Highlights of Santa Eulàlia Cathedral
Barcelona Cathedral (Spanish: Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia, English: Barcelona Cathedral) is a Catholic cathedral in Barcelona’s Old Town.
Its official name is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, dedicated to the cross of Christ and Saint Eulalia, one of Barcelona’s patron saints. It is also known as Barcelona Cathedral.
The building is primarily in the Catalan Gothic style. Construction began in 1298, and the main sections were completed by around the middle of the 15th century. The cloister was completed in 1448, while the main façade and central tower were developed from the end of the 19th century into the beginning of the 20th century.
The cloister has a garden and a pond where white geese with 13 wings are kept. According to tradition, Saint Eulalia, who was martyred at the age of 13, cared for the geese.
Main altar
A sculpture depicting the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrating Christ’s cross, is installed here. Beneath the high altar is the crypt of Saint Eulalia. Viewing the sculpture in front of the altar and the crypt directly below it in succession reveals through the spatial arrangement that the cathedral is dedicated to both the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia.
Choir Stalls
The choir stalls are seats where clergy sit for prayer and the singing of hymns. The backs of the seats bear the coat of arms of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The Order of the Golden Fleece was founded in 1430 by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, as a chivalric order of prominent European monarchs and nobles. It later became associated with the Spanish royal family through the House of Habsburg, and today the King of Spain is regarded as the sovereign of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
Beside the choir stalls stands a pulpit decorated with intricate wood carvings.
Side Aisles
Along the side aisles and ambulatory are 25 side chapels separated by iron railings. The chapels continue around the high altar, and as you walk through the side aisles, you can compare the altarpieces, sculptures, and ironwork designs one by one. The deep interior space, distinct from the central nave, is also worth noting.
Holy Christ of Lepanto
Holy Christ of Lepanto (Santo Cristo de Lepanto) is a statue of Christ on the cross. It is said to have been placed aboard the flagship of the Catholic coalition fleet, the Holy League, during the Battle of Lepanto, in which the Catholic coalition fleet and the Ottoman fleet fought in 1571.
It reads “OFRENES VOTIVES S. CRIST DE LEPANT” (votive offerings to Christ of Lepanto). Among the candles offered here are some printed with an image of Christ of Lepanto.
Crypt of Saint Eulalia
The crypt of Saint Eulalia contains a stone sarcophagus holding Saint Eulalia’s relics. The sarcophagus reliefs depict Saint Eulalia’s martyrdom and the transfer of her relics to the cathedral.
Rooftop
From the rooftop, you can look out over the city of Barcelona. You can also observe the bell towers, spires, and central tower up close. It is a place to enjoy views of the Old Town buildings while seeing the differences in roof heights and the arrangement of decorations that are difficult to make out from ground level.
Cloister
The cloister garden is home to 13 white geese. It is extremely rare for animals to be kept on the grounds of a Christian church, making this a distinctive feature of the Cathedral of Santa Eulàlia.
Basic information about the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia
The information below was checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Please also check the latest information on the official website when planning your trip.
- 🔗 Official website
- You can check the hours, prices, areas open to cultural and tourist visits, and entrances.
https://catedralbcn.org/visita-turistica/horaris-visita-turistica/catedralbcn.org
- 📍 Address
- Pla de la Seu s/n, 08002 Barcelona
- 🕒 Visiting hours
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- Weekdays 9:30–18:30 (last admission 17:45)
- Saturdays and the days before religious holidays 9:30–17:15 (last admission 16:30)
- Sundays and religious holidays 14:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30)
⚠️ The hours and areas available for cultural and tourist visits may change due to religious events.
- 💶 Admission fees
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- General admission 16 euros
- Students (aged 25 or under), large families (família nombrosa), and single-parent families (família monoparental) 14 euros
- People with disabilities (33% or more) and ICOM members Free
- Groups 1 people 8 euros
⚠️ To use a discounted admission fee, supporting documents must be checked at the cathedral ticket office.
- 🎫 Tickets
- Tickets can be purchased from the official information page.
- ⏱️ Visit duration
- Allow approximately 60–90 minutes to visit the nave, side aisles, crypt, cloister, and rooftop.⚠️ The duration varies depending on how much you visit.
Getting to Santa Eulalia Cathedral
We also introduce a route that takes about 4 minutes on foot northwest from Jaume I station to the entrance of the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia.
Entrance and accessibility
The main entrance is on the Pla de la Seu side. Visitors who need accessible access, such as wheelchair users, are directed to the Porta de Santa Eulàlia entrance on Carrer del Bisbe.
For attractions, transport and suggested itineraries, see “Barcelona: A Guide to Attractions, Food, Transport, and Suggested Itineraries”.
