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Self-Guided Audio Tours

Barcelona Walking Tour: El Raval and the Gothic Quarter's Landmarks & Legends

Barcelona is a captivating city that attracts visitors time and again. You too will be destined to return, or so the legend goes, once you’ve drunk fountain-water from Font de Canaletes or rubbed the crown jewels on Fernando Botero’s fat feline statue, El Gato de Botero. On this walking tour around the city, I’ll share its lesser-known stories as well as some of its myths, legends and folklore.

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After leaving La Rambla, you’ll stroll through El Raval, once the most densely-populated urban area in all of Europe, and the city’s Red Light District. There, I’ll tell you about its connection to prostitution, and share the tale of Enriqueta Marti who was wrongly accused of being a serial killer. You’ll hear about the bread riots of 1789 and how Antoni Gaudi, the great Catalan Modernist architect, died tragically in an accident.

 

You’ll cross over La Rambla into Plaça Reial (the Royal Plaza) and the Gothic Quarter, where you’ll find out how the small fortified Roman village of Barcino developed into the great city that Barcelona is today. I’ll show you where the stream that provided the village with water used to run and where the tombs of the dead used to line the ancient village wall. You’ll see slightly more modern attractions too, like the gothic-looking Cathedral of Barcelona and Pont de Bisbe (the Bishops Bridge).

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On this tour, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Gaze upon one of Gaudi’s most understated buildings, Palau Güell (Güell Palace)
• Find out how Barcelona’s destitute mothers used to drop off unwanted babies through a hole in the wall at the House of Mercy
• Step into Mercat de la Boqueria, a food market that’s been operating since the 1100s
• Hear Can Culleretes Restaurant’s two origin stories and decide which one you believe
• Take a shortcut through Carrer d’Avinyo, which inspired Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d'Avignon painting
• Visit Meson del Cafe, where you’ll find the city’s best coffee and possibly bump into the mayor
• Soak up El Peto, the kissing mural composed of 4,000 photographic images of “freedom”, donated by the public

 

On this 75-minute walk, you’ll stroll along narrow lanes, hidden alleys and through popular squares like Plaça de Sant Jaume, Plaça Nova and Plaça Sant Felip Neri. You’ll hear about the city’s enchanting history, see its captivating architecture and find out about its quirky urban legends. Have your cameras ready, there are countless photographic opportunities along the way.

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Preview online:  El Raval & The Gothic Quarter's Landmarks & Legends

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Barcelona Walking Tour: Landmarks and Legends of El Born and Ciutadella Park

Barcelona’s Ciutadella Park has more to it than meets the eye. Its epic history of wars, destruction, politics, art, and expos have shaped it, and in doing so, changed the face of Barcelona forever. On this walking tour, we’ll do more than simply stroll through the celebrated park, we’ll venture into the medieval streets of El Born, once a seaside suburb and thriving industrial area where many became wealthy.

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The further you walk, the more you’ll get a sense of how local people lived in one busy, entrepreneurial area where aristocrats and the working class coexisted. You’ll stroll down Passeig del Born and find out how the area transformed from a jousting strip into a market and, much later, into one of the city’s main thoroughfares. Along the way to Barcelona’s Arc de Triomf I’ll reveal how, thanks to a (so-called) accidental excavation, you’re now able to see what the streets would have been like in the 1700s. I’ll also tell you how the city’s modern street names still hold clues about what occurred on them centuries ago.

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On this 75-minute stroll, you’ll:

• Pass by El Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria, Picasso Museum, Moco Museum Barcelona, and Palau de la Música Catalana
• Find out how Barcelonians crowdsourced the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar
• Spot the hidden Gaudi sculpture on the Cascada Monumental fountain
• See Barcelona’s shortest street, Carrer de l’Anisadeta, it takes two seconds to walk it.
• Gaze upon a statue of La Carassa’s female form, a ‘signpost’ that showed people where to find brothels in the 1600s
• Hear about the links between Capella d’en Marcús (Chapel of Marcus) and the first postal service in Europe
• Discover the origins of Sant Pere, one of Barcelona’s medieval neighborhoods
• Peak inside Santa Caterina Market, where you’ll find tasty treats and ancient ruins

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This tour covers a wonderful area of Barcelona with an incredible history and many awesome sights that are often overlooked in favour of the Gothic Quarter. On this tour, I’ll show you why you need to visit both to truly get a taste of my favorite city in the world. By the end, I hope you’ll agree that El Born is the coolest area in town!

