7 Reasons For and Against Renting an Apartment in Barrio Gotico Barcelona

If you like history and tradition, then renting an apartment in Barrio Gotico Barcelona would be the ideal vacation accommodation solution for you.  This old Gothic quarter of the city is steeped in tradition, and you will find the Barcelona Museum of History and Barcelona Cathedral right on your doorstep. Although this district of Barcelona was populated by the Romans it is only a short distance from the modern and vibrant city centre.

You will find some of the most luxurious apartments in Barcelona here, but although this is one of the most popular areas of the city, offering an exciting mix of the traditional and modern ways of life in Catalonia, it is well to understand that all is not perfect, and that there are one or two disadvantages of living here. Although these might seem trivial to the visitor on vacation, here are some negatives among the mainly positive aspects of renting a Barcelona apartment in Barrio Gotico.

PROS

1.  Barcelona traffic is generally very noisy, but not here in the Gothic Quarter. Barrio Gotico is largely a pedestrian area, since its streets are quite narrow for intense traffic and there are also traffic control laws, where cars are only allowed between certain hours. You can therefore get a good night sleep without the traffic noise - but beware of pedestrians shouting and singing!

2.  In Barrio Gotico you are not far from anything. You can walk to most of Barcelona’s main attractions, and so save your money on traveling. If you must, you can enter the main Metro system from any station in the district which are Drassanes and Liceu Green Line L3, so you can easily get to other parts of the city .

Not only are you only a short walk away from most of Barcelona’s attractions, but Barrio Gotico is situated in the Ciutat Vella, meaning ‘Old City’ in Catalan which says it all. This is Barcelona’s core, split in half by the set of boulevards known as Las Ramblas. You can start your tour over Barcelona right there and see Roman and Gothic architectural samples, Picasso Museum, Cathedral, Las Ramblas, Bridge of Sighs, El Call (Jewish quarter) and many other sights.

 Barcelona beaches are also only a few minutes away by metro or bus, and if you want to walk you are there in less than 20 minutes.

3.  Barrio Gotico area literally overflows with bars and restaurants that offer all type of cuisine from most traditional Catalan one to exotic Thai to spicy Korean. You can easily find a place to have lunch, dinner or just to have a bite while on excursion paying reasonable price for tasty food. The competence is so tough here, that in fact any restaurant or bar will be delighted to get you as a client. Though do not forget to check prices first! - since the area is almost always overcrowded with tourists some establishments can be just overpriced - for example open terrace cafes at Las Ramblas.

And at night you can visit a marvelous range of bars, from Irish pubs to Catalan Bars and Spanish disco bars.

4.  You get to live like a local.  That’s right:  living in Barrio Gotico in a rented apartment enables you purchase your groceries where the locals purchase them, such as in local markets like the famous Boqueria, and cook them the way the locals cook them.  This is an important part of a vacation for many people and the reason why they prefer to rent an apartment than a hotel room, and it gives them the real flavour of a city, particularly one as old as Barcelona.

It is the age of Barrio Gotico that is the attraction for most that choose to spend their entire vacation here, and while there are more modern apartments in modern buildings in Barcelona, none have the character of those in Barrio Gotico, and none give the same true spirit of the city, with its narrow cobbled streets, small cute squares, and paella being cooked in the street outside the restaurant in a huge paella pan. This is the real atmosphere of Barcelona as it one was - and still is in this part of the Ciutat Vella.

CONS

5.  Barrio Gotico Barcelona is a well known area, and very popular with tourists due to its historical past. This means that the streets can be crowded at times, particularly when the street performers are entertaining the crowds in Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas Avenue with their acts. This offers rich pickings for pickpockets and other forms of petty crime especially at night, so you have to be on your guard or your vacation could end up costing a lot more than you bargained for.

6.  Because of the history of Barrio Gotico, and its age relative to other districts of Barcelona, apartments here may not have a lift or elevator. Not only that, but the staircases can be steep and narrow, and older or disabled people may have problems getting to the upper floors of your apartment. Children could also find it difficult, so check this out before you book.  We have excellent inexpensive Barcelona apartments to rent in other areas of the city that are more suitable for disabled or older people.

7.  The old Gothic quarter is often the scene of concerts and other major events at certain times of the year such as New Year’s Eve, Sant Joan, La Merce and others, and you will find it noisy at these times. Some would look upon this as a benefit, although those with young children or older family members to care for might not agree. If that is you, then perhaps you are best not to choose this part of Barcelona to rent your apartment. We can offer many others on offer at reasonable prices.

Barrio Gotico is a wonderful area of Barcelona, and as long as you choose your apartment wisely you should be able to have a great vacation. However, make sure that you should not be affected by the negatives because an apartment in the wrong district can have a profound effect, not only on your enjoyment of your vacation, but also on how you regard Barcelona.

This is a wonderful city with a lot to offer, so allow it to impress you and think carefully of where you choose your apartment in Barcelona for your vacation. If you are thinking of renting an apartment in Barrio Gotico Barcelona then that could very well be the excellent choice that it is for most people because the cons are very minimal and you should have a fabulous vacation.