Compared to the booming street life, the human warmth, hustle, and bustle of Barcelona, Montjuïc may feel remote, but the art and architecture concentrated around this lush promontory, covered with parks and gardens, more than justify spending a day of exploring the following 14 sites to visit on this walking tour. MAP IT
But before we start let's have a special thought for our Celt, Jewish and Roman ancestors :
Several thousand years ago, Iberic Celts settled on the Montjuïc, a 173 meter high hill southeast of Barcelona's current city center. The hill was later used by the Romans as a ceremonial place.
This hill overlooking the south side of the port is said to have originally been named Mont Juif for the Jewish cemetery once on its slopes, though a 3rd-century Roman document referring to the construction of a road between Mons Taber (around the cathedral) and Mons Jovis (Mount of Jove) suggests that in fact the name may derive from the Roman deity Jove, or Jupiter.
Amen.
The most spectacular way to reach the Castle and other attractions at Montjuïc is via the cable car that crosses the port : the Transbordador Aeri. You've seen what it's like and, let's say, you would prefera less vertiginous experiment ? No problem, a funicular land-based service climbs the hillside from Paralell Metro station in Poble Sec, and makes a final stop immediatly below the castle at the top of Montjuïc. Or we could climb on bus 150 that connects all the sites of Montjuïc with the Plaça d'Espanya Metro station.
The eastern side of the hill is almost a sheer cliff, giving it a commanding view over the city's harbor and of the Mossèn Costa i Llobera Gardens immediately below. The collection presented by these gardens is considered one of the most important in the succulent plant world. But it is a little off the road and I suggest we start our day in Montjuïc at the top of the hill (a height of 173 meters) which was the site of several fortifications, the latest of which, the Castell de Montjuïc (1), remains today. The Mirador de l'Alcalde (2), the Mayor's Viewing Point, a garden located on the mountain of Montjuïc very near the castle at the top, honours its name by the exceptional views of Barcelona it provides. Going down, we will go through the Gardens of Joan Brossa (3) and the lush Jardins de Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer (4).
Montjuïc is now Barcelona's art enclave, with nearly every painting in town hanging in the Miró Foundation (5) or the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya ( MNCA ). Opposite the main entrance to the MNCA the impeccably maintained gardens known as the Jardins Maragall (6), in which stands the Palau Albeniz, built in 1929 and with murals by Salvador Dali, was named after the Catalan poet Joan Maragall i Gorina (1860-1911).
More recently, the 1992 Olympic Games brought about major renewal. The Olympic Ring (7), the main site of the Olympic Games, features the stadium, the Estadi Lluís Companys, Arata Izosaki’s sports palace, the Palau Sant Jordi, and the telecommunications tower designed by Santiago Calatrava. Nearby, the Museu Olímpic i de l'Esport Joan Antoni Samaranch and the Botanical Gardens are also unmissable sights as you explore the Parc de Montjuïc.
Amen.
The most spectacular way to reach the Castle and other attractions at Montjuïc is via the cable car that crosses the port : the Transbordador Aeri. You've seen what it's like and, let's say, you would prefera less vertiginous experiment ? No problem, a funicular land-based service climbs the hillside from Paralell Metro station in Poble Sec, and makes a final stop immediatly below the castle at the top of Montjuïc. Or we could climb on bus 150 that connects all the sites of Montjuïc with the Plaça d'Espanya Metro station.
The eastern side of the hill is almost a sheer cliff, giving it a commanding view over the city's harbor and of the Mossèn Costa i Llobera Gardens immediately below. The collection presented by these gardens is considered one of the most important in the succulent plant world. But it is a little off the road and I suggest we start our day in Montjuïc at the top of the hill (a height of 173 meters) which was the site of several fortifications, the latest of which, the Castell de Montjuïc (1), remains today. The Mirador de l'Alcalde (2), the Mayor's Viewing Point, a garden located on the mountain of Montjuïc very near the castle at the top, honours its name by the exceptional views of Barcelona it provides. Going down, we will go through the Gardens of Joan Brossa (3) and the lush Jardins de Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer (4).
Montjuïc is now Barcelona's art enclave, with nearly every painting in town hanging in the Miró Foundation (5) or the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya ( MNCA ). Opposite the main entrance to the MNCA the impeccably maintained gardens known as the Jardins Maragall (6), in which stands the Palau Albeniz, built in 1929 and with murals by Salvador Dali, was named after the Catalan poet Joan Maragall i Gorina (1860-1911).
More recently, the 1992 Olympic Games brought about major renewal. The Olympic Ring (7), the main site of the Olympic Games, features the stadium, the Estadi Lluís Companys, Arata Izosaki’s sports palace, the Palau Sant Jordi, and the telecommunications tower designed by Santiago Calatrava. Nearby, the Museu Olímpic i de l'Esport Joan Antoni Samaranch and the Botanical Gardens are also unmissable sights as you explore the Parc de Montjuïc.
The Historic Botanic Garden (8) , a little treasure among the gardens of Barcelona, is nestled in the site of two old quarry pits in the Foixarda sector of Montjuïc, behind the MNAC. The Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (9) contains what is considered the world's best collection of Romanesque murals and frescoes removed for restoration from Pyrenean chapels in the 1930's. In addition, the MNAC is the home of the Art Modern collection of impressionist and Moderniste painters, as well as an impressive Gothic collection. Before or after the visit, depending on the time, we could have a nice lunch at the Oleum a beautiful restaurant located inside the MNCA with a superb view over Barcelona.
Montjuïc Hill has borne witness to, and been the focus of key events that have shaped its personality. The first such event was the 1929 International Exhibition held in Barcelona which fostered the development of the zone ( the MNAC is housed in the colossal Palau Nacional, the centrepiece of the 1929 exhibition ). The Poble Espanyol (10), with its “artisans’ village”, was built to show visitors a representative sample of Spanish architecture. The Pavelló Mies van der Rohe (11), which was the German pavilion at the event, is a superb example of Bauhaus architecture.
Just across the street, the former Casaramona textile factory (12), a modernista landmark by Puig i Cadafalch, is now home to CaixaForum, a cultural centre which hosts temporary exhibitions. At the foot of the Palau Nacional the Magic Fountain (13) was built for the 1929 Universal Exhibition. When active, it constantly changes color and shape offering a spectacular display of music, water acrobatics and lights which generate over 50 kinds of shades and hues...
By now we should be exhausted, ready to go back to our hotel. No ? OK let's do some shopping ! But in an unusual place : Arenas (14)
Just across the street, the former Casaramona textile factory (12), a modernista landmark by Puig i Cadafalch, is now home to CaixaForum, a cultural centre which hosts temporary exhibitions. At the foot of the Palau Nacional the Magic Fountain (13) was built for the 1929 Universal Exhibition. When active, it constantly changes color and shape offering a spectacular display of music, water acrobatics and lights which generate over 50 kinds of shades and hues...
By now we should be exhausted, ready to go back to our hotel. No ? OK let's do some shopping ! But in an unusual place : Arenas (14)
