Espanya.For art and gardens you need to head across the city to the verdant park area of Montjuïc, site of the 1992 Olympics. The hill is topped by a sturdy castle and anchored around the heavyweight art collections in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC). Two other superb galleries also draw visitors, namely Caixa Forum and the celebrated Fundació Joan Miró, not to mention a whole host of family-oriented attractions, from the open-air Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village) to the cable car ride to the castle. Meanwhile, the various gardens that spill down the hillsides culminate in Barcelona’s excellent botanical gardens. For Caixa Forum, Poble Espanyol and MNAC use Metro Espanya; the Telefèric del Port (cable car from Barceloneta) and Funicular de Montjuïc (from Metro Paral.lel) drop you near the Fundació Joan Miró.
MAP.
Espanya.
Montjuïc’s characteristic gardens, terraces, fountains and monumental buildings were established for the International Exhibition of 1929. Gateway to the Exhibition was the vast Plaça d’Espanya and its huge Neoclassical fountain, with striking twin towers, 47m high, standing at the foot of the imposing Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina. This avenue heads up towards Montjuïc, and is lined by exhibition halls used for trade fairs. At the end, monumental steps (and modern escalators) ascend the hill to the Palau Nacional (home of MNAC), past water cascades and under the flanking walls of two grand Viennese-style pavilions. The higher you climb, the better the views, while a few café-kiosks put out seats on the way up to MNAC.
Plaça d’Espanya
iStock
MAP.
Espanya.
The simplest of architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch’s ideas for the ceremonial gateway to Montjuïc at Plaça d’Espanya were four 20m-high columns, erected in 1919 on a raised site below the future Palau Nacional. Who could possibly object? The authoritarian government of General Primo de Rivera, as it happened, knowing perfectly well that the architect, a Catalan nationalist, meant the four columns to represent the four stripes of the Catalan flag. Down they came in 1928, to be replaced by the Magic Fountain, and not until 2010 were the columns reconstructed (using the original plans) to be seen again in public – erected across from the fountain by the city government as “an act of memory” and symbol of freedom and democracy.
Font Màgica
Roger-Mapp
MAP.
Av. Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia 6–8 Espanya 
934 768 600, 
fundacio.lacaixa.es. Sept–June daily 10am–8pm; July & Aug Thu–Tue 10am–8pm, Wed 10am–11pm. €4.
The former Casaramona textile factory (1911) at the foot of Montjuïc conceals a terrific arts and cultural centre. The exhibition halls were fashioned from the former factory buildings, whose external structure was left untouched – girders, pillars, brickwork and crenellated walls appear at every turn. The undulating roof (signposted “terrats”) offers unique views, while the high Casaramona tower, etched in blue and yellow tiling, is as readily recognizable as the huge Miró starfish logos emblazoned across the building. The contemporary art collection focuses on the period from the 1980s to the present, and works are shown in partial rotation alongside an excellent programme of changing exhibitions across all aspects of the arts. There’s also the Mediateca multimedia space, plus an arts bookshop, children’s activities and a 400-seat auditorium for music, art and literary events.
MAP.
Pl. de Carles Buigas Espanya. March, Nov & Dec Thu, Fri & Sat 8pm–9pm, April & May Thu, Fri & Sat 9pm–10pm, June–Sept Wed–Sun 9.30-10.30pm. Free.
On selected evenings, the “Magic Fountain” at the foot of the Montjuïc steps becomes the centrepiece of an impressive, if slightly kitsch, sound-and-light show, as the sprays and sheets of brightly coloured water dance to the music.
MAP.
Av. Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia 7 Espanya 934 234 016, miesbcn.com. Daily 10am–6pm; guided visits in English Sat 10am. €5.
The German contribution to the 1929 International Exhibition was a pavilion designed by Mies van der Rohe (and reconstructed in 1986 by Catalan architects). It’s considered a major example of modern rationalist architecture – a startling conjunction of dark-green polished onyx, shining glass and watery surfaces. Unless there’s an exhibition in place (a fairly regular occurrence) there is little to see inside, though you can buy postcards and books from the small shop and debate quite how much you want a Mies mousepad or a “Less is More” T-shirt.
