Sunday, May 6, 2012

Barcelona: Montjüic

Last Saturday in Barcelona after going on a free Gaudí walking tour, I walked down to the ports ready to explore Park Montjüic.

Park "Montjüic", translated as "Jew Hill," is a hill overlooking the harbor in Barcelona.  I really enjoyed the afternoon I spent here, despite what my feet thought of me that night and the following days.

I started up the hill via the Stairs of Forestier:


When I reached the top of Forestier's Stairs, I was greeted with the perfect location to sit and eat my packed lunch.


There was a great look-out location where I took many pictures of the shore and city below.  Little did I know I'd be going much higher -- and have even better views later that afternoon.

I followed a path and continued upwards until I arrived at the gardens of Joan Brossa (Jardines de Joan Brossa), through which I decided to take a stroll.




A bit higher, and I had reached the Montjüic Castle, which was completely free to enter and walk around the grounds.




On the map, nearby was the Olympic Stadium in which the 1992 olympic games were held.  I couldn't find a good path continuing in that direction of the hill; all of the roads and paths leaving the castle went downhill, back where I had came from.  So I walked back to the path on the edge of the hill overlooking the port, in the direction of the olympic stadium.

Along the way I walked past what I think was a type of cemetery.


And then I found it, the Olympic Stadium.  There weren't too many people on the grounds, just a few tourists.  Otherwise the place was mostly deserted.  Nobody worked there, and there wasn't that much to see, but you could walk around the fountains and grounds surrounding the stadium.

Olympic Stadium in Barcelona



The empty feeling that the stadium possessed was a bit strange, but it was neat to know that twenty years ago this place was buzzing with action and excitement.



At this point I had spent hours and hours walking up and around Montüic Park.  The next road I took headed downhill, back into town.  When I got to the bottom, I looked behind me and saw the National Palace.

Barcelona's National Palace

The National Palace is one of the surviving buildings that was originally built for the 1929 World's Fair.  Somehow I missed the Magic Fountain, which lies somewhere on Montjüic - also from the World's Fair.  

On top of Montjüic there were a couple of teleféricos that take you to different parts of the hill (for those who don't enjoy walking as much as I do -- or those that just want to experience a teleférico ride).


IF YOU GO...
What: Montjüic (Jew Hill)
Where: Near Port Vell; just look for the huge green hill near the port. 
Metro: There are multiple entrance points to Montjüic.  You could take the teleférico (cable car) from Barceloneta.  You could also take the teleférico from Parallel to the top of the hill.  Bus 61 is a special bus that goes to Montjüic; it goes through Plaza España then up the hill.  For those who wish to walk, like me, you can walk up Nou de la Rambla.  When you get to the top take a left towards Miramar. 
Cost: Free!  There are some attractions/museums on the hill that do have an admission cost, for example the Poble Espanyol ("Spanish village").
Tips: Montjüic contains more sites than the ones I visited and wrote about.  I didn't know what to expect before I started climbing up, but I'd recommend researching ahead of time to see all that the hill has to offer.  A map from one of the many Montjüic information sites would be helpful as well.  Decide what you want to see, then how you'll make your way through the hill.

1 comment:

  1. Great Photos! :)I stayed in Barcelona some months ago to learn spanish and I had a blast!!

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