About this place
El Born, strictly the Born quarter of the Ribera district, is the beating social heart of medieval Barcelona reborn as its most fashionable neighbourhood. Its spine is the Passeig del Born, a wide, tree-lined promenade that in the Middle Ages hosted jousts, markets and festivals, overlooked by elegant merchant houses. Today the surrounding warren of narrow lanes brims with designer boutiques, craft shops, art galleries, wine bars and some of the best tapas in the city. At the top of the promenade stands the old Born Market, a beautiful iron-and-glass hall from 1876, now the Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria: when it was being converted, workers uncovered the astonishingly complete streets and houses of the old city, bulldozed in 1714 after Barcelona's defeat in the War of the Spanish Succession, now preserved and displayed as a poignant monument to Catalan resistance.
Key facts
- 1714 year — Streets here were demolished after Barcelona fell in the War of the Spanish Succession
- 1876 year — The iron Born Market hall was built, now a cultural centre over the ruins
- 1 promenade — The Passeig del Born hosted medieval jousts, markets and public festivals
📍 Passeig del Born, 08003, Barcelona