Tour Montjuïc - 1.5 days

With the tour around the Montjuïc you get to know in 1.5 days the at sea and port situated hill Montjuïc. The program is very varied.
If you will leave out one or two sights of interest you can also can accomplish the tour in a day.

Although the local mountain with it´s over 200 meters can`t be described as a high mountain you should at least wear on your first day good and comfortable shoes.

The first day of our tour of the Montjuïc

Length of the tour on the first day: around 6,500 meters on foot.

Our tour begins at the Maremagnum (metro station Drassanes, L3). First and foremost to visit the cafés of the shopping center and to have breakfast with a look at the Montjuïc.

Go from the Maremagnum to the middle station of the cableway, which leads up to the Montjuïc. This is on the pier, where also ferries are landing . From there you drive up to the mountain station.

As an alternative, you can also begin your tour at the Museu d'Historia de Catalunya (metro Barceloneta, L4). The museum has a very beautiful roof terrace. You get there if you go to the station Plaça Balmeres the funicular. This is the first stop by the sea. Through the tower the cable station can't be overlooked.

Well, you can get in the Montjuïc mountain. If so have a look at the marked tour on the map. Then the way ahead is easy to find.
From the mountain station go about 200 meters straight to a small square, the Plaça de Carles Ibañez. From here there you turn left into a little footpath away from the Carretera de Montjuïc This path leads to a road which is also called Carretera de Montjuïc. You continue the road on the left side up to the mountain.

The first smaller attraction is the Plaça de Sardana. You will recognize the place by it's Sardana dancers who are made from stone and who are standing in a group.During the Franco regime this dance had been banned. Therefore it is now a very popular dance on public holidays.

Also the next station, which is about 500 meters away, has a disreputable historical background. The Castell de Montjuic, situated at the top of the Montjuic, became Franco's political opponents prison. A lot of them often disappeared or were executed. This is the reason why the Montjuïc was hated by the population.

The military historical museum is located in the Castell. The museum is very interesting because of its gorgeous view over the city and not because of it's cannons. You will have the best view over the city, the port and the sea from this spot.

Now it goes back down the mountain. The next stop is the museum of Fundació Joan Miró. In order to get there you go the Avinguda del Castell down to the Carrer dels Tarongers. Then you continue until you come across the Avinguda de Miramar which directly leads to the Miró Museum. In addition to it´s considerable art collection it's terrace is also interesting. There you have a great view from the inner city.

After visiting the Miró Museum you just follow the road in the direction of the Olympic sports venues. Just have a look around. It is very beautiful and the architecture is exceptional. With the Summer Olympic Games in 1992 and the associated town planning measures Barcelona finally has broken with it's Tristesse of the Franco regime. So finally the people from Barcleona can love their Montjuïc mountain again.

Now just continue to follow the large street and you will pass a roundabout and then come to the Poble Espanyol. This village shows off typical houses from all parts of Spain. Inside these houses a bunch of craftsmen follow their typical craftsmanship. In the Poble Espanyol, you also can eat well.

In the summer months, you can spend a little more time in the Poble Espanyol but you shouldn't miss the water games of the Font Màgica. Especially at night when the light covers everything, it is impressive.

From the Plaça de Espanya you can go back to your accomodation by the metro (L1, L3, F.G.C.).

Second day of the tour on Montjuïc

Length of the tour on the second day: around 2,700 meters on foot.

You second day starts at the the Plaza de Espanya. For this area we have no special breakfast recommendation. If you haven't eaten in your hotel and if you live in the inner city we can recommend to have your breakfast in the department store El Cortes Ingles at the Plaça de Catalunya. You have a wonderful view of the square. With the subway line 3 you continue without any changes directly to the Plaza de Espanya.

On your way you already have a view of the two Venetian-towers and the neo-classical building in the direction of Montjuïc. You probably already noticed them the previeous day. The building was built for the World Exhibition of 1929 and houses the Museu National d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC). This will be your first stop for today. If you are not interested in Romanesque frescoes and medieval art the building itself is worth a visit in any case.
Behind the MNAC is a small Parc which is called the Jardins de Joan Maragall. Here you can have a little break if you feel like it.

The next stop is the Caixa Forum, a museum of contemporary art. You'll find it when you go down the steps from the MNAC to the Avinguda del Marquès de Comilles, which directl bypasses the Font Màgica. After about 100 meters, the Caixa Forum appears, this will be the last stop of this tour.

Helpful links for interesting sights for your Montjuïc tour