Visiting Palau De La Música Catalana - Famous Concert Hall
Palau De la Música can be visited as a 50 minute guided tour, self guided tour or by going to see a musical event.
Palau De La Música Guided and Self-guided Tours
The guided tour starts in the reception hall then proceeds to a small rehearsal chamber, Sala de Ensayos on the ground floor behind the bar and beneath the stage. Here you are seated in a small auditorium and given an introduction to Palau de la Música.
Once the introduction is over the group is left in the Ground floor Café bar area. here you can admire the ornate brick columns decorated with ceramic enamelled flower capitals that lead into the decorative brick arch roof. In the centre of the room is a beautifully carved dark wood bar with stained glass. I recommend waiting till the end of the tour to purchase a drink or snack in this bar.
When the group is called you are led out through some ornate wooden doors onto the main vestibule and grand staircase up to the first floor. The staircase is decorated with bright tiles of a yellow and green hue and up lighting from ornate lamps on the staircase posts which has gold leaf balustrades. On the first floor landing, the Lluís Millet room which faces onto the street via high stained-glass windows with a balcony of more ornate columns decorated with floral mosaics. The brick arches hide the underlying steel frame of the building.
Next you will be led into the auditorium stalls area where you are invited to look up at the magnificent domed stained-glass skylight. You can also see close up the plaster surround of the stage mouth with galloping horses, chariots, shields and crests. Also on the stage is a pipe organ and another skylight. around the perimeter of the semi-circular stage are plaster muses jumping out of the trencadis (mosaic made from broken, irregular shaped tile pieces).This room is a rest area for intermission and contains bronze bust sculptures of all the prominent musical directors that have tenured at Palau de la Música Catalana.
Next you are taken up to the third floor of the building which has the surrounding tiered box seating. You are permitted to walk around the horse shoe shaped seating area and note that every seat has perfect sightlines to the stage. On the fourth floor is another intermission room with a small bar. From here you enter the upper tier of the horse shoe shaped seating area as well as the rear ramped seating area (the rafters) which is also highly decorated with plaster moulds of galloping horses. here you are given an explanation of the acoustics of Palau de la Música. From this level I recommend walking round to the left (when looking at the stage) of the auditorium seating area where you can see out of the stained glass windows.
Finally, the tour is led down a modern staircase in the extension that has glass panelling to allow you to appreciate the ornate brickwork of the outer walls. These stairs take you back to the ground floor bar where you can order a drink and go outside. Here on this patio you will find a large statue of Lluís Millet. when you get outside of the Palau de la Música note the small box office built into the central column of the front façade. Along Carrer de Sant Pere Més Alt, on the corner of Palau de la Música is a modern monument called Carmela by the local artist Jaume Plensa.
Palau De La Música Catalana Opening Times
- Guided tours: 09:00h to 15:00h
- Self Guided tours: 09:00h to 15:30h
I recommend the guided tour because you are given explanation that you might not get in the brochure for the self guided tour and you can also ask questions.
Other notable works by Lluís Domènech i Montaner
Lluís Domènech i Montaner was also a prolific Catalan Modernist Architect like Antoni Gaudí wih a lot of his works being industrial buildings. However, he did also create public buildings such as Hospital de Sant Pau (Recinte Modernista) and Castell dels tres dragons - three dragons castle, in Parc Cuitadella
Centenary anniversary of the death of Lluís Domènech i Montaner
2023 is the centenary anniversary of the death of Lluís Domènech i Montaner (b. 30th December 1849, d. 27th December 1923) so expect special exhibitions about this great architect, famous for buildings of public use (Hospital, music hall, Grand restaurant for world fair, factories with good conditions for workers). Most of Gaidí´s works were private commissions for wealthy citizens and religious institutions (grand houses & Basilicas).
Musical events can be found on the calendar section of the website.
What to take with you for Palau De La Música Catalana - Famous Concert Hall
The guided tour is fully accessible for people with disabilities. It is advisable to contact visites@palaumusica.cat
Cloakroom service and left luggage services are not available. so only go with small bags of 10L or less
Bicycle anchorage is in a side street Calle d'Amadeu Vives.
The tour is guided and there is an additional downloadable phone audio guide app so don?t forget headphones.
Day Trip Rucksack
Small 10L day trip and museums rucksack
Emergency Poncho
Small folded lightweight Water proof poncho for emergencies
Summary of Prices
Zone 1 T-casual
€ 18.00
Students 11 Euros, Over 65 years 16 Euros
T-familiar
FREE
For under 10 years
25+ People 16 Euros per person.
Getting to Palau De La Música Catalana - Famous Concert Hall
Address: Carrer de Sant Pere Mes Alt 6, Barcelona. 08003
Nearest TMB Metro is Urquinaona on the red (L1) and Yellow (L4) lines.
