The Institute for Catalan Studies sits in the 17th-century Casa de Convalescència, once part of the Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu. The building, especially the entrance vestibule, is richly decorated with ceramic tiles. Visitors can peek at the courtyard, with its statue of St Paul, from the doorway, but to explore further in you'll have to book a guided tour (€8; www.sternalia.com; 93 170 17 97).
Up on the 1st floor at the far end is what was once an orange garden, now named after Catalan novelist Mercè Rodoreda.