Things to do in Barcelona
Museums and galleries, attractions, special things to do
From Port Vell to the spires of Barcelona Cathedral in Barrí Gòtic, exploring Barcelona is easy. See Picasso's delicate, early sketches in the Old Town and Joan Miró's colourful masterpieces on Montjuïc. Architecturally, Gaudí reigns supreme; follow the trail from La Sagrada Familia cathedral in Eixample to fantastical Park Güell in Gràcia. Further out, Tibidabo mountain beckons with its charming funfair. Labyrinth Park in Montbau has playful topiary to get lost in.
Museum of Contemporary Art
Art and architecture
Richard Meier's cool white design, set incongruously in the Raval
district, draws art lovers (and skateboarders) to this contemporary art
showcase. If you find the Museum of Contemporary Art's exhibitions
inaccessible, soak up the ambience of its vast light halls.
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Cost
€2-€7.50
Opening Hours
Sep-Jun Mon & Wed-Fri 11am-7.30pm; Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am-3pm, Jun-Sep Mon & Wed 11am-8pm; Thu & Fri 11am-12am; Sat 10am-8pm; Sun 10am-3pm
Address
1, Plaça dels Àngels, Barcelona 08001
Telephone
+34 93 412 0810
CaixaForum
Important exhibition space
CaixaForum by Plaça Espanya square, is one of Barcelona's
most exciting contemporary art spaces. Housed in an old modernista
textile factory with a stylish modern walkway, courtyard and entrance, the
gallery's three exhibition spaces display an eclectic programme of
shows.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-8pm (until 10pm Sat)
Address
6-8, Avenida Marqués de Comillas, Barcelona 08038
Telephone
+34 93 476 8600
Joan Miró Foundation
Art on the mountain
The Joan Miró Foundation possesses an incomparable collection of
work by the 20th-century master, and is an essential part of any visit to
Montjuïc. Miró's iconic Spanish paintings are
displayed on gleaming white walls, lit by natural light from above.
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Cost
Permanent collection €8; concessions €6Temporary exhibitions €4; concessions €3
Opening Hours
Oct-Jun Tue-Sat 10am-7pm, Jul-Sep Tue-Sat 10am-8pm, all year Thu 10am-10.30pm; Sun 10am-2.30pm
Address
Centre d'Estudis, Parc de Montjuïc, Barcelona 08038
Telephone
+34 934 439 470
Chocolate Museum
Sweet exhibits
It's an inescapable fact that the people of Barcelona love chocolate.
Chocolaterias lurk temptingly all over the city but the Chocolate Museum in
the Born district is the highlight. Exhibits include Snowy,
Barcelona's famous albino gorilla, carved from white chocolate.
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Cost
€3.90; concessions available
Opening Hours
Mon & Wed-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 10am-3pm
Address
36, Carrer del Comerç, Barcelona 08003
Telephone
+34 93 268 78 78
Picasso Museum
Spanish master
Barcelona's unmissable Picasso Museum houses an exhaustive collection
of the Spanish master's early work, sprawling across adjoining
gothic palaces in the Old Town. Find youthful sketches from his formative
years, sculpture, ceramics and exquisite paintings from his Blue Period.
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Cost
Permanent collection €9; temporary exhibitions €5.80 (free first Sun of the month)
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-8pm
Address
15-23, Montcada, Ciutat Vella, Barcelona 08003
Telephone
+34 932 563 000
Barcelona Cathedral
Soaring spires
Soaring above Plaça de la Seu square in Barrí
Gòtic, attention-grabbing Barcelona Cathedral features smooth
arches, skeletal spires and lofty towers. Inside the vaulted cloister awaits
an oasis of palms and fountains. Take the lift for spectacular city views.
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Opening Hours
Daily 8am-12.45pm & 5.15pm-7.30pm
Address
Plaça de la Seu, Barrí Gòtic, Barcelona 08002
Telephone
+34 93 315 15 54
Camp Nou
Catalan football
Camp Nou in Les Corts is a large-scale temple to football and an impressive
piece of architecture. Now architect Norman Foster plans to transform the
building into a pulsating, light-refracting superstructure. See a match or
take a guided tour.
