Montjuïc Castle

Montjuïc is, together with the Tibidabo, one of the mountains of the city of Barcelona where you can find an old fort (18th century) at 170 meters above sea level. Until recently it housed a military museum, closing soon after 47 years. Part of the pieces will be transferred to Sant Ferrán Castle in Figueres. The building will be adapted as the headquarters of the International Center for Peace.

To get there you have different options: walking, subway, funicular, bus, car, bike... But I recommend walking. This mountain has different pathways to climb to the castle and go through a very little known part of Barcelona.

The Castle of Barcelona is located next to the mountain of Montjuïc, where a viewpoint is also to be found, from which one can contemplate magnificent outlooks of the city.

It is actually a military fort made of three bastions and designed by Juan Martín Zeremeñoa according to the model of the French military engineer Vauban. It dates back from the 18th century and is surrounded by a moat to which you would get through a drawbridge.

The castle has two floors you can visit entirely and the entrance is free of charge (while the entrance fee to the museum costs 3€).

How

This place is emotional for many people for its historical meaning. "Montjuïc castle was not built to defend Barcelona, but to watch it." Far from these considerations, the castle, as a 18th century fort, is a magnificent military engineering fort. It recalls the Ciudadela de Jaca for the parapets. It is a lovely castle and at the same time far from the romantic idea one can have of a castle. It would be more appropriate to define it as a fort.

Barcelona begs to be looked at... and this one is definitely one of the best spots to contemplate it, from the castle. Standing with an old medieval watchtower, it is 170 meters above sea level. It was a prison and an execution place after the Spanish Civil War and was ceded to the city in 1960.

Beautiful setting where they do "cinema a la fresca" in the summer with life music and great food.