Montjuic Mountain is the site of numerous museums, gardens and sports installations. If you go by Tourist Bus, you will be taken to the main places of interest. If you go on your own, we recommend visiting Avinguda María Cristina, the fountains of Montjuic and MNAC (National Museum of Contemporary Art) and then riding the funicular up to the castle. Below we provide you with a list of major points of interest:
- On Avenida María Cristina, the main entrance to Montjuic from Plaza de España, are the pavilions of the Fira Barcelona, built for the 1929 World Exposition and currently the site of fairs and expositions in Barcelona. In front of the Fira are the famous Montjuic Fountains, which every Friday, Saturday and Sunday offer a unique show of light, music and colour. Above the fountain is the majestic Museo Nacional de Catalunya (MNAC) (we recommend seeing it from the outside, but it's not worth going in on this route).
- Montjuic Castle: Montjuic has always been a strategic point of defence of the city, which explains the fortress that sits atop its peak. Curiously, rather than defending Barcelona, it has served the armies of Spanish monarchs more often in bombarding the city in their attempts to subdue the native Catalans. The castle was also used numerous times as a prison for political prisoners up to the time of Franco's dictatorship. Here prisoners were executed and buried in the cemetery to the southeast of the mountain. In 1940, Lluís Companys, president of the Generalitat, or Catalan government, was executed on Montjuic by firing squad for having proclaimed the independence of Catalonia and resisted Franco's military coup. We recommend seeing it from the outside, but it's not necessary to enter.
- How to get there: Take the funicular located inside the metro station at the Parallel stop (lines 2 and 3). Included in the metro ticket. The funicular will leave you at Parc de Montjuic. From there you can walk to the castle (approx. 20 min), take bus no. 50 (2.15€, included in transportation card) or take the cable car (7.50€ single ticket, 10.80€ round trip).
