Shopping For History

Barcelona’s old town is living history. This unique tour aims to tell it in a fun and original way – through its historic shops. The city’s gothic quarter is full of tucked away retail treasures. This tour takes you on a magical mystery tour of the area’s stone-walled squares and hidden cul-de-sacs to discover antiquarian booksellers, ancient herb shops, and art nouveau-style boutiques trading in handmade fans, candles, and espadrilles. The tour commences on foot at the northern end of the Gothic quarter (near La Rambla) and finishes at the southern end. You’ll weave your way through small streets and squares and past major monuments such as the cathedral and old Roman walls. Along the way, you’ll learn about Barcelona’s medieval history, a metropolis once so productive that it was said a blind man could navigate his way around following the sounds of artisans toiling away at metal, glass, and leather.

On this tour, retail therapy takes on a much deeper meaning as you visit monuments to the shopping dynasties that keep the Catalan craft traditions alive. Each shop you stop at tells a story, in craft techniques, artisan tradition, and the medieval development of the city itself. Plenty of opportunities for interaction with shopkeepers and artisans. In some cases, you would be able to see them at work. Suzanne Wales is the perfect guide to unveil Barcelona's hidden craft treasures. Her expertise and personal connections with local artisans and businesses, and her insights into their crafts add an irreplaceable depth to the experience, making it truly one-of-a-kind.

Suzanne Wales is an Australian journalist who as a teenager pinned up photos of Gaudí’s architecture onto her bedroom wall. She moved here in 1992, and started to write about the arts and culture scene in her adopted home. She is a regular contributor international design books and publications, and is still constantly bowled over by Barcelona’s visual richness. Here book ‘Made in Spain’, published in May 2023 by Princeton Press, is a rich compendium of Spanish artisans and makers.

Walking shoes - and maybe a shopping bag!