(English) Camp Nou, the epicentre of sports tourism in Barcelona

Football is one of the biggest and most mobilising forces in the world today. Passion for the so-called ‘king of sports’ abounds wherever you go and knows no barriers. And it’s not hard at all to find someone, even in the remotest corners of the planet, whose ultimate dream is to watch an FC Barcelona game live at Camp Nou. The city’s club has become a genuine world heritage site and has legions of fans all over the world who jump up and down in front of their TVs watching the games, wearing their shirts and worshipping their star players. Whoever you support, you can’t deny,  FC Barcelona is ‘more than a club’.

All the admiration for this Barcelona institution has begun to be channelled into a whole new type of tourism in recent years. Visits to Camp Nou have become an essential pit stop for a huge number of the thousands of visitors who come to Barcelona every year. At the same time, more and more fans of the famous team from far flung corners of the world are now making the trip exclusively to experience a match live at the stadium. This phenomenon has turned into what’s known as sports tourism, and Barcelona is playing a very big role in it indeed.

Though it might sound incredible, Camp Nou rubs shoulders with the likes of the Sagrada Familia in being the most visited attractions, not just in Barcelona, but in the whole of Spain. FC Barcelona became aware of this enormous draw many years ago and, as a result, they now offer exciting stadium tours to all visitors looking to get up close and personal with the place where their idols take to the pitch. The club offers visits as part of the Camp Nou Experience, and has seen remarkable success in welcoming huge numbers of tourists who come to Barcelona.

Visitors can start by exploring the club’s museum, which first opened its doors way back in 1984. Then, they can marvel at all the trophies won by FC Barcelona throughout its 116-year history. There’s a total of 3,500 square metres of space to explore, where you’ll find a huge variety of historical artefacts, photographs, audio-visual materials and a whole host of other objects of great sentimental value to both the Barca team and their fans.

The rest of the tour consists of visiting key points around the stadium, from the pitch and the press room to the changing rooms, press booths and much more besides. Stepping onto the very same spot you’ve watched countless times on TV and on match days is a feeling unlike any other.

But another great way to enhance your visit to Camp Nou is to go on a match day. That way, you can experience first-hand the passion and incredible atmosphere felt throughout the stadium, which has an almost 100,000-capacity.

Football is the jewel in the crown of the city’s sports tourism industry, where it’s played all year round, but there are a wide variety of other exciting pursuits, such as Formula 1, motorcycling, basketball, as well as countless other specific sporting events that Barcelona hosts at different times of the year. Sport shines its own bright light on the city, clearly demonstrated by its huge draw amongst tourists.

In all our hotels within the HCC Hotel chain, we can provide the most up-to-date information to make your visit to Camp Nou, and any other sports, culture or leisure options you want to check out in the city, the perfect way to spend your time here in Barcelona.

Categories: barcelona