The COVID19 pandemic has forced us all to spend more time at home this year. Luckily for me, my home happens to be the amazing city of Barcelona! Therefore, I have decided to take this as an opportunity to write more about the city where I live. I will be sharing my discoveries with you so that you can travel with your minds, for now, and start planning your trip to Barcelona for when things go back to normal, hopefully very soon! 🙂 This post is about the stunning Palau de la Música Catalana
Listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, the Palau de la Música Catalana is certainly the high point of Barcelona’s Modernist architecture. Often overlooked in favour of the most popular attractions in town, this majestic concert hall is a jewel of Catalan Art Noveau architecture. It is certainly worth a visit on a guided tour or to attend one of the many concerts and shows that take place here during the year.
The History of the Palau de la Música Catalana
In 1891 two young musicians called Lluís Millet and Amadeu Vives founded the Orfeó Català, a choral society that sought to fuse music with the ideals of conservative Catalanism, which was gathering force at that time. The choir started gaining significant success within the music scene.
In 1904 the board of the choir decided that it was time for the Orfeó to have its own auditorium. The project was assigned to the talented architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner who had an in-depth knowledge of the Catalan cultural traditions. In total harmony with the board of the choral society, Domènech designed a building with a striking and original design, an ode to Catalan Modernism. As the name itself indicates, the Palau de la Música Catalana was conceived as the temple of the Catalan Renaissance.
The Facade
The palace was built between 1905 and 1908. The building is designed around a central metal structure covered in glass, which exploits natural light and transforms Domènech’s masterpiece into a magical music box that brings together all the decorative arts: sculpture, mosaic, stained glass, and ironwork.
At the intersection of the two main facades, Domènec devised a striking sculptural arrangement representing Catalan music and which includes a depiction of St George (Sant Jordi in Catalan), the patron saint of Catalonia.
The interior
Domènec designed a large oval auditorium floor with an orchestra and two floors with a capacity of around 2000 spectators. This is the only European concert hall entirely illuminated by natural light during the daytime. This is possible thanks to the pioneering use of glass stained walls surrounding the concert hall, and the spectacular skylight above it.
Antoni Rigalt and Jeroni Granell carried out the spectacular stained glass inverted dome that illuminates the concert hall. It depicts a flaming sun surrounded by the faces of about 40 maidens that create a celestial chorus.
The architect combined glass and ceramic surfaces with sculptures of allegorical characters, such as a bust of Beethoven, a sculpture of Wagner’s Valkyries and the 18 muses decorating the back walls of the stage area. Their upper bodies are sculpted, while their lower bodies are portrayed in colourful mosaics. Through different musical instruments and costumes, each represents a different era or aspect of music.
Another very special part of the Palau is the Sala Lluís Millet. The hall is two storeys high, with stained glass windows decorated with floral designs. The spectacular adjacent balcony, with its double colonnade adorned with colourful tiles, is probably one of the most Instagrammed spots in Barcelona.
How To Get Tickets to Palau de la Música Catalana
I recommend going on a guided tour to experience the Palau de la Música Catalana at its best. The tour lasts about 50 minutes and usually accommodates a group of approximately 50 people. However, some restrictions are in place due to COVID19.
The tours are very informative and available in 5 languages at different times during the day. The hours and days of the visit change according to the time of the year. The guided tour cost €14 per person.
The meeting place for the tour is the Foyer of the Palau, which serves as a restaurant-cafeteria. The wide arches built with bricks and green and floral-pattern glazed ceramics make this space quite unique. The tour starts in the Rehearsal Hall of the Orfeó Català with the projection of a short video about the history of the choir and building.
You will then climb up the amazing marble staircase decorated with yellow balusters and sculptural reliefs of plants and flowers. The tour continues on the first floor with the Lluís Millet Hall and its wonderful balcony and ends with the visit to the Concert Auditorium.
Tip: Buy your tickets at the ticket office if you are a resident of Barcelona. Present your DNI/NIE and pay only €10.
Save Time & Money
If you want to make the most of your stay in Barcelona, I recommend buying the Barcelona Card. It gives you skip-the-line access to over 25 of Barcelona’s best museums and attractions and includes public transportation for 3, 4, or 5-days. You also get an exclusive guidebook in 6 languages and a free map of Barcelona. If you are only staying for a couple of days, then go for a Barcelona Express Card!
How To Get To Palau de la Música Catalana
Take the L1 or L4 to Urquinaona Station. Take the exit Jonqueres and walk three minutes from there. Check out the Barcelona metro map
Where To Stay In Barcelona
Booking.comIn order to visit as many sights as possible during your stay, I recommend you book accommodation in these three districts: Sant Antoni, Eixample and El Born. All three districts are in the city centre and offer good connections to tourist attractions. These are residential districts: locals live here! This means that restaurants are not tourists traps like the ones on La Rambla. I recommend avoiding the Gothic Quarter, especially in summer when it gets very expensive and El Raval, which is definitely not one of the safest neighbourhoods in town.
Booking.comTip: the best way to get to the city centre from the airport is to get the Aerobús. The trip takes about 30 minutes depending on traffic. The first stop is at Pl. Espanya and the last is Pl. Catalunya. Buy your ticket in advance online. A single ticket costs €5.90 and a return ticket is €10.20. Free wifi available onboard.
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I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your blogs
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All the best
Thanks Robin! Glad you like my articles! 🙂