Barcelona Maritime Museum

The Maritime Museum of Barcelona is an institution dedicate to the conservation, study and dissemination of the Catalan maritime heritage, one of the richest in southern Europe. The exhibitions, the scenographies and the interactive workshops help us to understand the maritime history and the close relationship between human being and the sea. The headquarters of the museum is located on the seafront of the city, at the foot of the Montjuïc mountain.

The collections include model boats, dioramas, weapons, nautical instruments, maps, paintings, an archaeological artefacts. The most valuable piece of the museum is the 1:1 reproduction of the Royal Galley of Don Juan of Austria, flagship of the fleet of the Holy League in the battle of Lepanto.
Created in 1936, the museum was able to open its doors only in 1942. In 2006 it has been declared a Museum of National Interest.

Barcelona Royal Shipyards

The Museum is located in the majestic gothic building of the Royal Shipyards (Drassanes Reials in Catalan), the former arsenal of galleys of the King of Aragon, built in the 13th - 14th centuries and later expanded. We are in front of the most complete and best preserved medieval shipyard in the world, cataloged as Historical - Artistic Monument for its relevance. With a total surface of 18.000m2, the complex is formed by a succession of ten naves supported on rectangular pillars and by several fortified elements. The naves are between 8.40 and 13.5 meters wide, sufficient for the construction and maintenance of the warships at the time.

The fleet of the museum

In the Old Port of Barcelona, the Maritime Museum maintains several historical ships such as the schooner Santa Eulalia, the dinghy Pól·lux, the sailing ship Drac and the lute Lola. The 46-metre long three-masted sailing boat Santa Eulàlia, built in 1918, is moored at the Bosch i Alsina Quay. The boat can be visited every day except the period when is sailing.