Mountains of Barcelona: where the magic is born
Barcelona has looked at the sea and the mountain. Precisely, that the Litoral sierra touches the sea and the city has allowed Barcelona to be encased by two mountains. To the north the Sierra de Collserola, and in the south, Montjuic. And near the center, the Turó de la Rovira, unmistakable place for its views over the city. Today we propose you to know the mountains of Barcelona, where magic is born.
As always we recommend you from MuchaMasia, the rural hostel urbà del Prat de Llobregat, these routes are accessible by public transport. And also, they are very close from our hostel, connected to the center of Barcelona and the airport.
The tallest mountain in Barcelona: Tibidabo
The mountain that crowns Barcelona’s skyline is Tibidabo. It is part of the Collserola, which is the mountain range that protects the city. This mountain has a height of 512 meters and is the highest mountain in Barcelona. The Tibidabo welcomes on its hillside and top several facilities that deserve a visit. Surely, the most famous and known is the amusement park.
It is one of the oldest amusement parks in Europe that is still in operation. In him there are centennial attractions like the Airplane, the Watchtower, the room of Automatons or the one of the mirrors. There are also more modern attractions such as the Krugger hotel and the roller coaster.
At the top of Tibidabo is the temple that crowns the mountain, visible from all points of the city. Other interesting places are the Communications Tower of Collserola, the work of Norman Foster, the Fabra Astronomical Observatory or the Hotel Florida.
But undoubtedly, the best of Tibidabo are its green spaces for walking and getting to know the forest, and the views that are obtained from the whole city in different viewpoints. And there are some secrets along the Carretera de les Aigües.
To get to Tibidabo by public transport you can take the metro Line 9 (Prat Estació) and change at Torrassa (Line 1) to Plaza Catalunya. There the Railroads take you to the Peu del Funicular that climbs Tibidabo.
Montjuic: the mountain of museums next to the sea
Montjuic is the mountain of Barcelona closest to the sea. Moreover, its cliffs fall over the harbor and from them illuminates the lighthouse. Montjuic offers many attractions, and is especially known for its museums and the Olympic ring, epicenter of the 1992 Olympic Games.
We start with the cultural part. Just up from Plaza España you will find the two Venetian towers that give access to the Fira de Barcelona. If we look up, a large building crowns the mountain. It is the MNAC, National Museum of Art of Catalonia. It houses important art collections, such as the Catalan Romanesque jewels and works of modernism. But he’s not the only one. You find the CaixaForum, an open venue of thematic exhibitions. And just opposite we present you one of the secrets of Montjuic, the pavilion Mies Van der Rohe. It is a work that was established in the universal expo of 1929 and is one of the masterpieces of architecture, which is often concealed for the general public.
The walk along Montjuic continues towards the Fundació Miró, the most important art gallery in the world dedicated to the work of Joan Miró. And you can also visit the Olympic Museum, the Palau Sant Jordi and the Olympic Stadium. And if you have the strength, visit the Botanical Garden and Montjuic Castle to have unique views of the city and the port. To get off, as you will be tired, take the Funicular and land in Poble Sec for some tapas.
You can get to Montjuic very fast from MuchaMasia. You take the 165 bus in el Prat and it leaves you in the Plaza de España. And from there, you can start your way to the mountain by the escalators. There are also buses that move inside the mountain.
The Carmel bunkers
Lately it has become fashionable to visit the Turó de la Rovira, near the Gracia neighborhood and Park Güell. Precisely, in this place are the Carmel antiaircraft batteries popularly known as the Carmel bunkers. It is a hill that emerges from the center of the city and that for years has served as a point of defense for various attacks. The views from there are privileged and generate authentic postcards of Barcelona.
To get to the Carmel bunkers from MuchaMasia we recommend you go to Plaza Catalunya and there take bus line 24, which leaves you at the foot of Turó de la Rovira.
As you can see, the mountains of Barcelona have magic. And we want you to know them.