Highlights & Hidden Gems of El Born & Gothic Quarter in Barcelona - ORG_-_Picasso_and_Born_tour_-_Barcelona_-6.jpg
4.9

Highlights & Hidden Gems of El Born & Gothic Quarter

  • 2.5 hours
  • City Highlight Tours
  • Barcelona
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Choose one of 23 locals available

Experience hosted by Tomas, Marcel & other locals

  • Private Tour
  • Carbon Neutral

Want to see the best of Barcelona? It’s all waiting in El Born & Gothic Quarter! And as in every Withlocals experience, the real excitement is the hidden gems of this area. Join your favorite local and get a feeling of the city's real vibe on a tour in El Born & Gothic Quarter, so you can say: I experienced the real Barcelona!

Destination
Barcelona, Spain
Category
City Highlight Tours
Duration
2.5 hours
Transport mode
Walking tour
Available languages
English, Español, Français, Italiano, Română, Русский, Ελληνικά, Polski, Svenska, Português, Deutsch
Included
  • Private guide
  • 1 Local snack or drink
  • Entrance to Jaciment del Born
  • All Withlocals tours are carbon neutral
Excluded
  • Entrance tickets to other attractions

6 reasons to book this tour

  • Explore the best of El Born & Gothic Quarter in only 3 hours
  • Spot classics like Placa de Sant Jaume & Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar
  • Discover hidden gems away from the tourist paths
  • Experience the city from a local’s perspective
  • Can be 100% personalized to your wishes
  • Privately guided by a local expert

What you can expect

Highlights & Hidden Gems of El Born & Gothic Quarter in Barcelona - ORG_-_Picasso_and_Born_tour_-_Barcelona_-6.jpg

Barcelona, is a magical place, especially in El Born & Gothic Quarter! And with the local host of your choice, you are going to experience it all. So get ready; culture, history, and local lifestyle await!

Dive into the origin of Barcelona and the area you’ll explore as you see the main landmarks like Placa de Sant Jaume, Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, and Jaciment del Born. And how about the hidden gems? Oh, you’re in for a surprise! Every host has its own story to tell, so pick your favorite, and you’ll discover the city through their eyes. Experience their Barcelona to the max based on their passions and expertise. They’ll make sure you have fun enjoying a unique and local perspective of Barcelona.

Want to take a break and catch up with your local host? Leave it up to your host! This is the perfect opportunity to visit that special eatery where only the locals come and your chance to enjoy a local treat hand-picked by your host. Feel free to ask your host more about their life in their city or get recommendations about the top things to do in Barcelona. Remember, the locals know best.

The best part of any city tour is definitely the unique stories. Everybody has a story to tell, especially your host. Each one of the local hosts has a different background ranging from arts to history. They can’t wait to share their knowledge with you and exchange ideas and perspectives! Feel like changing the route a bit? No problem, the hosts will be happy to personalize the tour to your wishes and make their Barcelona, your Barcelona!

Choose your local

Get to know these 23 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

  1. Meeting point

    Meet at In front of Panna Gelati - Barcelona to start your journey

  2. Itinerary

    This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

  3. El Born & Gothic Quarter Exploring

    This Barcelona tour takes you to explore El Born & Gothic Quarter, where you can see another area of the city. Check out its highlights and hidden gems and its many interesting insights that will show you El Born & Gothic Quarter at its best!
  4. Area Highlights

    See from Placa de Sant Jaume, Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, Jaciment del Born, and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Barcelona so unique
  5. Hidden Gems

    Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience
  6. Magical Storytelling

    Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know!
  7. Special Treat

    Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions
  8. Make it yours

    Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

    Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

    Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

  • Feel confident booking

    Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

  • Change of plans?

    Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

  • Loved by travelers worldwide

    Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

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Unknown
(About local )
30 March 2025
Great tour. Appreciate the flexibility he showed. 10 out of 10
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Valarie
(About local )
18 March 2025
Very detail oriented overview and history of Barcelona/Old Town/Gothic Quarter - Alessandro was very engaging and made 2.5 hours pass so quickly, we didn’t want the tour to end! Alessandro was fantastic!
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Kiely
(About local )
18 March 2025
Firorella was a great tour guide! She arrived on time and gave us a great overview of the Gothic Quarter and El Born areas. She was super informative and knowledgeable and just a lovely person to spend a few hours with. She also pointed out some of her favorite places to eat and shop and took us to the best churros spot in Barcelona. Would recommend her highly!Lovely morning with Fiorella
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Robert🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
24 April 2025
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Stephen
(About local )
24 April 2025
Tomas was a perfect guide. We liked the gentle pace of our tour and the great historical and cultural facts he shared with us. A great experience and we would certainly recommend Tomas. A great guide!
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Stefanie
(About local )
22 April 2025
We did the family friendly tour of Barcelona with Ramona and it was great. My 10 year old daughter immediately felt comfortable with her and was practicing her Spanish and holding her hand. Even my hard to please husband had a good time and enjoyed the information Ramona provided and the tapas recommendations she suggested. It was very easy to get along with Ramona and she felt more like an old friend than a new tour guide we had just met - we cannot recommend Ramona enough. She was fantastic! Wonderful tour with Ramona
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IsaBeall
(About local )
21 April 2025
I booked a tour of Sagrada Familia with Alessandro as a way to celebrate my husband's 65th birthday. It was his first time in Spain and I wanted to do something really special on the big day. I had never before scheduled a private tour without going through a hotel concierge so I wasn't sure what to expect, but am SO glad that I went this route and will definitely do so again in the future! Alessandro is kind, knowledgable, and passionate about history, art and culture. He made our time fun, interesting and incredibly memorable. I made a few requests in advance of our time together, and Alessandro was more than happy to oblige. He responded promptly to chat messages, we met him right on time, he got us past all the lines, handled the purchasing of our tickets in advance, and gave us tons of insight and information we would not have otherwise had. The process was smooth and everything was easy, which is just what you want when you're on vacation. The whole experience added such a lovely depth and richness to our visit to Sagrada Familia, and Barcelona overall, and made my husband's birthday all the more special and unique. If you are going to Barcelona and want a more in-depth experience, don't hesitate to schedule a tour with Alessandro, you will be SO glad that you did! Thank you, Alessandro, for such a wonderful experience - it was far beyond my hopes and expectations, and my husband was totally blown away as well. Muchas gracias and πολλά ευχαριστώ!Alessandro is a true gem!
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Yakov🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 April 2025
We liked our time with Laura. She was punctual and pleasant. We appreciated her flexibility during the planning stage and she was quick to respond and suggest tweaks to the plan. The actual “tour” was ok - she provided high level overview of various Gaudí buildings however the depth was lacking - we had higher expectations given her architectural background however she only provided very high level information which was somewhat disappointing. Overall if you are looking for a nice walk through Barcelona and high level overview of Gaudí and his creations Laura works be a good choice. If you are looking for an in depth dive into the architecture and architect - looks elsewhere. Good high level overview of Gaudi and city
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Brooke🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
21 April 2025
Sebastian was a great guide and catered the day for us. We will be back and book him again!Fantastic Experiemce
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Leidy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 April 2025
Liliia was flexible with our schedule when a last minute change came up. We wanted a unique tour away from the typical touristic areas and she delivered beyond our expectations. We recommend Liliia for tours in Barcelona.Fun and unique tour
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ANDREA🇮🇹 Italy
(About local )
20 April 2025
Very competent and passionate guide. We had a wonderful tour at La Sagrada Familia with Alessandro ! Enjoyable !
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irma🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
20 April 2025
Please do yourself a favor and book a tour with Sebastian if you can get one. His tour thru Barcelona for our family of four was the best thing we did in Barcelona. Sebastian was patient, kind and extremely knowledgeable and passionate about his city. He can tell you all about history and take you places you never knew existed and he would do it in perfect artistic manner. His English is impeccable and places he recommended are wonderful. Thank you, Sebastian for our lovely time together!Sebastian is a hidden gem himsefl
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Barbara🇦🇹 Austria
(About local )
17 April 2025
Lars is a great child and adult friendly guide who is warmly welcoming you and finding a perfect mixture of information and stories about the city & tradition and friendship customizing his tour completely to your needs. He was even sending us tipps about many things like markets, ongoing events, public transports and recommendable restaurants for locals before and after our tour. Lars is the best guide we could wish for, just like a good friend we got to know. Thanks for the stunning experience 🤩Great guide experience with Lars
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Lori🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
17 April 2025
Loved our short tour with Jordi. He is very knowledgeable. Since he is an architect, we appreciated the information related to this. He is very easy to communicate with. Highly recommendPerfect start to Barcelona!
