Sant Gervasi / Sarrià

Up in the higher, quieter part of the city, Sant Gervasi and Sarrià were villages absorbed by Barcelona's expansion and still keep a residential calm distinct from the centre. Sarrià in particular retains a small-town core, with its parish church, narrow old streets and a pastry shop tradition that locals defend fiercely. The wider area mixes early-twentieth-century villas, leafy avenues and good neighbourhood restaurants away from the tourist routes. It is where the city slows down and breathes, with the Collserola hills rising just behind.