As a recent visitor for a few days, we found:
Goithic Quarter - absolutely fantastic. loads of tiny, windey streets full of little bars, restaurants, and brill architecture. Almost all of the old “dodgy” feel has gone now, and all the grotty buildings seem to be in the process of being done up.
The good or the bad news, depending on your point of view, is that all the hookers and drug pushers now seem to have been kicked out of Gothic, and it’s going yuppie.
Las Ramblas - this is, at least nowadays, the big broad street (pedestrianised in the middle, car roadway up one side and down the other, that runs from Plaza Catalunya (the main square in the city) dwon to the harbour (with the Gaothic Quarter off to your left as you walk down it.
Great for people watching and promenading, but for Gawd’s sake don’t buy anything from any of the street vendors or bars all the way down there; their prices are maybe double what you’ll pay if you turn left into any of the sidestreets and have a meal/drink in their bars instead.
Gets VERY crowded in the evening, watch for pickpockets.
Very good sex-toy shop on the right hand side, about three-quarters of the way down Las Ramblas. (ahem…)
Barcelona overall is a simply fantastic city; a must see for everyone in Spain…..we’ll be going back there many many times in the future.
For visitors flying in, don’t ever get a taxi from the airport - they are very pricy and the city centre is quite a way away.
Instead alaways use the bus service from the airport into the city centre; it is brilliant, and amazingly cheap (about ?3.60 each way if I recall)
