Barcelona free museums day is celebrated on first sundays of the month. Take advantage of this opportunity to discover the history and artistic testimonies of the city.
No plans for this weekend? Take the most of Barcelona Free Museums Day discovering the most important artworks and expositions in the city. Most of them are at La Rambla and surroundings. Let’s have a look at them.
Castell de Montjuïc
Its origins date back to 1640, being the oldest fortress in the city. During the centuries has been a watcher tower, dungeon, execution centre. Today, it is an incomparable landscape to enjoy the best 360º views of Barcelona. Until March 3rd you can enjoy the Impasse exhibition, an artistic view to today’s society prisons and In Search of Freedom: 1968-2018, an historicalunderstanding of the protests that took place in the 60s and 70s in Europe.
Palau Güell
Address: Carrer Nou de la Rambla, 3-5
The Palau Güell (Güell palace) was built between 1886 and 1888. The most important fact of this is that it was Antoni Gaudi’s first important work. Moreover, it was financed by his friend and patron Eusebi Güell, who wanted to locate his main home in El Raval. The building evidences a Gaudà very influenced by oriental art and eager to experiment, since to decorate the chimneys, he used for the first time the technique with which he would sign his works: trencadÃs. Free admission is limited to a number of tickets that are distributed in the morning (after 10:00) and in the afternoon (after 13:00), so you have to be alert.
Museu MarÃtim de Barcelona
Address: Av. De les Drassanes, s / n
After visiting the Palau Güell, walk down La Rambla until reaching Barcelona Maritime Museum. It is located at the Drassanes Reials, the place where they built ships from the 13th to the 20th century. An amazing place to discover all kind of ships.
Frederic Marès Museum
Address: Plaça Sant Iu 5
Get into the Gothic Quarter and find this museum dedicated to sculpture. Frederic Marès was a passionate collector of this art. Furthermore, he devoted his life to gather an extensive collection of pieces ranging from antiquity to the nineteenth century. In 1946 he donated his treasures, which became part of the heritage of Barcelona.
Ethnological Museum
Address: Passeig de Santa Madrona, 16
A place to think about the evolution of Catalan society and what its future challenges are. It’s curious what you can learn about our ancestors by looking at the objects they used in their daily life. Just Imagine: in a hundred years, your smartphone and laptop may be exposed in a Museum.
MNAC Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
Address: Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc
Take advantage of Barcelona free museums day to visit one of the most recognizable artistic spots in the city. The Catalonia National Art Museum is popular for its stunning façade and for being a great viewpoint to enjoy the landscape of the city. Nevertheless, it is also a good place to discover Romanesque art as well as modernist architecture and photography.
Museu d’Història de Barcelona
Address: Plaça del Rei
The Barcelona History Museum preserves, studies, documents and disseminates all social, cultural, political and economic events that have taken place throughout the history of Barcelona. You could say it’s like a mirror of the city. Its main headquarters are at Plaça del Rei and consist of several medieval buildings and excavations that allow us to go back a few years in time.
Museu de la Música
Address: carrer de Lepant, 150
Barcelona music museum brings together a collection of documents and unusual musical instruments that will delight melomaniacs.
Museu Picasso
Address: Carrer Montcada, 15-23
Make Barcelona free museums day a good time to go in depth Pablo Picasso’s artworks. He is one of the most important names in the history of contemporary art. The 4,251 exhibited masterpieces evidence the evolution of the artist in terms of style and technique throughout his adolescence, youth and maturity. One of the jewels of the museum is the series Las Meninas (1957), in which he reinterprets the great work of Velázquez through 58 paintings.
Blau Museum
Address: Parc del Fòrum
It includes the Museum of Natural Sciences of Barcelona and the Botanic garden, a total must if you love nature. Since 2011, it has become one of Barcelona’s main speakers to denounce climate change and the gray future that awaits us. Hence, its reference exhibition is called Planet Life.
Born Centre Cultural
Address: Plaça Comercial, 12
It is located inside the old Born market building. What you can see inside is a series of houses dating from 1700 and a sample of the most relevant events of the War of Succession, the siege of Barcelona in 1714 and the political consequences and stories they had for Catalonia.
