The 10 Best Museums in Barcelona
© Juan ÁvilaMuseu Picasso
Art lovers are in for all the treats here, as the best museums in Barcelona are one big love letter to visual genius
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We’ll cut right to the chase; the best museums in Barcelona are among the best in all of Europe. How could they not be? The Catalan capital is home to some of the greatest art on the planet, and the museums and galleries of the city pay homage to that long list of creative geniuses that this part of the world has given us. Cubism, Impressionism, Modernism, Post-Modernism, you name it, you’ll find it.
Hopping from one treasure trove of art to another is one of the best things to do in Barcelona, especially when you can then head to a rooftop bar to consider all the magic you’ve devoured. Barcelona’s museums are one big love letter to art, with legendary permanent exhibitions and a conveyor belt of temporary ones that deserve all the attention in the world.
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Barcelona’s Best Museums
Foto: Pere Vivas
1. MNAC: Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
- Museums
- Art and design
- Sants – Montjuïc
What is it? The National Art Museum of Catalonia, where you can get an excellent overview of Catalan art spanning from the 12th to the 20th centuries.
Why go? For the impressive Romanesque collection with ‘rescued’ 10th-century murals, the fantastic gothic collection, and the uniquely Catalan, Modernista collection.
Plus, once you’ve climbed the steps up to the former castle, you’ve earned that stunning view of the city below.
2. Fundació Antoni Tàpies
- Things to do
- Dreta de l’Eixample
What is it? Catalan artist Antoni Tàpies set up this space dedicated to the study and appreciation of contemporary art in 1984. Nowadays it’s a cultural centre and museum dedicated to Tàpies’s work and life.
Why go? To admire the building’s tangled crown of aluminium piping and metal netting outside; and inside, works by Tàpies, whose thing in the 1950s was using waste paper, mud and rags as part of his paintings (later he moved up to include the likes of whole pieces of furniture and running water).
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© Juan Ávila
3. Museu Picasso
- Museums
- Ciutat Vella
What is it? It’s the Picasso Museum! The permanent collection features nearly 4,000 pieces, mainly showing off young Pablo’s formative years in art school, and his time later hanging out with Catalonia’s fin-de-siècle avant-garde.
Why go? For the unbeatable seamless presentation of the artist’s development from adolescent portraits to the intense innovations of his Blue Period; the gallery of mature Cubist paintings; and the inspired temporary exhibitions.
Top tip: Queues can be punishingly long; visit at lunch or shortly before the last entry, or buy your tickets in advance online.
© Scott Chasserot
4. CaixaForum
- Museums
- Art and design
- La Font de la Guatlla
What is it? In addition to the permanent contemporary art collection, there are three impressive spaces for temporary exhibitions – often among the most interesting shows to be found in the city.
Why go? The building itself, a renovated century-old yarn and textile factory, is a masterpiece of industrial Catalan modernism, and once you’re in you can explore its walkways and impressive terraces – with views of course.
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Foto: CCCB
5. CCCB. Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
- Museums
- El Raval
What is it? A former almshouse built on the site of a medieval monastery is now home to Barcelona’s Centre of Contemporary Culture, whose three halls feature ever-changing exhibitions with a leaning toward multimedia arts.
Why go? Check the calendar for regular guest speakers and interviews, which have included big international names talking about important contemporary issues, at ridiculously affordable prices.
Top tip: The first Sunday of each month means it’s free in to the fifth-floor lookout, where you can get some amazing views of the mountains, city and sea.
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© Maria Dias
6. Museu Can Framis. Fundació Vila Casas
- Museums
- Art and design
- Sant Martí
What is it? A museum where the roughly 300 works displayed are by Catalan artists, sculptors and photographers from the last 50 years or so, both unknown and internationally successful.
Why go? Arguably the star of the show is the building itself, a startling revamp that showcases the building’s original features but adds a new element of sharp angles and poured concrete, with sunlight streaming through plate glass to illuminate the displays in a refreshingly natural way.
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© Maria Dias
7. MACBA. Museu d’Art Contemporani
- Art
- El Raval
What is it? Richard Meier’s hulking white behemoth of a museum signified a grand turnaround in the fortunes of the Raval neighbourhood and still shines as a beacon of modernity outside as well as in.
