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EnglishBarcelona's ten districts explained
- Ciutat Vella: the oldest of the ten districts has four neighbourhoods, including La Barceloneta, El Raval and El Gòtic. It is home to Plaça Catalunya, the Ramblas, the cathedral and Parc de la Ciutadella.
- Eixample and Gràcia: the Eixample, the most populated, has six neighbourhoods and is home to Casa Batlló, the Sagrada Família and Paseo de Gracia. Gràcia, a student district with five neighbourhoods, is home to Park Güell and Plaza del Sol.
- Sants and Les Corts: Sants has eight neighbourhoods, with Montjuïc Castle, the Palau Sant Jordi and the 1992 Olympic Stadium. Les Corts has had only three neighbourhoods since 2006 and is home to the Camp Nou and the Pedralbes gardens.
- Uptown areas: Sarrià-Sant Gervasi has six neighbourhoods, including Sarrià and Tibidabo; Horta-Guinardó has eleven, including El Guinardó and El Carmel.
- North and east: Nou Barris is the largest, with thirteen neighbourhoods; Sant Andreu has seven, with cobbled streets and Roman remains; Sant Martí, with about ten, still shows traces of its industrial past.
- Key point: Barcelona is divided into ten districts, each split into neighbourhoods, and they vary greatly in size.
Barcelona is a city that stirs passion in residents and visitors alike. Yet few people really know its geography and how its districts are organised.
In this article, we look at each district and point out the city's places of interest.
Experience the spirit of every district of Barcelona and step inside to discover everything they have to offer.
Ciutat Vella
The Ciutat Vella district is divided into four neighbourhoods:
- La Barceloneta
- El Raval
- El Gòtic
- Sant Pere, Santa Caterina and La Ribera.
It covers the whole historic centre of the city and is the oldest of the ten districts.
Don't miss what the old centre has to offer, such as:
- Visiting the city's point zero: Plaça Catalunya
- Shopping on Portal de l'Àngel
- Strolling along the Ramblas
- Visiting Barcelona Cathedral
- Getting some fresh air in Parc de la Ciutadella
- Visiting all the museums in the district
- Swimming at La Barceloneta.
The Eixample
Eixample district
The Eixample district is made up of the neighbourhoods of Sagrada Família, Fort Pienc, Dreta de l'Eixample, L'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample, La Nova Esquerra de l'Eixample and Sant Antoni.
It is the most populated district in Barcelona and lies right in the city centre.
Here you will find some of the most iconic works not to miss, such as Casa Batlló, the Sagrada Familia and Casa Milà. Don't forget to stroll along Paseo de Gracia, famous for its upmarket shops.
Sants
The Sants district is made up of eight neighbourhoods, including La Marina, Poble-sec, Sants and Hostafrancs.
You can't leave Barcelona without visiting Montjuïc Castle, the site of the most important events in the city's history, and today a museum.
There is also the Palau Sant Jordi, an icon of Catalan culture as an international venue for sports events and big concerts. Next to it, you can see the stadium of the 1992 Olympic Games and its gardens. Finally, there is Sants station, one of Barcelona's main railway stations.
Les Corts
The Les Corts district was traditionally divided into ten neighbourhoods, but since 2006 there have been only three: Les Corts, La Maternitat i Sant Ramon, and Pedralbes.
FC Barcelona's stadium, the Camp Nou, is a must-see visited by millions of fans and spectators every year.
Don't miss the Jardins de la Maternitat either, or the gardens of the Pedralbes palace, known for their elegance and their huge iron gate.
Sarrià-Sant Gervasi
The Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district is made up of six neighbourhoods, notably Galvany, La Bonanova, Sarrià and Tibidabo.
Sarrià has a magnificent hill that you can see from anywhere in the city: Tibidabo. We also recommend a walk along the Carretera de les Aigües.
Gràcia
A true student district, Gràcia is made up of five neighbourhoods: Camp d'en Grassot i Gràcia Nova, La Salut, El Coll, Vallcarca and Penitents.
If you spend a few days in Barcelona, you can't miss the famous Park Güell, where you will fall in love with Gaudí's fantastic works and gardens.
Don't forget to walk along Gran de Gràcia and visit Plaza del Sol and Plaza del Diamante.
Horta-Guinardó
The Horta-Guinardó district has no fewer than eleven neighbourhoods. The main ones are El Guinardó, Can Baró, El Carmel, Montbau, La Teixonera and La Vall d'Hebron.
Here, don't miss Calle Aiguafreda, Plaza Bacardí or Calle Campoamor.
Nou Barris
Barcelona has districts of all sizes, but the one with the biggest slice of the cake is without doubt Nou Barris, made up of thirteen neighbourhoods.
Some of the best known are Canyelles, Roquetes, La Prosperitat, La Trinitat Nova, Torre Baró, Vallbona and Ciutat Meridiana.
The area is crossed by streams and has aqueducts such as those of Ciutat Meridiana, as well as Central Park and the Casa de l'Aigua.
Sant Andreu
The Sant Andreu district is made up of seven neighbourhoods, the best known being La Sagrera and Trinitat Vella.
The district has kept a traditional character and a small-town feel, with its old cobbled streets, squares and century-old shops. Roman remains are hidden here, and some buildings bear witness to a rural past.
Sant Martí
The Sant Martí district is also one of the largest in the city, with about ten neighbourhoods, including El Besòs, El Clot, Poblenou and the Olympic Village.
As you walk its streets, you will see many chimneys that recall the district's industrial past, now reinvented around a more Mediterranean identity.
Would you like to buy in one of the districts of Barcelona, a flat or a house? Feel free to contact us.
Romain Traversino is head of the Barcelona office of Alveo Search (Alveo group). He supports international buyers with their property projects in Barcelona and in Catalonia, from search to signing. He speaks six languages and shares his advice on choosing neighbourhoods, analysing prices and buying remotely.
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