Gothic Quarter
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Why go
- Barcelona Cathedral stands at the quarter’s heart, surrounded by historic buildings.
- El Call, the medieval Jewish quarter, has remnants along Carrer del Call.
- Plaça de Sant Jaume, Barcelona’s main square, is home to the city hall and Palau de la Generalitat.
- Palau Reial Major, former palace of the counts of Barcelona and kings of Aragón, has a Gothic hall and chapel.
- Herboristeria del Rei is a traditional herbal shop dating to 1823, with ornate decor and a glass dome.
Don't miss
- Barcelona Cathedral façadeThe Gothic façade was built by Josep Oriol Mestres and August Font i Carreras between 1882 and 1913.Barcelona Cathedral
- Roman wall and towersRoman wall fragments and two cylindrical Roman-era towers remain visible.Plaça Nova, by Portal del Bisbe
- Carrer del Bisbe bridgeJoan Rubió built this Flamboyant-style bridge in 1928.Across Carrer del Bisbe
- Temple of Augustus remainsThe Centre Excursionista de Catalunya contains remains of a temple to Augustus dating to the 2nd century.Centre Excursionista de Catalunya
- Els Quatre GatsModernist café created by Pere Romeu in Casa Martí, designed by Josep Puig i Cadafalch.Casa Martí
Tips for your visit
- Most streets exclude regular traffic, but service vehicles and taxis are allowed. Watch for vehicles in these streets.
Interesting facts3
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1500
Casa Padellàs, built around 1500, now houses the Barcelona City History Museum headquarters.
Gothic Quarter, Barcelona - Wikipedia -
Until the early 20th century, the area was known as the Cathedral quarter.
Barrio Gótico de Barcelona - Wikipedia -
1907
Carrer d’Avinyó inspired Pablo Picasso’s 1907 painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.
Quartier gothique - Wikipedia
Shorts
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Barcelona's Gothic Quarter Secrets | Roman ColumnsPatrick Guide Barcelona
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Getting Lost in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter & Plaça Reial!Off Track – Last Exit
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Street guitarist | Placa Nova, Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Catalonia, …Horizons 視野
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Gothic Quarter Laneway in Barcelona Spainfreaky's walking tours
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Come Explore The Gothic Quarter Of Barcelona With Me!Postcards from Barcelona - Travel tips & life
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A walk around the Gothic quarter of BarcelonaAlpha Monkeys
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Gothic Quarter Streets, BarcelonaWant To Go
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Is the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona worth visiting?Live Life Barcelona
History
Many historic monuments date from the 14th and 15th centuries, when Barcelona flourished as a maritime power, but much of the quarter’s present-day built fabric dates from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The upper area still follows the Roman cardo and decumanus on the former hill of Táber.
- Augustus’s reignRomans founded a colony here; the Roman Forum stood at Plaça de Sant Jaume.
- 13th c.Palau Episcopal is an archbishop’s palace with Romanesque remains in its courtyard. Palau Requesens is among Barcelona’s largest medieval palaces, with a Roman wall forming one side of its courtyard.
- 1298–1448Barcelona Cathedral’s construction ran from the laying of its cornerstone to its completion.
- 14th–16th c.Palau de la Generalitat housed Catalonia’s medieval estates parliament. It dates from the 14th century and was expanded in the 15th and 16th centuries.
- 1549–1557Palau del Lloctinent was built as a palace for Spain’s viceroys in Catalonia. It is one of the city’s few Renaissance buildings.
Show all
- 19th c.Parish cemeteries became public squares and the city walls were demolished.
- 1922Lluís Domènech i Montaner added Gothic windows and battlements to the Carrer Paradís building.
- 1920sA major restoration reshaped the quarter ahead of the 1929 International Exhibition.
- 1930sCasa Padellàs was moved from Carrer Mercaders to Plaça del Rei, and its interior was rebuilt.
- 1959Adolf Florensa restored Aguilar Palace, adding arched galleries and Gothic windows.
- 1960sRestoration and new neo-Gothic construction continued in the quarter.
- 1970Pignatelli Palace was restored using Gothic windows recovered from municipal warehouses.
How to get there
- TrainMetro line 4: Jaume I and Urquinaona stations serve the quarter.
- TrainMetro line 3: Liceu, Catalunya and Drassanes stations serve the quarter.
Sources: Gothic Quarter, Barcelona - Wikipedia · Barri Gòtic - Wikipedia · Barrio Gótico de Barcelona - Wikipedia · Quartier gothique - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026
Questions and answers
What museums are in the Gothic Quarter?
Museu Frederic Marès occupies part of the old royal palace and includes a sculpture museum.
What is Casa de la Pia Almoina?
A former alms house that now houses an exhibition of paintings and sculptures from Barcelona’s golden age.
What is Pla de la Seu?
The square before the cathedral’s west façade, laid out in the early 15th century.
What is Casa dels Canonges?
It once housed cathedral canons and is now the residence of Catalonia’s presidents.
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