MAP.
Av. Francesc Ferrer i Guàrdia 13 Espanya 935 086 300, poble-espanyol.com. Mon 9am–8pm, Tue–Thu & Sun 9am–midnight, Fri 9am–3am, Sat 9am–4am. €14, family ticket €36, night ticket €7, combined ticket with MNAC €20.
“Get to know Spain in one hour” is what’s promised at the Spanish Village – an open-air park of reconstructed Spanish buildings, such as the medieval walls of Ávila, through which you enter. The echoing main square is lined with cafés, while the surrounding streets and alleys contain around forty workshops, where you can witness crafts like engraving, weaving and pottery. Inevitably, it’s one huge shopping experience, and prices are inflated, but children will love it (they can run free as there’s no traffic) and there are plenty of family activities. Get to the village early to enjoy it in relatively crowd-free circumstances – once the tour groups arrive, it becomes a bit of a scrum. You could always come instead at the other end of the day, to venues like Tablao de Carmen or La Terrrazza, when the village transforms into a vibrant centre of Barcelona nightlife.
MAP.
C/Mare de Déu de Port 56–58. Bus #21 from Paral.lel 934 841 999, cbsa.cat. Mon–Fri 7.45am–7pm, Sat & Sun 7.45am–3pm. Free.
One of the city’s more esoteric attractions, the Funerary Carriage Museum is fittingly located at the entrance to Montjuïc cemetery. The horse-drawn carriages on display were used for city funeral processions from the 1830s until the service was mechanized in the 1950s, when the silver Buick (also on display) came into use. Most of the carriages and hearses are extravagantly decorated, and some carried dignitaries, politicians and big-name bullfighters to their final resting places. There are also plenty of old photographs of them in use in the city’s streets, alongside antique uniforms, mourning wear and formal riding gear.
MAP.
Palau Nacional Espanya 936 220 376, mnac.cat. Tue–Sat 10am–8pm (Oct–April until 6pm), Sun & hols 10am–3pm. €12, ticket valid 48hr, first Sun of the month free; special exhibitions, varied charges apply.
Catalunya’s national art gallery is one of Barcelona’s essential visits, showcasing a thousand years of Catalan art in stupendous surroundings. For first-time visitors it can be difficult to know where to start, but if time is limited it’s recommended you concentrate on the medieval collection. It’s split into two main sections, one dedicated to Romanesque art and the other to Gothic – periods in which Catalunya’s artists were pre-eminent in Spain.
The collection of Romanesque frescoes in particular is the museum’s pride and joy – removed from churches in the Catalan Pyrenees, and presented in a reconstruction of their original setting. MNAC also boasts an unsurpassed nineteenth- and twentieth-century Catalan art collection (until the 1940s – everything from the 1950s onwards is covered by MACBA in the Raval). It’s particularly strong on modernista and noucentista painting and sculpture, the two dominant schools of the period, while there are some fascinating diversions into subjects like modernista interior design, avant-garde sculpture and historical photography.
Blockbuster exhibitions, and special shows based on the museum’s archives are popular (separate charges may apply).
MAP.
Pg. Santa Madrona 16–22 Espanya ajuntament.barcelona.cat/museuetnologic. Tue–Sat 10am–7pm, Sun & hols 10am–8pm.
The Ethnological Museum boasts extensive global cultural collections and puts on excellent exhibitions, which usually last for a year or two and focus on a particular subject or geographical area. Refreshingly, pieces close to home aren’t neglected, which means that there’s also often a focus on local and national themes, such as rural life and work or Spanish carnival celebrations.
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
Chris-Christoforou
MAP.
Pg. Santa Madrona 39–41 Espanya 934 232 129, mac.cat. Tue–Sat 9.30am–7pm, Sun & hols 10am–2.30pm. €4.50, free last Tue of each month Oct–June.
