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.
Santa Maria del Mar and the Born: audio walk in Barcelona
The Ribera of the guilds and the sea: a market that wouldn't be named after Isabella II, the porters on the door of Santa Maria del Mar, three disasters in one rose window, the graveyard of 1714, and streets from 1700 that turned up under a market.
What this walk is about
You start under the colourful roof of Santa Caterina, the market a royal decree wanted to name after Isabella II, and that nobody ever called by that name. You head down past the chapel of a burgher who gave land to bury the poor, the street of palaces, and a stone face that, so the story goes these days, marked a brothel. At Santa Maria del Mar you look at the bastaixos on the door (what tradition says, and who really paid for the church), the rose window that fell in the middle of Mass, and the tablet that dates the start of the building to "the day of Saint Mary of March". At the Fossar de les Moreres, the dead of 1714 and a nineteenth-century verse. The Passeig del Born was once a jousting ground; beneath its iron market, whole streets came to light, with millstones in the paving and boards for noughts and crosses. And the final question: how close to a thousand houses vanished to make way for a fortress that ended up as the city's first park. 1714 is told through the facts, without taking sides.
- Start
- The market that rejected a queen's name
- Finish
- From a fortress to the city's first park
- Who it is for
- A walk for anyone curious about medieval history and Gothic architecture and trades and everyday life.
- Languages
- Spanish and British English
The route, stop by stop
An outline of the walk. The full stories are in the app.
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Open a marker to see its page. Use two fingers to move the map on mobile.
- 1
The market that rejected a queen's name
- 2
The roadside chapel, the poor and the post
- 3
A war painted on a drawing-room wall
- 4
The recent legend of the Medusa on the corner
- 5
The porters and the building of Santa Maria del Mar
- 6
Fire, earthquake, fire
- 7
The king's claims on the foundation stone
- 8
The cemetery beneath the mulberry trees
- 9
Jousts and markets on the Born
- 10
The streets beneath the market
- 11
A thousand houses and the cannonballs left behind
- 12
From a fortress to the city's first park
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
From the Palau de la Música to Ciutadella Park
You start on the most musical corner in the city, the Palau de la Música, and on the night a banned song ended up before a military court.
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.
Podtour manages your launch request with your consent. You can withdraw it and exercise your rights as explained in our privacy policy. Privacy details.
One city per person. All its Podtour routes in Spanish and English. Available at launch. Offer details.