Barcelona
・Old town where many tourist attractions are concentrated
・Expo Park also has a zoo
【City description】
Barcelona is the second largest city in the country, located in the Catalonia region in western Spain, close to France. Facing the Mediterranean Sea, the city center is divided into wooden-patterned districts. There are many things to see, so we will introduce them in three different courses. Here we will introduce a course that goes around the old town, including the Sagrada Familia designed by Antoni Gaudi (② on the map below).
Check out other courses in Barcelona here!
【Overall rating】
★★★★★
【Time required】
11h
【Budget】
108 euros（excluding subway）
【Fatigue】
★★★★★
【Contents】
★=Must-see spots
◎=Recommended spots
- Itinerary Map
- ①Subway: Sagrada Familia Station
- ②Sagrada Familia★
- ③Sant Pau Recinte Modernista◎
- ④Subway: Sant Pau | 2nd May station
- ⑤Subway: Urquinaona Station
- ⑥Palace of Catalan Music★
- ⑦Els Quatre Gats◎
- ⑧Cathedral of Barcelona★
- ⑨King’s Square
- ⑩Saint James’s Square
- ⑪Basilica of Saints Justus and Pastor◎
- ⑫European Museum of Modern Art
- ⑬Picasso Museum Barcelona★
- ⑭Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar
- ⑮Ciutadella Park◎
- ⑯Arc de Triomf
- ⑰Subway: Arc de Triomf Station
Itinerary Map
・If you open the enlarge button on the top right corner on your smartphone, this model course will be displayed on Google Maps along with its location information.
・You can also quickly return to this map from the table of contents in the sidebar (if using a smartphone, select “Go to table of contents” from the menu at the bottom of the screen).
Sagrada Familia – Sant Pau Hospital（① – ④）
Navigation
【Start】①Subway: Sagrada Familia Station
②Sagrada Familia
★Route Time required: 15 minutes
Return to the subway intersection ⇒ Continue straight along the road with the streetlight on a pedestal at the corner of the intersection ⇒ You will see the hospital at the end
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Turn left after leaving the hospital ⇒ Turn right at the first traffic light ⇒ Go down the hill ⇒ There is a subway station at the first intersection
★Route Time required: 15 minutes
Take the train bound for Vall d’Hebron ⇒ Change for the second stop at La Sagrera station onto the L1 (red) line bound for Hospital de Bellvitge
Old Town Area Map（⑤ – ⑰）
Navigation
【Start】⑤Subway: Urquinaona Station
★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Go down the street to the right of the Burger King in the square ⇒ Turn left at the first traffic light and enter the street ahead on the right ⇒ The building you see in front of you is your next destination, so follow the building to the entrance.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Turn left after leaving the music hall ⇒ Turn right at the end ⇒ Turn left when you return to the street ⇒ Go down the street to the left of the police station with the national flag on your right ⇒ Go straight through the Gothic Quarter for a while ⇒ You will see the restaurant on the corner on your right
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Continue along the street ⇒ Turn left at the end ⇒ Go left at the fork ⇒ You will see the church
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Leave the Cathedral Cloister and turn left ⇒ Continue along the Cathedral ⇒ When you reach the small square, continue straight ⇒ You will arrive at the square
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Turn left at the square ⇒ Turn right at the first intersection ⇒ You will arrive at the square
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Go down the street to the left of the tourist information center in the square ⇒ Turn left immediately ⇒ You will see the church on your right
★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Turn left after leaving the church ⇒ Turn right when you reach the street ⇒ Cross the traffic lights and go straight ⇒ Take the first road on your right ⇒ You will see the museum on your left
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Continue along the street and you will see the museum at the end.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Exit the museum and turn left ⇒ You will see the back of the church on the right side of the square ⇒ Go around and go to the main entrance
★Route Time required: 15 minutes
Turn left after leaving the church ⇒ Turn left when you reach the main road ⇒ Go straight for a while ⇒ You will see a park at the end
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Leave the park and head to the Arc de Triomphe.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Go through the Arc de Triomphe and turn right on the main street ⇒ You will see the subway station
⑰Subway: Arc de Triomf Station
【Start】
①Subway: Sagrada Familia Station
Sagrada Família
This station is on subway lines L2 (purple) and L5 (navy blue).
②Sagrada Familia★
Sagrada Família
Time required: 2h
Admission fee: 26 euros
Opening hour
April – September: 9 am – 8 pm
March, October: 9 am – 7 pm
November – February: 9 am – 6 pm
(from 10h30 am on Sunday)
Closed: No
This church is said to be the masterpiece of Barcelona’s leading architect Antoni Gaudi. In fact, Gaudi took over an existing project. Construction began in 1882, but due to financial difficulties and repeated wars, it was not completed until 1926, when Gaudi passed away. It is scheduled to be completed in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death. Since it is still under construction, some areas cannot be entered at certain times, and the places that can be visited are subject to change, such as not being able to climb the tower.
