The Gothic Quarter and El Born in three hours

The route, stop by stop

1. 1
   Plaça de Catalunya

   The seam between the old city and the grid. Everything from here runs downhill to the water.

   10 min here Walk here →
2. 2
   Catedral de Barcelona

   Go for the cloister and its thirteen geese rather than the nave. Free entry outside sightseeing hours, ticketed during them.

   30 min here Read guide → Walk here →
3. 3
   Plaça del Rei

   A single enclosed medieval square with no cafes in it, which is why it stays quiet two streets from the cathedral.

   15 min here Walk here →
4. 4
   Santa Maria del Mar

   The merchants' church, built in 55 years and all the better for it. Walk in free; the roof terrace tour is separate and worth it.

   20 min here Walk here →
5. 5
   El Born Centre de Cultura

   A market hall built over the streets Barcelona lost in 1714 — the excavation is visible from the floor above, free.

   25 min here Walk here →
6. 6
   Barceloneta Beach

   Finish where the old city runs out. Ten minutes from El Born and the reason to walk this direction rather than the reverse.

   35 min here Read guide → Walk here →