Montjuïc

Several thousand years ago, Iberic Celts settled on the Montjuïc, a 213m high hill southeast of Barcelona's current city center. The hill was later used by the Romans as a ceremonial place.

Today the hill features a large number of sights and attractions, most of them originating from two major events that took place here: the 1929 International Exhibition and the 1992 Olympics.

One of these sights is the Palau Nacional (National Palace), the central pavilion of the International Exhibition. The majestic building in neo-baroque style is home to the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC). Its collection includes Roman, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art as well as 19th and 20th century works of art.

At the center of a plaza in front of the Palau Nacional is the Font Màgica or Magic Fountain. From here, you have a great view of the palace, especially at night when both the building and the fountain are illuminated.

Right next to the fountain is the Pavelló Mies van der Rohe, built by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as the German pavilion for the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition. Like all other pavilions, the German pavilion was demolished after the exposition, but since it is considered one of van der Rohe's most influential works, it was reconstructed in the 1980s. The glass and marble building is typical for Mies van der Rohe's work, whose maxim was 'less is more'.

Another remainder of the 1929 Exhibition is the Poble Espanyol (Spanish village), a collection of houses in different Spanish architectural styles. The village was originally slated for demolition after the end of the Exhibition, but due to its popularity it was kept intact. The Poble Espanyol is still a very popular tourist attraction.

Montjuïc is also home to the Anella Olímpica (Olympic Ring) which consists of a number of sports facilities built for the 1992 Olympics. At the center of the ring is the Olympic Stadium. Its exterior dates from 1929 but the interior of the stadium was completely rebuilt for the Olympics.

With the arrival of the Olympics in 1992, the many gardens on the Montjuïc were given renewed attention and since several new gardens were added. Some of the most interesting are the Nou Jardí Botànic, a botanic garden with more than 2000 different plants created in the 1990s and the Jardins de Mossen Costra i Lljobera, with hundreds of different types of cactuses.

The oldest sight on the Montjuïc is the Castell de Montjuïc, a large 18th century fortress. It was built by the Bourbons on the remains of a fort dating back to 1640. Originally built for the defense of Barcelona but often used against the city at the foot of the hill, the fortress now houses the Museu Militar (military museum). The fortress can be reached by a funicular and cable-lift, which starts at the Paral-lel metro stop.