Where else can you walk from a whitewashed Andalusian lane to a granite square from the north in ten minutes, without leaving the city?
Poble Espanyol is an open-air museum of Spanish architecture on Montjuïc hill, built for the 1929 International Exhibition. Its name means “Spanish village” in Catalan, and that’s exactly what it is: a small town of 117 full-scale reproductions of houses, churches, towers and squares from the different regions of Spain. Almost a century later, the Spanish village in Barcelona is still one of the most unusual days out in the city.
In this guide you’ll find what to see inside, where the famous umbrella street is, how the craft workshops and the flamenco shows work, how much time you need and how to get there. If you’re still planning your trip, our guide to Barcelona covers the main sights, neighbourhoods and where to stay.
💰 Hostal Apolo - a budget-friendly guesthouse near Paral·lel metro and the funicular.
🏨 Hotel Brummell - a stylish boutique hotel in Poble Sec with a small saltwater pool.
💎 Hotel Miramar Barcelona - a luxury hotel in a former palace on Montjuïc, with gardens and a pool.
What is Poble Espanyol in Barcelona?
Poble Espanyol is a walled village of more than 40,000 square metres, laid out like a real Spanish town, with streets, squares, a town hall, a monastery, shops and restaurants. Each building copies a real one somewhere in Spain, from Romanesque to Baroque. Walking through it is like a quick tour of the whole country’s traditional architecture.
Today the village is also a handicraft centre, with artisan workshops where you can watch craftspeople at work. There’s a contemporary art museum, a flamenco tablao, restaurants, gourmet food shops and an events venue that hosts concerts and parties throughout the year.
The history of the Spanish village
Poble Espanyol was built between 1926 and 1929 for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition on Montjuïc. The idea came from the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch. The project was carried out by the architects Francesc Folguera and Ramon Reventós, the art critic Miquel Utrillo and the painter Xavier Nogués, who travelled around Spain to photograph and sketch the buildings they wanted to recreate.
The village was meant to be pulled down after the exhibition, like many of the pavilions. It was so popular with locals that it survived, and it has stayed open ever since. It went through quieter decades in the middle of the 20th century, and was restored and given new life from the 1990s onwards.
What to see at Poble Espanyol
The village is divided into areas inspired by the different regions of Spain. The best way to explore it is simply to wander and get a little lost. Pick up a map at the main entrance, but don’t worry too much about following a route.
The main entrance and the Ávila gate
You enter Poble Espanyol through a replica of the San Vicente gate from the medieval walls of Ávila, in Castile. The two stone towers set the tone straight away. Just inside, the streets start to change style every few metres, from Castilian stone to Aragonese brick.
Plaza Mayor - the main square
The Plaza Mayor is the heart of the village. It’s a large, arcaded main square, and the town hall on one side copies the one in Valderrobres (Vall-de-roures), a medieval town in Aragon. The square hosts concerts, festivals and special events, and on quiet mornings it’s a lovely place for a coffee.
The Andalusian quarter
The Andalusian quarter is the most photographed part of Poble Espanyol. Its white streets, flowerpots on the walls and narrow, sloping lanes recreate villages in the south of Spain, including Calle Cuna in Arcos de la Frontera. The cobbles here are uneven, so wear comfortable shoes. If it makes you want to see the real thing, our guide to the Alhambra is a good place to start planning a trip to Andalusia.
The north - from Aragon to the Basque Country and Galicia
The northern part of the village covers Aragon, La Rioja, Cantabria, Asturias, the Basque Country and Galicia. Look out for the brick tower copied from the Torre de los Espejos in Utebo, near Zaragoza, with its Mudéjar decoration. Inside it, the Fiesta space is a multimedia room that takes you through famous Spanish festivals, from the Sanfermines and the Tomatina to Catalan human towers. The Basque Country and Galician houses, with heavy stone walls and wooden balconies, feel very different from the bright streets of the south. You’ll find more of that granite style in Santiago de Compostela.
The Catalan Romanesque monastery
At the top of the village stands a Catalan Romanesque monastery, a reproduction of the monastery of Sant Miquel. Its plain stone walls and round arches are a calm contrast to the colourful streets below. It’s one of the quietest corners of the site and worth the short climb, even if you’re short on time.
Umbrella street Barcelona - where is it?
The street with colourful umbrellas that you’ve probably seen on social media is inside Poble Espanyol. It’s Carrer dels Cavallers, a narrow lane just to the left of the Castilian square, close to the main entrance, so it’s also one of the last streets you pass on your way out. Hundreds of bright umbrellas hang above it, and it has become one of the most popular photo spots in the village. It’s the reason many people search for umbrella street Barcelona before their trip.
