Santa Maria del Mar

Many visitors think the cathedral is Barcelona's great Gothic church; many locals would point you instead to Santa Maria del Mar. Built between 1329 and 1383, remarkably quickly for a medieval church, it was the parish of the Ribera, the waterfront district of merchants, shipowners, sailors and porters whose wealth came from Catalonia's Mediterranean trade. The people of the neighbourhood built it themselves: the bastaixos, the guild of porters, carried the stone on their backs from the royal quarry on Montjuïc, and they are commemorated in carvings on the main doors and inside. The speed of construction gives the church an unusual unity — it is the finest example of Catalan Gothic, with a wide nave and two aisles of almost the same height, slender octagonal columns spaced unusually far apart, and a sense of vast, calm, airy space. The interior is famously bare. In 1936, at the start of the Civil War, the church was set on fire and burned for days, destroying its Baroque altarpieces and furnishings; what survived is the pure medieval structure, lit by the great rose window over the entrance and by stained glass that colours the stone. Entry for prayer is free at set times, while ticketed visits — including guided tours up to the rooftop terraces, with views across the old city — are available on many days. Outside, the church is the heart of El Born, the most enjoyable district in the old town: medieval lanes like Carrer Montcada and the Passeig del Born, packed with tapas bars, cocktail bars, small galleries and independent shops.

The church and its neighbourhood carry the memory of 1714, the most important date in Catalan history. Beside the church, the Fossar de les Moreres is a sunken plaza and memorial over the graves of defenders who died in the siege of Barcelona, when the city fell to Bourbon troops at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession; an eternal flame burns there, and it is the focus of commemorations every 11 September, Catalonia's national day. A few minutes away, the Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria, inside a magnificent iron market hall from the 1870s, preserves excavated streets and houses of the neighbourhood demolished after the siege to build the Ciutadella fortress — a remarkable archaeological site visible from walkways. Many readers also arrive knowing the church from Ildefonso Falcones' bestselling novel Cathedral of the Sea, which is set during its construction.

Visiting well: check the parish's visiting schedule, as hours differ for worship and for tourist visits, and the church closes for services, weddings and concerts. The rooftop tours, which climb spiral stairs to the terraces and bell tower area, are worth booking for the views and for seeing the structure up close; they are not suitable for anyone uneasy with heights or narrow stairs. Classical guitar and choral concerts are sometimes held in the nave, and hearing music in this space is a special experience. Dress respectfully and keep voices low.

El Born is best in the late afternoon and evening, when the vermouth bars fill and the lanes come alive. Begin at the Picasso Museum on Carrer Montcada, finish at Santa Maria del Mar, then wander the Passeig del Born and the side streets for tapas. The neighbourhood is also great for shopping — fashion, ceramics, espadrilles and design — and the Ciutadella park and the Arc de Triomf are a short walk north-east for an evening stroll. Stay in El Born if you want the old city's best mix of atmosphere, food and walkability.