Raval Walking Tour: Barcelona's Dark History

Street art and buried secrets in an edgy urban core

Begin your ExperienceFirst Tour with your local guide outside the church of Sant Pere Nolasc Mercedaris, located right by the buzzing Plaça de Castella. Here, you'll enter the hip yet gritty neighborhood of the Raval. First up, we’ll visit the Casa de la Misericordia, where children were abandoned and some (they say) still walk the halls. From that spooky start, we’ll take a turn to stroll down Raval’s vibrant narrow streets, crowded with eclectic shops and striking architecture. It’s a bustling corner of the medieval city. And when you least expect it, we’ll stop for a vampire — well, for the place the Vampire of Raval used to live. You’ll decide if you want to listen to the legend or the real story of these crimes from long ago. At the former Hospital of la Santa Creu, wander the grounds and a garden where shows and spells of the most macabre once took place. Passing next by La Rambla de Raval, we’ll continue to the Church of Sant Pau del Camp, Barcelona’s oldest church with a troubled past. As the tour comes to a close, you’ll discover Raval’s southern side. Hear shocking tales of the clubs, cabarets and casinos that used to be the main attractions here a century ago. A few have even survived to the modern day. Raval’s southern side is a great place to see street art, too. Close to a former power factory, you’ll admire colorful graffiti art that is constantly changing. If you’re lucky, you’ll even see street artists in action.