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Bucket list experience:

Last updated: 10 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Dana Facaros

Immaculately white and full of light, MACBA, as it’s known, champions cutting-edge international and Catalan contemporary art, dating from the mid 20th century onwards.

The museum aims to preserve a record of post-war art, with three modern periods represented: the 1940s-60s, 1960s-70s and the contemporary period.

Designed by the American architect Richard Meier, MACBA is a powerful symbol of the changes in Raval, a neighbourhood that was once an insalubrious slum – it even has skateboard-friendly ramps.

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Price from: £10
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Catalunya (lines 1 and 3) and Universitat (line 2) are the two nearest metro stops; or Plaça de Catalunya station is a 10-minute walk away. It’s usually fine to show up and buy tickets on the day, at the ticket desk. Free guided tours of exhibitions are run daily, in English and Catalan and sometimes Spanish. See the website for exhibitions and tour times.

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