Picasso Museum Barcelona: Guide, admission and 5 tips to make the most of your visit

When I first walked through the narrow streets El Born district in Barcelona, I had no idea what artistic gems were hidden behind the walls of the houses here. Most of them are on the street Carrer de Montcada, which is full of various medieval, Renaissance and Baroque palaces. And here is one of the places where every art lover must stop: Picasso Museum in Barcelona.

The museum is located in several Gothic palaces

What to know before visiting the Picasso Museum?

Pablo Picasso spent the key years of his youth and his life here in Barcelona. museum reveals a lesser-known phase of his workHere you will find works that foreshadowed Cubism – from portraits to ceramics, which he created in the last years of his life.

From the street you can't even tell how large the museum is.

The very focus of the museum causes disillusionment among many visitors, because they automatically expect what made the artist famous: an innovative approach with cubist curves and shapes. Such works are represented here, but they are really few. 

Sure, Barcelona isn't the only city in the world where you can find a Pablo Picasso museum, but this one is unique from similar institutions in cities like Paris or Malaga: it's a the largest artist's collection ever, numbering more than 4000 works focusing mainly on the early and formative years of his artistic career. Among the works you will even find Picasso's school notebooks from when he was just 13 years old!

Interior of the Pablo Picasso Museum

What can you look forward to at the museum? 

Although it doesn't look like it from the narrow street, be prepared for the fact that The Picasso Museum in Barcelona is vast!

The local museum collections are spread over the area of ​​five Gothic palaces and are arranged so that you can follow the artist's development chronologically. 

The main entrance to the museum is from Carrer de Montcada 19, on the ground floor there are cloakrooms, toilets, a shop or restaurant

Special emphasis is placed on the period of his life in Barcelona and his relationship with the city. This, for me, gives the collection a unique dimension compared to other Picasso museums in the world.

If you are more interested in Picasso and his man, I have a separate article for that: The life and work of Pablo Picasso in connection with Barcelona.

The tour begins with early work from his teenage years and works from his university years. These works show you just how talented Picasso was at a young age. It continues with pieces influenced by modernism, works from the Blue and Rose periods, and there are also ceramics or various graphic works such as engravings or lithographs from the later years of his work. 

One of the works from the Las Meninas series

For example, the ceramics created during his stay in southern France are something that most visitors overlook, and for me, that's a mistake - in the work you will find vases, bowls, or plates with motifs of bullfighting and mythological themes that are unconventional for the artist.

What did I like about the museum? 

I love art and there's a lot of it! But I'll try to highlight 3 things that stuck in my mind:

• The Artist's Mother – a realistic portrait from 1896, when Picasso was only 15 years old. It perfectly shows his early talent and at the same time it is a work that few would have expected from the co-founder of Cubism, thanks to the technique used...
• Sketches from the Blue Period – they are a bit hidden in the side corridors of the 2nd floor, they are quite small and capture Picasso in a melancholic mood; they served as the model for all of his famous paintings from this period
• The "Las Meninas" series – an extensive collection based on the painting of the same name by Diego Velázquez. In his tribute to this Spanish painter, Picasso masterfully analyzed, decomposed, and then, in his own unique style, reassembled 1957 paintings inspired by the original over the course of a few months in 58.

The Artist's Mother – a portrait he painted when he was just 15 years old

Practical information: entrance fees, opening hours and my other tips

Now let's take a look at some practical information for visiting the Picasso Museum. 

How much will you pay for entry?

Admission to the museum is normally paid, but Sometimes you can get here for free, see below.

• Basic admission: €14
• Students and seniors: €7,5
• Children under 18 years free

More information about purchasing tickets to the Picasso Museum I have put it in a separate article, where I also share tips on how to get here for free. 

My 5 tips for visiting the museum

• Directly to the exhibition halls will not allow you entry with items larger than 30 x 30 cm. I recommend coming light or leaving suitcases, backpacks or umbrellas in the cloakroom (free with a valid ticket). 
• In the museum you can take photos, if it's for personal use. And without a flash and without using a tripod. It used to be forbidden and they were quite vigilant, but now it's possible.  
• If you need to go to the toilet, the best is on the ground floor next to the shop (yes, there is a shop where you can buy some small things or souvenir shop). 
• For about €5 per ticket you can purchase an audio guide. It is available in English, Spanish, Catalan, French, Italian and German. There are no other languages. It is useful if you want to hear more information about individual works (and at the same time do not want to go on a guided tour).
• You can take a tour finish with coffee or lunch at the local café and bistro Café Pablo (website). It offers an interesting fusion of French and Catalan cuisine. 

The museum also includes the Café Pablo restaurant.

Where to go after the tour?

It would be a shame to head here just to visit the museum. Carrer de Montcada itself has many interesting stops! Again, I'll just highlight a few of them:

• Moco Museum Barcelona – a famous museum with a photogenic courtyard with works by modern artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol or even Banksy (although his works it's better his museum nearby).
• Santa Maria del Mar – nearby Gothic church dedicated to the sea and sailors
• Santa Caterina Market – local food market and an unconventional rooftop offering, among other things, excellent tapas at affordable prices. Try pumps, which are potato balls filled with meat. Personally, I much prefer it here than in the more popular La Boqueriabecause there are far fewer tourists. 
• The four cats – a historic modernist café where the artistic elite gathered and where Picasso himself held his first exhibitions
• Hofmann pastry shop (map) – If you have a sweet tooth, don’t miss the famous croissants at Pastelería Hofmann, which is just a 5-minute walk from the museum. Their mascarpone croissant is famous throughout Barcelona and is worth the short detour.
• The Xampanyet (map) – this legendary tapas bar can be found literally a few steps from the museum. It offers an authentic atmosphere, delicious homemade tapas (famous for anchovies!) and other Spanish delicacies and of course sparkling wine cava, which the establishment indirectly refers to in its name. And they don't take reservations - which is why it's sometimes overcrowded. 

The museum also contains a nice souvenir shop.

Is a visit to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona worth it?

After three visits, I can confidently say that if you like modern art or are interested in Picasso's development, The museum is definitely worth a visit.. Just please forgive yourself for its "cubist glory" and come here with an open mind. You won't be disappointed. 

Pro a quick tour takes about 90 minutes, but if you are a true enthusiast, feel free to set aside 2-3 hours. 

Unlike some of Barcelona's crowded landmarks, it's still possible to find quiet spots for undisturbed art viewing, making the Picasso Museum one of my favorite cultural experiences in Barcelona.

Name:	Picasso Museum, Pablo Picasso Museum (Museu Picasso / Museo Picasso de Barcelona)
Address:	Carrer Montcada, 15-23
Transportation:	Metro L4 (James I) and L1 (Arc de Triomphe) Bus 120, 45, V15, V17 (Via Laietana)
Opening hours:	Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 AM – 19:00 PM Closed on Mondays and also on January 1, May 1, June 24, December 25 Free every first Sunday of the month, every Thursday 16:00 PM – 19:00 PM (October - April), every Thursday, Friday and Saturday 19:00 PM – 21:00 PM (April - October) and also on January 4 and 5, February 12, May 18 and September 24; all free admissions require online ticket reservations (available from Monday 10:00 AM)
Tickets:	Regular admission: €14 Students 18–25 years old, adults over 65 years old: €7,50 Youth under 18: free Tickets for official websiteThere are also various discounted packages available for admission to multiple museums (offer). Admission is free even within Barcelona Card or Articket.
More information:	https://museupicassobcn.cat/