The city’s main archeological collection spans the centuries from the Stone Age to the time of the Visigoths, with the Roman and Greek periods particularly well represented. Finds from Catalunya’s best-preserved archeological site – the Greek remains at Empúries on the Costa Brava – are notable, while on an upper floor life in Barcino (Roman Barcelona) is interpreted through a vivid array of tombstones, staTue, inscriptions and friezes.
MAP.
Mercat de les Flors Poble Sec 932 562 600, mercatflors.cat; Teatre Lliure 932 289 747, teatrelliure.cat; Institut del Teatre 932 892 770, teatrelliure.com.
At the foot of Montjuïc the theatre area known as La Ciutat del Teatre (“Theatre City”) occupies a corner of the old working-class neighbourhood of Poble Sec. Here, off C/de Lleida, you’ll find the Mercat de les Flors – once a flower market, now a centre for dance and the “movement arts” – and the progressive Teatre Lliure (“Free Theatre”), while the sleek Institut del Teatre brings together the city’s major drama and dance schools.
MAP.
Poble Sec.
The Poble Sec neighbourhood provides a complete contrast to the landscaped slopes of Montjuïc. The name (“Dry Village”) is derived from the fact that this working-class neighbourhood originally had no water supply. Today, the hillside grid of streets is lined with down-to-earth grocery stores and good-value restaurants, while Poble Sec is also emerging as an “off-Raval” nightlife destination, with its fashionable bars and music clubs – pedestrianized Carrer de Blai is the epicentre of the scene. It has its own metro station, or it’s an easy walk from El Raval, while the Montjuïc funicular has its lower station at nearby Paral.lel.
La Ciutat del Teatre
Shutterstock
MAP.
C/Nou de la Rambla 175 Paral.lel 932 562 100, museuhistoria.bcn.cat. Guided tours Sun at 10.30am, 11.30am & 12.30pm. €3.40.
For a fascinating look at one of the city’s hidden corners, visit Poble Sec’s old Civil War air-raid shelter, dug into the hillside by local people in 1936.
The tunnels could shelter up to 2000 people from Franco’s bombs – you follow your guide into the labyrinth to the sound of screaming sirens, which at the time gave the locals just two minutes to get safely underground. Storyboards and photographs by the entrance explain the gripping history of the Civil War in Barcelona. Tours are in Spanish or Catalan, though someone usually speaks English, and you can just turn up on the day.
Teatre Grec and the Barcelona Festival
Centrepiece of Barcelona’s annual summer cultural festival (grec.bcn.cat) is the Teatre Grec (Greek Theatre), cut into a former quarry on the Montjuïc hillside. Starting in late June (and running throughout July and sometimes early Aug), the festival incorporates drama, music and dance, with some of the most atmospheric events staged in the Greek theatre, from Shakespearean productions to shows by avant-garde performance artists.
Fundació Joan Miró
iStock
MAP.
Museu Olímpic i de l’Esport, Av. de l’Estadi 60 Espanya 932 925 379, museuolimpicbcn.cat. Tue–Sat 10am–6pm (April–Sept until 8pm), Sun & hols 10am–2.30pm. €5.10.
The 65,000-seater Olympic Stadium was the ceremonial venue for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. From the front, a vast terrassa provides one of the finest vantage points in the city, while the space-age curve of Santiago Calatrava’s communications tower dominates the skyline.
Around the other side, across the road from the stadium, the history of the Games – and Barcelona’s successful hosting – are covered in the Olympic and Sports Museum. It’s a fully interactive experience, with lots of sports gear and memorabilia displayed, but even so it’s probably one for hardcore Olympics fans only.
MAP.
Parc de Montjuïc Espanya 934 439 470, fundaciomiro-bcn.org. Tue–Sat 10am–8pm (winter until 6pm), Thu until 9pm, Sun & hols 10am–3pm. €12, exhibitions from €7.
Barcelona’s most adventurous art museum houses the life’s work of the great Catalan artist Joan Miró (1893–1983). Inside the stark white building is a permanent collection of works largely donated by Miró himself and covering the period from 1914 to 1978. The paintings and drawings in particular are instantly recognizable, being among the chief links between Surrealism and abstract art, while there’s also a selection of fascinating original sketches – Miró’s enormous tapestries and outdoor sculptures, for example, often started life as a doodle on a scrap of notepaper. The museum’s Sala K provides a rapid appraisal of Miró’s entire oeuvre in a representative selection of works. Elsewhere are pieces by other artists in homage to Miró, and exhibitions by young experimental artists in the Espai 13 gallery.