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Jessica
(About local )
16 April 2025
Having a tour that was fully customizable to our group made for a fantastic night and something that was well worth the fee. Lilia was able to share all kinds of information about local hotspots, places to go, and amazing food. She took the time to get to know us and share Barcelona’s long history with us. The food and drinks were great, we will absolutely book another tour with Lilia when we return. Knoweldgeable, personable, and friendly
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FOTINI
(About local )
16 April 2025
I travelled to Barcelona with my husband and my 10-years son and I was looking for a tour guide who speaks Greek so that my son will understand better. I chose Vicky and she was very welcome to plan together a tour that would be interesting also for our son. I appreciated that a lot. The communication before we travel was easy and frequent and even when we met together, we were so happy that Vicky shared with us so much information about the history, the culture, the best places to visit and also the events. We are so happy we had this experience with Vicky because she knows so much about the city and its history. Very interesting experience!
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Nigel🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
16 April 2025
Recently visited Barcelona and booked a food tour through 'Withlocals', specifically with Federico. I can honestly say it was a highlight of our visit ! Federico was engaging, knowledgeable and full of interesting facts about Barcelona, Catalunya and Spain. He covered everything from local landmarks and history through to economics and politics, a great range of discussion that extended our knowledge of this wonderful city. But ... The best bit was that he took us to some wonderful places to eat and drink that we wouldn't have visited otherwise. The quality of food and wine we experienced was excellent, all in establishments that were truly 'local'. We ended up going back to a couple of these during the remainder of our stay for our evening meals. I would highly recommend booking this experience and if you're lucky enough to pair up with Federico you will have a fantastic time !! Great experience with a great guide !!
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Cathy
(About local )
16 April 2025
Alessandro communicated well with me prior to the private tour for the eight of us. He was on time for the tour and navigated through the crowded lines to enter Sagrada Familia. He was so knowledgeable and provided valuable information throughout the tour. He took his time. His expertise led to such a personal experience for all of us. If you are planning a trip to Sagrada Familia, you MUST book with him! You will have the experience of a lifetime! Tour experience of a lifetime!
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Mary🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
15 April 2025
Alessandro was a knowledgeable tour guide. We enjoyed our time and choice of food/drinking experience.
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Ksenia
(About local )
15 April 2025
It was an excellent trip. Muriel is a fantastic guide - very knowledgeable, positive and helpful! We had a great time!!! Thanks a lot!Excellent Montserrat trip
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Lorraine🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
14 April 2025
Maria was friendly, really engaging and interesting. She gave us a huge insight into Barcelona and it's history and showed us things we would definitely not have discovered without her! Definitely recommend booking with her and we will book again when we return.Amazing Maria!!
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Kate🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
14 April 2025
My family and I had an incredible evening with Sebastian showing us around Barcelona and trying all of the delicious foods the city has to offer. It was one of the highlights of our trip. Would recommend this tour with Sebastian to anyone visiting. Great evening with Sebastian!
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David
(About local )
14 April 2025
Muriel is an amazing guide. She has tons of great knowledge about the city and was very kind and welcoming! Highly recommend!Awesome tour
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Chelsea🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
8 April 2025
Liliia was lovely in answering my many questions about the trip beforehand and my partner and I really liked our 3 hour tour with her. We walked and learned about things we otherwise wouldn’t have and it was a highlight of our Spain trip.
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Andrea
(About local )
6 April 2025
Excellent tour, our guide Muriel was amazing, so warm and friendly, took the time to get to know and chat to everyone in the group. she was informative about the food, restaurants, local area and history, it felt like she was taking a group of friends out. Thanks for an awesome tour. I would highly recommendAwesome
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Romy
(About local )
6 April 2025
Spent a wonderful afternoon with Maria exploring the Gothic Quarter. She shared the rich history of the area, made sure we experienced the must see attractions, and showed us many hidden gems most do not see. Maria was very communicative prior to trip and flexible when our travels plans changed. Highly recommend.Wonderful afternoon
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Susan🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
4 April 2025
Frederico was wonderful. He’s extremely knowledgeable and personable. We had a great time with him and his selections for our food and the walking tour were perfect. I highly recommend you take this tour and take it with Frederico.Great introduction to Barcelona!
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María Teresa
(About local )
4 April 2025
Elvira es una guía excelente, tiene mucho conocimiento de Barcelona y es encantadora.Excelente guía
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Unknown
(About local )
4 April 2025
Bianca was very friendly and knowledgeable. As a History teacher I loved all of the fascinating facts about Barcelona and its architecture. The tastings and establishments were an authentic visit to old Barcelona. We loved every second of it. I highly recommend!Off the beaten path
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stewie3624🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
3 April 2025
Elvira exceeded our expectations. Not only were the restaurants awesome, she provided stories about her culture. Food choices were amazing. Real local spots a tourist would not know about. Highly recommend Elvira, talented, interesting, in love with her Barcelona and willing to share with us. Just a perfect night either the most perfect person. Barcelona Tapas Tour
