Ciutat Vella
ciutat vella
Ciutat Vella, the old town, is the historic nucleus of Barcelona. Until the mid-19th century, the city was hemmed in by its medieval walls which roughly followed the Avinguda Paral·lel, Ronda de Sant Pau, Ronda de Sant Antoni, Carrer de Pelai, Passeig de Lluís Companys and Parc de la Ciutadella.
Ciutat Vella is comprised of 4 main barrios or neighborhoods. In the center is the Gothic Quarter, the oldest part of Barcelona. To the east, on the other side of the Via Laietana is El Born, which is the medieval extension of the Gothic Quarter. To the west, on the other side of Las Ramblas, is the Raval, which originated from the rural roads outside the city walls and was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution in Spain in the 19th century. And to the south is Barceloneta, the fishing district built in the 18th century to rehouse the people whose homes had been demolished to make way for the military.
The urban fabric of this district is irregular and random. You can still find traces of the last 2000 years of Barcelona's history across this district. Ciutat Vella contains countless cultural, culinary, and artistic landmarks that are so worthy of exploring.
