podtour
The Gothic Quarter: Saints, Kings and the Call
You begin in front of the Cathedral with Saint Eulàlia: her geese, the stolen finger already carved in stone in 1339, and the question of whether she ever existed.
La Rambla, from Canaletas to the Sea: audio walk in Barcelona
Barcelona's most famous street, from top to bottom: the stream bed that became a promenade, Orwell's three days on a rooftop, the palace a viceroy drew up from Lima, the square that ended up under a roof, the umbrella seller's dragon, the bomb at the Liceu, the young Gaudí's street lamps and the factory that built galleys.
What this walk is about
You start at Canaletas, where La Rambla was a stream bed running beside the city wall, and where Barça's titles are celebrated today. You head down past a clock that has kept the city's official time since 1895, and past the rooftop where George Orwell kept watch over the street in May 1937. The Palau de la Virreina was drawn up by a viceroy in Lima, and La Perricholi inspired an operetta. The Boqueria was meant to be an arcaded square and ended up under a roof; an umbrella seller put a Japanese dragon on his shopfront; and at the Liceu, on an opening night in 1893, a man came in from the side street with two bombs. It's also the theatre that burned down twice and rose again both times. Then come the street lamps the City Council commissioned from a very young Gaudí, the Güell family's palace, the theatre that paid for a hospital's beds, La Rambla's last surviving convent and the shipyards where the galley of Lepanto was built. You finish at Columbus: is he really pointing to America? The Liceu bombing is told without detail about the victims.
- Start
- The stream that became a promenade
- Finish
- Where is Columbus pointing?
- Who it is for
- A good starting point for your first visit. A walk for anyone curious about theatre, opera and shopping history and nineteenth-century and Civil War history.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
Loading the map…
Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The stream that became a promenade
- 2
The city's clock and the Englishman on the roof
- 3
The viceroy who designed his house from Lima
- 4
The square that ended up under a roof
- 5
The umbrella seller's dragon
- 6
The theatre that refused to die
- 7
Row 13, on the night of the 1893 bombing
- 8
Streetlights for La Mercè
- 9
The Güell family's palace
- 10
The theatre that funded a hospital
- 11
The last convent on La Rambla
- 12
Thirty galleys at once
- 13
Where is Columbus pointing?
Walking directions are based on mapped pedestrian routes. Check local access and signs; the route is not an accessibility guarantee. Times are approximate.
Barcelona, before you go
A city worth looking up for, with pavements worth watching too. Between narrow lanes, long avenues and a break by the sea, leave room in the day to sit down.
More walks nearby
The Raval: Legends and Dark Chronicles
You begin at the wheel where newborn babies were left; then on to the house for the poor, a convent that ended up as an iron store, and the origin of the name "barrio chino", the Chinese quarter, without a Chinese community in sight.
The Gothic Quarter That Was Built in the Twentieth Century
You start in the Plaça Nova with a Picasso drawing his own hand never touched, and with the only two round towers left on the Roman wall: those really are old.
Good to know
What is Podtour?
An app for self-guided audio walks. Choose a city and a route, then listen to the stories behind its streets. You decide when to start and when to stop.
When can I download the app?
Podtour is coming to iOS and Android. There is no confirmed launch date yet. Join the waitlist and we will let you know when it is ready.
Does Podtour include attraction tickets?
No. Street walks and monument audio tours do not include admission tickets, transport or a guide accompanying you.
Can I listen without an internet connection?
Download the audio in the app before heading out, then listen offline. Loading the online base map and calculating a new route from your location require a connection.
What languages are included?
Every route includes Spanish and British English. The English version is adapted for English-speaking travellers, rather than translated word for word.
How do I get a whole city for free?
Join the waitlist, choose a city and confirm your email address. When the app launches, we will email you with access details. No card is required. You can also try one free route in every city.
Can I buy for myself or for a group?
Yes. Your own access is included and you can choose 0–5 guests: up to 6 people including you. Each guest saves up to €0.50 on a walk, €1 on a pack or €2 on a whole city compared with buying separately. The counter shows the total before you confirm one payment.
How do I share, and when must guests accept?
After paying, share your purchase’s invitation link. Each guest opens it in Podtour and accepts their place on their own iPhone or Android phone. They must redeem it within 30 days of purchase. Unclaimed places then expire and cannot be recovered or renewed. Access accepted in time is kept. Opening the link does not use a place; one account takes just one place, and no more people can join once all places are taken.
Can I add guests after buying?
No. Choose all your guests before confirming the first purchase. Afterwards you can share the places you paid for, but you cannot increase their number or restart the 30-day deadline.
Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist. When we launch, your chosen city is yours to explore.
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Your first city,
on Podtour.
Join the waitlist and get one whole city free when Podtour launches. You choose where.
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One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.