Where to stay in Barcelona

It’s a telling comment on the character of Barcelona that a single street - the Ramblas (Rambles in Catalan) - can count as a highlight. No day in the city seems complete without a stroll down at least part of the street. Lined with cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, flower stalls and newspaper kiosks, and thronged by tourists, locals and performance artists, it’s at the heart of Barcelona’s life and self-image.

The pedestrian-only streets add to the charm and romantic ambience, making it a popular spot for tourists exploring famous locations like La Rambla. There are significant buildings and sights along the way, not least the Liceu opera house and the mouth-watering Boqueria food market, but undoubtedly, the vibrant street life is the greatest attraction along Spain’s most famous thoroughfare.

This said, it can be one of the priciest places for accommodation, but it’s well worth it as it’s the best neighbourhood to stay in Barcelona, with its unbeatable location to be right in the centre of everything!

Spreading east from the Ramblas, the Barri Gòtic, or Gothic Quarter, forms the very heart of the historic centre. Its impressive buildings date principally from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the era when Barcelona reached the height of her medieval commercial prosperity, and culminate in the extraordinary Gothic cathedral, La Seu.

It takes the best part of a day to see everything the Barri Gòtic has to offer; highlights include the Roman remains at the Museum of the History of Barcelona, the Gaudí Exhibition Center in the Museu Diocesà, and the frankly unclassifiable collections of the Museu Frederic Marès. Other quirks and diversions range from exploring the old Jewish quarter to touring the grand salons of the Ajuntament.

That said, sauntering through the narrow alleys, shopping for antiques, tracing the long-lost Roman walls, or simply sitting at a café table in one of the quarter’s lovely squares is equally enjoyable. The area is also home to some very affordable accommodation spots, making it one of the best areas to stay in Barcelona.

Known as El Raval, from the Arabic word for “suburb”, the old-town area west of the Ramblas has always formed a world apart from the nobler Barri Gòtic. This multicultural neighbourhood has transformed from a previously unsafe zone to a thriving community that offers a blend of old and new attractions, showcasing Indian- and Pakistani-run markets alongside traditional shops and modern venues. Until the fourteenth century, when a new circuit was added to Barcelona’s medieval walls, it was primarily agricultural and responsible for growing the city’s food.

Once enclosed, it became the site of hospitals, churches, monasteries and various noxious trades. Barcelona’s contemporary art museum, MACBA, is a highlight in the area, showcasing the city's main collection of modern art. There are also cutting-edge galleries, designer restaurants and fashionable bars, which are all part of the scene. At the same time, the occasionally edgy “lower Raval” holds the neighbourhood’s two other outstanding buildings, namely Gaudí’s Güell Palace and the church of Sant Pau del Camp. The area is also home to some of the cheapest accommodation in the whole of the city.

It takes at least a day to see Montjuïc, the steep hill and park that rises over Barcelona to the southwest.

This spot has a long and venerable history; the Romans, who built a shrine to Jupiter here, knew it as Mons Iovis. That may well be the root of its modern name, though it’s often also explained as deriving from the siting of a Jewish cemetery on these slopes. Modern Montjuïc is essentially a cultural leisure park, anchored around the magnificent collection of Catalan treasures in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC). From here, you can also enjoy breathtaking views of the city's skyline.

Two further galleries, one devoted to Catalan artist Joan Miró, and the other, the Caixa Forum, showcasing changing exhibitions of international contemporary art, are similarly unmissable. In addition, Montjuïc holds separate archaeological, ethnological, military and theatrical museums and structures and stadiums from the 1992 Olympics. The area also offers truly spectacular panoramic city views.