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The Palau Nacional on Montjuïc, Barcelona

No. 81 Top 100 Most Visited Art Museums 2025 · 922,249 visitors in 2025

Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

Barcelona, Spain · City guide: Barcelona

Medieval Romanesque murals, Gothic altarpieces and Catalan modernism in a hilltop palace above Barcelona.

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Photo: Felix König, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) is No. 81 in The Art Newspaper's survey of the world's most visited art museums, with 922,249 visitors in 2025, up 8% on 2024. It occupies the Palau Nacional on Montjuïc hill, built for the 1929 International Exhibition.

The museum's Romanesque collection, with murals removed from small churches in the Pyrenees, is one of the most important in the world. Its galleries continue through Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art to Catalan modernism and photography.

The Oval Hall of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
The Oval Hall of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Best time to visit

Weekday mornings are the quietest. Combine a late visit with the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc below, which has evening shows on some days; check its schedule.

Highlights & collections

  • 1

    Romanesque murals

    Apse paintings from Pyrenean churches, including Christ in Majesty from Sant Climent de Taüll.

  • 2

    Gothic art

    Painted altarpieces and sculpture from Catalonia and the Crown of Aragon.

  • 3

    Modern art

    Works by Ramon Casas, Santiago Rusiñol and Isidre Nonell, and furniture by Antoni Gaudí.

  • 4

    Oval Hall

    The palace's huge domed hall, used for events.

  • 5

    Rooftop terraces

    Panoramic views over Barcelona from the roof.

Getting there

The museum is on Montjuïc, about 10 to 15 minutes' walk uphill from Espanya metro station (Lines 1 and 3), with outdoor escalators for part of the way. Bus 150 stops nearby.

Visiting tips

Tickets & hours
Buy tickets online or at the museum; tickets are valid for two days within a month. Check the official website for free times and hours.
Time needed
Three hours.
Currency
Euro (EUR). Cards, including contactless, are accepted almost everywhere.
Visa & entry
Spain is in the Schengen Area. Many visitors, including citizens of the US, Canada, the UK and Australia, can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) now records non-EU travellers' entries and exits at the border, and the ETIAS travel authorisation is due to follow. Check the official EU site travel-europe.europa.eu and your own government's travel advice before you go.

Official information: Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (official website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

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