Catalan Concert Hall Strikes a Wild Chord
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| Catch a musical and visual treat at the Catalan Concert Hall for a small price. |
If you like wild architecture, make a point to see the routinely overlooked Catalan Concert Hall (Palau de la Música Catalana) while you're in Barcelona. This concert hall, finished in 1908, features the best Modernista interior in town (by Lluís Domènech i Muntaner).
Inviting arches lead you into the 2,000-seat hall. A kaleidoscopic skylight features a choir singing around the sun, while playful carvings and mosaics celebrate music and Catalan culture. Admission is by tour only and starts with a relaxing 20-minute video (€12, 50-min tours in English, daily every hour 10:00–15:00, tour times may change based on performance schedule, about 6 blocks northeast of cathedral, tel. 932-957-200). To get a spot on an English guided tour you must reserve in advance: (tickets available up to 7 days in advance— ideally buy yours at least 2 days before. You can buy the ticket in person at the concert hall box office (open daily 9:30–15:30); by phone with your credit card (tel. 902-485-475); or online at www.palaumusica.org.
It might be easier to get tickets for a concert; tickets for some performances as cheap as €7, see website for details.
Updated for 2010. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Spain guidebook — or join us on one of our free-spirited tours in Spain.