It seems that the hill of Montjuïc (173m) was home the first inhabitants of Barcelona even before the arrival of the Roman hordes, and gave shelter to the city’s first port. It was used as a cemetery for the Jewish community during the Middle Ages, which is a possible source of its name. The hill also served as the city’s quarry for many centuries, providing a large amount of stone for construction proposes. It was also the site of a racing track during the 20th century. Its current activities are focussed around three main themes: sport, culture and nature. We should, perhaps, add a fourth: death – the hillside facing the sea is the site of the immense Montjuïc cemetery.
RECOMMENDATIONS: The best way of getting to Montjuïc is by metro or bus to Plaça Espanya. From there on, it’s up to you: the hill is big enough to accommodate hours of walking in some of the city’s lesser-known gardens. The best thing to do is visit some of the spots we suggest here and walk unhurriedly around one of the city’s major green spaces.
Opened in 1900, the Arenas was the second of the three bullrings in the city. It is currently being converted into a leisure centre in an ambitious project designed by Richard Rogers. Gran Vía, 373-385.
The entrance to the city’s trade fair grounds, this avenue was created for the 1929 Universal Exposition. A number of buildings dating from this period can be found on the hill. Three elements stand out on the avenue: the two Venetian towers, the Palau Nacional in the background and the Magic Fountain, designed by the engineer Carles Buïgas. It is a sight to behold on summer nights, with its spectacle of water, music and lights.
Designed in 1910, the building that housed the Algodón Casaramona textile factory was only used as such for seven years. This modernist building by Josep Puig y Cadafalch served various functions (including being used as a police station) before its restoration and conversion into what it is today: one of the city’s main cultural centres. Pay particular attention to the two glass and iron trees at the entrance, designed by Arata Isozaki. Avda. Marques de Comillas, 6-8.
The most surprising thing about this small building, originally planned for the German representation at the 1929 Universal Exposition, is the fact that it dates from the same period as the Palau Nacional. It was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, following the purest rationalist principles. This much-praised construction was demolished when the exposition ended and rebuilt in the mid-1980’s. Avda. Marques de Comillas, 7.
This is another architectural legacy of the 1929 Universal Exposition. It was created with the objective of showcasing some of the high points of Spanish architecture, and is still fulfilling this role: playing host to dozens of craft workshops and offering an attractive range of cultural activities. Avda. Marques de Comillas, 13.
This is the epicentre of the Olympic Games held in Barcelona in 1992. It is easily accessible, thanks to the escalators that connect it to Avinguda Maria Cristina. It includes the Olympic Stadium, renovated specifically for the Games, Palau Sant Jordi, a stadium designed by Arata Isozaki, and the INEF pavilion , designed by Catalan architect Ricard Bofill.
This fortress was built in the 18th century not to defend the city, but rather to watch over it. The castle was recentlygiven over to the Generalitat regional goverment. In June and July, the castle moat is the venue of the Montjuic Film Festival, a city classic in which the best independent films are preceded by a short film and a concert. From the end of the 19th century, it was used as a prison and was sadly the site of executions until just a few decades ago. It currently houses a Military Museum and offers magnificent panoramic views of the coast. Carretera de Montjuïc, 66.
This museum, designed by the rationalist architect Josep Lluís Sert was opened in 1975 and houses a number of exhibitions on the artistic avant-garde, as well as a permanent exhibition dedicated to the work of Joan Miró (1893-1983). Av. Miramar, 1.
Built between 1920 and 1923, the open-air “Greek Theatre” lies in one of the hill’s former stone quarries. It is surrounded by gardens that make up a unique setting, seating 2000 people and is used to stage performances in the Grec summer festival. Passeig Santa Madrona, 36.
The Palau Nacional was one of the emblematic structures of the 1929 Universal Exposition. Designed by Eugenio Cendoya, and finished in an eclectic style, its construction was hurried and rather shoddy and in the following decades it underwent various restoration projects in an attempt to consolidate its shaky foundations and shore up dangerous cracks. Nowadays it houses the National Art Museum of Catalonia, with an artistic collection covering 1000 years of history. Some of its sections, like the one dedicated to Catalan Romanesque art, are quite simply spectacular.Mirador del Palau Nacional, 6.
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