The museum sponsors temporary exhibitions, film shows, lectures and children’s theatre. There’s also a café-restaurant with outdoor tables on a sunny patio – and you don’t need a museum ticket to go in.
MAP.
Av. del Paral.lel Paral.lel tmb.cat. Every 10min, Mon–Fri 7.30am–8pm, Sat, Sun & hols 9am–8pm (April–Oct daily until 10pm). €2.15, transport tickets and passes valid.
The quickest way to reach the lower heights of Montjuïc is to take the funicular, from inside the station at Paral.lel. At the upper station you can switch to the Montjuïc cable car, or you’re only a few minutes’ walk from the Fundació Joan Miró.
MAP.
Av. de Miramar Paral.lel, then Funicular tmb.cat. Daily: April, May & Oct 10am–7pm; June–Sept 10am–9pm; Nov–March 10am–6pm. €7.50 one way, €10.80 return.
The cable car up to the castle and back is an exciting ride, and the views, of course, are stupendous. There’s an intermediate station, called Mirador, where you can get out and enjoy more sweeping vistas.
MAP.
Carretera de Montjuïc 932 564 445, bcn.cat/castelldemontjuic. Daily 10am–8pm.
Barcelona’s fortress served as a military base and prison for decades, and was where the last president of the prewar Catalan government, Lluís Companys, was executed on Franco’s orders on October 15, 1940. However, in 2008 the castle was symbolically handed over to the city and restoration work is transforming the site into a combined peace museum, memorial space and Montjuïc interpretation centre. Exhibitions take place here in the meantime, and the cable car ride and dramatic location merit a visit in their own right. The rampart views are magnificent, while below the walls the panoramic Camí del Mar pathway looks out over port and ocean. It runs for one kilometre to the Mirador del Migdia viewpoint, where there’s a great open-air bar called La Caseta (weekends from noon, plus summer weekend DJ nights).
MAP.
C/Dr Font i Quer 2 Espanya 932 564 160, museuciencies.bcn.cat. Daily: April, May, Sept,Oct 10am–7pm; Nov–March 10am–6pm, June, July, Aug 10am–8pm. €3.50, or combined ticket with Museu Blau €7; free Sun after 3pm & first Sun of the month.
Principal among Montjuïc’s many gardens is the city’s Botanical Garden, laid out on terraced slopes offering fine views over the city. The Montjuïc buses run here directly, or it’s a five-minute walk around the back of the Olympic Stadium. The beautifully kept contemporary garden has landscaped zones representing the flora of the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, California, Chile, South Africa and Australia. Just try to avoid arriving in the full heat of a summer day, as there’s very little≈shade.
Jardí Botànic de Barcelona
Chris-Christoforou
MAP.
C/del Parlament 39 Sant Antoni 931 873 607, federalcafe.es. Mon–Thu 8am–11pm, Fri 8am–1am, Sat 9am–1am, Sun 9am–5.30pm.
Australian-style brunch has broken into Barcelona via this cosy corner café with a great little roof garden. Whether you’re looking for a flat white and French toast, a bacon butty and a glass of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or a dandelion soy latte, you can guarantee that there’s nowhere else quite like this in town.
MAP.
C/Margarit 14 Poble Sec 934 425 056, bellanapoli.es. Daily 1.30–4pm & 8.30pm–midnight.
Authentic Neapolitan pizzeria serving some of the city’s finest pizzas straight from a beehive-shaped oven. Or there’s a huge range of pastas, risottos and veal scaloppine (most dishes between €9 and €15).
MAP.
C/Poeta Cabanyes 25 Paral.lel 934 423 142.Mon–Fri noon–4pm & 7–10.30pm, Sat noon–4pm; closed Aug.
Poble Sec’s cosiest tapas bar is a place of pilgrimages where classy finger food (dishes €3–10) is served from a minuscule counter.