The umbrellas are a seasonal installation rather than part of the historic architecture. The village hangs them up every spring, and they give the lane welcome shade through the summer, so the best time for the photo is between spring and early autumn. In winter you may find the street without them. If you want the shot without other people in it, come early in the morning, when the village is at its quietest.
Craft workshops and artisan shops
Crafts have long been part of life in Poble Espanyol, and it’s one of the best places in Barcelona to see artisans at work. Over 20 craft workshops and shops sell handmade ceramics, glass, jewellery, leather goods, baskets and more. You can watch the craftspeople at work, ask questions and buy pieces directly from them.
There are also hands-on craft workshops for visitors, from short introductions to pottery and trencadís mosaics to longer sessions in leather, engraving or decorative painting. Book them in advance if you want a place. The shops close earlier than the village itself, usually between 6pm and 8pm depending on the season.
The Fran Daurel Museum
The Fran Daurel Museum is a contemporary art museum inside the village, and entry is included in the Poble Espanyol ticket. The Fran Daurel Foundation’s collection has more than 300 works by leading figures of Spanish art, including Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Miró, Tàpies and Chillida. Among them is a collection of ceramics by Picasso.
Outside, a sculpture garden adds more works in the open air. Art lovers often say it’s the best surprise of the visit, as few people expect to find famous artists here. The museum has shorter hours than the village, usually closing around 7pm.
Flamenco shows at Tablao de Carmen
Tablao de Carmen is a flamenco venue inside Poble Espanyol, open since 1988 and named after the great flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya. It’s set in the Andalusian quarter, in a room decorated like an Andalusian amphitheatre. There are usually two flamenco shows every evening, and each one lasts about an hour.
You can book a show with a drink, tapas or a full dinner. A show booking also includes entry to Poble Espanyol, so it’s a good idea to arrive early and explore the village before the performance.
Restaurants, events and nightlife
There are several restaurants, bars and terraces around the village, serving tapas, Mediterranean food, cured meats and wine. Gourmet shops sell ham, cheese, honey, chocolate and olive oil, which make good gifts. There’s also a picnic area if you’d rather bring your own food.
Poble Espanyol is a popular venue for concerts, festivals and club nights, and it has a long history of live music. Seasonal events include family Halloween activities in October and a big New Year’s Eve party. The calendar changes each year, so check what’s on during your dates.
Poble Espanyol with kids
Poble Espanyol works well with children. There are no cars inside, the squares are open and safe, and kids enjoy the treasure-hunt feeling of turning every corner into a new region of Spain. Family activities include storytelling sessions, art workshops and the Pouch Game, a free detective-style treasure hunt around the village that you can ask for at the information point. In the sculpture garden next to the Fran Daurel Museum, two giant slides are a hit with children and adults alike.
The cobbled streets and steps can be hard work with a pushchair, especially in the Andalusian quarter. Dogs on a lead are welcome, and there’s a free locker service at the entrance.
Is Poble Espanyol free?
No, you need a ticket to visit Poble Espanyol. The ticket includes the whole village, the Fran Daurel Museum and the craft workshops you can watch, but not the hands-on workshops or the flamenco show. Blind visitors and wheelchair users are admitted free, and holders of a Barcelona Card get a discount.
If you book a show at Tablao de Carmen, entry to the village is included. Tickets don’t need a fixed time slot, so you can arrive when it suits you.
Opening hours and how much time you need
Poble Espanyol is open every day of the year. It opens at 10am, closes at 8pm on Mondays and stays open until midnight from Tuesday to Sunday. In the quiet winter weeks from 7 January to early February, it also closes at 8pm from Monday to Thursday, and opening hours are shorter on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The ticket office closes an hour before the venue.
Plan around two hours for a relaxed visit, including the museum. With a craft workshop, lunch or a flamenco show, it easily becomes a half day. The village gets busier around midday in summer, so mornings and late afternoons are calmer.
How to get to Poble Espanyol
Poble Espanyol is at Avinguda de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia 13, on Montjuïc hill. The nearest metro stop is Espanya, on lines L1 and L3, followed by a walk of about 15 minutes, slightly uphill. The FGC trains to Plaça Espanya work the same way.
Buses 13, 23 and 150 stop right outside, and the hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses stop here too. You can also combine your visit with the Montjuïc cable car and a walk across the park. There’s a paid car park next to the entrance, handy if you’re driving in from the coast with a hire car, for example from Tossa de Mar.
What else to see near Poble Espanyol on Montjuïc
Poble Espanyol is one of several sights on the western side of Montjuïc that date from the 1929 International Exhibition, so it’s easy to combine with a few more stops. If you walk up from Plaça d’Espanya, you start right under the two Venetian Towers, the brick gateway to the old exhibition grounds. From there, Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina leads straight towards the Palau Nacional on the hill.
