iStock International
Positioned between hills to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south lies Barcelona. Avinguda Diagonal divides the city into two areas: downtown, home to most attractions covered in this story, and Zona Alta, the upper town. At the heart of downtown is the old town, a maze of tight streets and … more charming squares bisected by La Rambla, a tree-shaded promenade flanked by Plaça de Catalunya and the harbor. To the east of La Rambla lies the medieval Barri Gòtic, and due southeast, the fashionable areas of La Ribera and El Born.
