Barcelona Historic Centre

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You choose
Basic Information
Total time
2 hours
Meeting point
Outside the FNAC store at the corner of Bergara street with Plaza Cataluña, with a PINK umbrella of Barkeno Tours.
Category
Walking Tour,
This tour is provided by our partner

About

They say Barcelona was founded by either mythological Hercules or Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, one of the greatest military commanders of all times. So much the legends, the truth is that the city was a political center of the Catalan region for at least 2000 years since the Romans built their city there. Walking around the Barri Gotic, the Gothic Quarter you still see old walls and the grid of streets typical for Roman cities. An excellent harbour and a beautiful setting made Barcelona develop fast. The Old Town bears traces of all the powers that ruled it through the ages: the Romans, the Visigoths, the Moors and the Aragones. The concept of the city changed at the turn of the 19th and 20th century when Barcelona went through rapid urban development, architectural remodeling and became a center of a fascinating architectural style called Catalan modernism known around the world because of the works of the ingenious Antoni Gaudi. Standing against Francisco Franco Barcelona was devastated and severely punished. It was here, living opposite Franco, that George Orwell wrote his memoirs “Homage to Catalonia.” The development of the city was accelerated by the organization of the 1992 Summer Olympics (the Barcelona effect!). Today it is one of the most popular cities in the world combining rich history, culture, amazing works of artists like Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró and all the joys of the Mediterranean coast. 


Walk with us through the labyrinth of small, winding streets and tranquil plazas of the Barcelona Old Town to discover its fascinating history, culture, dining and drinking scene. Take a chance to see the residence of Aragonese kings, seat of the Catalan government, ancient churches and palaces as well as one of the oldest synagogues in Europe. The Old Town went through some substantial restoration works in the late 19th and early 20th century and from a humble district changed into a major tourist destination. Hence, next to original Roman and medieval structures you will see some modern and neo-Gothic ones, like the beautiful Bishop’s Bridge or the facade of Barcelona Cathedral. All forming a unique and charming mix waiting there to be admired!


During this 2 hour free walking tour we will see and discover:



  • Gothic Quarter

  • Born Quarter

  • King’s square

  • Plaza Cataluña

  • Jewish Quarter

  • Bishop’s Bridge

  • Sant Jaume Square

  • Fossar de les Moreres memorial square

  • Barcelona’s Cathedral

  • Palau de la Generalitat – the seat of Catalan government

  • Sant Felip Neri square

  • Barcelona’s Roman Wall

  • Barcelona’s Medieval City Hall

  • Santa Maria del Mar (Cathedral of the Sea)    

  • and much, much more!


Additional Important Information
Included
  • professional local guide 
Ticket Message

This tour is organized in cooperation with our local partner, Barkeno Tours!

  • Meeting Point: Outside the FNAC store at the corner of Bergara street with Plaza Cataluña, with a PINK umbrella of Barkeno Tours.
  • Start Time: Participants are expected to show up 10 min before the start time.
  • Language: English, Spanish
  • There is no need to print your booking confirmation.
  • NOTE: Due to the local restrictions from 1st March 2023 we need to use audio guide system, for which we will charge 1 euro per person on the spot.
  •  

Thank you for choosing Walkative & Barkeno Tours! If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

Meeting Point
Outside the FNAC store at the corner of Bergara street with Plaza Cataluña, with a PINK umbrella of Barkeno Tours.

BOOKING RULES
Booking is obligatory. Our pay as you wish tours are designed for individual travellers and small groups. We don’t accept parties of more than 6 people on them. If you travel in a party of 7 or more (school groups, bigger groups of friends etc.), please choose a paid option, if it's available, or book a Private Tour. For more information on the latter, please contact us.



Informative and interesting Barcelona tour

Rated 4 out of 5
6 days ago

Santiago was a great tour guide with a lot of interesting facts and a fine humour.

Paulo

No Title

Rated 3 out of 5
6 days ago

Great info about the history. It’s a shame we didn’t get much info about places to eat/ drink and must sees in this beautiful city. Our tour guide was visible annoyed at members in our group for taking too long and it really ruined the vibe of the tour. The head pieces were a great idea but all we constantly heard about was how if we lose one he pays and he did head counts every 2 seconds. Felt like we were on a school trip and not adults. Jarrod knew a lot about the history which was great

Leo

Funny tour guide

Rated 5 out of 5
1 month ago

Our tour guide, Daniel, was super engaging and funny. It made the experience a lot better.

Grecco

Barcelona tour

Rated 5 out of 5
1 month ago

Really great tour, Daniel our guide was just perfect. Funny and super friendly, he showed us really nicely around and actually learned quite a few things about the old city through the tour. Definitely recommend it

Anita

Contemporary history and Latvian society in one go!

Rated 5 out of 5
2 months ago

James was an excellent guide: he showed us special parts of Riga related to Latvia’s 20th century (dark) history, but also lightened the mood with personal anecdotes. Interesting points on history politics and recent changes in Latvian society. Would definitely go again!

Jesse Hirvelä


This tour is also available as
a Private Tour.

Private tour
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