Walking Tour of Barcelona - El Born

El Born is also known as La Ribera and feels more local that touristy as it is on the edges of the Old City boundaries and takes a little more effort to get there. But is worth the effort to check it out.

Images:  Santa Caterina Market, Church Santa Maria del Mar,

 The eye catching Santa Caterina Market was renovated in 2006 with a wildly colorful wave-like roof built on top of the original white walls.  Unfortunately, the market was closed due to the Easter Holiday but their restaurant was open and so we stopped for lunch.

It was a delicious decision as the food was excellent.  We shared calamari, tuna & avocado, curried chicken with prawns & rice, tomato & mozzarella salad and pan con tomato bread.  

 After lunch we headed deeper into El Born, making our way to the Church of Santa Maria del Mar.

Church of Santa Maria del Mar means "Cathedral of the Sea" and was built entirely with local funds and labor in the heart of the El Born quarter.  

Proudly independent, the church features a purely Catalan Gothic interior.  It used to be more highly decorated with Baroque frills, but during the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) the Catholic Church sided with Franco and the working class took their revenge on this church by burning all of its wood furnishings and decor.  Today, the church remains stripped down-naked in all its Gothic glory.

                 One of the many little squares in El Born surrounded by restaurants and cafes