Palau de la Música Catalana with a guided tour and skip-the-line entry

C/ Palau de la Música, 4-6, Barcelona

Palau de la Música Catalana

The starting time is chosen, and you meet the guide at the Palau de la Música Catalana, in La Ribera. The hall is one of the most famous in Barcelona and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With the skip-the-line ticket, you enter directly and the tour begins in the rehearsal room of the Orfeó Català. There, it is explained that the first stone was laid in 1905, and a 15-minute clip is shown about the history of the building and the society of the early 20th century. Next is the staircase that leads to the second floor. The mosaics cover the lower part, and the glass balustrades that support the marble handrail are one of those things you look at twice. In the Lluís Millet Hall, light enters through the large windows that overlook the colonnade of the balcony of the main facade. The pillars feature mosaics of flowers, one of the many nods the building makes to nature. The last stop is the auditorium. In the arches next to the walls, there are enormous stained-glass panels, and in the center of the ceiling hangs a skylight in the shape of an inverted dome. Inside the hall, the guide explains who designed the decoration: Eusebi Arnau, Pau Gargallo, Lluís Bru, and Antoni Rigalt. Approximately one hour later, the tour ends near the exit of the Palau. Photos courtesy of Mateo Vecchi.