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Preview online:  Landmarks & Legends of El Born & Ciutadella Park

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Between Two Gates: A Valencia Walking Tour from Torres de Serranos to de Quart

The history of Valencia is a story about the relationship between a city and its river. Its first Roman settlement was built on an island in the Turia River in 138 BC. The settlement grew, influenced by the river until 1957 when, after a catastrophic flood, it was decided that the torrent should be diverted. On this walking tour, you’ll wade through 2,000 years of history that developed alongside the river.

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Our tour starts on Pont dels Serrans in Turia Gardens. I’ll then guide you from Torres de Serranos, an old city gate, through the maze of churches, cathedrals, and basilicas in the heart of Ciutat Vella (the old town) to emerge through Torres De Quart, Valencia’s other remaining gate. En route, I’ll show you the city’s most breathtaking attractions including Valencia Cathedral’s impressive 800-year-old Door of the Almoina, the Palace of the Marquis de Dos Aguas, and Europe’s narrowest house, La Casa mas Estrecha. Along with churches, we’ll visit a few mosques. For 500 years, Valencia was an Islamic Caliphate during the North African Muslim Moors’ occupation. Much of their impact on the city was stamped out when the Christians took over but on this tour, I’ll show you the tell-tale signs of this historic chapter from the city’s past.

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On this 75-minute walk, you’ll also:

• Search for the Holy Grail
• Hear about the invention of Spain’s national dish, Paella, in the fields of Valencia
• Visit two important archaeological digs at Galería del Tossal: first the Muralla Árabe and then La Almoina Archaeological Museum
• Discover the sites of medieval executions and learn why Margarida Borras, a transgendered woman in the 1400s, was hung without pants on
• See Valencia’s first public hospital, Sant Joan de l’Hospital, which relied mostly on miracles rather than medicine for healing
• Spot the cannonball holes in one of two city gates
• Grab a bite in the “Cathedral of the Senses,” Mercat Central
• Visit the city’s most impressive and beautiful Catholic places of worship, including the Royal Basilica, Valencia Cathedral, and Church of San Nicolás de Bari and San Pedro Mártir
• Find out who Little Michael was and why his hat was too small
• Take in one of the city’s best preserved Gothic buildings, the Silk Exchange

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It’s easy to fall in love with Valencia’s pretty face, but when you peek into its past and find out what shaped its personality, you’ll love it even more. Its history runs deep like the Turia River it relied on for most of its life. By the end of this tour, you’ll be enchanted with the place... and possibly craving a Paella.

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Preview online:  Between Two Gates: A Valencia walking tour from Torres de Serranos to de Quart

 

Sitges Walking Tour: From a Roman Village to a Resort Town

Sitges’ coastal location has always influenced the seaside town, but there’s much more to this historical place than amazing beaches – even if they have been enjoyed since Roman times when soldiers came here for a break. On this walking tour, I’ll share some of Sitges’ centuries-old history, starting at the boardwalk. Here, you’ll discover how the ocean has impacted every element of the town, from the wars it’s seen, to the tourism that came later.

 

I’ll tell you about the people who built the beautiful old mansions along the seafront, and how some of them made their fortunes.

Sitges has long been a magnet for the artistic, and was frequented by art students in the 1800s who would set up on the beaches and learn how to capture sunsets on canvas. In the early 1900s, it became a hub for the Catalan Modernist movement, in which Barcelona’s great architect Antoni Gaudi (of Sagrada Familia fame) played a big role. I’ll share a couple of stories about the hedonistic lifestyle of artist Santiago Rusinol, who was key to Catalan Modernism in Sitges.

