Staying in Barcelona around Eixample or the Gothic Quarter

Staying in Barcelona around Eixample or the Gothic Quarter

Barcelona is a city full of places that you cannot miss out on visiting and one of the best ways to enjoy these places and the essence of the Catalan capital is by staying in Barcelona Accommodation directly in the city centre. But in what area should you rent your apartment?  Well, although it's usually the most expensive, by far the best place to stay is in L'Eixample. If you're not looking to spend money though, on the other end of the price spectrum is the Gothic Quarter of the city. A lot of people talk about how you should stay in the Gothic Quarter of the city, so you can imagine it's a great place to stay, but be warned: it's not for everyone and I'll tell you why later. For now, let's take a look at what each location has to offer.

L'Eixample: The heart of Barcelona with the Guadí's most famous works

Without doubt, L'Eixample is one of the most prime areas in which you can rent a place to stay and at the same time be only a short walk away from monuments such as La Pedrera and Casa Batlló from Gaudí, Casa Amatller and Casa de les Punxes from Puig i Cadafalch, and Casa Lleó Morera from Domènech i Montaner. amongst other attractions! L'Eixample is roughly divided five areas, Eixample Dret (Right) and Eixample Esquerra (Left), Sant Atoni, Sagrada Familia, and Fort Pienc. Of these divisions, the best place to stay is around the Sagrada Familia area, Passeig de Gràcia,  or Rambla de Catalunya.

The right side of Eixample stretches from Calle Balmes until Passeig de Sant Joan, and includes Passeig de Gràcia mentioned before (probably the best road for high street shopping in the city). The right side is also home to Plaza Catalunya, the very centre of the city. Rambla de Catalunya is a very nice street lined with bars that have terraces which are very nice to chill out around in the summer. Take a look through this list and you'll see that it's easy to find a Barcelona apartment in these areas.

In the left side of Eixample you will find the Modelo Prison - a building featured in the movie Salvador and which represents the repression of Franco, el Matadero - Joan Miró's park (a park built on a former slaughterhouse) which features a work of art by the Spanish Artist a year before he died, the former bullfighting arena called Las Arenas which is now a shopping mall that allows visitor to wander around the roof for full 360º views of the city, and Casa Golferichs, a modernist house built in 1901 by Joan Rubió i Bellver that is now a Civic Centre. Although it's not as prestigious as staying in the right side, it won't cost as much and it's very well connected with the rest of the city.

Gothic Quarter of Barcelona: The historic centre of Barcelona

The Gothic Quarter is the oldest part of the city whose great historical significance with remnants of the Roman era is still present. It is also home to some of the greatest Gothic monuments like the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia (aka Barcelona Cathedral), and Santa María del Mar, as well as great places to relax with your friends with a drink like Plaza Real. You can also see the remains of a temple dedicated to Augustus and parts of a roman wall if you follow the "Roman Route" of the city. You will also be able to easily find a Metro station with Jaume I (Line 4), Liceu (Line 3), and Drassanes (Line 3) all within this area.

So why did I mention earlier that the Gothic Quarter isn't for everyone? Well, as well as being the historical core of the city, it's also the centre of nightlife. If you're the type of person who loves to party, or consider yourself a nighttime person, then this district is the place for you to stay. Otherwise you will probably want to bring earplugs as you might find that you end up staying on a relatively active street during the late hours of the night. Nightclubs here are usually open from late in the evening until the early morning the next day.

How can we apply this information to those wishing to stay in the city then? Well, if you're a young traveller, someone looking for great nights out, or group of friends looking for a great value place to stay in Barcelona, make sure you stay in the Gothic Quarter. If you're a family visiting Barcelona for the first time, or a couple looking for a great holiday, then make your stay in Eixample instead. And if you can't afford to stay in the right side of Eixample? Consider moving over to the left side.

Author Bio: Harriet Freeman

"Having been an expat in Barcelona for over 5 years and eventually entering the tourism industry; I made it my priority to become somewhat of a guru on all things Barcelona. As a frequent blogger on the city; I aim to keep all of my readers in the know about the Catalan Capital."