Palau de la Musica Catalana

Built during the apex of the Catalan cultural renaissance at the start of the 20th Century by one of Barcelona's leading men of Modernisme (no not Gaudi, but fellow genius Lluis Domenech i Montaner) the Palau de la Musica Catalana is one of the city's most treasured possessions. Its distinctive red-brick facade adorned with dynamic motifs, decorative pillars and sculptures by Catalan artists is one of the most beautiful in Barcelona, and the interior is nothing short of breathtaking. The concert hall features a blue stained glass skylight with a magnificent inverted gold dome (representing the sky and sun), and whoever's performing that night is in serious danger of being outshone by its brilliance. Chamber, choral, flamenco, jazz and guitar concerts all take place in the Palace of Catalan Music so whatever your tastes there's no excuse for missing this UNESCO-listed marvel.

A truly great example of Modernista architecture. Shame that the close proximity of other buildings means you can't behold it in all its glory. The Palace of Catalan Music should definitely feature on any top ten cultural attractions list of Barcelona IMHO!

Amazing. I went with a friend for a superb guitar concert of Spanish and classical music. The venue is remarkably and I couldn't help thinking the architect Montaner can feel a little hard done by to be outshone by Gaudi. We were sat in a box in the main auditorium and there were some wonderful reliefs of the muses at the back of the stage. There was a lovely moment in the concert when someone in the audience started clapping wildly... only to realise that the guitarist was simply tuning his guitar. Very funny!