5. Barcelona Old Town Private Walking Tour: Past & Present
Join us for a wonderful journey between the past and the present of Barcelona ! Discover how this Mediterranean city was first inhabited by Romans, how she grew during Middle Ages, how she became powerful in the Modern Era, how she got transformed during the Spanish Succession War, how she modernized herself during the 1888 World Expo and how it became the beach paradise we can see today thanks to the Olympics in 1992. During our 2H30-3h tour, depending on your rhythm, we'll start by the Arc de Triomf, where you'll meet your guide to start our exploration of the Cituadella Park, our green lung in the middle of the city. From there, we'll get to the neighborhood of El Born and La Ribera. Getting to know more this old district that was once the economical center of the city. We'll go through the Cultural Center and visit as well the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Mar (free entrance subject to time of visit), our most beloved Cathedral in the city. After that, we'll jump back to the roman times by visiting the Gothic Quarter, where you'll be able to see the Plaza San Jaume, the Plaza del Rei (once inhabited by the Kings of Spain), the Santa Eulalia Cathedral (if open, we'll be able to see the patio of the cathedral for free...), the Temple of Augustus and many other little secrets kept away from the masses. Going through the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter, we'll arrive at the most famous avenue of our city...Las Ramblas. From there, we'll make a stop at La Boqueria market from a little taste of our best local product: cheese and iberic ham. You'll also get a fresh fruit juice. From there, you'll be able to choose the last part of the tour: either going down the Rambla, or...going up ! Down: We'll see the Liceu Theater, the Plaza Reial (holding the first monuments made by...Gaudí himself), the Colombus monument, the 3 different marinas and finally arrive at La Barceloneta ! Up: We'll make a wish on a very special fountain, discover the Plaza Catalunya and go up Paseo de Gracia until reaching the 2 most famous houses from our architect: Antoni Gaudí, discovering from the outside the Casa Batlló and the Casa Mila. All of this, mixed with a lot of fun, anecdotes and some nice pictures along the way ! See you under the Arch ! Fábio, your tour guide.