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Along the way, we’ll stop to look at some of the prominent galleries, museums, and architecture, and I’ll tell you how this artistic movement and its members helped to shape the Sitges that you can see today. As we make our way through medieval Sitges and the Old Town, I’ll point out original buildings from the 1400s that still line the oldest street. You’ll find out what Sitges did to help Barcelona in the War of Succession and how the town learned to defend itself against its little pirate problem. I’ll also reveal how, in the late 1800s, the stars aligned for this seaside town to transform into a resort town that attracted gay people and liberal artists alike.

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You can also look forward to:

• Passing by Museu Del Cau Ferrat, the home of Catalan Modernist movement leader, Santiago Rusinol
• Finding out how the town got its name
• Marvelling at Palau De Maricel, a magnificent building set up to attract even more artists to the town
• Hearing about Baluard Plaza, the imposing structure from where the military defended the town in the 1700s
• Taking in the site of the original medieval castle that Bernardo de Fonollar bought, making him Lord of Sitges
• Seeing the most photographed site in Sitges, the Church of St Bartholomew and Saint Tecla
• Visiting El Chiringuito, the first beach bar in Spain
• Learning how Facundo Bacardi Masso, of Bacardi Rum fame and a Sitgetan, invented the first white rum in the world
• Discovering how Sitges became one of the gay capitals of Europe
• Strolling through Cap de la Vila, an area once known as “the end of the village” and now part of the town’s center

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The town’s rich history still has a visible influence on modern Sitges, from its buildings, to its people, and its culture. On this 45-minute stroll, I’ll bring Sitges’ fascinating story to life.

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Preview online:  Sitges Walking Tour: From a Roman Village to a resort town

Tarragona Walking Tour: A Guide to Tarraco, Rome’s Other Capital

Travel back 2,200 years in history to when Tarragona was Tarraco, one of Rome’s most important colonies and an ancient holiday destination – much like it is to this day. Over the years, the Romans, Moors, and Medieval Christians influenced the city and on this walking tour, I’ll point out where they left their mark in Tarragona’s Old Town. I’ll show you some of the numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites they left behind, and talk about some of the events that shaped them.

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Our tour starts at the Balcó de Mediterrani, overlooking the beautiful and tempting Miracle Beach. From there we’ll walk to Amfiteatre de Tarragona, Tarraco’s spectacular old Amphitheatre, and visit the Colonial Forum of Tarraco, the Roman wall of Tarragona, and Portal del Roser (a city gate). But it’s not all about Rome. Most of what you’ll see on your way to Mercat de Tarragona (the central market) where our tour ends was built in Medieval times. You’ll be amazed at how parts of the town still look and feel like a village from the Middle Ages. I’ll tell you how the Romans were more like us than you might realize – they were hygienic, loved to be entertained, built surprisingly modern-looking architecture, and were pretty open-minded.

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On this 75 minute walk, you’ll also:

  • Relive what happened on an average day at the Amphitheatre

  • Find out why the stunning Cathedral of Santa Tecla has remained unfinished since 1348   

  • See Maqueta de la Ciutat Romana de Tarraco, a precise model of Roman Tarraco at the height of its glory

  • Walk through Carrer dels Cavallers, one of the ritziest streets in Medieval Tarragona

  • Take in Casa Museu Castellarnau, a fancy palace that belonged to an iron forge mogul  

  • Discover the fate of Spain’s Medieval Jewish community in Tarragona’s Jewish Quarter

  • Immerse yourself in a day at the (chariot) races, held at the iconic Circ Romà (praetorium)

  • Learn how Tarraco’s most important leader was also one of the greatest leaders in the history of the world

  • Get to know why the hilltop was the most important place for Romans

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By the end of the tour, you’ll have fallen in love with Tarragona. You’ll leave the Old Town with a new appreciation for this relatively unknown (but once Spain’s most important) city!

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Preview Online: Tarragona Walking Tour: A Guide to Tarraco, Rome's Other Capital

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