Discover Montjuïc Barcelona: Castles, Cables Cars, Magic Fountains & More!

Montjuïc Barcelona is a mountain on the outskirts of the city of Barcelona.

As it turns out, there is so much to do on and around Montjuïc hill that you can spend anywhere from a few hours to an entire day!

With so much to do on the mountain, it’s worth spending an entire day exploring this area of Barcelona, and who knows you might fall in love with some of the lesser known attractions on the hill!

So let’s dive in to see what there is to discover on Montjuïc in Barcelona!

Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!

What Is Montjuice In Barcelona

The name, Montjuïc, actually translates to Mount Jew as it was where the old Jewish cemetery was… and probably still is… lovely, I know.

Today, it’s known for known for the Castell Montjuïc (Montjuïc Castle), cable car, and the Magic Fountain.

How Much Time Do You Need In Montjuïc Barcelona?

As I mentioned, you can spend as little as a few hours touring Montjuïc to as long as an entire day (and even want to come back to see more!).

But if you’re pressed for time in Barcelona, make sure to visit the top Montjuïc attractions: the Magic Fountains and Montjuïc Castle. You don’t need more than two hours to visit the castle and the Magic Fountain is a 20 minute water show (at night only!).

But Montjuïc Barcelona isn’t central in the city, so you’re going out of your way to get there. So to make your travel time worthwhile, I recommend spending as much time at Montjuïc as possible and turn it into an entire day of touring this area of Barcelona.

Is It Free To Visit Montjuïc Park Barcelona?

Paying for access to Montjuïc is a choice as the mountain is technically completely free to visit.

There are both free and paid options to get to the top of the mountain and paid or free attractions throughout the area.

So you’re in control of the budget, spending as much, or as little, as you want!

How To Get To The Top Of Montjuïc Barcelona

You have four options to get to the top of Montjuïc in Barcelona: bus, Montjuïc cable car, Teleferico, or you can even walk up!

But I recommend buying a one-way ticket and walking at least one way. If you want a workout, by all means hike to the top of the mountain. For an easier time though, I suggest taking your choice of transportation to the top and then walking on the way down.

There are things to do throughout the mountain, not just at the top or at the bottom. So if you take the bus or cable car both way, you’ll miss some of the hidden gems on Montjuïc.

Taking The Bus To Montjuïc Barcelona

I’m not a fan of cable cars so whenever there’s an alternative, I always opt for it. So I took bus to reach the top of Montjuïc.

To take the bus, you’ll want to arrive at the base of Montjuïc hill, where the Magic Fountains are in Place d’Espanaya.

At Place d’Espanya, the 150 bus will bring you to the top of Montjuïc Barcelona. There are stops along the way if you want to get off anywhere. See the bus schedule and route here.

The bus is the most budget-friendly option (well if you don’t want to walk!), all you need is a public transport ticket. If you take the metro to Place d’Espanya, keep your ticket for the bus! It works on the bus as a transfer.

P.S. When you exit the metro at Place d’Espanya notice the giant circular building. That’s Las Arena, an old bullring that was repurposed in 1999 as a shopping mall. But, if you go to the rooftop terrace, you can get 360º views of Barcelona including seeing Montjuïc and Place d’Espanya. 

Taking The Telefèric de Montjuïc

The Telefèric de Montjuïc is the most popular way to get to the top of the hill. It has three stops on its route: the Mirador, the park Montjuïc, and then finally the Castell at the top.

But it is a process just to get to the Telefèric de Montjuïc as it only starts about halfway up the mountain.

In order to get to the Telefèric de Montjuïc, you can either take the bus or the Montjuïc Funicular to Parc de Montjuïc.

Like the bus, the Montjuïc Funicular is included in your metro ticket! But of course the Telefèric de Montjuïc is extra.

You can book a Telefèric de Montjuïc ticket in advance through Viator here.

