How to unlock cheap sightseeing with Barcelona’s library card

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Gain cheap access to prominent Gaudi buildings, the city's top museums and even the Montjuic Castle. Theatre and cinema tickets are also discounted.

Museums and other tourist attractions can be a bit pricey to visit in Barcelona, so here at City Trail Publishing we’re always on the look-out for ideas about how the cost can be reduced (or even eliminated altogether).

And here’s a neat trick you may have not heard about: the library card of Barcelona.

Not only does it grant you access to more than 228 libraries, but it also gives you free entry and discounts to a wealth of attractions across the city. This includes some pretty special Gaudi buildings (Casa Batlló, Torre Bellesguard, etc), some rather special museums (the Picasso Museum and the National Art Museum) and even a trip to the iconic Montjuic Castle.

And, providing that you are a registered resident of Barcelona, getting the card is totally free!

In praise of libraries

Libraries in Barcelona are a great place to study. They are usually heated in winter and cooled in summer. They have silent reading rooms and fast internet access.

With a library card, you can borrow books, music and movies for both adults and children. The library card also allows you to take part in reading clubs and specific courses that are offered in multimedia rooms.

You can pick up books in one location and return them in another. You can also reserve books online.

Apply for a card

Library cards are free, personal and non-transferrable. If you need additional copies of the card, these will be charged at one euro each. The library car will expire five years after its last use.

To apply for a library card simply fill in and submit this form. You will need to indicate from which library you wish to pick up the card once it is ready. You will need to be able to produce your Spanish national ID or resident-foreigner ID number in order to pick up the library card.

Children under the age of 14 will also need to show authorisation from their parents or legal guardians that they have permission to use all library services including internet.

The free stuff

In addition to all the regular benefits of libraries, noted above, the library card offers a range of other benefits.

It gives you free or discounted admission to museums, including:

The card also offers discounts for these theatres:

It offers discounts at cinemas:

And at musical events:

It even gives discounts for classes at the following venues:

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