Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Spain

© Luis Davilla/age fotostock

Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, Spain

To take in every detail of this music performance venue in Barcelona, Spain, set aside an entire day. The Palau de la Música Catalana is as much a work of art as the music that fills the room most nights. The ‘modernisme’ style of the building, sometimes called Catalan modernism, combines mosaic tiles, stained glass, and the sweeping arches and buttresses of Gothic architecture—fusing the details into a dizzying, kaleidoscopic symphony of geometry and color. We wonder: How does anyone focus on the music played here, when the hall itself is so mesmerizing?