Discover all the free activities and attractions in Barcelona and enjoy the city like a local…for free!
Here is our list of free activities in Barcelona.
Free Museums
On Sunday afternoon all museums run by the city council have free entry. You will be able to see some interesting museums, for example the Picasso Museum, and the Museu d'Historia de Barcelona. Discover all the free museums.
Timetable: Sunday afternoon, from 15h to 20h.
Free Temporary Exhibitions
If you prefer to see a temporary exhibition instead of a regular museum, or you are not able to visit on one of the free Sunday afternoons, you can also visit some Art Centres.
CaixaForum Museum
In the CaixaForum Museum, temporary exhibitions are always free. It is really worth a visit, both its location (a former factory built by Puig i Cadafalch) and the museum itself are very interesting.
Temporary Art Exhibition in La Pedrera
On the first floor of la Pedrera you will be able to enjoy some free exhibitions. We strongly recommend visiting since you will be able to see part of the interiors of this magnificent building built by the genius architect Antoni Gaudí.
Parks and natural areas for free
The majority of parks in Barcelona are free. Enjoy the beautiful green areas and relaxing yourself under the trees.
In most of them also you will also find amazing monuments, buildings and sculptures of artistic interest.
Parc de la Ciutadella
In this parc you will see some beautiful sculptures for example the Elephant or the amazing Waterfall Monument, with some stunning decorations made by the young Gaudí. Outside one of the entrances you will also be able to admire the Triomphal Arch of Barcelona, built in the occasion of the International Fair, hold in 1888.
Parc de l’Escorxador
In this parc you will be able to admire the colorful sculpture made by Joan Miro's Sculpture, the Woman and Bird.
Parc i Laberint d ‘Horta:
A beautiful park located in the north side of the city with a huge labyrinth of natural plants, a funny experience for the whole family.
Parcs Naturals de Montjuïc i Tibidabo
The parks of Montjuic and Tibidabo are located in the two hills surrounding Barcelona at over 200m and 500m above the sea level. Enjoy the magic view of the city To get there you can use public transportation, there are public buses going to both hills.
Magic Fountain of Montjuïc
Discover the unique show of music, water, light and color, in a unique setting: the magic mountain of Montjuïc. You can't miss this amazing show if you come to Barcelona.
How to get there
The Magic Fountain is located close to Spain Square in the hill of Montjuïc and in front of the MNAC (National Art Museum of Catalonia).
The easiest way to get there is to take the Metro (Underground train), and to go out at the stop Plaça de Espanya. From the square there is an escalator that will bring you to the fountain.
Magic Fountain Schedules
The show schedule is different depending on the season.
| Date | Day | Hour | Type of show |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 November - 5 January | Th - Fr - Sa | 20:00h to 21:00h | Music and colours |
| 7 January - 4 March | - | - | Closed for technical reasons |
| 5 March - 31 March | Th - Fr - Sa | 20:00h to 21:00h | Music and colours |
| 1 April - 31 May | every day | 21:00h to 21:30h | Music and colours |
| 1 June - 30 September | Wed to Sun | 21:30h to 22:30h | Music and colours |
| 1 October - 31 October | Th - Fr - Sa | 21:00h to 22:00h | Music and colours |
Free Art Noveau
Another free activity that you can easily enjoy in Barcelona is walking through the beautiful Art Noveau building. The easiest way is to take a long walk through Paseo de Garcia's Street, where you will find the open-air museum dedicated to this Modern Art style. La Pedrera-Casa Milà, the famous Casa Batlló of Gaudi], Casa LLeó-Morera by Donènech i Muntaner, Casa Amatller by Puig i Cadafalch, Casa de la viuda Marfà, Casa Pons i Pascual.are just some examples of buildings that you will find there.
Don't miss out the Eixample area where Ayou will see many many buildings with amazing architecture, shops, bars, restaurants and much more.
Beaches in Barcelona
Barcelona offers more than 4 km of beaches, where you can relax under the sun, take a refreshing swim or make a romantic stroll at sunset.
There are several beach areas in the city, these are the main ones:
Platja de la Barceloneta
Metro: L4 , Barceloneta stop
Platja de Sant Sebastià
Metro: L4, stop Barceloneta.
Platja Icaria
Metro: L4, stop Olympic Ciutadella- Vila
Platja de la Mar Bella
Metro: L4, stop Poblenou
- This beach has a nudist area.
Platja del Bogatell Metro: L4 , Poblenou and Llacuna stops.
A urban beach: La Torre de les Aigues
The Torre de les Aïgues is a beautiful Art Noveau building, located in a public park in the Eixample district (Roger de LLúria Street -Consell de Cent Street). This was once a water deposit but it is not used anymore. In summer time it becomes an artificial beach, with a small pool for children and artificial sand recreating a urban beach, right in the heart of the city.