The entire church reproduces the Bible, and the Nativity façade on the east side, where the entrance is located, depicts the birth of Christ from his birth to his sermon, while the Passion façade on the west side depicts the Last Supper, Christ’s crucifixion, and Ascension in a modern art style. Inside the church, the colorful stained glass is very beautiful, and the light that shines in changes depending on the time of day is an attractive feature. There is a museum in the basement of the church, where materials related to Sagrada Familia and Gaudi are on display.
Sightseeing is mainly done following the audio guide. The audio guide alone is about 45 minutes long, so it’s quite a long tour.
As this is a particularly popular tourist spot in Barcelona, I recommend purchasing tickets online in advance.
【Ticket purchase site】
https://sagradafamilia.org/en/tickets-individuals
★Route Time required: 15 minutes
Return to the subway intersection ⇒ Continue straight along the road with the streetlight on a pedestal at the corner of the intersection ⇒ You will see the hospital at the end
③Sant Pau Recinte Modernista◎
Hospital de Sant Pau
Time required: 1h
Admission fee: 17 euros
Opening hour: 9h30 am – 6h30 pm
(until 5 pm from November to March)
Closed: 12/25
This hospital was built in 1930 and was used for medical treatment until 2009, but was relocated due to aging. It was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner and is registered as a World Heritage Site along with the Palau de la Música Catalana, which will appear later. It functions as a general hospital that merges six hospitals, but each department has its own building, and there are 48 buildings on the 145,000m² site.
The tour begins with a tour of the main building, looking at exhibits such as medical equipment, and then goes out to the courtyard to see the buildings of each department, but you can only enter the buildings where renovation work has been completed. From the courtyard, you can enter an underground passage, through which supplies could be delivered to each building. Finally, you will visit the entrance building.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Turn left after leaving the hospital ⇒ Turn right at the first traffic light ⇒ Go down the hill ⇒ There is a subway station at the first intersection
④Subway: Sant Pau | 2nd May station
Sant Pau | Dos de Maig
This station is on platform L5 (navy blue).
★Route Time required: 15 minutes
Take the train bound for Vall d’Hebron ⇒ Change for the second stop at La Sagrera station onto the L1 (red) line bound for Hospital de Bellvitge
⑤Subway: Urquinaona Station
Urquinaona
This is where you get off the train.
★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Go down the street to the right of the Burger King in the square ⇒ Turn left at the first traffic light and enter the street ahead on the right ⇒ The building you see in front of you is your next destination, so follow the building to the entrance.
⑥Palace of Catalan Music★
Palau de la Música Catalana
Time required: 1h
Admission fee: 18 euros
Opening hour: 9 am – 3h30 pm
Closed: No
Like Hospital de Sant Pau, this concert hall was designed by Lluís Domènech i Montaner and is registered as a World Heritage Site. Completed in 1908, it is an important example of Art Nouveau architecture (Modernismo) in Barcelona and is still used for concerts today. The highlight is the concert hall, which is decorated in detail from the stained glass on the ceiling to the mosaics on the columns, and incorporates natural elements such as plants, typical of Art Nouveau.
【Ticket purchase site】
https://www.palaumusica.cat/en/visits-and-tickets_1159168
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Turn left after leaving the music hall ⇒ Turn right at the end ⇒ Turn left when you return to the street ⇒ Go down the street to the left of the police station with the national flag on your right ⇒ Go straight through the Gothic Quarter for a while ⇒ You will see the restaurant on the corner on your right
⑦Els Quatre Gats◎
Els Quatre Gats
Time required: 5 min
Admission fee: 0 euro
This restaurant has a Gothic exterior and was built by Josep Puig i Cadafalch. As the center of Modernism, Gaudi and Picasso often frequented it. The name comes from the fact that it was founded by three people, including Josep Puig i Cadafalch, and that the four of them frequented the literary cabaret Le Chat Noir (The Black Cat) in Paris.
As it operates as a restaurant, it is not open to the public.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Continue along the street ⇒ Turn left at the end ⇒ Go left at the fork ⇒ You will see the church
⑧Cathedral of Barcelona★
Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia
Time required: 50 min
Admission fee: 16 euros
Opening hour: 9h30 am – 6h30 pm
Saturday: until 5h15 pm
Sunday, national holiday: 2 pm – 5 pm
Closed: No
This is Barcelona’s cathedral in the Gothic Quarter. It was rebuilt in the 15th century as a Gothic church on the site of a former church, but the exterior façade was remodeled in the Neo-Gothic style for the Barcelona Universal Expo in 1888.
The interior has a solemn atmosphere, with a gorgeous golden altar in the chapel. If you go underground from the stairs in front of the main altar, you will find the coffin of Santa Eulalia, whose name the cathedral gives it, enshrined, and you can only go inside on February 14th, the anniversary of her death. You can also climb the cathedral tower and enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Barcelona.