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Thomas
(About local )
2 April 2025
Sebastian was very personable and adaptable with extensive knowledge of the area history. We had a misunderstanding about the visiting Sagrada Familia but Sebastián adapted and we had an entertaining tour Very adaptable
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Laurel
(About local )
1 April 2025
We booked with Maria because she is a native of the city. She came prepared with maps, etc. to help us understand the ways Barcelona has grown and changed through its history. Maria had so much to share, but welcomed our questions. Our tour moved at a comfortable pace, and Maria gave us ideas to explore on our own later. This was a great way for us to be introduced to Barcelona!Great intro to the city; friendly guide!!
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Natalie🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
1 April 2025
Our group absolutely loved their tour with Alan. He was so accommodating and did a wonderful job showing us around the Gothic Quarter. Would 100% recommend!! Wonderful Tour!
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Allison
(About local )
1 April 2025
Maria gave us a warm welcome to Barcelona and an excellent tour. She provided lots of local insight for the adults and kept our kids engaged as well. Highly recommend!Highly recommend!
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Allison
(About local )
1 April 2025
We had a fantastic experience with Elvira. We loved the day she planned for us to visit the caves, learn of their fascinating history and share a traditional meal in the most picturesque setting. My daughters have been talking about Elvira fondly since our time together. Highly recommend!Best day with Elvira!
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Anneliese
(About local )
31 March 2025
Irina was a wonderful guide! Extremely knowledgeable and perfect for us. Fabtastic Guide
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Amy🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
29 March 2025
Ilona is a standout guide. She gave me a booking with same day notice. She pivoted the material in the city highlights tour to a focus on architecture, as we requested. And her descriptions were lively and interesting, revealing a deep knowledge of the city and its architectural treasures. We were delighted with our tour with Ilona!Excellent guide
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inese
(About local )
27 March 2025
Jordi enthusiastically delivered the information we were interested in. He designed a teriffic walking route through different neighbourhoods - touching on urban planning, civic spaces, together with the history of the evolving city and its people. Knowledgeable about the past and present challenges over time. All the while a fun conversation. An architectural perspective
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Karen🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
27 March 2025
Alessandro is passionate about his adopted city. He told us fascinating stories about how Gaudi worked and showed us beautiful buildings as well as describing the history and people who built them. A fabulous experience that really enriched our trip to Catalunya. A wonderful experience
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Katherine🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
26 March 2025
This was a good tour choice as Federico was happy to adjust the tour to our preferences. Federico was very friendly and knowledgeable. My husband and I enjoyed our time with him. Good coffee stop choice too. Good tour choice.
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Valerie🇨🇦 Canada
(About local )
25 March 2025
Sebastian is a very knowledgeable and super kind host. I can highly recommend him. An Excellent Guide
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joshua
(About local )
24 March 2025
Liliia was delightful, knowledgable, and a great guide overall! Perfect way to start our trip in Barcelona. The information she gave us lasted throughout our trip!Liliia was amazing!
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Alyce
(About local )
24 March 2025
Alan was fabulous! We did a food tour with him and left with full bellies and minds full knowledge. Alan's passion for food is equal to his passion for history. He also went above and beyond showing us nooks and crannies of the Gothic area on the way back to our metro station.Awesome!
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Alyce
(About local )
24 March 2025
Bianca was amazing and so knowledgeable about Gaudi. We enjoyed every minute of our tour.Amazing!
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Leila🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
24 March 2025
4 of us spent a great evening with Octavio in El Born and Bari Gotic. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and fun to be with. He introduced us to many different tapas and drinks, while imparting interesting facts about the areas we toured. Thank you Octavio for a fun night out! Great Evening With Octavio
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Brian
(About local )
23 March 2025
Lluis was terrific. He knows the city really well & equally important gave us an appreciation for bcn through a local's eyes. Genuine and knowledgeable
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Ian🇬🇧 United Kingdom
(About local )
22 March 2025
Liliia gave me a really wonderful guided tour around parts of the city i would never have found in my own. She showed me fabulous street art, told me the history of the area (as well as the artists), took me to a really original and authentic restaurant for tapas, was flexible and adapted the tour based on my preferences… Liliia was a delight to spend 3 hours learning all about Barcelona. Hidden secrets in Barcelona
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Vytas🇺🇸 United States
(About local )
22 March 2025
Elvira was very nice and great with the kids. The tour was informative and the architecture on the way to the museum and the history behind it was wonderful. I would highly recommend Elvira. Perfecto
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Kaye
(About local )
20 March 2025
We had a great time in our food tour, everything was so delicious! Frederick was knowledgeable and so friendly, it was a great family experience!Great food tour!
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Irene
(About local )
19 March 2025
Muriel was great!!! She was very knowledgeable and provide d us with history local stories throughout the trip.We loved her personality offered us suggestions on other trips sites to visit.Excellent

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