City Hall (Casa de la Ciutat)

If you haven’t heard of Barcelona’s Plaça de Sant Jaume, then its City Hall — called the Casa de la Ciutat, in Catalan — should give you reason to pay this square a visit. The headquarters for local government, the building features a grand façade, which dates back to 1847, and an open-once-weekly interior that you’ll be keen to fit into your travel schedule.
That’s because behind its commanding but relatively simple exterior, there are some pretty exquisite treasures discover, such as the building’s medieval-style 14th-century Saló de Cent, and its mural-covered Hall of Chronicles. The plaza itself is pretty noteworthy too, as this was once the site of the Roman forum, and is also home to the Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya (the seat of Catalan government), whose dome-topped building sits just opposite City Hall.

Practical Info

City Hall is easily reachable, as it is located in the Gothic quarter, right in the tourist center. Note that while the ground floor tourism office is open regularly, City Hall itself is only open to the public on Sundays, and for just a few hours (as well as a few select holidays a year, which fall on April 12th, April 23rd and May 30th), so to fully appreciate the well-worth-visiting interior, be sure to plan according.