At the Magic Fountain, turn right onto Avinguda de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, the road that climbs to the village. Along the way you’ll pass CaixaForum, a cultural centre in the old Casaramona textile factory. Josep Puig i Cadafalch, the architect who first suggested the Spanish village, designed this red-brick modernist building, completed in 1911. Across the road stands the Barcelona Pavilion, Mies van der Rohe’s German pavilion for the 1929 exhibition, rebuilt in the 1980s.
Above the fountain rises the Palau Nacional, home of the National Art Museum of Catalonia (MNAC). It holds one of the most important collections of Romanesque murals in the world, and its rooftop terraces give you a wide view over Barcelona. Entry is free on Saturday afternoons and on the first Sunday of each month, but you still need to book a slot. In the evening, the Magic Fountain (Font Màgica), designed by Carles Buïgas for the 1929 exhibition, puts on free shows of light, water and music. Show days change with the season, so check the schedule if you’d like to end your day there.
Further up the hill, the Montjuïc cable car climbs to Montjuïc Castle, which has the best views over the port. Entry to the castle is free on Sunday afternoons and on the first Sunday of the month. For the Olympic Ring, the Joan Miró Foundation and the hillside gardens, see our guide to Montjuïc.
Is Poble Espanyol worth visiting?
Poble Espanyol is worth visiting if you enjoy architecture, crafts or art, or if you’re travelling with children who need a break from big museums. It’s a replica village, so it doesn’t have the life of a real town, and some visitors find it a little artificial. But as a way to see the variety of Spanish culture in one afternoon, it’s hard to beat.
After your visit, the old town is a short metro ride away. Our guide to the Gothic Quarter in Barcelona shows the real medieval streets, and Gaudí’s Casa Milà is another great stop for architecture fans.
Practical information
- Poble Espanyol tickets are best bought in advance. You’ll skip the ticket queue at the entrance and can head straight into the village.
- Address: Av. de Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia, 13, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
- Buy tickets on GetYourGuide
Hotels near Poble Espanyol
The neighbourhoods below Montjuïc, Poble Sec and the area around Plaça Espanya, are good bases for Poble Espanyol, with easy metro links to the rest of the city. These three hotels cover different budgets.
💰 Hostal Apolo
A simple, budget-friendly guesthouse on Carrer Lafont, a few minutes’ walk from Paral·lel metro station and the Montjuïc funicular. Rooms are small but practical, with a choice of private or shared bathrooms and free wifi. It suits travellers who want a central base for sightseeing and only need a bed for the night.
🏨 Hotel Brummell
A stylish boutique hotel in Poble Sec, at the foot of Montjuïc. It has a sun terrace with a small saltwater pool, a sauna and yoga classes. It’s a good pick for couples who want a relaxed, design-led hotel within walking distance of the hill.
💎 Hotel Miramar Barcelona
A luxury hotel in a former palace on the slopes of Montjuïc, overlooking the port and the sea. It has gardens, an outdoor pool, a spa with an indoor pool and a restaurant. It’s the choice for anyone who wants a quiet, upmarket stay close to Montjuïc’s museums and the cable car.
Poble Espanyol FAQ
What does Poble Espanyol mean?
Poble Espanyol means “Spanish village” in Catalan. In Spanish it’s called Pueblo Español. The name describes the idea behind it: a village made of copies of buildings from all over Spain.
How much time do you need at Poble Espanyol?
Around two hours is enough to see the village and the Fran Daurel Museum at a relaxed pace. Allow half a day if you add a craft workshop, a meal or a flamenco show.
Is Poble Espanyol free to enter?
No, Poble Espanyol needs a ticket, which includes the village and the Fran Daurel Museum. Blind visitors and wheelchair users go free, and a booking at Tablao de Carmen also includes entry.
Where is the street with umbrellas in Barcelona?
The best-known umbrella street in Barcelona is Carrer dels Cavallers inside Poble Espanyol, on Montjuïc, near the main entrance. The colourful umbrellas are a seasonal installation that goes up every spring and stays through the summer, so you may not see them in winter.
How do you get to Poble Espanyol?
Take the metro (L1 or L3) to Espanya and walk about 15 minutes uphill, or take bus 13, 23 or 150, which stop at the entrance. The hop-on hop-off buses also stop at Poble Espanyol.
Is Poble Espanyol good for kids?
Yes, Poble Espanyol is a good day out with children. There are no cars inside, and family activities include storytelling, art workshops and a detective-style game. The cobbles and steps can be tricky with a pushchair, so a baby carrier helps.
