Av. Drassanes, 08001
Drassanes

An impressive collection of boats, models, paintings, maps, figureheads and nautical paraphernalia all housed in the ancient Reials Drassanes, the spectacular 14th century ship building yards. Be sure to pick up your audio guide, as some of the audio-visuals make no sense without it.

Nautical hardware aside, and there's plenty of that to be seen here, the true star of the show is the lofty building itself. The old medieval shipyard, constructed an unbelievable 600 years ago (and now appropriately home to the museum), was once the centre of a great maritime industry.

Look up to see the fantastic engineering supporting the tiled roof high above your head. These elegant brickwork arches were completed by the architect Arnau Ferré in 1378, their survival paying a unique testament to the sophistication of medieval industrial design. Each of the enclosed bays were designed to be large enough for ship construction, including the museum's centre-piece, the 240 ton replica of the galley ship 'La Real'.

contributor: Nigel Hayler