Catedral de Barcelona (Barcelona Cathedral), Barcelona

Catedral de Barcelona (Barcelona Cathedral), Barcelona (must see)

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, commonly known as Barcelona Cathedral, is a delightful combination of a church, mini-park, and a house of prayer, offering a serene alternative to the renowned La Sagrada Família. As the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, it was primarily constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries.

The cathedral has a pseudo-basilica layout with five aisles and a raised high altar. It is dedicated to Saint Eulalia, a young martyr whose relics are housed in the white marble sarcophagus inside the crypt. An intriguing feature is the presence of 13 geese in the cloister, symbolizing Saint Eulàlia's age at the time of her death.

Inside, the cathedral showcases choir stalls adorned with the coats-of-arms of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The Chapel of the Holy Sacrament contains a cross associated with the 1571 Battle of Lepanto and has been reconstructed to hold the tomb of San Olegarius, a former bishop of Barcelona.

The cathedral’s origins trace back to an early Christian and Visigothic complex that was damaged during a Muslim attack on Barcelona in 985. It was replaced with a Romanesque church in 1046 before the current Gothic cathedral began construction in 1298. The cathedral took 150 years to complete yet its neo-Gothic façade, featuring gargoyles and other mythical creatures, was finished only in 1913. Unlike many other churches in Barcelona destroyed during the Civil War, this Gothic temple was spared.

An exemplary piece of Catalan Gothic architecture, emphasizing balanced proportions over verticality, the cathedral measures 93 meters long, 40 meters wide, and 28 meters high at its central nave, with bell towers reaching 54 meters and the central peak at 70 meters.

The Cathedral of Barcelona is also famous for giving rise to the unique Catalan tradition of "dancing egg." Observed during the feast of Corpus Christi (also known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ), this tradition features an egg balanced on a water fountain’s jet.

The cathedral's cloister contains a gift shop. Cellular phones have been banned from the Chapel of Lepanto and other chapels. While exploring the cathedral's interior, make sure to venture up to the lofty roof terrace. You will be rewarded with views of the cathedral's towers, pinnacles, cimborio, and the Cloister, and a 360-degree view of the city!

Tip:
Cathedral Visit (including Choir entrance + Access to the rooftop, Chapter hall, and Virtual Audio guide) is €9.00.
Cathedral + Museum (including Choir entrance + Access to the rooftop + Chapter hall + Virtual Audio guide + Museum) is €15.00.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Barcelona. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Catedral de Barcelona (Barcelona Cathedral) on Map

Sight Name: Catedral de Barcelona (Barcelona Cathedral)
Sight Location: Barcelona, Spain (See walking tours in Barcelona)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Barcelona, Spain

Create Your Own Walk in Barcelona

Create Your Own Walk in Barcelona

Creating your own self-guided walk in Barcelona is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Picasso's Barcelona Walking Tour

Picasso's Barcelona Walking Tour

Pablo Picasso – the great Spanish painter and sculptor – developed his style in Barcelona where he spent the formative years of his life, from the ages of 14 to 23. It is said that when the master spoke nostalgically of home, he actually meant the Catalonian capital, despite having been born in Malaga.

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
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Barcelona Food Tasting Walking Tour

Barcelona Food Tasting Walking Tour

No one should visit Barcelona without making an attempt to get acquainted with some of Spain’s best food – Catalan food. An abundance of fresh fish and superb meat, a plethora of great vegetables, plus local inventiveness, have produced a very diverse, distinctive and delicious cuisine, including the famous (and trendy) tapas dishes.

Follow this self-guided walk to treat your taste buds in...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Gothic Quarter Walking Tour

Gothic Quarter Walking Tour

A walk through the Gothic Quarter – Barcelona’s oldest part, dating from the Roman era – is like a journey through time. The typical Roman grid plan is still visible in the quarter's layout. Only a few roads are open for car traffic, so there is little in the way of enjoying the narrow, atmospheric streets filled with high-quality architecture, numerous boutiques, and coffee shops....  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
La Rambla Walking Tour

La Rambla Walking Tour

One of the main streets in central Barcelona, La Rambla is popular with tourists and locals alike. Connecting the city’s old port with Plaça de Catalunya, it is filled with cultural and historic landmarks, as well as many terraces, restaurants, shops and street artists. Spanish poet, Federico García Lorca once said it was “the only street in the world which I wish never ended.”

Start...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Montjuic Walking Tour

Montjuic Walking Tour

Montjuic is a hill in Barcelona which offers a variety of great attractions of historic, cultural, and architectural value. Here, you can watch a spectacular water show at the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, visit the place where matadors faced the bulls in the past, and explore the ancient Montjuic Castle with its breathtaking views.

A convenient start point, Placa d'Espanya is the second...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.0 Km or 3.1 Miles
Barcelona Introduction Walking Tour

Barcelona Introduction Walking Tour

According to legend, Barcelona was founded by the mythological Greek hero Hercules on one of his expeditions, when a storm hit his boats. The first eight boats managed to escape without damage, but the ninth was lost at sea. Hercules found his lost friends some days later on the coast, all safe and sound. The boat's crew, taken by the beauty of the coastal landscape, decided to stay. On that...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.7 Km or 3.5 Miles

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