FC Barcelona visitor guide | Nou Camp guide
The Camp Nou is the world famous home ground of FC Barcelona. The stadium has a capacity of 98,772, which makes it the largest stadium in Europe and one of the largest stadiums in the world. FC Barcelona has played its home games here since the ground opened in 1957, replacing the teams previous stadium, the Camp de Les Corts. The first game played here was a 4-2 victory for the hosts over Polish side Legia Warsaw. The Camp Nou holds the prestigious honour of being a UEFA 5-star rated stadium; it has hosted UEFA Champions League Finals, international matches and was one of the 1982 World Cup venues (it hosted the inaugural match, 2nd round and semi-final fixtures). To coincide with the stadiums 50th birthday, plans were drawn up to redevelop and modernise the design and aesthetics of the arena. The proposals include the addition of an extra 10,000 seats and covering to protect fans from the weather.
FC Barcelona has a strong following; the team is seen as an ambassador for the Catalan cultural identity and it's local importance reaches far beyond the football pitch. Fittingly, the clubs motto is Mes que un club (More than a club). Guided tours of the Camp Nou are available and are very popular with locals and tourists alike; the tours often sell out so it is advised to arrive early in the day and reserve your ticket. Tickets for the Camp Nou tour cost 13 Euros for adults and 10.40 Euros for children between 6 and 13 years of age (children under 6 go free) and include entry to the club museum. The tour is open until one hour before the museum closes.
As well as football matches, the Camp Nou has also hosted concerts by artists such as Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and U2.
The stadium is located to the west of the city centre but Barcelona's popularity as tourist destination ensures that there are plenty of hotels near the Camp Nou; MATCHhotels.com lists 29 hotels with a mile of the ground.
If you are coming to the Camp Nou to watch your team play then it is likely that you will be arriving in Barcelona by plane. Barcelona International Airport (sometimes called El Prat) is about 6.5 miles from the city centre. The airport is connected to the city by Line 10 (R10) of the local commuter rail service. Trains depart half hourly from the airport and stop at Barcelona's main train stations, the Estacio de Franca and Barcelona Sants. Fans looking to travel onwards to their Camp Nou hotel should leave the train at Barcelona Sants as this station is served by the Barcelona Metro lines L3 and L5. Alternatively, bus line 46 runs every 25 minutes from the airport to the central Placa Espanya and taxis are always available outside the terminal.
Some airlines fly to Girona and Reus airports instead of Barcelona International, which although often listed as Barcelona are 57 and 56 miles from the city respectively. Both airports have bus services that run direct to Barcelona city centre. The journey from both Girona and Reus takes over an hour by road.
The Camp Nou stadium is easy to reach within Barcelona itself. As can be seen on the MATCHhotels.com map, it is about 3 miles due west of the city centre and has a number of Metro stops close by; the most convenient being Les Corts and Maria Cristina (L1) and Collblanc (L5).
