Walking Tour 2

La Ribera (El Born and Sant Pere)

Start: Plaça de l'Angel (Metro: Jaume I).

Finish: Arc de Triomf at northern end of Parc de la Ciutadella (metro Arc de Triomf)

Time: 2 to 3 hours.

Best Times: Any day or early evening.

Begin at the:

1. Plaça de l'Angel

Known in medieval times as the Plaça del Blat (Square of Wheat), since all grain sales were made here, this small square stands at the busy junction of Jaume 1 and Laietana, on the eastern edge of the Barri Gòtic.

From the Plaça de l'Angel take Carrer Boria east, then turn north into Carrer Mercaderes and immediately east again to Plaça Santa Caterina and the:

2. Mercat de Santa Caterina

This is the oldest working market in the area. It occupies the original site where the medieval convent of Santa Caterina once stood and provides the usual rich cornucopia of Mediterranean produce. In 2005, after a protracted period of renovation, the market was reopened. It has a stunning new moderniste design, by the late Enric Miralles, whose colorful waved roof owes more than a little to Gaudí.

From the south-facing side of the market take Carrer Sant Jacint, turn east into Carrer Corders, and then south into the Placeta d'en Marcus.

3. Capella d'en Marcus

Well worth a peep is this diminutive 12th-century chapel nestling in the tiny Placeta d'en Marcus square, near the junction of Calle Montcada and Calle Carders (Woolcomber's Street). Originally conceived by one Bernat Marcus as a sanctuary for luckless travelers who reached the city after the gates had been closed, it's also said to have been the headquarters of the country's first postal service.

Continue south across Carrer Princesa to reach:

4. Carrer Montcada

Named after the powerful merchant Guillem de Montcada, who in 1153 built a long-since-disappeared palace here, this charming medieval street would be interesting enough to stroll along even if it didn't contain three of the city's most interesting museums (to which, alas, you won't be able to do justice if you're to finish this walk in a single day). The elegant buildings lining the street are reminders of the time it was a wealthy trading center, where huge fortunes were made by adroit and ambitious merchants.

5. Museu Picasso

Located in no less than five former palaces in Carrer Montcada, the Picasso is generally rated the most popular museum in town. In essence it covers "The Artist as a Young Man," and even the older works on display were created when the malagueño was a mere 20-something. Exhibits range from notes and rough sketches to lithographs, ceramics, and oil canvases. Highlights are Las Meninas (Picasso's take on Velázquez) and The Harlequin, and though time will be short, keep an eye open for La Ciencia y la Caridad (Science and Charity), a masterpiece created when the artist was still at school.

6. Museu Tèxtil i d'Indumentària

Over a thousand years of fashion fill the salons of this extraordinary museum, which spreads thoughout the Palau dels Marquesos de Llio, which features its original medieval ceilings. The oldest exhibits date from early Egypt but it's the flamboyant baroque, Regency, and 20th-century styles that really catch the eye.

Take a Break -- Textil Café, Carrer Montcada (tel. 93-268-25-98), is a convenient spot for a break between museums. This chic little cafe is tucked away in a secluded cobbled courtyard on grounds of the Museu Textil itself. An ideal spot in which to relax over a café llet (café con leche) and Danish pastry.

7. Museu Barbier Muller d'Art Precolumbi

Atmospherically housed in the 15-century Palau Nadal, close to the above two museums, this branch of the great Geneva museum offers one of the world's best displays of pre-Columbian art and has been drawing in the crowds since it opened in 1997. Among its highlights is a dazzling selection of gold, jewelery, and masks.

Continue down Carrer Montcada to the Passeig del Born. Turn west (right) into Carrer de Santa María.

8. Església de Santa María del Mar

Built in the 14th century during a period of just over 50 years (quick for the time), this grandiose high-vaulted basilica, honoring the patron saint of sailors, used to stand on the city's shore when the sea reached farther inland. As the welfare of sailors mainly depended on the clemency and protection of "Our Lady of the Sea," in those days large numbers of impecunious people worked without pay on its construction. Bronze figures of two porters on the door commemorate this while the west portal is flanked by statues of Peter and Paul.

Today it's one of Barcelona's most imposing Gothic structures, noted for its soaring columns and uncluttered aura of space. Look out for the superb stained-glass windows, particularly the 15th-century rose-shaped windows above the main entrance. (A belated 1997 addition is, in contrast, jarringly unimpressive). Incidentally, you'll want to return here for an evening concert -- particularly a performance of Handel. In such a timeless setting it's an unforgettable experience.

Go back east again to the:

9. Passeig del Born

This short, wide passeig, or avenue, was once a center for tournaments and jousting events. (The name "Born" in Catalan means, among other things, the point of a jousting lance). In medieval times, when Catalonia was a major naval power, the passeig's fame was such that the saying "Roda el món i torna al Born" ("Go round the world and return to the Born") became widespread. It was the spiritual heart of the city from the 13th century through the 18th century, when La Rambla took over that spot. Today the Born's revelry assumes a more modern nocturnal form, centred mainly round the countless bars and cafes that fill the bustling side streets.

At the end of the avenue is the:

10. Antic Merçat del Born

This massive building, with its wrought-iron roof, was once among the city's biggest wholesale market. Closed since the 1970s, it's scheduled to reopen as a museum and cultural center -- it stands above a zone of 18th-century excavations, which can be viewed through glass flooring.

Cross the Passeig de Picasso just past the eastern end of the market and you enter:

11. Parc de la Ciutadella

Built on the site of a much-hated 18th-century Bourbon citadel, which was destroyed by General Prim in 1878 (visit his statue), this 30-hectare (75-acre) oasis of greenery was introduced in the late 1890s, just after serving as the site for the Universal Exhibition. Its many highlights include statues, fountains (one designed by a young Gaudí), a boating lake, a waterfall (La Cascada) with a giant hairy mammoth sculpture, the Domènech i Muntaner-designed Castell dels Tres Dragons (Castle of Three Dragons), which houses the zoological museum, two arboretums, and a small botanical garden. There's also a Science Museum and -- last but not least -- the Catalan parliament, which is located in the former citadel's arsenal and can be visited by appointment. Stroll to the northern end of the park to view the moderniste-cum-neo-Mudéjar-style Arc de Triomf, which served as the entrance to the Universal Exhibition.