Taking The Port Cable Car From Barceloneta

The Port Cable Car doesn’t actually take you to the top of Montjuïc, but if you’re in Barceloneta will get you across the port to the Montjuïc Funicular. From there to get to the top, you can take the Teleféric de Montjuïc, or hop on the 150 bus.

The Port Cable Car will be the most expensive option to get to Montjuïc hill, as you’ll need a separate ticket for each cable car. And for some reason, you also have to pay for the elevator up to get to the Port Cable Car!

But apparently the views from the Port Cable Car are some of the best in Barcelona!

Walk Up (Or Down) Montjuïc

Walking will obviously be the most budget friendly option to get to the top of Montjuïc, but also the most strenuous.

But to easily explore the most of Montjuïc, I highly recommend at least walking one way. And unless you want a workout, I recommend walking down instead of up!

There’s actually a walking path that takes you from the Montjuïc Barcelona castle at the top to the Magic Fountains at the bottom.

And as I’ve mentioned, there are a few stops you can make along your route as well. I’ll get into that in a bit, or you can click here to jump to it.

What Is Montjuïc Know For: The Main Attractions

There are two main attractions on Montjuïc, aside from the Telefèric de Montjuïc, the Magic Fountains and the Castell de Montjuïc (a fortress).

The Magic Fountains are at the bottom of the mountain near Place d’Espanya and the Castell is at the top. See why you have to spend the day exploring Monjtuïc now!?

Visiting The Montjuïc Barcelona Castle (Castell Montjuïc)

The Barcelona Montjuïc Castle (a.k.a. Castell) is nowhere near the largest fortress I’ve seen, or even the most beautiful.

But what sets it apart is its history dating back to 1640, and how it was used up until 1940!

Castell Montjuïc is good to do as your first activity of the day (besides for actually getting to the top!).

Not only can you start at the top and work your way down the mountain, but the castle also gives you a history of Montjuïc.

P.S. Book a guided tour of Montjuic Castle with the Telefèric de Montjuïc combined ticket with Viator here.

See The Magic Fountain Of Montjuïc Barcelona Spain

The Magic Fountains are at the bottom of Montjuïc hill. They’re the perfect way to end your day at Montjuïc Barcelona as the first fountain show only starts at 8:00 P.M (it needs to be dark outside!).

This is a three level fountain with a light and sound show that’s magical to watch. They’re impressive, but don’t expect them to be at the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas level!

Check the schedule online (here). I also found that the presentation could be a hit or miss depending on whether you know the music or not.

2024 Update: due to the state of emergency in Barcelona, the fountains have been shut off to conserve water. Check their website for updates.

P.S. Don’t Go To Montjuïc Just For the Views!

If you’re going to Montjuïc for the views, don’t. Although it is the easiest place to get to from Barcelona for a view, it’s by far the best.

Don’t think that just because you’re going on top of a hill that the views are automatically going to be spectacular. You’re too far from the city, so it everything ends up looking really small.

If a view is what you’re interested, there are way better places to go. Instead of going to Montjuïc for a view, head to Tibidabo or Bunker del Carmel (but that’s a bit of a hike to get to!).

Montjuïc Barcelona is more about what you can do on the hill than the view itself.

What To Do In Montjuïc For A Day?

As I mentioned, you’re going to want to start and end your day with the top Montjuïc attractions.

So you’ll want to start your day by going to the top of the mountain and touring Castell Montjuïc. After visiting the Castell, start your trek down the hill, stopping at different points of interest along the way. Your goal is to end up at the fountains for the Magic Fountain show in the evening!

Here’s everything you can do in between the castle and the Magic Fountain of Monjtuïc Barcelona Spain.

Viewpoint & Start The Walk Down Montjuïc Barcelona

Once you leave Montjuïc Castle, turn to your right and there’s a path to walk on. You’ll be taking this path entire way down!

Before starting your walk, your first stop is a view. It isn’t the prettiest view (with crates and ships) but I feel like it shows us what Barcelona used to look like before the 1992 Olympics which was very industrial (more about that later!).

