MONTJUÏC

Description

Essentials about Montjuïc in brief

Located right next to the Port of Barcelona, the 173-meter-high Montjuïc is one of the city’s two local mountains, along with Tibidabo. Montjuïc is one of the main attractions of Barcelona due to its beautiful parks, its magnificent viewpoints of the city and the sea and, above all, its many monuments and museums. From the Montjuïc Castle fortress and the botanical garden to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, CaixaForum and the Fundació Joan Miró museums, to the Magic Fountain light and music show and the Poble Espanyol open-air architecture museum, Montjuïc is home to a wide range of tourist highlights. And, of course, there are still some of the former sports venues of the 1992 Olympics to be seen here.

The name “Montjuïc”

The origin of the name “Montjuïc” is not exactly known and is still disputed today. There are two competing theories: On the one hand, the term can be translated as “mountain of Jupiter” (Latin “Mons Jovicus”). This theory is supported by a temple supposedly standing here at the time of Roman settlement. On the other hand, the name can also be interpreted as “Mountain of the Jews” (from the medieval Catalan “Mont juïc”). This theory is based on the fact that at that time there was a Jewish cemetery on the eastern side of the mountain.

Major events on Montjuïc

However, Montjuïc owes its attractiveness to two events in Barcelona’s history: the 1929 World’s Fair and the 1992 Summer Olympics, two major events that led to the construction of many of today’s monuments on the mountain.

Sights on Montjuïc

Magic Fountain and Poble Espanyol

Among the buildings erected as part of the 1929 World’s Fair is the famous Magic Fountain, whose water features, accompanied by music and lighting effects, are an extremely popular spectacle. Another World’s Fair structure is the Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village), a kind of open-air architectural museum with replicas of typical architectural styles from all regions of Spain.

The Olympic Stadium and the Olympic Museum

At a higher altitude are the parks of Montjuïc and the Olympic site with the former Olympic sports venues, first and foremost the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium. Not far from the stadium is a museum dedicated to the 1992 Olympic Games. Major international events are also regularly held in the neighboring swimming stadiums and tennis courts.

The Jardí Botànic

Right next to the Olympic Stadium, on the south side of Montjuïc, is the Barcelona Botanical Garden. In the Jardí Botànic you can find almost 1,500 different plants from different regions of the world with a Mediterranean climate. The garden is not only a beautiful park, but also one of the largest green spaces in Barcelona.

Montjuïc Castle

Between the Botanical Gardens and the port the oldest surviving structure on Montjuïc is situated: the fortress of Montjuïc Castle. Built in the mid-17th century, the fortress acted throughout history both as a protection of the port and the city, and as a stronghold of foreign domination over the city’s inhabitants.

The museums on Montjuïc

Montjuïc is also home to three of Barcelona’s most important museums. At the foot of the mountain, the Palau Nacional building houses the huge Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), which is home to a large number of works by well-known Catalan artists. Right next door is the CaixaForum, a museum of contemporary art by international painters and sculptors. A little further up Montjuïc the Fundació Joan Miró is located, the most important museum of the world-famous Catalan artist. Incidentally, Miró and many other famous Catalans are buried in the large municipal cemetery Cementiri de Montjuïc on the southern slope of the mountain.

Getting to Montjuïc

By the way, there are several ways to get up the Montjuïc. Those who are a bit fitter should of course “hike” the mountain and get to know its many different facets. Those who prefer a more leisurely approach can either take the Montjuïc funicular from the Paral-lel metro station or ride the spectacular Telefèric del Port Aerial Tramway up the mountain. And even on the mountain itself, the Telefèric de Montjuïc is a cable car that transports “gimpy” people or people who like to enjoy a fantastic view over the mountain.