Gothic Quarter

Gothic Quarter

Description of the place:  It was the old centre of Barcelona; it is located between La Rambla, Via Laietana and the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the architecture of this part of the city is from the medieval times with some alterations of the XIX and XX centuries. It is only open for pedestrians although taxis and public transportation is allowed in the Via Laietana.

Purpose of the place: It was the downtown of Barcelona until 1800 when the Eixample Plan proposed to move the centre to the intersection of the Avenida Diagonal and Grand Via des Courts Catalanes. Nowadays is the urban centre, full of commercial and cultural activities.

Characteristics:  The Gothic Quarter has an active urban life; it is the typical tourist place, full of shops and walkable spaces. It also has a neighborhood character that differences it from the other parts of the Ciutat Vella District.

Advantages brought to the city: The location, at one side of the sea, with the long history of the place gives the city a cultural and historical part with an architectural and urban value that not every city has. The particular image of the Gothic Quarter gives the city a reference and a place to visit, increasing the tourist attraction of Barcelona.

Typical happenings:  The Amateur Painters Faire on the Saint John´s Square; The Christmas  Faire at the Cathedral Square, Sant Roc Festival (a music festival) at Nova Square and many other fairs and festivals related to Christian Events like the “Octava del Corpus”.

Urban design characteristics: It has an organically pattern with a lot of open spaces, such as squares and promenades that creates a particular image of curvy streets covered with bridges that connects some upper plants of the buildings.

Important or curious elements: The Cathedral and its Square are main attractions of the Gothic Quarter among the City Hall (Generalitat) and the Real Square. The whole quarter is a curious element inside the city because it is different from the orthogonal development of the XIX century, keeping the basic urban form of the medieval ages.