City pack · Barcelona, Spain
20 narrated stories about Barcelona — streets, landmarks and the people behind their names — about 63 minutes of listening. Play them here, or download the pack and listen offline on the plane, the train, the walk.
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Plaça de Sant Felip Neri, Barri Gòtic, Barcelona · 3 min · page
The holes are shrapnel marks from an Italian aviation bomb that struck the church on January 30, 1938, killing forty-two people. They were left unrestored as a silent, physical memory of that morning.
Palau de la Música Catalana, Carrer de Palau · 3 min · page
Lluís Domènech i Montaner designed this crown jewel of Catalan Modernisme between 1905 and 1908. It features the only concert hall in Europe illuminated entirely by natural light during the day, using a breathtaking inverted dome of stained glass.
Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar, Plaça de · 3 min · page
The basilica was built by 14th-century sailors, merchants, and dockworkers. Humble porters called bastaixos carried every stone from the Montjuïc hill quarry on their shoulders, completing the church in only fifty-four years through their incredible communal effort.
Basílica de la Mercè, Plaça de la Mercè · 3 min · page
The Virgin of Mercy became Barcelona's patron after city leaders promised to honor her if she delivered them from a locust plague in 1687. When the insects vanished, the city kept its promise and now celebrates her every September.
Unlocks with the pack
Avinguda de Josep Tarradellas, Barcelona · 3 min · page
The avenue is named after Josep Tarradellas i Joan, a Catalan president who spent twenty-three years in exile during the Franco dictatorship. Renamed in 1988, it honors the politician who famously declared "Ja soc aquí!" upon his return in 1977.
Unlocks with the pack
Carrer de Balmes, Barcelona · 3 min · page
The street is named after Jaime Balmes, a 19th-century priest and philosopher known for his "philosophy of common sense." He authored The Criterion and believed that reason and faith could coexist.
Unlocks with the pack
Passeig de Joan de Borbó, Barcelona · 3 min · page
It is named after Joan de Borbó, the Count of Barcelona and father of King Juan Carlos. Though the legitimate heir, he never reigned, eventually renouncing his dynastic rights in 1977 to help Spain transition to a modern democracy.
Unlocks with the pack
Carrer del Comte Borrell, Barcelona · 4 min · page
The street is named after Borrell the Second, a tenth-century count. After the Frankish King failed to help during a 985 raid, Borrell stopped swearing fealty and began ruling as a sovereign, symbolizing the birth of a distinct identity.
Unlocks with the pack
Casa Batlló de Gaudí, Passeig de Gràcia 43 · 3 min · page
Locals call it the House of Bones because its columns look like skeletal limbs and its balconies resemble skulls. Antoni Gaudí designed the building using organic shapes from nature, including a roof representing the legend of Saint George and the dragon.
Unlocks with the pack
Avinguda d'Eduard Maristany, Barcelona · 3 min · page
The avenue is named after Eduard Maristany i Gibert, a civil engineer who led Spain’s largest railway company. He is known for building the Argentera tunnel, and the street now links Barcelona to Sant Adrià de Besòs and Badalona.
Unlocks with the pack
Gran Via de Carles III, Barcelona · 3 min · page
The street is named after King Charles III, an 18th-century monarch known as the Enlightened Despot for modernizing infrastructure. Developed in the mid-20th century as part of the Ronda del Mig ring road, it connects neighborhoods like Les Corts and Sants.
Unlocks with the pack
Rambla de Prim, Barcelona · 3 min · page
The street is named after Juan Prim, a Catalan soldier and Prime Minister of Spain who led the 1868 Glorious Revolution. Born in Reus, he became the First Marquis of los Castillejos before being assassinated in a mysterious ambush in Madrid.
Unlocks with the pack
Passeig de Sant Joan, Barcelona · 3 min · page
Named after John the Baptist, the street was laid out in 1859 by Ildefons Cerdà. It features modernist architecture like Palau Macaya and is a green corridor with wide sidewalks, playgrounds, and special draining tiles that allow grass to grow.
Unlocks with the pack
Mercat de Sant Antoni, Carrer del Comte d'Urgell · 3 min · page
Completed in 1882, this modernist market features a Greek-cross layout and preserved remains of the Roman Via Augusta. It hosts traditional food stalls, a household goods market, and a Sunday market for rare books, vintage postcards, and trading cards.
Unlocks with the pack
Carrer d'Entença, Barcelona · 3 min · page
The street is named after Berenguer d'Entença, a fourteenth-century nobleman and commander of the Great Catalan Company mercenaries. He served the Crown of Aragon and led the Almogavars during the era of Catalan Mediterranean expansion.
Unlocks with the pack
Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu, Carrer de · 3 min · page
Founded in 1401, this former hospital served as Barcelona's main medical center for five centuries. Today, the Gothic complex houses the Biblioteca de Catalunya, the Royal Academy of Medicine, and an art school, after medical services relocated in 1929.
Unlocks with the pack
Basílica de la Sagrada Família de Gaudí, Carrer · 3 min · page
Antoni Gaudí designed the Sagrada Família, and construction began in 1882. He is buried in the crypt of the basilica, which will be the tallest church building in the world when the final spire is eventually placed.
Unlocks with the pack
La Pedrera (Casa Milà) de Gaudí, Passeig de · 3 min · page
Locals originally called Casa Milà 'La Pedrera' as an insult because its stone facade resembled a pile of raw, excavated stone. At the time of its 1912 completion, critics mocked the building as an eyesore and a giant hornet's nest.
Unlocks with the pack
'El Gat' de Fernando Botero, Rambla del Raval · 3 min · page
El Gat is permanently located on the Rambla del Raval. After moving between various city sites for fifteen years, the bronze sculpture by Fernando Botero found its permanent home there in 2003, symbolizing the neighborhood’s art and multicultural energy.
Unlocks with the pack
Carrer de Sant Antoni Maria Claret, Barcelona · 3 min · page
The street is named after Antoni Maria Claret, a master weaver who became a missionary, Archbishop of Santiago de Cuba, and founder of the Claretian order. He was canonized as a saint in 1950.
Unlocks with the pack