Rainy Day Barcelona
Indoor places for a wet day
Barcelona has plenty to do under a roof, from the Museu Picasso and the MNAC to the Modernista houses of Passeig de Gràcia and the market halls. Many museums close on Mondays, so check each place's page before you go.
58 places
All year When
The places
Shopping · Sants Arenas de Barcelona A shopping and leisure centre in the former Las Arenas bullring at Plaça d'Espanya, with a rooftop terrace and view.
Church · Barri Gòtic Basílica de la Mercè A baroque basilica near the port, dedicated to the patron saint of Barcelona, Our Lady of Mercy. The city's main festival in September is named after her.
Landmark · Eixample Dreta Basílica de la Sagrada Família Antoni Gaudí's unfinished basilica, begun in 1882 and still under construction. You tour the interior, the towers and the Nativity façade on a timed ticket.
Church · Barri Gòtic Basílica de Santa Maria del Pi A Gothic basilica on Plaça del Pi with a large rose window. Markets and street musicians fill the neighbouring squares.
Museum · El Born Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria A cultural centre in the former Born market hall, which preserves the excavated remains of a district destroyed in 1714.
Museum · Montjuïc CaixaForum Barcelona An art and cultural centre in a former textile factory by Puig i Cadafalch at the foot of Montjuïc. Its programme includes exhibitions, concerts and family activities.
Landmark · Eixample Dreta Casa Amatller A house by Josep Puig i Cadafalch next to Casa Batlló, with a stepped Flemish-style gable. The Amatller Institute runs visits of the interior.
Landmark · Eixample Dreta Casa Batlló A house on Passeig de Gràcia that Gaudí rebuilt for the Batlló family in the early 1900s. You visit the main floor, the loft and the roof terrace.
Landmark · Gràcia Casa Vicens Gaudí's first major house, built for the Vicens family in Gràcia. It is now a museum with tiled façades and a garden.
Church · Barri Gòtic Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia The Gothic cathedral of Barcelona, with a cloister that houses thirteen geese. You can visit the nave, the crypt of Saint Eulàlia and the roof terrace.
Museum · El Raval Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona A cultural centre in the former Casa de la Caritat that hosts exhibitions, talks and festivals on contemporary culture.
Museum · Sarrià-Sant Gervasi CosmoCaixa A hands-on science museum with a flooded Amazon forest and a planetarium. Children and adults both use the interactive halls.
Shopping · Eixample Dreta El Corte Inglés de Plaça de Catalunya A large department store on Plaça de Catalunya with a rooftop café offering views.
Church · El Raval Església de Betlem A baroque church on the Rambla, rebuilt after fires and the Civil War. It shows plain interior walls and a tall façade.
Church · Barri Gòtic Església de Sant Just i Pastor A Gothic church on a small square in the Gothic Quarter, dedicated to two young martyrs. It claims to be one of the oldest parishes in the city.
Church · Barceloneta Església de Sant Miquel del Port A baroque church at the heart of Barceloneta, built for the neighbourhood in the 18th century. Its twin towers face a quiet square.
Museum · Eixample Dreta Fundació Antoni Tàpies A museum in a Domènech i Montaner building, with works by the Catalan artist Antoni Tàpies and temporary exhibitions. A tangle of wire sculpture sits on the roof.
Museum · Montjuïc Fundació Joan Miró A museum on Montjuïc built to hold Joan Miró's paintings, sculptures and drawings. The building by Josep Lluís Sert has terraces with sculpture.
Nightlife · Barri Gòtic Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona's opera house on the Rambla, with a season of opera, ballet and concerts. Guided tours show the hall and foyers.
Nightlife · Eixample Dreta L'Auditori The city's main concert hall for symphonic and contemporary music, near Glòries.
Shopping · El Raval La Central del Raval A bookshop inside the former Capella de la Misericòrdia in the Raval.
Landmark · Eixample Dreta La Pedrera Gaudí's apartment building at Passeig de Gràcia and Carrer de Provença. You can walk the rooftop chimneys, the attic exhibition and a furnished flat.
Museum · El Raval MACBA A contemporary art museum in a white Richard Meier building on Plaça dels Àngels. The square outside is a gathering place for skaters.
Shopping · Barceloneta Maremagnum A shopping and leisure centre on a pier in Port Vell, reached by a wooden bridge from the Rambla.
Museum · El Born MEAM A museum of contemporary figurative art in the Palau Gomis on Carrer de Barra de Ferro.
Market · Sarrià-Sant Gervasi Mercat de Galvany A food market in the upper part of the city, known for its quality produce.
Market · Sants Mercat de Hostafrancs A neighbourhood food market in Hostafrancs with fresh produce and local shops.
