Protecting Spain’s heritage: Barcelona, Madrid and beyond

17.07.2024 - 10:43 / lonelyplanet.com / Antoni Gaudí

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Jul 16, 2024 • 6 min read

The passionate rhythms of flamenco, respected galleries both cutting-edge and classic, lively cities that burst with architectural masterworks spanning the centuries – Spain’s immense cultural riches have grown into just as much a draw as its dazzling costas. Today, this rich artistic heritage is making the country a leading, forward-thinking force in cultural preservation, which travelers can savor anywhere from Andalucía’s evocative pueblos blancos (white villages) and the remote hamlets of the wild Pyrenees to some of Europe’s top arts hubs in cities like Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Málaga.

For some of Spain’s most rewarding cultural experiences, start at the two urban powerhouses of Madrid and Barcelona. These cities are home to some of the globe’s finest galleries, an array of entrancing Spanish performance arts and an unmissable lineup of UNESCO-listed monuments begging to be explored.

Catalonia’s Mediterranean-side capital Barcelona is defined by the whimsical Modernisme movement, which swept through the city’s newly created district of L’Eixample in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of Spain’s most respected architects on record designed a wave of otherworldly, nature-inspired mansions and other buildings for wealthy Catalan families here. Among them was the great Antoni Gaudí, whose seven major Modernista works now make up a joint UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It can be tricky to know where to start with Gaudí, but headliners like leafy Park Güell, wave-like La Pedrera and tile-covered Casa Batlló are highlights of any Spain visit. Many of Barcelona’s Gaudí monuments have also been busy working on creative new initiatives tapping into contemporary art and design, including Casa Batlló, where an edgy prize-winning renovation has brought in sensory experiences, modern-art installations and rooftop concerts. Our top tips for exploring Gaudí’s Barcelona? Be sure to see the buildings’ interiors (not just the outside) and, if possible, join a tour with a local architect to discover their many extra layers, such as those offered by Barcelona Architecture Walks.

But Barcelona has countless other Modernisme jewels beyond Gaudí, including the showstopping creations of his contemporary Lluís Domènech i Montaner. Arguably most spectacular is the Palau de la Música Catalana in La Ribera district; this still-in-use 1908 concert hall stops people in their tracks with its floral-adorned exterior and vibrant trencadís (smashed-up tilework). Since 1997, it has been a joint UNESCO-listed monument along with another of Domènech i Montaner’s great works, the Recinte Modernista de Sant Pau, an astonishingly colorful former hospital just a few blocks away from Gaudí’s La