Sant Pau Recinte Modernista

The Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner as a hospital that would help patients heal through light, air, gardens and beauty. Building began in 1902 and the complex was completed in 1930. Rather than one large block, it was laid out as a garden city of separate pavilions, decorated with mosaic, sculpture and coloured tiles and linked by underground tunnels. It is the largest Modernista ensemble in Barcelona and was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, together with the Palau de la Música Catalana.

The hospital worked here until 2009, when it moved into new buildings next door, and after restoration the historic pavilions opened to visitors as a heritage site in 2014. The visit takes in the Administration Pavilion, with its mosaic-lined hall and grand staircase, restored ward pavilions that explain how the hospital worked, the gardens between them and a stretch of the tunnels. In October 2026 a new Baroque Gallery opened, and temporary exhibitions run through the year.

You can visit on your own, with an audio guide or on a guided tour, and there is a combined ticket with La Pedrera. Allow around an hour and a half. The site is spacious and usually calmer than the Gaudí landmarks, which makes it a good choice for families and for anyone who wants to look at Modernista architecture without the crowds. Opening hours vary with the season, and the site can close in severe weather, so check the official website before you go.

Sant Pau suits architecture lovers in particular, as the detail on the pavilions, from the ceramic domes to the carved angels and the stained glass, rewards a slow look. Photographers will enjoy the long views between the buildings. Note that the modern hospital next door is a working medical centre, so follow the signs for the heritage site entrance.

The site lies in El Guinardó, at the north-eastern end of Avinguda de Gaudí, a ten-minute walk from the Sagrada Família, so the two combine easily in one day. Sant Pau-Dos de Maig station on metro line L5 is close by. The streets around have neighbourhood cafés and bars, and the avenue itself, lined with terraces, is a pleasant place for a drink between the two sights.