Barcelona Historic Centre

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Basic Information
Total time
2 hours
Price
„Pay what you wish” tours do not have a fixed price. It is up to you to evaluate your guide’s work and reward it. Some people give 10€, others 50€ depending on their satisfaction and abilities.
Meeting point
Outside the FNAC store at the corner of Bergara street with Plaza Cataluña, with a PINK umbrella of Barkeno Tours.Go to map
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!


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.



No Title

Rated 5.0 out of 5
8 hours ago

Filipa is a great guide. Not only does she speak very good English but also she knows her stuff and can definatly tell stories about her city. Thanks!

Jakub

Gaudí, Sagrada Familia & Modernism

Rated 5.0 out of 5
1 month ago

Excellent tour with commentary from Alessio which was informative and funny. It’s a long tour but there is so much crammed in that the time just flies by.

David Garland

Gothic Quarter

Rated 5.0 out of 5
1 month ago

Denise did an awesome job. She’s a passionate young lady full of life👍🏾& very enthusiastic about sharing the information. My young son found all information shared very interesting about the place eventhough we were staying in the Gothic Quater area and had walked past many of these buildings, we had no idea of its history until it was beautifully explained. Thank you 🙏🏾

Cynthia Nathan

No Title

Rated 5.0 out of 5
2 months ago

Great tour

Joanna

Amazing and informative tour!

Rated 5.0 out of 5
2 months ago

My husband and I loved the tour. The guide was very well prepared to tell all the history and fun facts about the places. It was the 2nd time in a Walking tour and I surely recommend it.

Priscila


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This tour is also available as
a Private Tour.

Private tour