Why go? It houses the city’s main collection of contemporary art (which, in this instance means ‘post World War I’), and while its permanent holdings focus on Catalan and Spanish artists, temporary exhibitions have a more international flavour.
Top tip: Watch out for (or join in with) the skateboarders in the square out front who have made it their second home.
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8. Arts Santa Mònica
- Museums
- Art and design
- El Raval
What is it? Another museum on La Rambla, this time with its arms open wide to welcome nearly all artistic disciplines and endeavours with a special focus on digital media produced in Catalonia.
Why go? Exhibitions and goings-on are so varied, there’s something for everyone: architecture, performing arts, visual arts, music, literature, design, gastronomy and more.
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FOTO: Fundació Miró
9. Fundació Joan Miró
- Museums
- Art and design
- Sants – Montjuïc
What is it? Josep Lluís Sert designed one of the greatest museum buildings in the world specifically for his friend Joan Miró, which beautifully intertwines art and architecture, and houses a massive art collection, including all of Miró’s graphic work.
Why go? In addition to the permanent collection showing off Miró’s trademark use of primary colours and simplified organic forms, the outdoor sculpture gallery is a feast for the senses in itself, where, as a bonus, you’re surrounded by the nature of Parc de Montjuïc.
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10. Virreina Centre de la Imatge
- Museums
- Art and design
- El Raval
What is it? At this centre for visual creation you’ll find exhibitions and activities related to photography and the image, still or moving, silent or with audio.
Why go? The collection and related things to do are housed in a former Baroque palace right in the middle of La Rambla, and you won’t have to pay a cent to go in and admire the architecture or the artworks.
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The 5 best art museums in Barcelona
1) MNAC Palau Nacional
The Catalan National Art Museum is the imposing building that tops the Montjuïc Fountains.
It has a rather stunning collection of Catalan art, from the medieval period up to modern art and photography. The Romanesque Art, which in Catalonia is much more vivid than in other European countries, is a particularly beautiful treasure.
Albert Torelló
Parc de Montjuïc
+34 (0)93 622 03 60
http://www.museunacional.cat
2) MACBA
Originally the only reason for putting a Museum of Modern Art in Raval, was to upgrade the then derelict neighbourhood. The strategy worked. Now Raval boasts an interesting building (by Richard Meier) and a museum with ample space for today’s top artists – and the eternal skateboarders in front of the museum prevent it from getting stuffy.
Plaça dels Àngels 1
+34 (0)93 412 08 10
http://www.macba.cat
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3) CCCB
A minute away from MACBA, the Centre for Contemporary Culture is a slightly more modest space (although the underground entrance and the staircases can compete with MACBA’s design) for thematic exhibitions about science, culture, design, photography, technology and more. It also hosts seminars and has a bookstore with an interesting collection.
Carrer de Montalegre 5
+34 (0)93 306 41 00
http://www.cccb.org
4) Fundacío Joan Miró
Catalan artist Joan Miró has his own museum on Montjuïc hill. The collection used to be the artist’s: 10.000 works, mostly by Miró himself, but also items made by Alexander Calder, Mark Rothko and Marcel Duchamp. This is a major tourist attraction; so expect Mona Lisa-style throngs.
Jan Genge
Parc de Montjuïc s/n
+34 (0)93 443 94 70
http://www.
fmirobcn.org
5) Museu Picasso
Modesty commands us to say that the Museu Picasso certainly has a fine collection, with works from every single one of Picasso’s periods, but that the best-known works are not here: those are in other museums around the world. Still worth a visit though.
Carrer Montcada 15-23
+34 (0)93 256 30 00
http://www.museupicasso.bcn.cat
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Overview of art galleries in Barcelona, Spain
Page Content
Here are detailed reviews of some of the most important and popular art galleries in Barcelona.
Picasso Museum
Fundació de Joan Miró
MNAC
MACBA
| Art Gallery of the Picasso Museum |
| Nearest metro station from the Picasso Museum. Click the mouse to enlarge the map. |
Picasso Museum
Metro: Jaume I (Yellow Line, L4), 15 minutes walk.
Museu Picasso (Picasso Museum) is the most visited art gallery in Barcelona, with over 1,000,000 visitors a year. The gallery houses one of the largest collections of Picasso’s works in the world.
