Which is it? La Ribera or El Born? It can be confusing to visitors coming to Barcelona for the first time as each guidebook or map - even locals - use a different term for the area of the old town between Via Laietana and west of Parc de la Ciutadela.
In the Lonely Planet, the area is called La Ribera. In Fodor's the term Ribera-Born is applied.
So which is it? El Born? La Ribera? Ribera-Born? Born-Ribera? Even Barcelonese property websites seem not to know, with some calling the area Born-SantaCaterina-Sant Pere.
Historically the district is called Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i La Ribera. This encompasses Santa Canterina and Sant Pere to the north of Carrer Princesa, and La Ribera and El Born to its south.
To make things more confusing, El Born used to be called La Ribera del Rec Comtal and really only delineates the area immediately surrounding Passeig del Born.
The recent use of the term El Born to encompass the district, though incorrect, is largely because the area surrounding Passeig del Born and Santa Maria has become one of the city's trendiest haunts, in the process become the centrepoint of the district, and overshadowing the other, slightly more dilapidated areas.
Use of the term La Ribera has faded in recent times. Therefore, only the most local of locals will refer to the barrio as La Ribera, with most preferring instead to break it up into its Santa Caterina, Sant Pere and Born sub-districts. Outsiders will often only have heard of El Born.
From a tourist perspective therefore, when talking about this area, most will refer to it as El Born, though of its chief attractions, Santa Caterina market is located in Santa Caterina and Palau de la Musica is in Sant Pere.