Best of Barcelona: Historic Core

Walk the compact medieval heart that Barcelona was actually built around: from the grand crossroads of Plaça de Catalunya, down La Rambla's promenade, through the stone alleys of the Gothic Quarter to the cathedral and the seats of Catalan power, and across into El Born for the people's basilica and Picasso's early years, through the monumental arch built for the 1888 World's Fair, and finishing at the Cascada Monumental fountain in the park just beyond it. Start at Plaça de Catalunya, reachable by metro, train, or bus from anywhere in the city.