Attraction
Sagrada Família
Antoni Gaudí's still-unfinished basilica in the Eixample, Barcelona's defining landmark, with a forest-like nave, two sculpted façades and climbable towers.
Palau de la Música Catalana
Lluís Domènech i Montaner's Modernista concert hall in Sant Pere, a riot of mosaic, sculpture and stained glass that still hosts a full concert programme.
At a glance
- Type
- Concert hall
- Area
- Sant Pere (Ciutat Vella), Barcelona, Spain
- Official site
- palaumusica.cat
Good to know
- Guided tours
- Concerts
- Café-bar
Why we recommend it
The Palau de la Música Catalana was built between 1905 and 1908 by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner as a home for the Orfeó Català, a choral society at the heart of the Catalan cultural revival. It is one of the high points of Catalan Modernisme and, with the Hospital de Sant Pau, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. It remains a working concert hall with a full season of classical, choral and other music.
The exterior is crowded with mosaic columns, busts of composers and a large sculptural group celebrating Catalan folk song on the corner. Inside, the auditorium is the reason to come: walls of stained glass let in daylight on both sides, a great inverted dome of coloured glass hangs from the ceiling, and on the stage wall the upper bodies of mosaic muses seem to emerge from the surface. Even the side boxes and the staircases are richly decorated.
There are two ways in. Guided tours run every day and show you the foyer, the Lluís Millet hall and the auditorium, with background on the building and the Orfeó Català; a Premium Visit adds lesser-known corners, a glass of cava and a short piano recital. The alternative is a concert ticket, which lets you experience the hall as it was designed to be used. Tours and concerts can be booked online or at the box office, which opens Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 9pm and on Sundays and public holidays from 8.30am to 3.30pm, plus two hours before concerts.
A visit suits anyone interested in architecture or music, and an evening concert is one of the most memorable things to do in Barcelona. Book tours a day or two ahead in busy periods. The Café Palau and the Pizzicato gastrobar on site serve drinks and snacks before or after a visit, and a new welcome area, La Nova Porta del Palau, now connects the building with Via Laietana.
The Palau stands on a narrow street in Sant Pere, a few minutes' walk from Urquinaona station on lines L1 and L4. The Mercat de Santa Caterina, Barcelona Cathedral and the lanes of El Born are all close, and the coffee bar of Nømad in Passatge Sert is just around the corner.
Palau de la Música Catalana FAQs
Can you visit without going to a concert?
Yes. Guided tours run every day and can be booked online or at the box office.
Who designed the building?
The architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, for the Orfeó Català choral society; it was completed in 1908.
Is it a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Yes, listed in 1997 together with the Hospital de Sant Pau.
What are the box office hours?
Monday to Saturday 8.30am to 9pm, Sundays and public holidays 8.30am to 3.30pm, and two hours before concerts.
What is the Premium Visit?
A guided tour of lesser-known parts of the building followed by a glass of cava and a private piano recital.
Is there a café?
Yes, the Café Palau and the Pizzicato gastrobar.
Which metro station is nearest?
Urquinaona, on lines L1 and L4.
What is the highlight inside?
The auditorium, with its inverted stained-glass skylight and the mosaic muses on the stage wall.