Montjuïc is located in Barcelona, Spain. It is a broad hill that has a number of different attractions such as the Magic Fountain, Spanish Village, and the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. Thousands of years ago, this hill was settled by Iberic Celts. Later on, the hill was used as a ceremonial place by the Romans. For many years, the hill was used for grazing animals and also for growing food.
It is 698 feet high and is southeast of the city’s center. Today, Montjuïc is mainly a recreational area that has many sights and activities for visitors. Several of them were built for the International Exhibition in 1929 and also for the 1992 Olympics. One part of the hill offers beautiful views of the harbor.
National Palace
This was originally constructed as the International Exhibition’s main pavilion. This beautiful building has neo-Baroque styling and houses the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. This museum’s collection features Gothic, Roman, Baroque and Renaissance art, together with nineteenth century and twentieth century artworks.
Magic Fountain
This attraction is located at the plaza’s center, near the National Palace. This amazing fountain was built for the International Exhibition. It has a wonderful view of the National Palace, particularly at night because the building is illuminated.
Mies van der Rohe Pavilion
Near the fountain is the Pavelló Mies van der Rohe, which was the International Exhibition’s German pavilion. As with the other pavilions, this one was torn down after the exposition. However, since it was considered to be an important piece of work by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, it was rebuilt in 1988. The marble and glass structure is very typical of his work.
Spanish Village
This is a group of houses that were designed in various Spanish architectural styles and was built for the exhibition. It was originally going to be demolished, but since it was very popular, it was left intact. This Montjuïc attraction is still quite popular with tourists.
Olympic Ring
This was built for the 1992 Olympics and it has many sporting facilities. The Olympic Stadium is located in the center of the ring. The exterior dates back to 1929. The interior was totally refurbished for the Olympics. The Olympic tower is also located here.
Montjuïc Gardens
Many of Montjuïc’s gardens were revitalized for the Olympics and since that time numerous gardens were added. The most interesting garden is the Nou Jardí Botànic, built in the 1990’s. It is a botanical garden that has more than two thousand different kinds of plants. Jardins de Mossèn Costa i Llobera is a unique garden that has a large number of cacti.
Castell de Montjuïc
This is the oldest sight on the hill. It was a large 18th century fortress. The Bourbons built it on top of the remains of an older fort from 1640. The fort was designed to defend Barcelona but many times it was used to attack the city. The Museu Militar or military museum is located here. There is a gondola lift and a funicular that takes visitors to this area on Montjuïc.
