Built between 1905 and 1908 to make a home for the Orfeo Catala choral society, the Palace of Catalan Music is located in La Ribera to the north of Las Ramblas. Designed by architect Lluis Domenech i Montaner, and contributed to by an array of painters, sculptors and glass and mosaic artists, today it is memorialised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
When you enter the auditorium, you’ll be struck by modernist architecture, exemplified by its stained glass walls, ornate decorations, bright colours and its glass feature hanging from the ceiling in the shape of a water droplet. When you visit, whether you’re taking a tour round the music hall or here to enjoy a concert by night, you’ll soon realise exactly why this is one of Barcelona’s most prominent and popular places to go.
The main draw is the Concert Hall itself, a colourful space flooded with light and admired as a great work of decorative art. When you stand underneath its skylight, you’ll be able to see the extravagant curved glass ceiling, matching the beautiful decoration across the building with fruit, flowers and jewels at every turn.
The rehearsal hall is still used by the Orfeo Catala for whom the building was originally created. Take a look around the Lluis Millet Hall after walking up the grand staircase which you’ll see lavishly decorated with iron and glass. In the hall, there are stained glass walls rising up two storeys and richly decorated columns.
If you would like to take a tour, you will need to book in advance tours are held every day with longer opening hours in August. The guided tour lasts around 55 minutes and takes you from the stunningly-tiled foyer through the building. Under-10s don’t have to pay to get in. If you want to see a concert, shows are held here on most days and range from children’s entertainment to Vivaldi recitals, though they typically sell out in advance. Consult the Palau’s website for more information. You can reach the building by bus, metro or train.
