After having recently told you about the visit to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, let's now move on to the other legendary stadium in Spain, the Camp Nou, the stadium of FC Barcelona.
Visiting the FC Barcelona stadium was a must for me during a stay in Barcelona. If you also want learn more about FC Barcelona's iconic stadium, its history, its museum and also its future, then this article is made for you!
> Visit the Camp Nou, a mythical stadium
> Camp Nou tickets and guided tours
> FC Barcelona, more than a club
> My opinion on the Camp Nou visit Book your visit:
This link allows you to book your entry directly to visit the Camp Nou in Barcelona: Book your entry
Visit the Camp Nou, a mythical stadium
Let's get to the heart of the matter and begin our visit to Camp Nou.
Join the Camp Nou
First of all to reach the stadium, several possible solutions. For our part, we opted for the metro. Indeed we had previously purchased a transport pass in order to benefit from unlimited access to the Barcelona metro. A transport pass that I highly recommend. If you too opt for a trip to the Camp Nou in metro, take line 3 then stop at “Les Corts”.
It is also possible to reach the stadium by bus via line H8 and the “Les Corts – Arizala” stop.
Course of the visit
The visit takes place in several stages. First of all, on arrival, you will be entitled (as in many stadiums) to the traditional photo with the team or with your favorite player. Let's be clear, you won't see any player, we are talking here about a photo on a green background to which the player(s) will be added!
Once this step is over and your audio guide has been collected, we arrive at the museum. The museum is surprising in its size. The audio guide will therefore guide you around the various desks where various documents, newspapers, t-shirts, shoes or club flags are displayed. These trace the history of the club since its creation.
You will also find, in this museum, all of the (very) numerous cups and trophies that FC Barcelona was able to receive. There are, for example, the various FIFA trophies, the Spanish cups, the club world cups but above all the Champions Leagues!
Let's continue to advance in the museum to arrive at a part dedicated to the other sports of FC Barcelona. Indeed, even if the club has become famous with football, we see that FC Barcelona excels in other disciplines such as basketball or handball.
Women's football is also honored in this part of the museum.
Let's go a little further to get to a section dedicated to players' personal trophies. Obviously an important part is reserved for Lionel Messi trophies. His "golden shoes" and other "golden balls" occupy an important place.
At the exit of this museum, you will take the direction of the interior of the stadium. You will have the opportunity to see the FC Barcelona conference room but also the changing rooms.
This part allows you to soak up the atmosphere that can reign on match nights. Then take the direction of the famous players' tunnel before arriving at the edge of the lawn of this mythical stadium.
You will have the right to walk in part of the stands of the stadium, as well as on the edge of the lawn. What to take your time to immortalize this moment.
Before moving on to the next location, you can enjoy the “Barça Virtual Experience”. This activity is included with the "CAMP NOU TOUR PLUS". A unique experience that will allow you to live, through augmented reality glasses, a FC Barcelona match.
After having taken advantage of the lawn and the bleachers, head to the booth for journalists and sports commentators. A place that will give you a different view of the field.
Return to the museum for a last stop before the end of this visit to Camp Nou, dedicated to the future of the stadium. Indeed, the club is planning significant investments to modernize the Camp Nou. This project aims to cover part of the stadium but also to modernize the surroundings of the stadium in order to create a real living space with cafes, restaurants and terraces.
This pharaonic project should see the light of day at the end of 2021.
Camp Nou tickets and guided tours
There are different ways to visit the Camp Nou: either alone, you can visit the stadium, at your own pace; or by opting for a guided tour. You will then be accompanied by a guide who will provide you with information on the history of the club and the stadium.
Visit the Camp Nou stadium alone
If you choose to visit the Camp Nou stadium on your own, then you will need to bring an entrance ticket. Several choices are available to you:
- Buy a skip-the-line ticket:
Once at reception, show your ticket on your mobile to gain access to the stadium and its museum.
Note that there are two types of visit. The "simple" visit, which will take you through the stadium museum, to discover the changing rooms, the stands, the lawn and the journalists' box. A complete tour of the Camp Nou stadium. There is an additional option that will add a stop to the stadium tour: the virtual experience. Equipped with augmented reality glasses, you can discover and visit the stadium from another angle and immerse yourself in the heart of a FC Barcelona match as if you were there.
“Simple” tickets are priced at €26, as for “plus” tickets, including the virtual reality experience, you will have to add €9, so it will cost you €35. Book your entrance ticket to visit the Camp Nou - Buy a city pass including the visit of FC Barclone:
If you have opted to buy a city pass, then check if it offers the visit of the stadium or discounts.
For example, if you have chosen the Barcelona City Pass, one of the most complete passes in Barcelona, including the Sagrada Familia, Parc Guëll as well as the transfer from the airport, you also benefit from a 20% discount on the visit to Camp Nou.
It is also possible to opt for a customizable city pass in which you can choose to include the visit to the Barcelona stadium.
If you want to know more about the different city passes that exist in Barcelona, I invite you to read our article on Barcelona city passes. City-pass Barcelona: read the article
Guided tour of the Camp Nou stadium
You can also choose to visit the Camp Nou accompanied by a guide.
