The port of Barcelona and the coastal area around it were entirely transformed and renovated in 1990 for the Olympic Games the city hosted in 1992. Today you will find here yacht quays, a variety of leisure attractions, museums and miradores - places where you can enjoy pleasant views. Right next to this brand new port district is the atmospheric old quarter, tightly related to the maritime history of the city. Along the port are located the customs, the headquarters of the fleet and the military headquarters.

The Monument of Columbus or Monument a Colom is not the tallest structure in the area but it is certainly the most famous symbol of the area and an ideal base to start your sightseeing walk. You should, at any rate, take the elevator and climb the 50 m high column on the top of which is the statue of Christopher Columbus, watching the port and the sea. From above you will see the quay for trimarans, the marinas, the Villa Olympica, the world's largest and best preserved medieval shipyards - a unique complex dating back to the 13th century and including large vaulted halls, built around a huge hangar where the galleons were sheltered. Fortunately these old shipyards were not destroyed and skilfully renovated today they serve as a perfect backdrop for Museu Marítim (the Maritime Museum of Barcelona). Inside the museum are displayed a variety of ship models, paintings, decorative ship figures, sea navigation equipment, many geographic maps, sea maps and everything else related to the glorious maritime history of the city. The exposition first gives a common idea about the development of the seafaring and then ends with submarines. The visitors of the museum are offered a thrilling under-water reality show too, after which they will probably like the nice café-restaurant in the low courtyard with pleasant orange trees around.

A few steps from Museu Marítim and right next to the Old Port (Port Vell) is located another interesting museum - the Museu d'Histňria de Catalunya. It is housed in a nicely renovated warehouse from the beginning of the 20th century, formerly known as Palau del Mar. The museum was opened in 1996 with the aim to showcase the history of the region, to keep important objects from the past of Catalunya and to trace the historic formation of the Catalan identity. The display comprises a well organized chronological representation of the Catalan history, using the latest technologies, such as interactive exponents, information panels, audiovisual and photographic materials, reproductions and scale models. Unfortunately the descriptions are only in Catalan language and the foreign visitors should take a translated brochure from the reception area. The exposition is distributed on the first two reconstructed floors of Palau del Mar. The most interesting section on the second floor is that displaying the formation of Catalunya and the genesis of its people with the major contributions of the Iberians and the Romans. It also represents the short Moorish rule of the region, as well as a large quantity of information about the medieval period and the time of the Habsburg Empire. You should not miss the café on the 4th floor, with a wonderful panoramic terrace, overlooking the port.

The wooden pathway along the coastline - Rambla de Mar will lead you to the Column / Monument of Columbus through the Port Vell (Old Port) and the Moll d'Espanya (the Quay of Spain), which is a favourite place for leisure walks, contemplating the picturesque yacht marinas around. The commercial and leisure centre Maremagnum has a cinema complex with an IMAX saloon. The Aquarium displays the under-water world of the Mediterranean Sea and has a special under-water tunnel for watching the sharks.

La Barceloneta is a grid of streets in the traditional seaman's quarter, dating back to the 18th century. It is located between the main port and Villa Olympica. Beyond several port building to the south you will find the somewhat neglected Torre de Sant Sebastiŕ, which is the initial station of the Transbordador Aeri cable cars to Montjuďc with incredible sky views over Barcelona.

La Barceloneta district features a variety of seafood restaurants and 4 km long stretch of fine sandy beaches, spreading along the coast to the north. The local Port Olimpic is dominated by two tall buildings, one of which is the avant-garde Hotel Arts with a huge metal fish, designed by Frank Gehry. The beaches end at the intersection with the Diagonal Avenue (Avinguda Diagonal), beautified with the modernistic building Edifici Fňrum, designed by the talented Swiss architects De Meuron and Herzog and opened for the Universal Forum of Cultures 2004.