AN OVERVIEW

Barcelona, like any other city, is defined by its geography but in this case the definition is precise: sea, hills and rivers constrain its area. The city squeezes into the remaining available space, a dense and sometimes confusing tangle of streets and houses. To make things easier for the visitor, in this guide we have divided Barcelona into a number of defined districts that are shown

on the Barcelona overview map on page 336 and the locator maps at the beginning of each sightseeing chapter. Every venue we list, be it restaurant, shop or tourist attraction, is placed within one of these areas. Either headings within the chapter will indicate which district is being dealt with, or the specific address will include the area within it. For example: C/Pelai 18, Raval is in Raval.

As to the areas themselves, we begin I ho Sightseeing section with the Barri Gdtic (Gothic Quarter, Themedieval heart of the city. The boundaries lo this ancient quarter are the pedestrian boulevard La Rambla, the transport hub of I'laca de Catalunya, and Via Laietana.

Crossing Via Laietana brings you to Born & Sant Pere. These old commercial districts are given a green boundary by the Pare de la Ciutadella, with the heavy traffic using the Ronda Sant Pere marking Thedivision between Old Cily and the Kixample ('Extension').

Crossing La Rambla from the Barri Gotic plunges the visitor into the Raval, once notorious and still an edgier part of town than many of Barcelona's sometimes over-designed districts.

Once Barcelona turned its back on the sea, cut off by a railway line and put off by toxic waste dumped into the water. All that changed with the 1992 Olympics and today Barceloneta & the Ports  offer a marine respite to city dwellers. To find the big blue the basic idea is to head downhill: Barcelona slopes gently down to the shore.

The hills of Montjuic offer a welcome escape from the heat and crowds of the city, and some of the city's best galleries and museums too.

It's easy to tell when you've left the Old City and entered the Eixample: narrow, labyrinthine streets and alleys become broad, traffic clogged, geometrically precise roads. Barcelona's extension encloses much of the old, stretching from Montjui'c, around Raval and the Barri Gotic, to finally finish as Sant Pere's cap. It's here that you'll find most of the city's Modernisme masterpieces.

Beyond lie Gracia & Other Districts, which include once independent towns swallowed up as Barcelona has spread; despite this you'll find each area retains a distinct and separate identity.

One other piece of advice: bag snatchers and pickpockets are quite common. Don't carry unnecessary valuables and beware anyone trying to clean something off your shoulder or sell you a post. Those wanting to swap a coin for one from your country arc also wont to empty out your wallet.

GETTING AROUND BARCELONA