Exploring Barcelona's historical subway with cultural tour

The construction of the first metro line was a significant milestone for the city of Barcelona. Over a hundred years later, it continues to play a significant role in the Catalan capital's day-to-day life. 

Ever wondered how the city's subway network came about? You can experience it by going under- and above ground with Manuel Marina, a public transport expert who is part of CultRuta, a Barcelona-based initiative born in 2008. 

The organization specializes in offering cultural tours, focusing on clients who want to (re)discover the city in-depth in a more dynamic and enjoyable way.  

Marina guides the tour through Passeig de Gràcia, reviewing the graphic history of the metro. Starting with the construction and evolution of the Gran Metro lines, the Transversal (the first metro line in Barcelona, known as Línia 1) and subsequent ones.  

He guides the tours with a passion that started in his childhood: ''I love giving the metro tours because my grandfather told me so much about it when I was a kid.'' 

The route spans from La Rambla boulevard to Diagonal metro station, looking for traces, photographs on-site, and written memories of the stations. The tour takes place in public spaces and lobbies, without accessing passenger areas. 

The tours are held in a maximum number of 20 people, listening through headphones to a licensed tour guide.  

''The length of the tours is about two hours. They are mainly focused on people who already have some knowledge of the city. It is not a panoramic or a highlights tour, but they’re for people who have a specific interest in a certain aspect of Barcelona’s history or heritage'' explains CultRuta managing director Joan Coll Riba. 

The company mainly focuses on cultural tours, hence the company's name, but it was in 2014 when Marina proposed to Joan Coll a subway experience tour. 

"Marina came to me and told me: 'I have a special interest, and I think there are lots of people interested, in the history of the city's subway.' So that is when we started the tours, over a decade ago," Coll told Catalan News.  

Organizers will continue offering the activity as long as there is demand for it by booking on the company's website, with ticket prices ranging from €13 to €18. CultRuta also offers private tours in Catalan or Spanish, and in other languages on request. 

Press play below to listen to our podcast: 'Still on track - Barcelona’s metro celebrates its centenary,' or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or Spotify.