Barcelona Nord station
From the railway station to the central bus station
Barcelona Nord station is one of the Barcelona bus stations, the most important in Catalonia in terms of number of passengers and national and international connexions. Built in the 19th century as a railway station, the facilities were converted in the 1980s to accommodate bus services.
Barcelona Bus Turístic, on the Hola Barcelona app
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Why visit Barcelona Nord station?
Today, Barcelona Nord station has established itself as a new tourist mobility hub, which is a focus for coach arrivals and departures from Barcelona, promoting local tourism in the area around Barcelona. However, the original Barcelona Nord station building still has the charm of 19th century architecture.
The railway station opened in 1862. Part of original neoclassical-style building, commissioned by the Catalan architect Pere Andrès, still stands, the south façade, which faces onto the adjacent park. Originally, the station was not covered. The glazed roof and the other façades were constructed in 1910, and designed by Demetri Ribes. This centuries-old pavilion structure has been restored and is considered to be of great architectural interest. Its decoration is characterised by glass and ironwork, characteristic of the civil buildings of the period.
The restoration carried out in the 1990s, undertaken by the architects Tous and Fargas, combines different uses for the old railway facilities: as well as the bus station, the space houses the city’s largest municipal sports centre. A park was also planned for the old railway area, which incorporates the only examples of land art in Barcelona. In the Barcelona Nord station park, this form of art is represented by two sculptures by Beverly Peppers: Cel Caigut and Espiral Arbrada.
You can also visit other outstanding examples of 19th century architecture near Barcelona Nord station, the Arc de Triomf, for example. Passeig Lluís Companys, where this monument is located, leads to Parc de la Ciutadella, where the Barcelona Zoo and the buildings constructed for the Universal Exposition of 1888, such as the restaurant, designed by the modernist architect Domènech i Muntaner, are located. The Parlament de Catalunya is also located in this park.
How do you get to Barcelona Nord station?
From the Arc de Triomf - Barcelona Nord station stop, which is on the on the Barcelona Bus Turístic Red Route. This will drop you right by the Barcelona Nord station.
For the most curious of you
- Did you know? Barcelona Nord station was part of the 1992 Olympic Games, the table tennis events were hosted in the gym inside the building. These facilities now incorporate a municipal sports centre.
- Local’s tip: Visits to Barcelona Nord station are free of charge, as it is a public transport hub. It is ideal for planning short visits by coach to places near Barcelona. You can also include the Parc del Nord and other places of interest such as the Arc de Triomf as part of your visit.
- A must: those interested in historic public transport, travellers, athletes and lovers of contemporary art.
