Saasdia Travel Gid

My second favourite place when I was recently in Barcelona was the absolutely incredible Palace of Catalan Music. It’s often not on visitors’ radars which surprises me as it’s an absolute gem of a place, and easily one of Barcelona’s most beautiful buildings (which says a lot in Barcelona).

Here’s a guide if you’re thinking of visiting the Palace, including useful visitor information and copious amounts of pictures!

How to get to the Palace of Catalan Music

The Palace lies closest to Urquinaona Station on the Metro, served by L1 (Red) and L4 (Yellow). You could also arrive in to Placa de Cataluna via L3 (Green), which is only slightly further away.

Buying Metro tickets is easy; you will need to go to a machine and select the type of fare you wish to purchase:

• Single ticket – allows a swipe in and swipe out at any station. EUR 2.55
• T Casual ticket – allows 10 journeys to be made within 1 month. EUR 12.15
• Hola Barcelona 2, 3, 4 or 5 day ticket – allows unlimited travel for the number of days stated. EUR 17.50, 25.50, 33.30 or 40.80 respectively.

You will then pay by card (tap or insert only at some machines) and your ticket will print. Note the arrows on the ticket – you must put it this way through the ticket barriers!

The Palace also lies on the hop on hop off bus route, both red and blue, and is served by local bus routes V15, V17, 47, 19, H16 and D50.

History of the Palace of Catalan Music

The Palace is a concert hall, designed in the Catalan modernista style by the famous architecht Luis Domenech i Montaner. It was built between 1905 and 1908 for Orfeó Català, a choral society founded in 1891 that was a leading force in the Catalan cultural movement that came to be known as the Catalan Rebirth).

The elaborate exterior, and even more elaborate interior are smothered in tiles and mosaics, with a huge stained-glass window skylight lights up the space. It’s no surprise that it won the best building prize for 1908 and is now a World Heritage Site!

What to see at the Palace of Catalan Music

There are only a few rooms open to the public at the Palace. The star of the show is of course the main Concert Hall (which still hosts concerts today, see if you can catch a show to see it in all of its glory!). I was so lucky to be the first one through the doors for the day so I saw it completely empty and absolutely beautiful!

Visitors can also experience the Concern Hall’s Upper Ring to see the incredible room from a slightly different angle. I loved the detail up here, which was somehow more visible. Even the stairs and hallway to get there are breathtaking!

Another special part of the Palace, the Lluís Millet Hall is a meeting place in intermissions dedicated to Maestro Millet, the founder of the Orfeó Català, which opens out on the The Balcony. The balcony is lined with colonnades so beautiful in their colourful tiled patterns.

Finally, you can finish your visit off with a visit to the Bar; probably one of the most beautiful bars you’ll ever have a drink in!

Important Visitor Information

• The Palace is open daily 9.30am – 3.30pm, including the ticket office for visits (ticket office for shows open for longer hours).
• There are a number of ticket options for a visit outside of show time hours, ranging from EUR 22 – EUR 39 (the least costly is a self guided tour, and the most expensive includes a photographer!).
• The Palace does get busy at peak times, so I recommend booking a ticket in advance online. You can then either print of just show the QR code on entry.
• There is an escape room inside, which costs EUR 40 p/p but is for 4 – 8 people. I was gutted as I would have loved to do this!
• You need around 30 minutes – 1 hour to explore the Palace. I think the entry is costly for the amount of time spent, but then when it’s so beautiful I can’t really complain.

And there you have it – one absolutely incredible building. I really loved the architecture and cultural heritage of the building, and would highly recommend planning in a visit if you’re in Barcelona. What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! Stay safe and happy travelling!