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Cost
Various
Opening Hours
Various; no tours on match days
Address
Avenida Aristides Maillol, Barcelona 08028
Telephone
+34 902 189 900 / +34 902 33 22 11 (tickets)
La Sagrada Família
Gaudí masterpiece
La Sagrada Família in the Eixample district is a crazed, towering
cathedral and lifetime obsession of Gaudí, a unique symbol of the
Catalan capital and a work in progress. Climb up inside its fantastical,
undulating spires to see Gaudí's Workshop.
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Cost
€8; concessions €5; lift €2
Opening Hours
Oct-Mar daily 9am-6pm; Apr-Sep daily 9am-8pm
Address
Plaça Sagrada Família, Barcelona
Telephone
+34 93 207 30 31
Park Güell
Unique Gaudí park
Park Güell in the Gràcia district is Catalan architect
Gaudí's modernist utopia. Lush, shady parkland overlooks
the city and fantastical mosaic-covered, sculptural buildings are curiously
inviting. In the scorching summer months this is one of the coolest places
to be.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
May-Aug daily 10am-9pm; Nov-Feb daily 10am-6pm; Mar & Oct 10am-7pm; Apr & Sep 10am-9pm
Address
Carrer d'Olot, Barcelona
Telephone
+34 93 424 38 09
Transport
Lesseps metro; buses 24, 25 to Lesseps
Barcelona Aquarium
Watery world
Barcelona Aquarium in Port Vell holds an impressive collection of marine life
from giant conger eels to seahorses and even a penguin colony, but the
highlight is the shark tunnel. Get up close to the craggy-toothed monsters
if you dare.
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Cost
€16; concessions €12.50; children €11
Opening Hours
Daily 9.30am-9pm (until 9.30pm Sat & Sun & public hols, Jun & Sep; until 11pm Jul & Aug)
Address
Moll d'Espanya del Port Vell, Barcelona 08039
Telephone
+34 93 221 74 74
La Pedrera (Casa Milà)
Roof-top architecture
La Pedrera is a gem in the heart of the Eixample district. Across the street
from the popular Gaudí House, this large corner building by the
Catalan master boasts the sculpture-filled Espai Gaudí terrace
providing roof-top views of the city.
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Cost
€8; concessions €4.50
Opening Hours
Nov-Feb daily 9am-6.30pm, Mar-Oct daily 9am-8pm
Address
92, Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelona
Telephone
+34 934 84 5900
Montjuïc
Culture, views and nature
Cable cars trundle from Barcelona's harbour to leafy
Montjuïc, home to the Miró Foundation and the Spanish
Village. Travel on a second cable car to the 17th-century castle for
impressive views, or swim in the open-air Olympic pool in summer.
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Opening Hours
Transbordador Aeri cable car daily 10.30am-7pm; Teleférico winter 11am-6pm; summer daily 11am-7pm/8pm
Address
Barcelona 08038
Transport
Paral.lel or Espanya metro
Tibidabo Amusement Park
Mountain funfair
Always visible from the streets below, Tibidabo Amusement Park is certainly
worth the climb. A creaking funicular delivers visitors to the top where a
gloriously antiquated amusement park entices with rickety rides and an
unbeatable view along the coast.
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Cost
€24; concessions €5-€9; children €7-€11
Opening Hours
Mon-Fri 12pm-4pm; Sat & Sun 11am-5pm
Address
3-4, Plaça del Tibidabo, Barcelona 08035
Telephone
+34 93 211 79 42
Transport
Avinguda Tibidabo metro, then Tramvía Blau (Blue Tram) to the funicular
Website
Labyrinth Park
Beautiful garden
Labyrinth Park, a playfully romantic park in Montbau, offers welcome respite
from the urban bustle of Barcelona. Built in 1791, the grounds are situated
on different levels with ornamented stairways and expansive gardens dotted
with statues of Eros and Narcissus.
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Cost
€2.05; discounts for groups
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-dusk
Address
La Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona 08035
Telephone
+34 9 3428 3934
Transport
Metro Mundet
CatHelicopter BCN Sky Tours
Thrilling helicopter ride
For James-Bond views of Barcelona, take to the skies on a helicopter ride.
From a giddy height, CatHelicopter BCN Sky Tours take in soaring
Gaudí spires, the ordered grid of the Eixample district, the
glistening sea and distant green mountains.
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Cost
5-min flight €45; 10 mins €80; 35 mins €240
Address
Heliport, Passeig d'Escullera, Moll Adossat s/n, Barcelona 08039
Telephone
+34 93 224 07 10
