El Born / La Ribera

La Ribera, or El Born as it is now referred to, has been transformed into a very modern and stylish area with new shops, cafes, restaurants and bars.

Designers and artists have opened trendy boutiques and now create the new styles and merchandise for tomorrow.

Born as it's most commonly called, is separated from the Gothic Quarter by the famous Via Laietana where you'll find the very lovely Palau de la Musica Catalana on the Carrer de Sant Francesc de Paula.

Via Laietana is a very long avenue running from Plaça Urquinaona in the Eixample district to Plaça d'Antonio López by the sea.

During the 13th and 15th centuries La Ribera was a very affluent area situated close to the sea (La Ribera means waterfront). At that time there were no quays and the area was contained within a wall.

The tree-lined Passeig del Born was the main square of Barcelona and today, strangely enough, history seems to have repeated itself as this is once more the trendiest area in the city.

It's just a stones throw away from the waterfront and Barceloneta and next to the lovely Parc de la Ciutadella - city park.

The former beautiful old iron and glass covered Mercat del Born used to be the most famous food market in Barcelona but sadly now stands empty waiting to be transformed back to it's former glory.

Since 1957, the Catalan government started refurbishing the area and the Museu Picasso is now housed in five palaces on Carrer de Montcada. The museum often hosts special exhibitions presenting artworks by Picasso and other artists such as Dali. Two of the five palaces are used for these exhibitions.

The nearby Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar is a beautiful example of Catalan Gothic architecture and still used as a place of worship and for weddings. Plaça Santa Maria is the perfect place to enjoy a drink.

El Born is a very popular area to stay for a city break or romantic getaway.

There are many lovely shops, cafes, bars and restaurants to enjoy during the day and at night the area comes alive. As is usual in Spain, nothing really gets started until well after 9.00pm. Also don't forget that most shops close on a Monday.

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