El Born - Route through the fashionable neighborhood

El Born stands out as one of the oldest areas of Barcelona and one of the four neighborhoods that make up the Ciutat Vella district. Today, it is a very popular area with a large number of bars, restaurants and shops, as well as a rich cultural offer and nightlife.

It has become one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in the city. Cosmopolitan, multicultural and with an alternative touch, this place is a mine of treasures to discover!

The first thing you should know is where the neighborhood is located and what its limits are so that you can wander through it aimlessly discovering art galleries, craft or alternative clothing stores, making a stop at any of its many terraces. El Born is the square formed between the Vía Laietana and the Parc de la Ciutadella, limited to the south by the Estación de Francia. Here is a route to discover everything you can't miss.

We will begin our route from outside the Parc de la Ciutadella , after having crossed the Arc de Triomf and walked the Paseo Lluís Companys .

At the end of this beautiful avenue is the entrance to the Parc de la Ciutadella, but we recommend visiting it better at another time with more time, since if we stop to explore it on this route, there will not be time to see the rest of the places. So we head towards Paseo Picasso , where we will visit the Porticated Galleries before entering El Born.

Through any of the streets that enter between the porticos we can reach the Plaça Comercial, where the Born Center of Culture and Memory is located . This center is the old and first market of the city, now converted into a cultural center in memory of the fall of the city in the War of Succession of 1714. Inside you can find an archaeological site of the houses from 1700 that were destroyed after the fall of the city. In addition to exhibitions on the historical memory of Barcelona and numerous cultural activities (literary, theatrical, musical, etc.).

From the Center of Culture and Memory we will go down Carrer del Comerç to reach the Estación de Francia , the most emblematic train station in the city, built for the 1929 Universal Exhibition and later rehabilitated for the 1992 Olympic Games. During a At one time it was the most important station in the Catalan capital, but currently rail traffic is concentrated mainly in Sants station.

If we go back along Carrer del Comerç towards the Center of Culture and Memory, right in front we will find the Paseo del Born, which we walk until we reach the Basilica of Santa María del Mar , also known as “ The Cathedral of the Sea ” after the famous novel by Ildefonso Falcones that narrates the life of 14th century Barcelona linked to the construction of the basilica.

This basilica, which is neither a church nor a cathedral as many call it, has a Gothic style and can be visited for €5. To visit the towers and terraces with views of the city, the entrance price is €10.

If we continue along Carrer Montcada, we will find the Picasso Museum , the next stop on our route. It is worth purchasing tickets in advance to organize a must-see visit to this museum, whether you are an art lover or not.

In Born, there is a wide variety of museums, including the Moco (Modern and Contemporary Art), the World Cultures Museum, and the MEAM (European Museum of Modern Art). As well as numerous independent art galleries. Although there is a museum that has also become very famous, the Chocolate Museum located in an old convent from the 14th century. If you want to visit it, it is located at Carrer del Comerç 36. It is ideal to visit with children and do some of the chocolate activities that they organize especially for families to do.

The next stop on the route through El Born is the Mercat de Santa Caterina , its remodeling in 2005 restored its charm with its characteristic ceramic mosaic on the roof, paying tribute to the master Antoni Gaudí. In this market you can find all kinds of high quality fresh products.

The last stop on this route takes us to one of the most representative buildings of Catalan modernism: The Palau de la Música Catalana , the work of architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner. It was built in 1908 as the headquarters of the Orfeón Catalán and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. You can visit it by attending a show or taking a guided tour. Either option will be correct to enjoy this wonderful piece of architecture.