Safe and Dangerous Places in Barcelona

Alamy

Barcelona is a world-class city with unrivaled architecture, culture, and history. More good news concerns its overall safety: incidents of violent crime, like sexual assault and murder, are very rare, according to the U.S. Department of State, which provides travel information on its official website. Yet have a chat with someone who has spent significant time in Spain's biggest cities (Barcelona or Madrid) and chances are they know someone who's been pick-pocketed or had something stolen - if they haven't fallen victim themselves. It's a reality in any major European city - Paris and Rome are also infamous for this - but Barcelona's tourist spots seem to be a special haven for petty thievery. Here are some areas to avoid in Barcelona, along with some reliably safe places: