Pedralbes: the Gothic cloister and the dragon gate
A fourteenth-century nuns' cloister, Gaudí's wrought-iron dragon, and the quiet uptown streets between. This is a Claude-drafted route awaiting the editor's walk.

1. Pavellons de la Finca Güell
Start at Gaudí's first commission for Eusebi Güell — two brick gatehouses and, between them, a wrought-iron dragon with glass eyes guarding nothing any more. Stand at the gate; the dragon is the show, and it's free to look.

2. Jardins del Palau Reial de Pedralbes
Cross into the palace *jardins* (gardens) — formal beds, old trees, a Gaudí fountain hidden in the bamboo if you go looking. Open daylight hours and almost always calm; a good place to slow the pace before the climb.

3. Avinguda de Pedralbes
The leafy avenue that climbs uptown, lined with the villas and the embassies of Barcelona's quietest money. Walk up it; the gradient is gentle and the gardens spill over the walls.

4. Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Pedralbes
The fourteenth-century *monestir* (monastery) founded by Queen Elisenda — and a three-storey Gothic cloister that is one of the calmest spaces in the city. Closed Mondays; go any other morning and you may have the arcades to yourself.

5. Carrer del Bisbe Català
The lane below the monastery, low houses and garden walls, the old village of Pedralbes still legible under the uptown gloss. A short, quiet stretch toward the FGC station.

6. Reina Elisenda (FGC)
The end of the walk, named for the queen who built the monastery. The FGC train drops you back into the centre in minutes — or walk down to Maria Cristina on Line 3 if you'd rather the metro.

Pedralbes: the Gothic cloister and the dragon gate