Maritime Museum of Barcelona

The Maritime Museum of Barcelona occupies the Drassanes Reials, the Royal Shipyards whose great Gothic halls were built from the 13th century onwards to construct the galleys of the Crown of Aragon. They are among the largest and best-preserved medieval shipyards anywhere, and the soaring stone arches are as much a reason to come as the collection itself. Signs use the Catalan name, Museu Marítim de Barcelona.

The centrepiece is a full-size replica of the Real, the royal galley that led the Christian fleet at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. It was built in the 1970s and fills the main nave with its gilded, carved stern and long rows of oars. Around it, ship models, figureheads, navigational instruments and charts trace Barcelona's long relationship with the Mediterranean.

The museum stands at the foot of La Rambla, close to the Columbus monument. It also looks after the Santa Eulàlia, a historic sailing schooner moored in the nearby Port Vell. It particularly suits visitors interested in architecture, naval history or the city's seafaring past.