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Barcelona · History

From Barcino to the Crown of Aragon

Start at the gate of the Roman town and finish at the church the sailors built. Along the way: the Temple of Augustus, the square where Catalonia is governed and the palace of the kings of Aragon.

  • 6 stops
  • 1.4 km
  • 1 h 35 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Plaça del Rei with King Martin's Watchtower and the palace staircase

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Plaça Nova and the towers of BarcinoTwo towers that guarded the gate of the Roman town and a frieze drawn by Picasso, face to face.
  2. 2 Barcelona CathedralA Gothic cathedral begun in 1298 that had to wait almost six centuries for its front.
  3. 3 Plaça de Sant JaumeFor centuries, the government of Catalonia and the city council have faced each other across this square.
  4. 4 Temple of AugustusFour nine-metre Roman columns hidden in the courtyard of a medieval building.
  5. 5 Plaça del ReiThe courtyard of the palace from which the counts of Barcelona and kings of Aragon ruled a Mediterranean empire.
  6. 6 Santa Maria del MarThe church built stone by stone by sailors and dock porters, in just 54 years.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

From Barcino to the Crown of Aragon

Roman Barcino

Towers, an aqueduct and the columns of a two-thousand-year-old temple, still standing.

Counts and kings

The palace from which a crown spanning half the Mediterranean was ruled.

Catalan Gothic

The cathedral and Santa Maria del Mar, two ways of understanding stone and faith.

Keep exploring

More routes in Barcelona

Back to Barcelona
Mysteries & legendsHidden Barcelona: skulls, martyrs and stone faces EssentialsEssential Barcelona: from La Rambla to the Sagrada Família