The museum has exhibited Picasso’s paintings in chronological order from his earliest to his latest work. Thus, it gives you a unique opportunity to see the transformation of Picasso’s thinking over time and clearly shows how he developed his unique style for which he is so famous today.
If you love art, a visit to this gallery is highly recommended .
Official website: Picasso Museum
Address: Picasso Museum
Montcada, 15-23
08003 Barcelona, España.
Working hours:
| Month | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|
| January – December | Monday | closed |
| Tuesday – Sunday | 10:00 – 19:00 |
Admission fee: €12.00 for the main exhibition – supplement for special events.
Accessible for people with disabilities: yes
Buy your tickets online
Click to book your tickets for the Picasso Museum skip the line
How to get to the Picasso Museum
Metro: Jaume l (Yellow Line, L4)
Tourist bus stop Barcelona Bus Turistic
If you take the Barcelona Bus Turistic, the closest stop to the Picasso Museum is Catedral – Gòtic
Public Transport – Bus
Via Laietana / Jutjas: 120, 45, V1037 de Plau900 : h24
Car parking
Parking near the Picasso Museum
Picasso walking tour with a visit to the Picasso Museum.
If you want to see the places that Picasso used to visit when he lived in Barcelona, you might be interested in the combined Picasso walking tour with a visit to the museum. A professional guide will show you around the historical quarters of Barcelona and you will get to know the main places where Picasso spent his time. The professionally trained guide will also tell you interesting stories about Picasso’s life in Barcelona to help you understand his work. After the tour ends, you can visit the Picasso Museum – the ticket is included in the price. Follow the link below for more information and to book the Picasso tour and museum entrance tickets in advance.
Buy your tickets online
Click to book a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter that includes skip-the-line tickets to the Picasso Museum
Fundació Joan Miró
The art gallery has a wide selection of Miró’s work dating back to 1914.
The local art collection includes not only his paintings, but also a good selection of sculptures, tapestries and early sketches. Wonderful collection of Miró’s work.
| Joan Miró Museum |
| Nearest metro station from Joan Miró. Click the mouse to enlarge the map. |
Joan Miró
Parc de Montjuïc
08038 Barcelona, España.
Opening hours: Please check the website for details as they constantly change depending on the time of year.
Cost of visit: €14.00
Access for people with disabilities: yes
How to get to Fundació Joan Miró
Transport: Montjuïc Funicular – You can take the Montjuïc Funicular from Paral-lel metro station.
Nearest metro station is España (Green Line, L3) and (Red Line, L1), 20 minutes walk – mostly uphill.
Barcelona Bus Turistic 9 stop0003
If you take the Barcelona Bus Turistic bus, the nearest stop to Fundació Joan Miró is Fundació Joan Miró
parking lot
Parking near the Fundació Joan Miró
Official website: Joan Miró
Click to book tickets for the Joan Miró Museum online and avoid the queues
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC – National Art Museum of Catalonia) – Montjuïc
Metro: España (Green Line, L3) and (Red Line, L1), about 10 minutes walk – mostly uphill, but escalator covers most of the way.
| MNAC in Montjuïc |
| Nearest metro station from MNAC. Click to enlarge the map. |
The Museum of Modern Art is worth a visit not only for the art but also for the fabulous view of Barcelona. We have also prepared a photo album with photos of the MNAC Museum on Montjuïc.
The museum has an extensive collection of works of art of various styles – Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque, as well as objects of art – paintings, carvings, sculptures, metalwork and ceramics. The museum has the largest collection of Catalan art in Spain.
The museum now houses a large collection of Catalan art from the 19th to early 20th century from the old MNAC Museum in the Parc Ciutadella. If you want to know what the terms neoclassicism, modernism and realism mean, then this museum is for you.
This museum gives a clear picture of the many factors that have influenced Catalan art and how they influence contemporary art.
MNAC
Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc
08038 Barcelona, España.
Working hours:
| Month | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|
| January – April | Monday | closed |
| Tuesday – Saturday | 10:00 – 18:00 | |
| Sunday and Holiday | 10:00 – 15:00 | |
| May – September | Monday | closed |
| Tuesday – Saturday | 10:00 – 20:00 | |
| Sunday and Holiday | 10:00 – 15:00 | |
| October – December | Monday | closed |
| Tuesday – Saturday | 10:00 – 18:00 | |
| Sunday and Holiday | 10:00 – 15:00 |
Cost of visit: €12.
