El Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria

El Born Centre de Cultura i Memòria is housed in a restored 1876 market building with iron and glass architecture that still stands in the neighborhood. Below its glass floor you can see the remains of buildings and streets from the 1700s that lay buried until they were uncovered in recent decades.

A military siege in 1714 destroyed much of the neighborhood, leaving buildings and streets buried for centuries beneath the city. The excavated remains now visible tell the story of what stood there before that turning point in Barcelona's past.

The center showcases how people lived and worked in 18th-century Barcelona through objects and spaces that tell their daily stories. You get a sense of what families did in their homes and how the neighborhood functioned as a community.

The center is open from Tuesday through Sunday, and it helps to arrive early if you want quiet time to examine the glass platforms and remains below. Both guided tours and self-guided visits work well, depending on whether you prefer an explanation or personal exploration of the excavated structures.

Walking on the glass floor lets you look directly down at the foundations of roughly 42 houses spanning three different centuries. This sense of walking literally over a buried city makes history feel tangible in a way few places can match.

Location: Barcelona

Operator: Ajuntament de Barcelona

Address: Plaça Comercial, 12, Ciutat Vella, 08003 Barcelona

Opening Hours: March-October Tuesday-Sunday, Holidays 10:00-20:00; November-February Tuesday-Saturday 10:00-19:00, Sunday, Holidays 10:00-20:00; December-26 10:00-14:30; 01-01 off, 05-01 off, 06-24 off, 12-25 off

Phone: +34932566851

Email: infoelborncc@bcn.cat

Website: http://elbornculturaimemoria.barcelona.cat

GPS coordinates: 41.38583,2.18380

Latest update: December 7, 2025 19:32