Picasso's Barcelona Walking Tour (Self Guided), Barcelona

Pablo Picasso – the great Spanish painter and sculptor – developed his style in Barcelona where he spent the formative years of his life, from the ages of 14 to 23. It is said that when the master spoke nostalgically of home, he actually meant the Catalonian capital, despite having been born in Malaga.

This self-guided walk will take you to the Picasso Museum, the bar-restaurant and the art gallery where his works were first displayed to the public, as well as other bohemian sites associated with the artist’s life – including some of the favorite haunts of the vibrant “modernista” period.

As soon as his family moved to Barcelona, the young genius enrolled in art school; thus, it only makes sense that your tour route should start off at the very building (Llotja de Barcelona) where he drew his early self-portraits, followed by the one he climbed on to initially survey the urban landscape.

As a youth, Picasso eventually fell in with a crowd that mixed wine, women, and art. Step inside the café 4 Gats or walk along Carrer Avinyó to soak in the ambience that inspired his famous painting, ‘Les Demoiselles d'Avignon’.

Passing alongside several buildings that housed his studios, you will see the street that bears his name, before finally reaching the dedicated museum at Carrer de Montcada, where the master was happy to add to the collection throughout his life. Scattered through several connected Gothic palaces, the artworks include two early major paintings: The First Society (1896), and Science and Charity (1897).

Take our self-guided walking tour to discover Picasso’s connections with Barcelona and the unique sights that inspired many of his works.