Catalonia's Day: Eight Palaces and Museums Open Free
What you need to know
- Eight palaces and museums open free, including the Palau de la Generalitat, the Parlament and Gaudí's Palau Güell
- The Parlament needs no booking, and colles perform out front from 11am; the Generalitat, Palau Güell, the Centre Excursionista and the Institut Cartogràfic all need registration first
- Mornings are the calm window; the march fills the center from 5:14pm, so plan to be out of it by then
About
The Diada is Catalonia's national day, a public holiday marked every September 11, and this year is the 50th since it was first celebrated officially. The part that suits families is the open-doors tradition: eight palaces and museums that normally charge, restrict entry or stay closed altogether let anyone walk in for free, among them the Palau de la Generalitat where the president works, the Parlament in Parc de la Ciutadella, Gaudí's Palau Güell, and four museums. Two more buildings join the list, the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya over the Roman columns of the Temple of Augustus and the Institut Cartogràfic, both by advance registration. The other signature is the ofrena floral, a morning-long procession in which schools, clubs and neighborhood groups lay flower mosaics at the Rafael Casanova monument until the pavement disappears under them.
Schedule
- 9pmTorch marches (marxes de torxes) from four starting points converge on the Fossar de les Moreres
- from 9amFloral offering (ofrena floral) at the Rafael Casanova monument on Ronda de Sant Pere 41; institutions, colles and schools file past with flowers all morning
- 9am to 2pmOpen doors at Palau Robert (Passeig de Gràcia 107), exhibitions only, no registration
- 9am to 2pmOpen doors at the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (Passeig de Santa Madrona 45-51), 50-minute guided visits, registration required and places limited
- 10am to 2pmOpen doors at the MNAC on Montjuïc; booking online in advance gets priority entry
Where it is
Resources
Common questions
What else is on this weekend
See all events →More family picks, Friday to Sunday.
