda Marquès de l'Argentera. Following this avenue you will pass in front of the old train station, The Estació de Fança . Build in 1926, this elegant station worthy of the first line connecting Barcelona and France, comprises two main sections: the train shed and the lobby. There is a curved glass and metal canopy over the 12 tracks and seven platforms, a fine example of wrought-iron architecture, filling the train shed with natural light and creating a spacious area.
In the Estació, the same is true of the noucentista-style lobby, creating a spacious area ideal for all kinds of activities. The lobby and buildings around the tracks were constructed from luxury materials, including marble and bronze, which give the station its characteristic ornate appearance.
At the end of the avenue turn left to enter Barceloneta.
Barceloneta. The Barceloneta is a triangular spit of land that cuts into the sea the old harbour, or Barcelona’s Port Vell, on one side, and sandy beaches on the other. The neighbourhood, with its narrow, rectilinear streets, was built on a military grid structure to provide accommodation for the former inhabitants of La Ribera who had lost their homes due to the construction of the citadel. The houses were low-rise and small in scale so as not to obstruct views of the city. The former general warehouse in the old port, the Port Vell, which was built in 1901 and is known as the Palau del Mar, host the Museu d'Història de Catalunya. The permanent exhibition traces the history of Catalonia from its distant roots to the present day in an interactive and innovative way. The Museu d'Història de Catalunya layout is structured chronologically, in eight areas, set out on four floors.
It is now one of the city’s most visited and popular districts. In 1988, in pre-Olympic days, the decision was taken to demolish the old beachfront restaurants, known as xiringuitos, and public baths, heralding a process of opening the city up to the sea and the modernisation of an area which now offers first-class beaches as the main attraction for its visitors.
On the sand and inside the neighbourhood, rows of restaurants and bars combine with the traditional images of locals sitting in their chairs in the street and narrow balconies displaying clothes drying in the sun.
Sources : Frommer's BarcelonaTurisme
