Category: Art & Museums

Barcelona’s wealth of art galleries and museums may seem bewildering. Let us help find the ones that suit you.

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Mercat del Born

More of a museum than a market, El Born CCM is still a fascinating visit

Don’t come here looking for fresh produce! Where most Barcelona residents enjoy the benefits of a neighbourhood market, Mercat del Born is now an archaeological site.

The discovery of ruins of the 1700s town were uncovered during a renovation of the fabulous cast iron structure from the late 1800s. The structure, designed by Antoni Rovira I Trias, is now used as the El Born Cultural and Memorial Centre with the ruins on display.

It’s free to enter and actually quite interesting – there’s even a decent bookstore and a café – or you could opt for the daily guided tour that takes you down into the old streets.

Roman ruins at the El Born CCM

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Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

Italianate exterior of the MNAC, Barcelona

Housed in an elaborate Italianate structure built for the 1929 International Exposition, MNAC’s collection ranges from what is regarded as the world’s largest exhibition of Romanesque art, through to Gothic, baroque, Renaissance and modern. With its heavy focus on the first two categories, expect biblical scenes, though the mood lightens in the other halls.

no shortage of Romanesque at MNAC
Cocktail cabinets have evolved over the years

Its commanding position, with views over the impressive Font Màgica de Montjuïc to the hills in the distance, sees a regular number of visitors for the outlook alone.

Buy the Barcelona Museum Pass or Art Passport and gain priority entry to Fundació Joan Miró, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB),the Museu Picasso, Fundació Antoni Tàpies, and Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA), and avoid the queues.

Opening times:

October to April, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm; Sundays and public holidays, 10am to 3pm.

May to September, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 8pm; Sundays and public holidays, 10am to 3pm.

Mondays closed, except public holidays. Closed January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.

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Museu del Disseny de Barcelona

celebrating Spanish design at Museu del Disseny de Barcelona.

Not the rodent-loving Disney, dummy – disseny is Catalan for design, and as Barcelona is a design hub, a museum of design is a fairly obvious choice. From furniture to fashion, decorative arts to graphic design, there’s plenty to see here. The Museu del Disseny also serves as the venue for some travelling exhibitions (we caught the brilliant ‘David Bowie Is’ here), so keep an eye on the schedule.

Open: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am – 8pm

Closed: January 1, May 1, June 24 and December 25, and Mondays (except holidays)

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