Day 18 ·
Euromed to Barcelona, the Gothic Quarter, El Born and the bar at Cal Pep
Barcelona · Spain · 3 min read
A train along the coast from Valencia to Barcelona, a Catalan lunch in a 1935 bodega, a walk through Roman Barcino and the Gothic Quarter, El Born as evening falls and dinner at the bar at Cal Pep.
- 1
Estació del Nord (Valencia)
Ten minutes on foot from the hotel. The Euromed leaves in first class; to see the sea, take seats on the right-hand side.
- 2
Barcelona Sants
Here we bought the T-Casual and took the green L3, four stops to Liceu.
- 3
La Boqueria
Ten minutes passing through, without eating: the prices at the front are for tourists. In the back there are still real fishmongers.
Our guide Worth ten minutes for the building and the back of the market. For eating or shopping, the stalls by the entrance are the worst option in the area. Read the full guide - 4
Gothic Quarter: Pont del Bisbe and Plaça de Sant Jaume
The bridge looks 14th century and is from 1928. Look for the skull with a dagger under the arch. Next door, the Generalitat and City Hall, facing each other for six centuries.
Our guide Worth walking with a route in hand. The Roman parts are real, some of the "Gothic" is a 1920s reconstruction, and knowing which is which makes the walk much better. Read the full guide - 5
Temple d'August
Four nine-meter Corinthian columns inside a medieval courtyard, at Carrer del Paradís 10. Free, and almost everyone walks right past.
Our guide Worth it. It's free, two minutes from the cathedral, and almost everyone walks right past. Just don't expect a whole temple: it's four columns in a small courtyard. Read the full guide - 6
Barcelona Cathedral
The cloister with its 13 white geese, one for each year of Saint Eulàlia's life. During tourist hours, the cultural ticket costs €16 and includes the cloister, choir and rooftops.
Our guide Worth it above all for the cloister and its geese, one of the most distinctive in Europe. If you want the purest, most moving Gothic, Santa Maria del Mar, ten minutes away, wins. Read the full guide - 7
Plaça de Sant Felip Neri
The marks on the church wall are from the bombs of January 30, 1938: 42 people died, almost all of them children. Steps away, the convent sweets at Caelum.
Our guide Worth it, even more if you arrive knowing what happened on January 30, 1938. It's a beautiful square and a memorial, both at once. Read the full guide - 8
Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar
Catalan Gothic built in 54 years by the neighborhood's dockworkers. Free entry; from 17:00 to 18:30 the western light comes in through the rose window.
- 9
Cal Pep
Dinner at the bar, no reservation. We got in line a little before 20:00, which is when it opens and fills up.
We left Valencia early. The 9:06 Euromed leaves from the Estació del Nord, ten minutes on foot from the hotel, and runs alongside the sea for a good part of the way. By 12:20 we were at Barcelona Sants.
Why we planned it this way
From Sants we took the metro to Liceu, which lets out right at La Boqueria. We walked through without eating because it was on the way and saved us coming back later. We dropped our bags at the hotel and had lunch at Bodega La Palma, a few blocks away.
The afternoon was a walk through the Gothic Quarter in order, so we wouldn’t repeat streets: the Plaça de l’Àngel, where one of the gates of Roman Barcino stood; the Pont del Bisbe; the Plaça de Sant Jaume; the columns of the Temple d’August; the cathedral; Sant Felip Neri; Caelum, a café selling convent sweets that Yami added; the Roman walls and the Plaça del Rei.
Around 17:30 we crossed into El Born along Carrer de Montcada, with a glass of cava at El Xampanyet if it was open. It had closed temporarily that spring and we hadn’t confirmed it had reopened before we left; Bar del Pla was plan B. We saved Santa Maria del Mar for 18:00 on purpose, when the light comes in through the rose window. Then the Fossar de les Moreres, the Passeig del Born and El Born Centre Cultural, and a quick look at the sea before dinner.
What to know before you go
Cal Pep was the only dinner of the trip without a reservation, and that was on purpose. Its system only takes reservations for four people or more, and for two the whole point is the bar: you eat standing in front of the kitchen, whatever is coming out that day. That is why we cut the walk along the port short and got in line before 20:00.
What we booked and tasted
Hotel Suizo
On the edge of the Gothic Quarter and El Born, next to the Jaume I metro stop (L4). The whole route this day started and ended on foot.
Bodega La Palma
Order Pan con tomate, house croquetas, canelones and a glass of the house wine
A Catalan bodega from 1935, with a daily chalkboard and a few blocks from the hotel. Closed on Sundays; plan B was La Plata.
El Xampanyet
Order House cava (about €2 a glass), boquerones en vinagre and patatas bravas
A cava bar from 1929 on Carrer de Montcada. It had been temporarily closed that spring; if it isn't open, Bar del Pla is on the same street.
Cal Pep
Order Fresh anchovies, steamed clams, grilled baby shrimp, rossejat de fideos, croquetas and whatever the cook recommends that day
The bar is the classic way to eat at Cal Pep. Its reservation system requires tables of four or more, so we went without one on purpose. About €35–45 per person.
Hotel Estació del Nord
About 600 meters, all flat. We left by 8:20 at the latest.
Valencia Estació del Nord Barcelona Sants
Direct Euromed in first class, booked through Trainline. A good part of the route hugs the coast: the sea is on the right.
Sants Estació Liceu
Green line L3, four stops. Buy the T-Casual at the machine: 10 rides for €11.35, personal, one per person.
What we learned
Tips
- For the bar at Cal Pep, arrive before 20:00. If the line is still long at 20:30, go to El Passadís del Pep or Bar del Pla.
- The Temple d'August is in a courtyard behind what looks like a private front door at Carrer del Paradís 10. Look for the small plaque.
- Go back to Sant Felip Neri at night: with the fountain and a single streetlamp, the square changes completely.
Do
- Look up under the Pont del Bisbe to find the skull with the dagger.
- Stop by El Born Centre Cultural, which is free: under the 1876 market are the streets of the neighborhood destroyed in 1714.
- Wear your bag cross-body in front and keep your phone in your front pocket.
Don’t
- Don't eat at La Boqueria or at the restaurants on La Rambla.
- Don't sign clipboard petitions on the Plaça de Sant Jaume or in front of the cathedral: while you read, someone else opens your bag.
- Don't leave anything in your back pocket on La Rambla, at La Boqueria, in the Gothic Quarter or on metro line L4.