The Old city in deep
(Ref 8)

Duration: 4 hours approx.

The walking tour for discovering the past and the present of the heart of the city that beats for 2000 years its ancien shops and its colourful flavours!
During the tour we will talk about the history of the city, its fondation by the roman Emperor Julius Cesar Augustus, and how this little colony became a flourishing and cosmopolitan capital during the Medieval Ages. Palaces, churches, markets but also we will pay special attention to traditional little businesses and shops that make big efforts to preserve their ancien look and keep the business running some of them for more tan 150 years!!
Since early 18th century, Las Ramblas is the main arteria of the Old City and probably the most famous boulevard in Barcelona. It has 5 different names accordling to historical buildings that once where located in this street.
We will start our walking tour in Plaça Catalunya, walking down this lively boulevard and discovering many interesting buildings and facts that marked the history of the city, from the Middle Ages till the 20th century Spanish Civil war. We will take sometime visiting one of its jewels, La Boqueria market, the biggest public market in Spain, the Oldest and most colourful of the city. We won't miss the Gran Teatre del Liceu, the former Opera House for later penetrating the narrow streets of the Gothic district. Plaça Reial where we will see Gaudi's first artistic contribution to the city; Plaça del Pi with its 14th century church; Sant Joseph Oriol Square, Banys Nous street, where the public baths were located during the Medieval ages, today one of the most lively little streets with original shops; El Call, the Medieval Jewish district and the Ancien Major Synagogue; Sala París, where Picasso held his first public exhibition; for not mentioning some sweet little corners trying to preserve their traditional look and service.
Our walking tour will take us to the heart of the city, the Cathedral square, where we will admire the remains of the roman walls (4th century) and the magnificent Gothic Cathedral (1298).
The King's square, where Christopher Columbus was received by the Queen Isabel when he came back from his first expedition to the Americas, where we will find the King's Palace and the Royal Archive of the Kingdom of Aragon; Saint James Sq. , the Ancien Roman Forum and still today the most important square of the city where the Town Hall and the Goverment Palace of Catalonia, Palau de la Generalitat, are located.
We will continue towards the popular district of La Ribera or El Born, the most important suburb of the medieval Barcelona, as the business activities were managed from this ancien urban nucleous by merchants, businessmen and the guilds. The ancien location of the Old Port; Passeig del Born, where tournaments between knights used to take place and Plaça Santa Maria, where we will admire the beautiful Santa Maria del Mar church, are some of the points of interests of this little district. In the street Montcada we will find the Medieval Palaces that host the Picasso Museum nowadays, where we will finish our walking tour.

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