This city´s historic core dates back to ancient Bàrcino, founded around 13-15 BCE by colonists from the Roman Empire, with its spine the famous tree-lined pedestrian promenade La Rambla (aka Les Rambles or Las Ramblas) running 1.2 kilometers (three quarters of a mile) from Plaça de Catalunya down to the Christopher Columbus Monument near the waterfront. A watercourse which evolved into a street in the mid-15th century, these days it's touristy, yes (and watch out for pickpockets!), but undeniably marvelous for strolling, and also lined with kiosks, cafés, and shops. Here you'll also find landmarks such as the Mercat de Sant Josep (aka La Boquería), a huge and colorful covered market whose current iteration was established in 1853; the Liceu, the city's 176-year-old opera house; and the Maritime Museum, housed in the onetime medieval shipyard.

Flanking La Rambla to the east, the Barri Gòtic (Gothic Quarter, often referred to simple as El Gòtic) is a warren of narrow cobblestone streets which apart from various shops, restaurants, and hostelries is home to some of Barcelona's oldest sites, including excavations of the original Roman walls; the cathedral (dating back to the 13th century); the gracious Plaça Reial with its many restaurants and cafés; and the similarly named, 14th-century Plaça del Rei (pictured here), where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella received Columbus in 1493 after his voyage of discovery) and the surrounding Reial Major Palace, from that same era.

Read more in Tripatini contributor Rohny Jones´ post What Not to Miss in Barcelona.

 Carquinyol