Spanish Civil War Tour: Barcelona's Anarchist History

Uncover the untold stories of Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s dictatorship on this engaging and informative walking tour. Discover the causes of the conflict, the fighting factions, and how Franco emerged victorious. Learn about the role of anarchists in Barcelona and experience life under a fascist dictatorship. Join us to explore the explosive history of this vibrant city!

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Placa Catalunya - Important place during the Civil war
  • La Rambla - Various Civil War related sites
  • Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu - 15th Century Hospital
  • Basilica de Santa Maria del Pi - Old church with a hidden connection to the Civil War
  • Placa Sant Felip Neri - Mystically Beautiful, while at the same time one of the most visceral reminders of the destruction of the civil war
What's Included
  • Learn about the region’s unique working class history and anarcho-syndicalist period
  • Tour Guide who’s an expert on this complicated and sensitive subject
  • Make sense of the many political groups and factions of the Civil War
  • Stories from Franco’s Dictatorship
  • See the scars and traces from the Spanish Civil War throughout the Old Town
  • See historic images from the war to bring the history alive
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • 1€pp guide radio headset, to be paid at the meeting point to an external provider.
Additional Information

Embark on a 2.5h journey through the streets of Barcelona, exploring where Fascists, Anarchists, and the democratic Spanish Republic struggled and sacrificed for their beliefs on our Spanish Civil War walking tour.
Uncover the reasons behind this often-underestimated conflict and how it paved the path to a 36-year-long fascist regime.

  • What initiated…
Location
Hard Rock Cafè
Plaça de Catalunya
The tour starts in front of the Hard Rock Cafe on Plaça de Catalunya. The guide will have a White Umbrella. If not exactly by the entrance, somewhere nearby on the sidewalk in front of it.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(377 Ratings)
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Mike_l
Oct 27, 2024
Nice and chill - Nice and chill experience, slow walk with some places to sit while listening to guide Wonderful and cool
Review provided by Viator
Paulcr2292eh
Oct 26, 2024
Great value for money! - Very informative, friendly and enjoyable. Apart from the topic, walking around hidden parts of the city was also very interesting. Great value for money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susan_s
Oct 25, 2024
Indispensable tour for anyone interested in Spanish History - This was a fascinating explanation of the roots of the Spanish Civil War, including the role of the Catholic Church, the monarchy and landowners in the rise of Spanish fascism. The guide pointed out the physical remains of the war and supplemented the physical and his knowledge with maps. photos and posters from the time. This would be a perfect tour for anyone interested in modern Spanish history.
Review provided by Viator
Sarahbu6123sh
Oct 24, 2024
Fascinating Spanish Civil War Tour - Yannis is an excellent guide. He offered a compelling and well-researched tour of the Spanish Civil War, bringing to life the ideologies and factions of that period. He skillfully drew on photographs, literature, and architecture to offer a profound understanding of the impact of the war on Barcelona then and now. I highly recommend this thoughtful and passionate tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Karen_s
Oct 22, 2024
Spanish Civil War Walking tour - This is a great walking tour. The guide was very informative. There are so many aspects to the Spanish Civil War that I did not know of. The walk is about three hours, but it went by very quickly.
Review provided by Viator
Madeline_c
Oct 19, 2024
outstanding guide - Chrisa was a terrific guide. She did an excellent job of explaining the complicated history; as there are few artifacts/sites left, she did this without the help of many props. Her experience as an archaeologist added depth to the tour.
Review provided by Viator
Chip_m
Oct 19, 2024
A vital tour like none other - If you feel like you’re missing something or that what you’ve already seen doesn’t quite capture everything, please go see this. It is essential for a well rounded and informed visit.
Review provided by Viator
Timge5890ox
Oct 19, 2024
Insightful, heartbreaking, and entertaining - This was a fantastic tour. The guide, Yannis, did a great job of providing background for the war, and of explaining the course of the conflict, as well as where the war fit in the wider context of Spanish history, both before and after the war. The information was highlighted well by the stops along the route. Yannis gave appropriate weight and gravitas to the topics he discussed, and punctuated them with just the right amount of levity. He also did an excellent job of connecting past events and the rise of fascism to current events, and underscored the importance of knowing this history. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about the Spanish Civil War, and to connect and engage with anti-fascist history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maria_k
Oct 17, 2024
Civil War, A Hidden Spanish Trauma. Civil War, a world lesson - Outstanding Tour! Yannis is an incredible guide. A highly knowledgeable historian, superb communicator, and skilled guide, Barcelonas experience of civil war, and the context of this, was explained and illustrated memorably. The interweaving of fact (location and photos of the time) and fiction - excerpts from authors who wrote of their experiences in Barcelona in the civil war, are used to great effect by Yannis. Philosophy, history, sociology and economics are used to form the context for the “why” , how and consequences of the civil war. An intelligent, provocative, fascinating, and horrifying tour. Excellent and highly recommended! Bravo Yannis!
Review provided by Viator
Justin_a
Oct 22, 2024
Acceptable if off topic - Mixed. Filipa had good energy and is passionate about the topic. She is clearly anarchist-supporting which was an interesting take but led to a biased take on the complex tensions of the time. To have rated higher suggest less about her own life/plans and stay focused on stories from the war.
Review provided by Viator
From $37
up to 15 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).