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Plaça d'Espanya, Barcelona

Plaça d'Espanya, Barcelona, Catalunya

Description

The Plaça d'Espanya of Barcelona is at the junction of several major thoroughfares and leads to the Palau Nacional which houses the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. It was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, held at the foot of Montjuïc. The major features of the square are its central fountain, the 47m tall Venetian Towers and the Arenas de Barcelona, a bullring reconverted into a shopping centre. Trivia: the site was used for public hangings until the early 18th century - always nice to know.

Access & Transport

The metro lines 1, 3 and 8 stop there as well as several suburban trains (S3, S4, S8, S9) and regional trains (FCG, R5, R6). The square is also served by over 20 bus lines.

Instructions & Recommendations

We would recommend starting or ending your day here and combine this with attractions around Montjuic, starting with the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. The square is impressively lit at night so it may be worth making a 2nd pass then.

Meta review

The reviews are for once quite consistent: the square is very impressive, in particular the fountains and the towers, but there isn't anything specific to do or visit besides taking pictures and the heavy traffic is not conducive to lengthy contemplation.

Environmental & Social

Terrible motorized traffic but overwhelmingly not due to tourism, so we deem this activity environmentally neural. Part of the city's architectural heritage.

Conclusion

The Plaça d'Espanya is visually striking and worth a detour, although it is likely to be on your way at some stage. We would recommend going early in the morning for a more relaxed experience with less tourists and road traffic, or around sunset time for the best colours and lighting.

Key positive

Fast and easy to get to by public transport

Impressive fountains, towers and view of the Palau Nacional

Key negative

Heavy traffic

Suitability

Accessible for visitors with reduced mobility

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

May 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:0h 25m

est. visit time:0h 45m

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningOk

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightOk

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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