Most visitors to Barcelona visit the Gothic Quarter. But few learn the secrets held in the medieval streets. Fewer still capture themselves experiencing it.

1. Barcelona: Secrets of the Gothic Quarter
monkeysandmountains.com /barcelona-gothic-quarter
Most visit ors t o Barcelona visit t he Got hic Quart er. But f ew learn t he secret s held in t he
medieval st reet s. Fewer st ill capt ure t hemselves experiencing it .
That’s where Trip4Real comes in. Tours are created and led by locals, and in this case our tour guide was Joan, a
professional photographer who not only shares the secrets of the Gothic Quarter, but snaps pictures of you while doing
it.
Our tour started in Placa de Sant Just. Here you’ll find
Barcelona’s first fountain that dates back to the 14th century.
What’s easy to miss is the sculpture on the side of the building
of a hawk hunting a partridge.
Next up is Plaça del Rei, otherwise known as King’s Square.
It’s not exactly a secret in itself since it’s where the who’s who
of Spanish society is received, including Christopher Columbus
when he returned. What you may not know though is that King
Martin’s Watchtower was believed to be the tallest building in
the world at the time. It may not seem all that impressive by
today’s skyscraper standards but in the 15th century it was
shockingly tall.
Now make your way to Carrer de la Pietat. Here you’ll want to
look up. On the right side of the street you’ll see a variety of
strange- looking figures guarding the Cathedral. The left side is
adorned with wiz ards and witches petrified forever for their bad
behavior. You’ve been warned!
Next, make your way to the Museu d’Història. Hidden away are
the remains of a Roman temple that dates back to the first
century. According to our local guide Joan from Trip4Real, the
Roman ruins are something a lot of locals don’t even know
about. Except for the ones whose apartment looks out onto the
ruins.
Take a look at the photo of the bridge below. How old do you
think it is? It might look old, but here’s a secret, it only dates
back to 1928. Here’s another secret: it’s not Gothic, but
actually Flamboyant- style. And one more secret, perhaps the
most important one: you have to walk backwards underneath
the bridge and make a wish. Do so
Me wr i ti n g d o wn a l l th e j u i cy s e cr e ts s o th a t I ca n s h a r e th e m
wi th yo u . P h o to co u r te s y o f J o a n Fi g u e r a s .

2. the bridge and make a wish. Do so
and your wish will come true. I did it
and I’ll keep you posted as to how
well it works. Three days later and no
luck so far, but alas these things can
take time.
Sant Felip Neri Square is also not a
secret in itself, but many visitors snap
a quick shot without understanding the
tragic history that occurred there.
Look at the lower part of the church,
see all the indentations? A reminder
that in this square on January 30th,
1938 a bomb fell that caused the
collapse of the underground part of
the church of Sant Felip Neri. 42
civilians were killed, including 20
children, all who were taking refuge
here. Gives the square a different,
more somber meaning doesn’t it?
Next up is Casa de l’Ardiaca, the
Archdeacon’s house. It dates back to
the 12th century, but what I found most
impressive and would have walked
right by was the mailbox. Yep, the
mailbox. At one point in the building’s
long history it held the city’s justice
office. To honor that history a ArtNoveau Mailbox was designed to
B a r ce l o n a ’s fi r s t fo u n ta i n .

3. Noveau Mailbox was designed to
represent justice.
The sword on the top left corner represents justice.
The swallows on the top right corner represent how justice
should be – free of bias.
While the ivy on the lower left corner represent the obstacles
with justice and within the justice system.
Finally, the turtle on the lower right corner represents how
justice actually is – slow.
Barcelona Cathedral is no doubt a highlight of the Gothic
Quarter. Built over six centuries , it’s not only the scale of the
building that impresses me so much, it’s also the little details.
Like the 250 purposely ugly gargoyles that surround the
cathedral to protect it. On the left side of the Cathedral (if you
are facing it) the representation of good vs evil represented by
a Griffin (eagle head with lion feet) versus man. It’s easy to
miss the little things when you’re looking at something as huge
as the cathedral, but it’s these little things that bring the
cathedral to life.
This particular Trip4Real tour I did was led by Joan Figueras,
a photographer who takes pictures of you at these iconic
locations, while revealing the secrets of the Gothic Quarter.
The tour I did costs €35/person, lasts 90 minutes. It’s a
fantastic way to not only learn the secrets of the Gothic Quarter
but to capture yourself doing it. Finally I have a few photos of
me – taken by a professional photographer. You can book it
here.
Ki n g ’s Wa tch To we r

4. here.
Thank you to the Catalunya Tourism
Board for making my visit possible. As
always all opinions expressed are my
own. P.S. You shouldn’t tell me
secrets about Barcelona that you don’t
want revealed on my blog.
About Laurel
Laurel Robbins is a free- spirited
adventurer, award- winning travel
blogger at Monkeys and Mountains
Adventure Travel Blog. Many hats,
one travel obsessed Canadian in
Germany.
Lo o k u p to s e e th e s tr a n g e fi g u r e s th a t l i n e th e ca th e d r a l wa l l .

5. P e tr i fi e d wi z a r d o n B i s b e S tr e e t i n B a r ce l o n a ’s G o th i c Q u a r te r .

6. Hi d d e n Ro m a n r u i n s i n B a r ce l o n a ’s g o th i c q u a r te r
O u r g r o u p o f b l o g g e r s i n fr o n t o f th e b r i d g e , b e fo r e we a l l wa l ke d b a ckwa r d s u n d e r n e a th i t. P h o to co u r te s y
o f J o a n Fi g u e r a s .

7. S a n t Fe l i p Ch u r ch
Ar t n o u ve a u m a i l b o x o n th e Ar ch d e a co n ’s h o u s e .

8. Me r u b b i n g th e tu r tl e fo r g o o d l u ck – a n o th e r s e cr e t th a t s o m e l o ca l s d o n ’t e ve n kn o w a b o u t. P h o to co u r te s y o f J o a n
Fi g u e r a s .
B a r ce l o n a Ca th e d r a l . P h o to b y J o a n Fi g u e r a s .

9. G a r g o yl e s a n d o th e r a r t l i n e th e ca th e d r a l ’s wa l l s