Plaça Reial

Laid out in the 1850s on the site of a former convent, Plaça Reial is unusual for Barcelona's old city in its symmetry and order, with uniform neoclassical facades wrapping around a fountain and rows of palm trees. Its lamp posts, topped with winged helmets, were Antoni Gaudí's first public commission, completed in 1879 while he was still a student, a detail many visitors miss on the way to dinner or a drink. By day it's a quiet spot to sit with a coffee under the arcades; by night it turns into one of the Gothic Quarter's busiest nightlife squares, with bars, live music venues, and street performers. Its evening-oriented recommended time slots reflect that dual character.