Hotels in Old Town (Ciutat Vella), Barcelona

Old Town (Ciutat Vella), Barcelona

The Old Town, Ciutat Vella, is Barcelona's District 1, the oldest part of the city between Plaça de Catalunya, the Eixample and the Mediterranean. It is made up of four neighbourhoods: the Gothic Quarter, El Raval, Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera with El Born, and La Barceloneta. The Gothic Quarter keeps remains of the Roman city wall and medieval landmarks around the cathedral, whose neo-Gothic façade was completed in 1913. La Rambla runs through the middle of the district from Plaça de Catalunya to the sea, past the Boqueria market and the Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house. In El Born stands Santa Maria del Mar, built between 1329 and 1383 and an outstanding example of Catalan Gothic, and nearby the Palau de la Música Catalana by Lluís Domènech i Montaner. El Raval, west of La Rambla, has the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA), opened in 1995, and the Rambla del Raval. La Barceloneta, built in the 18th century for residents displaced by the Ciutadella fortress, has the city's best-known sandy beach and a boardwalk lined with restaurants. At the foot of La Rambla, the Maremàgnum centre stretches out over the old harbour. Everything lies within walking distance, which makes the Old Town the most popular base for a first visit, though La Rambla and the bars of the Gothic Quarter stay busy late into the night. Lodging is the densest in the city, from large chain hotels on and around La Rambla to boutique hotels in old buildings, hostels and tourist apartments.