Plaça Reial, Barri Gòtic, Gothic Quarter, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

@Werner Spremberg/Shutterstock

Plaça Reial

La Rambla & Barri Gòtic


One of the most photogenic squares in Barcelona, and certainly its liveliest. Numerous restaurants, bars and nightspots lie beneath the arcades of 19th-century neoclassical buildings, with a buzz of activity at all hours. The lamp posts by the central fountain are Antoni Gaudí’s first known works in the city.

The square was created on the site of a convent, one of several destroyed along La Rambla (the street was teeming with religious institutions) in the wake of the 19th-century Spain-wide disentailment laws that stripped the Church of much of its property.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby La Rambla & Barri Gòtic attractions

1. La Rambla

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La Rambla is a tree-lined boulevard featuring a wide array of architectural delights, beautifully decorated flower stalls and particularly talented (and…

2. Gran Teatre del Liceu

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If you can’t catch a night at the opera, you can still take in the awe-inspiring architectural riches of one of Europe’s greatest opera houses. Opened in…

3. Palau Güell

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Built off La Rambla in the late 1880s for Gaudí's wealthy patron the industrialist Eusebi Güell, the Palau Güell is a magnificent example of the early…

4. Mosaïc de Miró

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At Plaça de la Boqueria, where four side streets meet just north of Liceu metro station, you can walk all over a colourful 1976 pavement mosaic, with one…

5. Palau Centelles

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A rare late-15th-century gem, the Palau Centelles is set round a fine Gothic-Renaissance courtyard adorned with later flourishes from the 18th and 19th…

6. Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol

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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…

7. Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi

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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. Sinagoga Major

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At the heart of the ancient Jewish Call lie the remains of what may well be the city’s main medieval synagogue (though some historians cast doubt on the…