This is one of the areas that Barcelona is most famous for. On the left, it is bordered by La Rambla, at its heart is the Gothic cathedral and five minutes from there is the Picasso Museum. The Ciutat Vella (old city) is where Barcelona began, as a walled Roman settlement called Barcino and many of the historic institutions are located here. The streets are narrow and winding, and buildings were clearly thrown up according to residents’ needs, with not an inch of urban planning. And this is what gives it its appeal.