As you walk down the hill, the old industrial side disappears as the new Barceloneta comes into view.

Find The Fountain & Dancing Statues

If you’re following the path you’ll walk straight into the top of Jardin del Mirador. It’s a park with beautiful fountains scaling down the hill and a view at the end! 

At the bottom of the fountains there’s a canteen where you can pick up some food or drinks to help you make it down the rest of the hill.

Plus, you’ll be facing Barcelona again so you have another chance for photo opportunities! It’s the same view as you had from Montjuïc castle, but now you’re a bit closer so it’s better.

Across the street from the bottom of the fountain is the Monument a La Sardana statue. This represents the traditional Catalan dance, the Sardana. It’s when the community comes together joins hands and dances in a circle.

Keep your eyes peeled on your route downhill because you’ll run into some other statues along the way as well.

Gardens & Zipline Above Barcelona

Just a short walk downhill on the same side as the Monument a La Sardana statue, you’ll find the entrance to Jardin de Joan Brossa. We originally walked in thinking these are the famous botanical gardens. But we didn’t realize how many gardens there actually are on Montjuïc hill… 

The Jardin de Joan Brossa are still peaceful gardens to walk through, especially since there’s no one else here! If you’re travelling with kids, you’ll want to stop here for the playground!

We walked through the park and exited on the opposite side walking down some stairs. A bit further down the road we found a mini zipline!

It’s worth walking down the hill just for this (well besides for getting in your daily steps). It’s a very simple zipline, but it’s a nice break from the walking, and it’s a lot of fun! We had no idea it was here so it was a nice find. This is a real hidden gem, I still can’t find where it is on Google Maps!

In the area, there should also be a “Parabolic Reflector” where you can talk to someone that’s on the other side of the park. Although we weren’t able to find it, it sounds like a lot of fun too!

Stop To See The Not-So-Old Greek Theatre

Before you get excited about seeing an ancient Greek theatre, just know that it isn’t that old. The design is only based on old Greek amphitheatres… it was built in 1929! Yep.. This ancient Greek amphitheatre isn’t really that ancient at all.

I still suggest visiting because (at least when we went) there were hardly any people there. We sat for a bit, admired the different design, took a break from walking and enjoyed a snack. There’s also a beautiful Greek-style garden next to it (perfect for Instagram shots).

Getting to the Greek Theater is a bit out of the way, but it’s worth it (we also might have gone in through the wrong entrance).

Enjoy One Of The Many Museums On Montjuïc Hill

After the Greek Theatre you’re surrounded by museums. Just a short walk back up the hill is the Joan Miro Foundation housing modern art.

If you continue your way downhill, there are three more museums! The Catalan Museum of Archaeology, the Museo Etnológico de Barcelona, the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya back in Place d’Espanya.

FYI if you’re visiting Montjuïc on a Saturday, the Museuo Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is free after 3:00 P.M..

Go Swimming With A View

Another notable attraction while visiting Montjuïc Barcelona is the Olympic swimming pool. It’s open to the public, so if it’s nice enough day, it’s a great place for a swim with a view!

We didn’t stop here because it wasn’t warm enough when we visited.

Dinner Options At Montjuïc Barcelona

If you have some time to spare before the Magic Fountain show at 8:00 P.M., grab some food in the area.

A top spot is Arenas de Barcelona with bars and restaurants inside. Plus be sure to head to the roof for a view!

I feel like there’s so much to do in Montjuïc Barcelona that I barely even scratched the surface. It’s worth spending a bit more time exploring, you never know what you might find!

So Is Montjuïc Barcelona Worth It?

As I mentioned, if you’re heading to Montjuïc just for the views, it’s not worth it. There are better views around Barcelona.

But if you’re looking for an easier, full day adventure that’s still in the city, then it’s a great place to spend the day.

It also seems like there’s something for everyone on Montjuïc hill, from history, to views, to nature and even exercise!

My Day Trip Essentials

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Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API