Information of the neighborhoods

The Montjuic area is well-known because of the 1992 Olympics, but there is much more to visit. The district is located at sea but does not have any beaches, it consists of a hillside from which you can enjoy a splendid view over the city and the sea.

Above Sants Montjuic lies the Parc de l’Espanya Industrial. This park is named after a large textile factory which used to stand there. In the park you can find canals, a boat lake with in the middle a sculpture of Neptunes. The lake is surrounded by an amphitheatre.

Noticeable in the park are the ten towers which serve as watchtowers and streetlamps.

Plaza Espanya is a wonderful large square which lies at the foot of the Palau Nacional. The square is the most beautiful at night because of the lightning. The beautiful fountain on this large roundabout is the work of Josep Maria Jujol, a student of Gaudi. The fountains stand on the place where a long time ago, till 1715, they use to hang people. The statues in the park are made by Miquel Blay.

The Palau Nacional is standing at the end of a beautiful alley, which starts at Plaza Espanya. This palace was built in 1929 for the world exhibit. From the stairs, which leads to the entrance of the palace, you have a splendid view over the city.

Close to Palau Nacional lies Poble Español, a little village on the Montjuic mountain. This visit worthy village was built for the world exhibit of 1929 and shows all kinds of Spanish construction styles. The village contains 116 houses. It is a very special building complex, many tourist are visiting this place. In the village, craftsmen are still making glass, ceramic and sculptures.

The complex of the Olympics, Estadi Olimpic de Montjuic, is situated near Poble Español. The original front of the stadium from 1936 is still shown. In 1936 the Olympics were canceled because of the civil war. Today the stadium is open to visitors. Fascinating is the large tower of the telecom company Telefonica.
Going in the direction of the mountains, you will pass by Pavello Mies van de Rohe. This beautiful pavilion was originally built for the world exhibition; the one you see here is a replica. The original one was broken down after the exhibit. It is a lovely pavilion but back in the days it was a real shock for the visitors. The style was very modern at that time.

Beyond Pavello Mies van der Rohe lies Parc de Montjuic. A nice park, which is located at the foot of the mountain. If you follow a little road going up hill, you will eventually end up at Castell de Montjuic. This is an enormous large castle from the 18th century. From this point on, you can enjoy a beautiful view over the port and city.

The original castle was built in 1640 but was destroyed in 1705 by Filips V. Nowadays the castle serves as a military museum, which is certainly worth visiting.

At the foot of the mountain, on the other side of the port, lies a large cactus garden where you can find a large diversity of cactus plants. A wonderful place for nature admirers.