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Plaça d'Espanya

Plaça d'Espanya

Plaça d'Espanya
4.5
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Top ways to experience Plaça d'Espanya

The area

Neighborhood: Sants-Montjuíc
How to get there
  • Espanya • 1 min walk
  • Hostafrancs • 7 min walk

See what travelers are saying

  • massy1604
    Barcelona, Spain392 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Unmissable in Barcelona and its surroundings
    It is a wide and spectacular view, you can best admire it from the Arenas shopping center. There you can see the Rotunda of the square, then the Venetian towers replica of the originals, then the Maria Cristina promenade, there is an exhibition and fair center, there is always one open and then the fountain although currently it does not have the music show. Next are four columns that represent the flag of Catalonia (Señera) and at the end you can see the magnificent Art Museum of Catalonia, behind this Montjuic, which is a magical mountain, there are all sorts of parks, museums, views, etc. In front of the museum there are also good views
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written February 18, 2024
  • David O
    Geneva, Switzerland5,066 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Alright
    It is a large roundabout with six branches. Six avenues arriving at a single point. A beautiful and large sculpture located in the center of the square. Nearby, there is the Barcelona Arena. Opposite, there is the exhibition center, with two Venetian towers in front. A beautiful place, but there is nevertheless good road traffic around it.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written March 4, 2024
  • Family5GetAway
    St. John's, Canada323 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So much history to see in this busy area.
    Visited here on the way to the museum. It is a very high traffic area, but boasts so much to see it is worth putting up with the high levels of traffic. A number of iconic buildings and the spectacular view as you walk towards the museum. Unfortunately none of the fountains were operational due to the ongoing drought, but still spectacular to see. Easy access from public transportation.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 24, 2024
  • Daniele
    Pozzuoli, Italy1,332 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful
    The square connects the city towards the long climb where the magic fountain is located. It is a place worth visiting, a little tiring due to the long climb, but it is worth it (partly escalators). On the way back it is possible to return to the city via a bus which you can catch at the top. I recommend visiting in the evening
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written May 28, 2024
  • dg2014jg
    Magnolia, Texas1,220 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Watch out for traffic
    What an impressive site. You can walk to this from Montjuic or take a HOHO bus around it. This is a heavy traffic area so be careful crossing the street! But definitely put on your bucket list for Barcelona.
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 4, 2024
  • therichastill
    Stevenage, United Kingdom3,499 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Let's Go Round Again
    The Placa d'Espanya is on the centre of a very large grand roundabout. There are a number of busy roads stretching off from it in different directions. There are some very impressive buildings on all sides of it along with a grand structure in the middle. Unfortunately when I visited it was under restoration so it was difficult to see it. At the moment I would recommend going to the Centro Commercial Arenas de Barcelona and going up to the top of the building so you can look down on it from above. In my opinion it's the best way to take it all in. Keep your eyes open when trying to cross the roads. Cars and buses come tearing past in different directions so wait for the right time to cross and don't risk a quick dash across the road!
    Visited September 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written October 28, 2024
  • Alina L
    Tel Aviv, Israel203 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Square Spain
    The majestic square attracts both tourists and locals, and certainly not in vain... After all, its appearance and attractions deserve such attention. There is something triumphant about this square - maybe it is a sculptural fountain (symbol of the sea power) in the central part of the square, made in the neoclassical style.. or maybe it is two tall Venice towers leading directly to the Magic Fountain, and on to the National Palace. It is possible that the pavilions with Roman facades on their sides give this feeling, or the whole picture gives the impression of grandeur and victory. Five streets of Creu Coberta, Gran Via, Prospect Parallel, Tarragona Street, Prospect Queen Maria Cristina lead to the square.
    Visited October 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written December 27, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles5,600 reviews
Excellent
2,793
Very good
2,203
Average
547
Poor
45
Terrible
12

Vadim
Murmansk, Russia35,030 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
The reasons for the popularity of the square of Spain among tourists are banal. Bus 17 from the airport stops here and this is where it is logical to change to the metro. This is all the more convenient because the Plaza de España station is an interchange line 1 and 3. in Addition, the square serves as a transfer point for more than 20 buses, including the night number 0 (Catalonia is original in this also),1, 2, 14, 15, 16. However, it is worth staying here for a while. The center of the square is occupied by a monumental fountain designed by arcitect Josep Maria Jujol. It is executed in the form of a temple with three niches with sculptural groups symbolizing the rivers that flow into the three seas surrounding the Iberian Peninsula, the Ebro, the Guadalquivir and the Tagus. This is the second largest square in Spain after the square of the same name in Madrid. In addition, it is larger than the square of Catalonia. We can say that the unionists won a symbolic victory over the independents. Everyone knows that Spain is a bullfight. And here is just a round red brick building that looks like a stadium or a Roman amphitheater. But! This is, indeed, the old Bullring of Las Arenas, which became a shopping center after the abolition of bullfighting in Catalonia in 2012. A symbolic and not accidental act in the context of the movement towards independence. Two towers, the work of Ramon Reventos, are located on the opposite side. These pencil towers are almost clones of the campanilla in Piazza San Marco in Venice. They were built for the 1929 world's Expo..Behind them, you can see the fountains of Montjuic and the domes Of the national Museum of art of Catalonia, which are inactive late at night. From a distance, at dusk, it looks like the temples of Cambodia's Angkor. If I had had a couple of glasses of cava on the plane, I would have seen this bizarre combination of the Roman amphitheatre, the forked Campanile of San Marco, and the temples of Angkor and said, " Where am I?"
Written November 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jonahNJ
Pennington, NJ11,754 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2019
During my time in Barcelona, I found Plaza de Espana to be the major hub of activity in a city bustling with activity day and night. During my time in Barcelona, I learned that this square was originally built in 1929 as part of the International Exposition.

