The National Palace is one of Barcelona's most prominent and largest monuments, standing on the northern slopes of Montjuïc Hill above the important Placa Espanya.

Today, the palace is home to the Catalan National Museum of Art.

The monumental exhibition palace

The Palau Nacional was built in 1929 for the International Expo. It served as the main building along with a large exhibition complex that still serves its purpose today, with individual buildings lining the wide boulevard towards Placa d'Espanya.

Architects Eugenio Cendoya and Enric Cata took inspiration from the Spanish Renaissance style for the construction, which only added to the building's opulence.

Palau Nacional

From the main entrance of the palace, you have a beautiful view of Barcelona.

View from Palau Nacional

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Since 1934, the palace has housed the most extensive art collection in Catalonia.

The museum is called MNAC for short.

The collections focus mainly on Catalan and Spanish objects and artists, and the museum is divided into several categories:

Romanesque art
Gothic art
Renaissance and Baroque collections
Modern art

MNAC

Museum of Art

For information on the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, visit the official website: museunacional.cat.

Admission and opening hours

Opening hours vary according to the season. It remains closed on Mondays throughout the year.

October to April
- Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00-18:00
- Sundays and public holidays: 10:00-15:00
May to September
- Tuesday to Saturday: 10:00-20:00
- Sunday and holidays: 10:00-15:00

Ticket price is 12 eur.

Official website with online ticket purchase: museunacional.cat/opening-hours-and-prices

How to get there

The nearest metro station for lines L1, L3 and L8 , Placa d'Espanya, is about 450 metres from the museum, but walking is convenient despite the height difference.

In fact, there are always escalators in addition to the traditional stairs.