Barcelona Guide
Barri Gòtic
Plaça Reial
Of all the old-town squares, the most popular with visitors is the elegant nineteenth-century Plaça Reial – hidden behind an archway, just off the Ramblas. Laid out around 1850, the Italianate square is studded with tall palm trees and decorated iron lamps (made by the young Antoni Gaudí), bordered by high, pastel-coloured arcaded buildings, and centred on a fountain depicting the Three Graces. Taking in the sun at its benches puts you in very mixed company – punks, bikers, buskers, Catalan eccentrics, tramps and bemused tourists drinking coffee at pavement cafés. There's an almost permanent police presence, and the surrounding bars, clubs and restaurants are becoming increasingly more upmarket.
If you pass through Plaça Reial on a Sunday morning, look in on the coin and stamp market (10am–2pm). Otherwise, the arcaded passageways connecting the square with the surrounding streets throw up a few interesting sights.