Ciutat Vella

Every tourist comes here. That's the problem—and also, somehow, still the point. Ciutat Vella is where Barcelona started, a tangle of medieval alleys where Roman walls hide behind souvenir shops and the Gothic Quarter's stone maze swallows you whole. Yes, La Rambla has become a gauntlet of selfie sticks and overpriced sangria. But turn left into El Born and you'll find wine bars where nobody speaks English. Duck into El Raval's Pakistani restaurants or Barceloneta's old fishermen haunts. There are 134 hotels in Ciutat Vella Barcelona—from converted palaces to hostels where you'll hear every language but Catalan. The 225 restaurants range from Michelin stars to €3 bocadillos. The 174 attractions include the Picasso Museum, the Cathedral, and countless plazas where old men still argue over dominoes. Watch your wallet. Stay past midnight. Get lost on purpose.