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Rute of light

A city full of light

Follow the Barcelona's Light Trial proposed by Visit Barcelona to discover incredible spots in Barcelona's neighbourhoods.

Light is a key element in metropolitan areas, and Barcelona is a city that shines when the sun goes down. Thanks to the Barcelona’s Light Trial, which you can do on your own following the recommendations of Visit Barcelona, you will visit emblematic buildings, see historical objects and discover places that revolutionised the electricity industry, which was so important for Barcelona. A night-time tour where you'll see that light also allows us to enjoy the city in a different way.

The first stop on this route is the Observatori Fabra, the fourth oldest observatory in the world still in operation. There, near the top of Tibidabo, you'll be able to see the views of the city lit up. If you go inside, you may also have the chance to see the starlight through the telescope in the great dome room.

After that, you can visit the Pearson Monument, a statue in Plaça de Pedralbes dedicated to Fredrick Stark Pearson, a renowned American engineer who was crucial to the development and modernisation of the Catalan capital, as he acquired the tramways and founded the Ferrocarrils Catalans (Catalan Railways). He was also the owner of the first power station in Spain, known as La Canadenca. Today, you can still see the Three Chimneys in his industrial area. The park where they are located, in the Poble-Sec neighbourhood, is also a stop on the Barcelona’s Light Trial where, in addition to the original factory chimneys, you will find fragments of machinery from the old power station.

The route continues at the Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona, on Rambla de Canaletes. This institution owns the invention that produced the first photograph in Spain, known as the Daguerreotype. Photography has light as an essential element and, thanks to this invention by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre in 1839, the path that has led us to today's photographic camera began to take shape.

With the Barcelona’s Light Trial you will be able to visit many other places such as the Font Màgica de Montjuïc, the CosmoCaixa, the Torre del Rellotge or the Torre Glòries, spaces where light is present. Don't miss the opportunity to see the city through different eyes and continue discovering the hidden corners and treasures that Barcelona has to offer. The distances on this route are long; use public transport and enjoy the light along the way.

More information on this link.

Publication date: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
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