Knowing Barcelona inside-out comes with years of exploring, but above all a passion for discovering all the magic that a city has to offer. Our city guides are selected for their insatiable love for Barcelona, and their desire to share it with our visitors. Leaving no stone unturned, our guides are always ready to go the extra mile to ensure that those who explore with them get to discover the Barcelona that truly makes them tick.
Your exploration of the dark hours of Barcelona's history begins near the Rambla, on the edge of the ancient medieval walls. In the 19th century, the destruction of many convents in this area gave rise to the shallows of the Raval, a dark and unfamiliar neighbourhood where the sinister Enriqueta Martí, better known as la Vampira de Barcelona, committed terrible crimes.
Just a short distance away, in the Barri Gòtic, the whole medieval history of Barcelona is on offer, from the difficult cohabitation between Christians and Jews to the construction of churches in which gargoyles tormented witches, just as the devil tormented the men. Between these alleys and squares, macabre political and religious conspiracies were played out, such as the attempted assassination of the Catholic King Ferdinand II of Aragon, or the tragic trials of the Holy Inquisition.
Crossing the Via Laietana, you will then enter the Born, the former district of craftsmen and merchants, where the ungodly customs of the people formed the breeding ground for the darkest legends. Jacint Verdaguer, a very important figure in 19th century Catalonia, is said to have practised exorcism in the neighbourhood.
Finally, near the church of Santa Maria del Mar, our visit will end between Le Fossar de les Moreres, a memorial to the War of the Spanish Succession, and the Born market, where heretics burned at the stake of the Holy Inquisition, offering an unbearable spectacle to the people of Barcelona. Creepy enough to give you goose bumps...
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