Museo Nacional Art Catalunya MNAC at top of Magic Fountains

The palau national was built for the 1929 International Exposition, the construction of which was inspired by the main dome of the vatican and the four towers inspired by the cathederal of Santiago de Compostella.

Today it houses the Museum of National Art of Catalunya (MNAC). I thought this would be a stuffy old museum full of religious art dedicated to Jesus Christ but it is actually multiple art collections housed within a giant museum, each wing seperated by a glass covered luminous atrium.

The main collections are:

Medieval Romanesque Art

Medieval Gothic Art

Renaissance and Baroque Art

Modern Art

Drawings, prints and posters

Photography

Numismatics

And there are also many other smaller rooms with collections.

Contained within the building is an arena type room called the Sala Oval That you can enter and sit down and enjoy the view of the space.

MNAC opening hours:

Winter: October to April, Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00h to 18:00h, Sundays and public holidays, 10:00h to 15:00h.

Summer: May to September, Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00h to 20:00h, Sundays and public holidays, 10:00h to 15:00h.

Mondays closed, except public holidays. See website for more information.

The entry ticket is valid for two days within a one month period. Discounted rates for students, seniors and children are also available on the website. The museum is also free from sundays from 15h and free the first sunday of each month.

This museum is one of the hidden gems of Barcelona because millions of tourists stand in front admiring the views but fewer people explore further inside. I highly recommend it.

Nearest TMB Metro is Plaza Espana on the green (L3) and Red L1) lines.