National Art Museum of Catalonia, Barcelona

The National Art Museum of Catalonia (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, MNAC) occupies the Palau Nacional, the monumental palace built on Montjuïc hill for the 1929 International Exhibition, high above Plaça d’Espanya. It holds one of the world’s finest collections of Romanesque art, with murals rescued from village churches in the Pyrenees, as well as Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque painting, Catalan modernisme (including furniture by Antoni Gaudí), photography, coins and drawings.

The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 (May to September until 20:00) and on Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 15:00; it is closed on Mondays. General admission costs €12 and includes the temporary exhibitions and the rooftop viewpoint, valid on two days within a month. Under-16s enter free, and admission is free for everyone on Saturdays from 15:00 and on the first Sunday of the month (online booking required).

From the terraces in front of the palace there is a famous view over Plaça d’Espanya and the city. Below the museum, the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc puts on light and music shows on certain evenings (check the current schedule), and the Poble Espanyol open-air museum of Spanish architecture is a short walk away.

The museum plays an important role in the preservation and study of Catalan cultural heritage. It also serves as a research and educational center, organizing temporary exhibitions, academic programs, and collaborations with international institutions.