Market · Gràcia Mercat de l'Abaceria Central The main food market of Gràcia. The city council lists it at Passeig de Sant Joan 181 while the building at Travessera de Gràcia 186 is under rehabilitation.
Market · Barceloneta Mercat de la Barceloneta The food market of Barceloneta, good for fresh fish and seafood before lunch.
Market · Eixample Dreta Mercat de la Concepció A covered food market in the Eixample with fresh produce stalls and small bars.
Market · Gràcia Mercat de la Llibertat A 19th-century iron market hall in Gràcia with fresh produce stalls and small bars.
Market · Sant Antoni Mercat de Sant Antoni A restored iron market hall with food stalls inside. On Sundays a book and collectibles market spreads around its outside.
Market · El Raval Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria The city's best-known food market, entered from the Rambla. Stalls sell fruit, seafood, ham and ready-to-eat tapas.
Market · El Born Mercat de Santa Caterina A neighbourhood food market under a wavy, multicoloured roof by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue. Locals shop here more than at the Boqueria.
Market · Sants Mercat de Sants The market of Sants, a large local food hall with a long row of stalls.
Church · Les Corts Monestir de Pedralbes A Gothic monastery founded in 1326 for Poor Clare nuns, with a three-storey cloister and a garden. It also holds a museum of religious art.
Church · El Raval Monestir de Sant Pau del Camp A small Romanesque monastery in the Raval, one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city. A tiny cloister with horseshoe arches is the highlight.
Museum · El Born Museu Barbier-Mueller d'Art Precolombí A museum of pre-Columbian art in a Gothic palace on Carrer de Montcada.
Museum · Poblenou Museu Blau The natural science museum of Barcelona in the Fòrum, with collections from minerals to zoology. It is housed in a triangular building by Herzog and de Meuron.
Museum · Poblenou Museu Can Framis A museum of Catalan painting from 1960 onwards, set in a restored factory in Poblenou.
Museum · Barri Gòtic Museu d'Història de Barcelona The city history museum, with Roman streets and rooms preserved under Plaça del Rei and a series of sites around the city.
Museum · El Born Museu de Cultures del Món A museum in two palaces on Carrer de Montcada with collections from Asia, Africa, America and Oceania.
Museum · Eixample Dreta Museu de la Música A music museum at L'Auditori with a collection of historic instruments from around the world.
Museum · El Born Museu de la Xocolata A museum of chocolate near the Born, showing its history and with chocolate sculptures, in a former convent.
Museum · Poblenou Museu del Disseny A museum in the DHUB building on Plaça de les Glòries, with collections of product, fashion and graphic design.
Museum · Eixample Dreta Museu del Perfum A small museum of perfume bottles and fragrance history on Passeig de Gràcia.
Museum · Eixample Dreta Museu Egipci de Barcelona A private museum with Egyptian antiquities, set in a building near Passeig de Gràcia.
Museum · Barri Gòtic Museu Frederic Marès A sculpture museum beside the cathedral, founded on the collections of the sculptor Frederic Marès. It also has a Cabinet of Curiosities with everyday objects.
Museum · El Raval Museu Marítim de Barcelona A maritime museum in the medieval Drassanes shipyards. A full-size replica of a Renaissance galley fills the main hall.
Museum · Montjuïc Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya The national art museum in the Palau Nacional on Montjuïc. It is known for its collection of Romanesque murals and Gothic altarpieces.
Museum · Montjuïc Museu Olímpic i de l'Esport A sports museum on Montjuïc next to the Olympic stadium, with interactive exhibits and Olympic memorabilia.
Museum · El Born Museu Picasso A museum in five Gothic palaces on Carrer de Montcada with Picasso's early work and his formative years in Barcelona.
Landmark · El Born Palau de la Música Catalana A Modernista concert hall by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, listed by UNESCO. You can tour it or attend a concert in the main hall.
Landmark · El Raval Palau Güell A mansion Gaudí designed for Eusebi Güell just off the Rambla. You walk through the main hall, the family rooms and the rooftop chimneys.
Landmark · Horta-Guinardó Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau A former hospital complex by Domènech i Montaner, with pavilions linked by underground tunnels. You walk the gardens and visit the restored pavilions.
Landmark · El Raval Reial Drassanes The medieval royal shipyards by the port, among the best-preserved in Europe. They house the Museu Marítim.
Church · El Born Santa Maria del Mar A Catalan Gothic basilica built by the people of the Ribera quarter in the 14th century. Its wide nave and plain columns make it one of the city's most striking interiors.
Landmark · Sarrià-Sant Gervasi Torre Bellesguard A house by Gaudí built on the site of a medieval royal residence of King Martin I. It is open for guided visits.