The adjacent cloister has palm trees, giving it a tropical atmosphere, and 13 geese are kept there, in honor of the fact that Santa Eulalia was martyred at the age of 13 and that she had been kept since then. You can also visit the museum next to the cloister for an additional fee.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Leave the Cathedral Cloister and turn left ⇒ Continue along the Cathedral ⇒ When you reach the small square, continue straight ⇒ You will arrive at the square
⑨King’s Square
Plaça del Rei
Time required: 5 min
Admission fee: 0 euro
This is the place where Columbus met Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand after discovering America.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Turn left at the square ⇒ Turn right at the first intersection ⇒ You will arrive at the square
⑩Saint James’s Square
Plaça de Sant Jaume
Time required: 5 min
Admission fee: 0 euro
It is the administrative center of Barcelona that has existed since Roman times. The square is home to the City Hall and the Catalan Government Palace, which were built by demolishing the Sant Jaume Church, from which the square is named. The Human Tower, a Catalan tradition that is registered as a World Heritage Site, is also held here.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Go down the street to the left of the tourist information center in the square ⇒ Turn left immediately ⇒ You will see the church on your right
⑪Basilica of Saints Justus and Pastor◎
Basílica dels Sants Màrtirs Just i Pastor
Time required: 40 min
Admission fee: 0 euro
Opening hour: 10 am – 1 pm
Closed: No
This is a neo-Gothic church in the old town. It’s a local church in a quiet place, but you can go up the stairs to the top of the bell tower (2 euros), and the view from there is higher than the cathedral. There are not many tourists, so it’s a hidden gem, but be careful because it’s only open in the morning.
★Route Time required: 10 minutes
Turn left after leaving the church ⇒ Turn right when you reach the street ⇒ Cross the traffic lights and go straight ⇒ Take the first road on your right ⇒ You will see the museum on your left
⑫European Museum of Modern Art
Museu Europeu d’Art Modern
Time required: 1h
Admission fee: 13 euros
Opening hour: 11 am – 7 pm
(until 8 pm on Friday and Saturday)
Closed: Monday, 1/1, 12/25 – 26
This 18th century mansion is used as a modern art museum. It has a high proportion of sculptures, paintings, and photographs produced in the modern era rather than modern art. If you buy a ticket on the day of your visit to the Picasso Museum, you may have to wait, so you may want to buy a ticket at the Picasso Museum first before coming.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Continue along the street and you will see the museum at the end.
⑬Picasso Museum Barcelona★
Museu Picasso de Barcelona
Time required: 1h30
Admission fee: 13 euros
(free of charge on the 1st Sunday)
Opening hour: 10 am – 7 pm
(until 8 pm from April to October)
Closed: Monday, 1/1, 5/1, 6/24, 12/25
This is the most popular Picasso museum in Barcelona. He spent his teenage years in Barcelona, and Jaume Sabartes, Picasso’s friend and secretary, and the city of Barcelona donated the museum. The number of exhibits gradually increased through donations from various people, and sometimes even Picasso himself, and the museum now spans five mansions.
Although it does not have any of Picasso’s world-famous works, you can trace the history of Picasso’s paintings through the overwhelming number of exhibits. Picasso is famous for Cubism and Guernica, but you will be surprised to learn that he also created many general paintings.
It is recommended to purchase tickets online in advance as it is a popular tourist spot, but you can also check the availability of tickets on the day on the monitor at the entrance.
【Ticket purchase site】
https://entrades.eicub.net:8443/muslinkIII/venda/index.jsp?lang=3&nom_cache=PICASSO&property=PICASSO&grupActiv=1
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Exit the museum and turn left ⇒ You will see the back of the church on the right side of the square ⇒ Go around and go to the main entrance
⑭Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar
Basílica Santa Maria del Mar
Time required: 20 min
Admission fee: 5 euros
Opening hour: 10 am – 8h30 pm
Closed: No
This is a 14th century Catalan Gothic church known as the “Cathedral of the Sea.” It was named after its proximity to the sea, but the interior has an atmosphere just as solemn as the cathedral. It has a red aisle, which is rare in overseas churches. The rose window is very beautiful, but the original one was lost in a fire, so a Flamboyant style one is used instead.
★Route Time required: 15 minutes
Turn left after leaving the church ⇒ Turn left when you reach the main road ⇒ Go straight for a while ⇒ You will see a park at the end
⑮Ciutadella Park◎
Parc de la Ciutadella
Time required: 40 min
Admission fee: 0 euro
This park was renovated from land used as a fortress in 1700 to serve as the site of the World’s Fair. The park has a zoo, a pond, a chapel, and other facilities, making it a place of relaxation for locals. There is also a fountain that Gaudi created for the Expo, modeled after Rome’s Trevi Fountain.
★Route Time required: 5 minutes
Leave the park and head to the Arc de Triomphe.
⑯Arc de Triomf
Arc de Triomf
Time required: 5 min
Admission fee: 0 euro
This is a triumphal arch built on the road leading to Ciutadella Park, the venue for the Universal Expo. It uses the Mudévar style of architecture, which is unique to Spain.
★Route Time required: a few minutes
Go through the Arc de Triomphe and turn right on the main street ⇒ You will see the subway station
【Goal】
⑰Subway: Arc de Triomf Station
Arc de Triomf
This station is on the L1 (red) line.
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