00
Buy your tickets online
Click to book an ARTICLE that gives you free admission to the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC)
Accessibility for people with disabilities: yes
How to get to MNAC
Metro: Plaça España (Green Line, L3) and (Red Line, L1)
Tourist bus stop Barcelona Bus Turistic
If you take the Barcelona Bus Turistic, the nearest stop to the MNAC Museum is MNAC
Public Transport – Bus
MNAC / Museu Etnològic: 55
3ç Platya5, 65, 79, 91, 109, 150, 165, h22, h26
Poble Espanyol: 13
Car parking
Parking near Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC)
Official website: MNAC
Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA)
Metro: Catalunya (Green Line, L3) and (Red Line, L1) or Universitat (Red Line, L1) and (Purple Line, L2)
The Museu d’Art Contemporani (Museum of Contemporary Art) is the 11th most popular attraction in Barcelona.
It mainly exhibits works from the period of the second half of the 20th century, including works by many great artists.
The exhibited material changes every 3-4 months, so it is recommended to check the exhibitions on their website.
| Nearest metro station from MACBA. Click the mouse to enlarge the map. |
MACBA
Placa dels Angels, 1
08001 Barcelona, España.
Opening hours: Depending on the season of the year, please visit the official website link above to find out the information.
Cost of visit: €12.00
Accessible for people with disabilities: yes
How to get to MACBA
Metro: Catalunya (Green Line, L3) and (Red Line, L1), or Universitat (Red Line, L1) and ( Purple line, L2)
Barcelona Bus Turistic stop
With the Barcelona Bus Turistic, nearest stop for MACBA Museum is Placa Catalunya
Public transport – bus
Plaça dels Àngels: 120
Sepúlveda / Muntaner: 24, 41, 55, 120, h26
Plaça Catalunya: 4 04.
25 , 55, 67, 68, h26 , Aerobus
Car parking
Parking near MACBA in Raval
Official website: MACBA
Buy your tickets online
Click to book an ARTICLE that gives you free entry to the Barcelona Museum of Modern Art (MACBA)
We’ve only looked at a few of the most important and popular art galleries in Barcelona, but there are many more.
We hope that this brief overview will give you a general idea of museums. And don’t forget that for more information, you can always visit the page dedicated to museums in Barcelona.
Museum of Contemporary Art
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Mikhail Schwartz
Would you like to get acquainted with the peculiarities of modern Spanish art? See the work of artists such as Antoni Tapies, Miguel Barcelo, Jean-Michel Basquiat? Then, once in Barcelona, you definitely need to set aside time to visit this museum.
MACBA main building, designed by Richard Meyer (photo: Steve Silverman)
Barcelona’s Museum of Contemporary Art (Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, MACBA) opened its doors in 1995. The best works of the end of the last century and up to the present time are presented in its halls. The museum contains examples of art by masters of a wide variety of schools and trends: expressionists, modernists, as well as masterpieces of Catalan painters since the historicism of the Romanesque period. The museum’s collection is presented in three sections: 40-60 years, 60-70 years, contemporary art.
The main part of the museum’s exhibits are works by masters of Catalonia, as well as works by Spanish artists painted after 1945. However, some works of artists from abroad are also presented here.
Buildings MACBA
The Museum of Modern Art of Barcelona currently occupies three buildings in the Plaza de l’Angels (Plaça dels Àngels) in the Old City area. The main building of the museum, erected in the Art Nouveau style, stands out from the surrounding buildings and, with its appearance alone, sets everyone up for contemporary art.
The snow-white main building has a glazed southern facade, from which museum guests can admire the square, where there are always a lot of young people and skateboard lovers.
The Monastery of the Angels (Convent dels Àngels) on the other side of the square is also part of a modern art museum. Now this building is used by him as a cultural center with additional exhibition space.
Another museum building on Àngels Square is the Research and Documentation Center (Centre d’Estudis i Documentació). It houses the MACBA Research and Education Center, as well as an archive and library dedicated to contemporary art.
Opening hours and ticket prices:
| Mon, Wed – Fri | 11:00 -19:30 |
| W | closed |
| SAT | 10:00 – 20:00 |
| Sun and holidays | 10:00 – 15:00 |
Entrance fee € 11.
How to get to the museum?
Metro L1, L2 to Universitat or L3 to Pl.