MAP.
C/Tamarit 104 Poble Sec 934 245 231, lolitataperia.com. Tue–Thu 7pm–midnight, Fri 7pm–2.30am, Sat 1–4pm & 7pm–2.30am.
A hip bar which serves classic tapas to tuned-in city folk and in-the-know tourists. You’ll eat for around €25 – don’t miss the signature-dish patatas bravas or the deep-fried bombas (meatballs) and croquetas.
MAP.
Av. Paral.lel 164 Poble Sec elbarri.com. Online reservations only. Tue–Fri 6.30–10.30pm, Sat 1–3pm & 7–10.30pm. Open to non-reservation holders.
Star-studded tapas bar by El Bulli’s Albert Adrià and his even-more-famous brother Ferran Adrià, where terrifically inventive dishes (€5–20 each; expect to spend €70) mix impeccably sourced ingredients with flights of fancy. Online reservations are taken up to three months in advance and seats are hard to get.
MAP.
C/Margarit 58 Poble Sec 675 902 389. Tue–Thu 1pm–3.45pm & 8.15–11pm, Fri & Sat 1–3.45pm & 8.30–11.30pm, Sun 1–3.45pm; closed Sun in June & July; closed Aug.
Chatter-filled traditional tavern where the chefs hack steaks and chops from great hunks of meat. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but the grilled chicken is sensational and the entrecôtes enormous (most mains €8–15).
MAP.
C/Margarit 43 Poble Sec 934 433 259, cerveceriajazz.com. Tue–Sat 7pm–3am.
Grab a stool at the carved bar and shoot the breeze over a Catalan craft beer. It’s an amiable joint with great music, from jazz to reggae, and locals swear that the burgers are the best in town.
MAP.
Pg. Montjuïc 74 Paral.lel 933 296 374. Mon–Thu 10am–4pm & 7.30pm–1am (Fri & Sat until 2am), Sun 10am–5pm.
The “Dry Bar” is a local hit, with its mellow vibe, fresh juices and artisan beers.
MAP.
C/de Blai 1 Paral.lel 931 863 595. May–Nov Mon 6pm–midnight, Tue–Thu noon–midnight, Fri & Sat noon–1am; Dec–April Tue–Thu noon–midnight, Fri & Sat noon–2am, Sun noon–4pm.
Small but perfectly formed, “The Aunt” is a cool drinks and tapas place with an open window onto the street and just enough room for a dozen or so good friends.
MAP.
C/Rocafort 19 Poble Sec 934 234 314, xixbar.com. Mon 6.30pm–2.30am, Tue & Wed 6pm–2.30am, Thu 5pm–2.30am, Fri & Sat 5pm–3am.
An old granja (milk bar) turned candlelit cocktail bar. It’s big on gin, boasting over a hundred varieties.
MAP.
C/Fontrodona 33 Paral.lel 934 418 015, ?maumaunderground.com. Thu–Sat 9pm–2.30am.
Underground lounge-club, cultural centre and chill-out space, with nightly video projections, all sorts of exhibitions and guest DJs playing deep, soulful grooves.
MAP.
C/Nou de la Rambla 113 Paral.lel 934 414 001, sala-apolo.com. Daily midnight–5am.
Old-time ballroom turned hip concert venue with gigs on two stages (local acts to big names) and an eclectic series of club nights, from punk or Catalan rumba sounds to the weekend’s long-running Nitsa Club (www.nitsa.com). Gigs €10–35, club nights €10–15.
MAP.
Poble Espanyol Espanya 933 256 895, tablaodecarmen.com. Tue–Sun, shows at 6pm & 8.30pm.
Poble Espanyol’s famous flamenco club features a variety of shows from seasoned performers and new talent. From €41, rising to €70 for the show plus dinner. Reservations required.
MAP.
Poble Espanyol Espanya 932 724 980, laterrrazza.com. May–Oct Thu–Sat 11.45pm–6am.
Open-air summer club for nonstop dance, house and techno. Don’t get there until 3am and be prepared for the style police. Admission €15–20.