Today, the plaza is a hub of activity that includes a bullring that has been converted to a shopping & entertainment center, a fountain, a massive avenue as well as the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC). The plaza is also relatively close to the Olympic Complex.

This is not a place to slow down! This is a place where visitors will be a part of the crowds of tourists, local visitors and business people walking and driving around the plaza.
Written April 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Enjoytravelz
France141 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Couples
One of the most beautiful squares I've seen and a landmark in Barcelona. In order to truly appreciate the beauty of that place, I recommend visiting it early in the morning, you'll only encounter a few joggers as opposed to a mass of tourists. We visited it at dawn and could admire the Montjuic castle.
Written August 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gaurav S
Glasgow, UK359 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Family
What a show... U can't miss this for anything.. 31st December show of fireworks at the place is something extraordinary. We really liked the music, fountain show and then themed fireworks, with social message of sea life... Plastic problem.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Arvind Kumar Yerram
Hyderabad, India1,430 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
Undoubtedly this is one of the (if not most) busiest squares of Barcelona. Twin towers on either side of the road with a huge monument in the round about and the magical water fountain are the highlights of this area. Can get crowded during the fountain shows.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

James S
Toronto, Canada2,521 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2022
Placa de Espanya is a major transit hub in Barcelona. Several major streets intersect here and there are numerous bus routes that head to various parts of the city. Underneath the ground there is a Metro station that serves three separate subway lines. There is also a regional railway station that has trains departing on a regular basis to Montserrat and elsewhere throughout the day.

The Plaza is a lot more than this and to be honest one would never know about the busy transit infrastructure underground by just looking at the place. At the very centre of the plaza is the Font monumental a la Placa D’Espanya. This is a massive fountain was constructed in 1929 for an international exposition by Josep Maria Jujol a collaborator of Gaudi.

Surrounding the circular plaza are several large and photogenic buildings including the Hotel Catalonia Barcelona Plaza, the Institut Municipal d’Educacio de Barcelona, and the Venetian Towers or Torres Venecianes. These twin pillars, built in the 1920s are the entrance to Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina which is lined by the Smart City Expo World Congress - Fira de Barcelona and terminates in the famous Magic Fountains at the foot of the Montjuïc National Palace.

On the other side of the Plaza is the Arenas de Barcelona. This was originally built as a bull fighting arena and is now a major shopping centre. The top floor has a restaurant with impressive views of the city. There are also movie theatres if for some reason you’ve run out of things to do and see in Barcelona.

As I said this is a major transport hub to help one get where they’re going, but it’s also worth it to take the stairs up and have a look around.
Written October 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PaulB27August
The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, UK6,654 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2020 • Solo
Bullfighting isn't for everyone, however, it is a part of Spanish history and culture.
This development which overlooks the impressive Placa de Espana, Montjuic and plenty of other important sites due to the wonderful 360° view.
There are numerous shops, restaurants and leisure facilities here, including the world famous Human Bodies exhibition.
I will return and try one of the many eateries. Keep an eye out for forthcoming reviews
Written June 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BrakiWorldTraveler
Belgrade, Serbia20,003 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
Placa de Espana is Barcelona's biggest square. It's set just beneath the Monjuic hill and Museum of Catalonian art (MNAC) on a huge roundabout. Driving around it is pretty hectic and stressful with several traffic lights around it.
The middle of the square is adorned by a nice monumental fountain representing the Guadalquivir, Ebro and Tagus rivers as the biggest on the Iberian Peninsula.
The huge circular edifice, now the Arenas shopping mall, used to be Barcelona's first bullring, until it was moved to another location and then finally banned. Great views of the square and MNAC from the mall's top floor.
The twin Venetian towers are replicas of Venezia San Marco's bell tower. They were put here in 1929 for the World expo marking the entrance to fair grounds, Palace museum, and today for the highly popular magic fountain.
Written September 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JennyTull
9 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • Couples
Top notch show, managed to get in without paying which was neat. Only down side it’s a bit of a bun fight to get a good view. Quite honestly they should think twice about letting anyone in if they are going to put someone on their shoulders. If I had paid I’d be mighty peeved to have had my view obstructed. Mainly by young un’s who probably also got in free and didn’t care anyway. I’ll pay for a seat next year.
Written January 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Raintree_Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand4,496 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Couples
The Placa d'Espanya is a grand square with a large traffic circle surrounded by artistic structures built for the 1929 exhibition. It has an impressive large fountain in the middle, but no water running now for three years due to the prolonged drought. The area is difficult to fully enjoy because of the heavy traffic and few areas for pedestrians.
Written June 16, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Plaça d'Espanya - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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