Barcelona Walking Tours – Best Private Guide
Gaston Magrinat guides guests on customized private Barcelona walking tours.
Barcelona walking tours are Gaston Magrinat’s specialty. Born in Spain, but raised in the United States, Gaston graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in Forestry. After graduation he worked as an outdoor wilderness guide for at-risk teens in the wilderness of Idaho and the mountains of North Carolina. In 1999, he moved to Barcelona with his wife Damarih. His first position in Spain was teaching English to local students, but it wasn’t long before he realized that his true love was working with international visitors and showing them all the wonders of Barcelona. With a commitment to providing high-quality customized experiences, Gaston founded Barcelona Experience in 2003.
Here he takes us on walk through Barcelona’s history:
I remember the day I stepped into Plaza Sant Felip Neri.
A small fountain in the middle of the square gurgled. Afternoon sunlight tumbled across the cobblestone pavement. Old stones huddled together to form the wall of the church that famed architect Antoni Gaudi visited twice a day.
Stealing a few moments alone in the tragic – but charming – Plaza Felip Sant Neri.
There was the plaque, too: the brief eulogy fixed to the southern wall explaining the gut-wrenching narrative of the day Franco’s aerial forces bombed the square, killing dozens of schoolchildren. Only the plaque and a spray of pockmarks across the church wall hint at the square’s perilous past.
Hidden places found on Barcelona walking tours
This square, located in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona’s Old City, can be nearly impossible to find. That’s where Barcelona Experience comes in. We guide our guests along the roads less traveled, avoiding the busy streets and venturing into side streets and squares the crowds often miss. We break away from the masses and search for the quiet treasures easily missed by cruisers and other tourists. Many times, visitors literally don’t know what they’re missing!
Our walking tours take you to the places you’d either miss as you tried to navigate your way around the Gothic Quarter’s endless maze of streets or that you wouldn’t be able to truly enjoy if you were saddled to a large group during a public tour or a cruise ship-sponsored shore excursion. Our motto fits our style and vice versa: “Walk Your Own Path.”
A narrow street slices through apartment buildings in the Gothic Quarter
- a favorite spot on Barcelona walking tours.
Barcelona Experience itineraries are based on your preferences and move at your pace. We stick to the things you want to see, when you want to see them. We take you through the heart of the Old City, named as such because, prior to the 19th century, Barcelona was a walled city comprised of the current neighborhoods of El Raval, Gothic Quarter and El Borne.
One of my favorite things about our Old City tour is the amount of history contained in such compact neighborhoods. Roman ruins dating back more than a thousand years hint at the ancient history of Barcelona, then known as Barcino.
This peaceful courtyard leads to the columns of the Temple of Augustus.
Four Roman columns from the Temple of Augustus hide in an off-the-beaten-path courtyard tourists often miss. The sheer size of the columns, along with the quiet moments you’ll encounter, are an awe-inspiring experience. More than 2,000 years old, the columns remind you that, despite its modern flair, Barcelona has a rich historical tradition.
The Old City is also a gold mine of magnificent churches and a cathedral created in Catalán-influenced Gothic style. Somber gray stones weathered by hundreds of years of prosperity, poverty and politics stand like quiet sentries as you enter their sacred spaces.
Our tours also cover the Catalán history evident in the Old City. Tales of Wilfred the Hairy and St. George not only are evident in the stories you’ll hear, but the men and their connection with Barcelona’s regional history pop up in stone carvings sprinkled throughout the neighborhood’s charming walkways.
Artists, florists and performers line the edges of Las Ramblas on the way to La Boqueria Market.
Set in stark contrast to the muted colors of church stone and cobbled streets is the La Boqueria market, world famous for its cozy corridors and colorful array of exotic and familiar foods. Vibrant hues of halved dragonfruit tempt you and rows of turrón, a traditional almond-based dessert, beckon. The market dates back hundreds of years and, in 2005, was named the best market in the world.
I enjoy guiding our guests through the Old City. This is my hometown at its best, and I think the Old City excursion is the most fascinating of our Barcelona walking tours. So much of the Roman history, ancient ruins and magical squares can be missed amid the flurry of big crowds, rushed schedules and wide-eyed wonder.
But, we make sure you don’t miss anything.
In addition to customized Barcelona walking tours, Gaston takes guests on biking and driving tours in his hometown and further afield into other parts of Catalonia.
Category: Spain, Travel Experts
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
I am interested in booking a walking tour in Barcelona. Please contact me at the above email thank you
Charles, To book a walking tour, please go to http://www.barcelonaexperience.com/