Ciutat Vella (Barri Gòtic, El Raval & La Ribera--The Ciutat Vella (Old City) forms the monumental center of Barcelona, taking in Les Ramblas, Plaça de Sant Jaume, Vía Laietana, Passeig Nacional, the Passeig de Colom, and the full-of-character Raval and La Ribera neighborhoods. It contains some of the city's best hotel bargains. Most of the glamorous, and more expensive, hotels are located in the Eixample and beyond.
L'Eixample--If moderniste architecture, designer shopping, and high-class restaurants are your bag, then the Eixample ("Extension" in Catalan) is the place to be. The area was built in the mid-19th century to cope with the overflow of the Ciutat Vella and has retained its middle-class, residential flavor.
Sants, Paral.lel & Montjuïc--The place to be for business travelers, this is the hub of Barcelona's out-of-towner meeting district, with practical four-star accommodations galore, the Fira (exhibition centers of Plaça Espanya), and the World Trade Center at the bottom of Paral.lel. However, it's a bit of a tourist's dead zone, with little going on besides the art galleries and parks of Montjuïc.
Barrio Alto & Gràcia--The Alto represents the pijo (posh) part of town with swanky restaurants and cocktail bars, millionaires' mansions, and Mercedes; Gràcia, on the other hand, has a more eclectic, villagey atmosphere with its two-story houses, sunny plazas, and student/bohemian vibe.
