
Visiting Barcelona for the First Time? Here's What to See and Do
Take the bother out of a trip to Barcelona with our first time–friendly recommendations.
Glòries Tower was built in 2005 to be the headquarters of the company Aguas de Barcelona (AGBAR), a local water company, and originally known as Torre Agbar. Towering 466 feet (142 meters), it contains 34 floors above ground and four underground. The building is eco-friendly and sustainable. It also contains over 4,500 lighting devices using LED technology that can project 16 million colors on the entire façade.
A number of city sightseeing tours will pass by Glòries Tower, along with other highlights such as La Sagrada Familia or Barceloneta. Opt to visit on a hop-on o bus tour to explore other city highlights at your leisure. For a different perspective, take to the air in a helicopter tour, or take to the waters on a boat cruise or sailing trip.
Glòries Tower is located at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes. Take the metro (Line 1) to Glòries station, or the tram to Glòries tram stop. A number of buses also stop nearby, including bus numbers 7, 56, 60, 90, and 192.
Glòries Tower is at its most spectacular at night, when it puts on a light show. The tower is usually illuminated from 9pm to midnight in the summer and from 7pm to 11pm in the winter. The building puts on a dazzling show for New Year's Eve.
The building’s lighting scheme was designed by lighting artist, Yann Kersalé, who added over 4,500 LED lights in various shades of pink, purple, blue, and yellow to the daytime shell of red and blue. The lights are all controlled by computer and can be programmed to put on different displays of light and color.