In the neighborhood of La Ribera there are two main tourist attractions. The first is the Church of Santa Maria del Mar, which is one of the 3 big churches in the old city along with the cathedral and Santa Maria del Pi. If you have to choose a single monument of Barcelona, choose this one. There are many people, but it’s worth it. On the internet you can read about its history, it’s quite interesting.
The second attraction is the Museu Picasso, located in several palaces of Carrer Montcada. The palaces have a medieval appearance, but many of them were in poor condition and during the 20th century they were given a medieval appearance for tourists to come. The same as the cathedral.
But what we like the most about the neighborhood are the small streets, which are very pleasant to wander and at the moment without too many tourists. This was the commercial district during the middle ages, and many streets have beautiful names that refer to what products they produced on that street. Go for example to the streets Mirallers (literally those that made mirrors), Banys Vells (the old baths) or Cotoners (literally those who worked with cotton), where now there are many small author shops and some fashionable bars. This whole area is very beautiful.
We have 3 favorite food stores in this neighborhood:
- In Agullers street (literally those who made needles) is Vila Viniteca (numbers 7 and 9). Here is the best jamón, cheese and wine in the world. They have some tables as well. A paradise. And our children like the Joselito xorizo they sell 🙂
- In Flassaders street (literally those who made mattresses) you have the Hoffman bakery (number 44), where you can have a sweet treat. It’s all very good, and the cinnamon roll is exceptional. In number 40 there is the nice bar La Seca with Hoffman products. On the same street there are several author’s clothing stores
- In Sombrerers street (literally those who made hats) there is the Casa Gispert dried fruit store (number 23). The best in the city. Although lately it has become fashionable among visitors to Santa Maria del Mar, the truth is that it is worth to pay a visit
Undoubtedly, the best neighborhood in Barcelona to get lost in its small streets. There are no so many options for kids, but El Flako (Canvis Nous 8) is a trendy place among teenagers where you can only eat cereals (corn flakes); a curious place that children may like.