Columbus monument

On the viewing platform of the Columbus monument you have a wonderful all-round view of the harbor and the old town. Excellent current Catalan wines are offered in the cellar. You can already make a selection at a wine tasting.

Visit the tower

The Columbus monument was inaugurated on 01 June 1888 on the occasion of the World Exhibition. After a lengthy overhaul, the Monument a Colom reopened to the public in June 2013. The very beautiful cellar with a room for presenting Catalan wines and a souvenir shop was also made available to the public.

The visit is particularly worthwhile if you want to get an overview of the old town and the old port of Barcelona. The view also extends to the Sagrada Familia, the Tibidabo, the Torre Glòries and the Montjuïc.

The bronze statue of Columbus

The Mirador de Colom, as the entire work is called, is located on the Plaça del Portal de la Pau at the southern end of the Rambla. High on the column is the actual memorial in honor of explorer and adventurer Christopher Columbus. After his return from America in 1493, he was received by King Ferdinand II in Barcelona and celebrated for discovering the new world. The bronze statue of Columbus points towards Mallorca, which was also the direction of his departure. In his left hand he holds a nautical chart of his route.

The viewing platform

Although there are vantage points higher than the 60-metre-high Monument a Colom viewing platform, you can still get a nice overview of the city center and the adjacent areas such as Port Vell, the ferry terminal, Montjuïc and the sea from here. If you are only staying in Barcelona for a short time, the monument offers a beautiful view without having to go far.

• Looking North: Here you can see the Gothic Quarter with its historic buildings, the Cathedral and the Church of Santa Maria del Mar and the famous Ramblas.
• Looking West: In the distance, beyond the Modernisme district of Eixample and Gràcia, you will see the Montserolla Masive, the green lung of the city and the Tibidabo amusement park.
• Looking South: Here is the striking hill in front of the city, the Montjuïc with the Castell, which you can see from the observation deck.
• Looking East: You will see the Old Port (Port Vell), if you follow the shoreline you can see Barcelona's beaches and the view extends to the city limits, which is marked by a new landmark of the city - the huge photovoltaic system.

The pillar of the Monument a Colom

The viewing platform is supported by a cast iron column in the Corinthian style. This is where the elevator to the viewing platform is located. At the top of the column are four bronze statues representing the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and America.

The four groups of sculptures at the base of the Columbus monument

On the stone base of the monument are four groups of figures representing famous Catalan figures linked to Columbus' voyage of discovery and the conquest of America: Lluís de Santangel, Jaime Ferrer de Blanes, Captain Pere de Margarit and Father Bernat de Boïl.

The base has the shape of an octagon. In addition to the four groups of figures, there are four sculptures as allegories of the kingdoms of Catalonia, Aragon, Leon and Castile.

The pedestal reliefs

In the lower part of the plinth there are several reliefs depicting scenes from Columbus' life: Columbus explaining the project to Father Juan Pérez, in the court of the Catholic Monarchs in Cordoba, the kings declaring their support, Columbus setting sail, Culumbus , disembarking on the island of Guanahani on October 12, 1492 and the king's reception of Columbus after his first voyage.

The wine cellar

In the basement of the monument there is a souvenir shop and a tourist information as well as a wine cellar. What makes this wine shop so interesting is the selection of wines and cavas: exclusively from the D.O. Catalunya. You will also receive expert advice there, and if you book the ticket including a wine tasting, a glass of wine and a tapa are also included. Of course they want to seduce you into buying a bottle of wine or cava. Wine lovers will not regret this.

Christoph Columbus

The discoverer of America was probably born in Genoa in 1451. Although America was first entered by Europeans 500 years earlier by the Icelanders, he is still considered the discoverer of the continent in history. With his travels, a permanent colonization and settlement of the continent began - but also the oppression and destruction of the natives and the robbery of their treasures.

The original purpose of his journey was to find a sea route from Europe to East Asia. He himself thought he had landed in India. On October 12, 1492, Columbus landed on an island in the Bahamas. This day is now a public holiday in Spain, but for South Americans it's more of a day that marks the beginning of the genocide of cultures thousands of years old.

Columbus made a total of four voyages to America, returning from the last on November 7, 1504.
The navigator died on May 20, 1506 and is buried in Seville. However, it is believed that most of his bones are in Santo Domingo.

Why visit the Monument a Colom

From up there you have a beautiful view and you are very close to the places you can look down on. It's especially worth it if you're only in Barcelona for a few days and don't want to drive up Montjuïc to enjoy the view from there.

The Columbus monument is certainly not a "must" for a successful stay in Barcelona, ​​but it is very beautiful up there.