Borne and the neighbouring area of Sant Pere collectively form La Ribera (The Waterfront), one of the most popular places to live in Barcelona, right in the medieval heart of the city. The area has been the commercial centre of Barcelona for hundreds of years and these days with more and more money being spent on turning the old market into fashionable bars and restaurants, the area is immaculately turned out. Since the 1980s, Borne has been a focal point of the city's alternative art scene and the district blends together both medieval and modern influences. One of its finest monuments is an extraordinary work of Modernisme the Palau de la Musica Catalana. The palace has often been described as being possibly the wildest, most extreme expression of Moderisme ever built. Ironically, for a place built to appeal to the ears, it´s the sights that tend to attract the majority of visitors. These sights contrast brilliantly with perhaps the greatest Catalan Gothic building in the city - the magnificent basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. The characteristic horizontal lines, large bare surfaces, square buttresses and flat-topped octagonal towers really make the church stand out. It's no wonder then that the basilica is in great demand for weddings and its impressive acoustics make it a popular venue for concerts. Arguably one of the greatest artists to come from Spain is Pablo Picasso. Although originally from Andalucia, Picasso has become Barcelona's adopted son and 3,500 pieces of his work are on view across five adjoining palaces at the Museu Picasso. Located along a line of merchants mansions on C/Montcada, the museum is accompanied by the Museu Textil and the Museu Barbier-Mueller d'art PrecolombÃÂ. After walking around those museums, the Parc de la Ciutadella to the east of the district is the perfect place to relax. Along with the zoo, the park hosts many attractions including the Natural History Museum, a boating lake and more than thirty pieces of imaginative statuary. The trio of prancing deer statue is very popular with kids and is a dedication to Walt Disney. All of these sights are within walking distance of each other, but of course, the area is well connected to the rest of the city by the excellent underground metro system (Jaume I and Barceloneta Station) and by train to the Catalunya region and the El Prat Airport (Estació de França Railway Station). For these reasons, the Borne is certainly one of the best places to start discovering and living in Barcelona.