Barcelona Cathedral includes virtual reality in tours 

Over 5000 visitors have already tried new experience 

Visitors trying the new virtual reality tour in Barcelona's Cathedral
Visitors trying the new virtual reality tour in Barcelona's Cathedral / Lea Beliaeva Bander

Lea Beliaeva Bander | Barcelona

November 9, 2023 02:34 PM

November 9, 2023 05:21 PM

The famous Cathedral of Barcelona is offering a virtual reality tour inside the historic building as part of its newest addition to make it more appealing for visitors.  

Through virtual reality googles visitors can discover the most emblematic spaces of the Cathedral such as the cloisters and The Santa Eulàlia Crypt.  

The tour also shows the cathedral's artwork and recreated images of Barcelona during medieval times, both inside as well as outside of the church. 

"We are telling an audiovisual story in 3D about Barcelona starting in the 16th century," Francisco Moya, CEO of Vocces Lab, the company behind creating the tour, said to Catalan News on Thursday morning. 

The tour, which is around five minutes long, was shot using drones allowing visitors to get a 360-degree panoramic view.

lea Standups / Lea Beliaeva Bander

"We want to show visitors the cathedral from another perspective," Santiago Bueno, Dean of the cathedral, said. 

"This new technology allows visitors to see aspects of the cathedral that they would otherwise not notice," he added. 

Over 5,000 visitors have already tried this new experience, since it was introduced 100 days ago. 

"It gave me a different perspective of the cathedral, it was like flying through the air," Robert Sanders, a first-time visitor who tried the virtual reality tour, said.  

"I liked the fact that it gave me more history," he added. 

The tour is currently offered in seven languages, including English, Catalan and Chinese.