Outside of Església de Betlem

©Esme Fox/Lonely Planet

Església de Betlem

La Rambla & Barri Gòtic


On La Rambla with Carrer del Carme, this church was constructed in baroque style for the Jesuits in the late 17th and early 18th centuries to replace a 15h-century church destroyed by fire in 1671. Flames were a recurring theme for this site: the church was once considered the most splendid of Barcelona’s few baroque offerings, but anarchists torched it in 1936.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby La Rambla & Barri Gòtic attractions

1. Palau Moja

0.03 MILES

After extensive renovation, Palau Moja – a neoclassical building dating from the second half of the 18th century, which previously housed the Generalitat…

2. Palau de la Virreina

0.04 MILES

A rare example of post-baroque building in Barcelona, the Palau de la Virreina is a grand 18th-century rococo mansion (with some neoclassical elements)…

3. Centre de la Imatge

0.04 MILES

The Centre de la Imatge is an exhibition space that forms part of the Palau de la Virreina. It hosts mainly – but not exclusively – photography shows.

4. Mercat de la Boqueria

0.08 MILES

Barcelona's most central fresh-produce market is one of the greatest sound, smell and colour sensations in Europe. It's housed in a packed-out Modernista…

5. Museu de l’Eròtica

0.08 MILES

Observe what naughtiness people have been getting up to since ancient times in this museum, with historical relics such as Indian bas-reliefs showing…

6. Via Sepulcral Romana

0.1 MILES

A block east of the top end of La Rambla is a sunken garden where a series of Roman tombs from the 1st to 3rd century AD were uncovered in the 1940s,…

7. Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi

0.13 MILES

Begun in 1320, on the site of a 10th-century Romanesque church, this striking 14th-century basilica is a classic of Catalan Gothic, with an imposing…

8. Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol

0.15 MILES

This small square flanking the majestic Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi is one of the prettiest in the Barri Gòtic, with its bars and cafes attracting…