Luca’s Hidden Old Barcelona: the Gothic and El Born Tour

4.84

Excellent (1419 ratings)

Barcelona

Duration: 2 hours and 15 minutes

Languages: German, English and Italian

Guru: Luca

PRO

Verified quality

Registered on 25 August 2021

To guru (verb) = dispeller of darkness, bringer of knowledge, meaning, light What a great year; I have introduced my city to about 2800 walkers from all over the world. Now it is time to recharge and find new challenges. Traveling is the key 🔑 See you all in 2025! ______________________________________ This is a one man band, every single walk is run by me. No surprises, no cheating, no umbrellas. I have a degree in history and english literature. English has been my main working language for 25 years. I have lived and run tours for more than 20 years in Italy, London, Berlin and Barcelona. The Berlin Wall, the six wives of Henry VIII, Michelangelo and Gaudi have no secrets for me. I have also traveled extensively throughout Spain and the world so I am bringing a unique perspective of this wonderful planet and this enchanting city. And last but not the least I do also have a healthy addiction to books that feeds a truly compelling and passionate storytelling ** profile pic: sunrise at Angkor Wat, Cambodia 🇰🇭

Free booking and cancellation

Pay-what-you-wish tour, no set price, booking and cancellation are free

Tour description

Until 1992, Barcelona was unknown as a touristic destinations.

Barceloneta was a slum, black sand and favelas; the Montjuïc, an illegal squatters area; the gothic quarter a crack den (trippy square few minutes away from the town hall), Park Guell a cursed miserable place, Gaudi a B-movies artist always overdoing too much.

The olympic games changed everything!

It was an ambitious project but it was pulled off so well that now people are complaining about over tourism. 🤪

Ah don’t forget the city will have soon the biggest church in the word, which has already become a legend although it isn’t even finished yet!

Victims of their own successful promotional campaign.

There is no turning back.

Welcome to Wonderland …

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From its humble origin as a tiny roman colony of 4000 people Barcelona rose to become one of the most dynamic and exciting trading port of the late Middle Ages.
Rulers of the city would boost that no fish was allowed to swim in the Mediterranean Sea without the consent of the King of Aragon, Barcelona medieval independent kingdom.

Soon the condal city acquired a reputation for opportunity as New York would have in the XIX century: in Barcelona even a slave could have a shot to economic success through trading. In this contest a huge building spree took place and the result is today the biggest medieval area in Europe. People from all background were making the city opulent, the Jews community thrived and while the church and the crown built their cathedral, fishermen, traders and artisans proudly built the basilica Santa Maria del Mar; the cathedral of the sea.

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Wander the historic streets of Barcelona like a local and follow me to some of the city’s enchanting hidden gems; but beware of the dragons!

Visit the Gothic Quarter and experience the narrow streets where locals live among tapas bars and medieval gargoyles.

Let's marvel at the ancient Roman city of Barcino and the Temple of Augustus, let's rediscover together the lost medieval Jewish quarter and the oldest synagogue in Europe.

Explore the Bohemian El Born district with charming little artisan shops and where some of the best bar and restaurants are located.

Learn about Catalan culture, their passions and their idiosyncrasies.

Ideal for travellers keen to get a deeper insight into Barcelona’s vibrant past and an objective view on the present.

Super photography opportunities

Visit plazas and cathedrals where locals have met for thousands of years

Small group tour of up to 15 people

Menjar ben I cagar fort /I no tingues por de la mort
–
Eat well shit strongly and you will have not fear of death

-Catalan Proverb

Highlights

What will we see on this tour?

Meeting point:

Pl. de Sant Jaume, 3, 08002 Barcelona, Spain

We are meeting In front of the STARBUCKS store in Placa Sant Jaume 3, 08002 Barcelona. This is the most important square in town since Roman Times. One finds here the Town Hall (ajutamiento) and the palace of the government of Catalonia ( Generalitat)

Outside visit

Plaça Sant Jaume

The Plaça Sant Jaume has been the city's political centre almost since its inception. Today the Plaça Sant Jaume is an open space, a "lung" in the middle of the Gothic Quarter. The square is the site of the most important buildings in the lives of Barcelona and Catalonia: City Hall and the Palau de la Generalitat.

Outside visit

Monument als Castellers

Antoni Llena’s Chicken Wire Tribute to Catalan Human castles.

Outside visit

MUHBA Temple of Augustus

Inside a small medieval courtyard, the four columns from the Temple of Augustus have survived despite the passing of the centuries. They are more than 2,000 years old, like Barcelona itself.

How much does this tour cost?

Free tours don't have a set price, instead, each person gives the guru at the end the amount they consider appropriate (amounts usually range from €10 to $50 depending on satisfaction with the tour).