There are guided tours, in French of the stadium, with a sports journalist. An ideal way to learn more about the club, its history and its stadium.
FC Barcelona, more than a club
Now let's move on to the presentation of the FC Barcelona club and its incredible history.
Creation and beginnings of FC Barcelona
It all started in 1899, when the newspaper "Los Deportes" announced the creation of the Barcelona city football club, Football Barcelona.
From this time, FC Barcelona keeps many things like its colors, blue and garnet, colors of the city of Barcelona and its rugby club, as well as its crest which, even if it was slightly modified in 1910, remains almost unchanged.
At the very beginning of the century, FC Barcelona began to win a few cups which allowed it to acquire its first supporters, the socios.
The membership card is passed down from generation to generation. To acquire a new one, you sometimes have to wait 8 years!
Between the 1920s and 1930s, FC Barcelona entered a new dimension. Successes followed, the club won 5 of the 10 King's Cups (the most prestigious trophy at the time), as well as 8 of the 10 Catalan championships.
In 1922, the club changed stadiums for the first time from the Industria stadium, which had become too small, to the Corts stadium. This stadium, initially 22 seats, will be enlarged many times, first to 000 seats and then to 48 seats. It will be used until 000.
In 1929 FC Barcelona won the very first Liga in history ahead of Real Madrid.
The 30s were dark years for FC Barcelona. The war is raging, the president of the club is shot. At the end of the decade, in 1939, Francisco Franco came to power and banned any symbol of regional identity. The Catalan flag must then be removed from the FC Barcelona crest.
From the 50s to the 80s
The 50s were "golden" years for FC Barcelona. Big names in football arrive at the club like Kubala, one of the club's historic players. In 1953, the club was nicknamed the Barca of the 5 cups. Indeed the club won 5 cups in a single year.
During this decade the number of club members soared from 26 to more than 000.
In 1954, construction began on a new 93-seat stadium. The inauguration took place in September 000 with the release of 1957 doves. A new hymn is created for the occasion.
When it was built, the stadium was called "Estadi del FC Barcelona".
Several developments were made to increase the stadium's capacity to more than 120 seats, the attendance record reached in 000 during a European Cup quarter-final against Juventus.
European regulations will force the club to develop the stadium on different occasions, thus reducing its current capacity of 99 seats.
Did you know?
Did you know that the stadium has only been officially called Camp Nou since 2001?
Camp Nou means "New Stadium" in Catalan. Historically, during its construction, the club's supporters named it so because it was simply the "new stadium". Over time this name remained and was made official in 2001.
In the 60s, FC Barcelona became a veritable institution that went beyond sport. He is considered an "integrator" of society by the values conveyed by the club. It was then in 1968 that the president of the club, N. Carreras, pronounced these sentences which would become the club's slogan: "Més que un club", understand, "more than a club".
The years follow one another just like the victories and the great players like Antoni Ramallets, one of the best goalkeepers in history, or even, in 1973, Johan Cruyff who will mark the history of the club.
A new anthem was born in 1975. In 1979, the FC Barcelona training center, La Masia was born. This training center will play a key role in the history of the club with the training of illustrious players like Messi.
From the 90s to today
In 1989, the FC Barcelona team was nicknamed: the Dream Team. The team is then under the orders of the new trainer, Johan Cruyff. That year, FC Barcelona won its third Cup of Nations.
On the occasion of the centenary of the club, in 1998-99, 4 sports sections of FC Barcelona respectively won their championship. The football club, of course, but also basketball, handball and hockey.
The beginning of the 21st century is again a golden period for FC Barcelona. The club saw, almost simultaneously, a new generation of particularly talented players arrive. Indeed, between 2003 and 2004 the club brought into its first team, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi as well as a new president Joan Laporta.
The victories follow one another and FC Barcelona wins its second European Cup in 2006.
The arrival in 2008 of coach Pep Guardiola further strengthened the team, which won two new European Cups in 2009 and 2011.
In 2009, FB Barcelona even won 6 cups in a single year. Under the air Guardiola, FC Barcelona won 14 titles out of 19 possible.
Since the departure of Pep Guardiola in 2012, FC Barcelona won a new Champions League in 2015, as well as 5 championships and 3 Spanish cups.
Did you know?
FC Barcelona is one of the most successful teams in Spain with 5 Champions Leagues, 26 Spanish Championships and 30 Spanish Cups.
FC Barcelona is now present in various sports such as basketball or handball with some of the most successful teams in Europe.
The women's football team is also one of the most important in Europe.
My opinion on the Camp Nou visit
If you are a football fan then visit the Camp Nou. This mythical stadium of FC Barcelona seems to me to be a must. The visit will really teach you more about the history of the club, its titles, its players but also its future.
The stadium, meanwhile, is impressive because of its size. I was able to visit the Camp Nou stadium a few weeks after that of Real Madrid, and, even if the two visits are both really interesting, from the point of view of the stadium itself, I found that of FC Barcelona much more impressive.
Do not hesitate to share your impressions with us in the comments.
