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Number 13 of 20 in Barcelona

Montjuïc: the hill above the port

Montjuïc rises straight from the harbour, and from its top the whole of Barcelona lies below: the port, the old town, the grid of the Eixample and the Sagrada Família. A cable car carries you up to the castle that guarded the city for three centuries.

What it is
Monument
Time to allow
1.5 to 3 hours
Cost
Ticket for the cable car, the hill is free
Best time
Late afternoon, for the light over the port

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    Why Montjuïc is worth it

    The hill gave Barcelona its stone, and its castle watched over the port. The present fortress dates from the eighteenth century, and for long it was a prison: Lluís Companys, president of Catalonia, was shot there in 1940.

    In the twentieth century Montjuïc became the city's park, laid out for the International Exposition of 1929 and again for the Olympic Games of 1992, with gardens, museums and the stadium.

    The Montjuïc cable car, the Telefèric, opened in 1970 and was renewed in 2007. It runs from the upper station of the funicular to the castle.

    What to see

    1. The cable car

      Cabins that rise over the gardens and the trees to the castle, with the port opening beneath them.

    2. Montjuïc Castle

      The star-shaped fortress at the top of the hill, with its moat, its walls and a terrace over the sea.

    3. The view

      From the castle walls, the port and the cranes on one side and the whole city on the other.

    4. The gardens

      Gardens of cactus and succulents, and others of pines and fountains, down the slopes of the hill.

    5. The Olympic Ring

      The stadium of the 1992 Games and Santiago Calatrava's white telecommunications tower.

    How to do it well

    • Go up by the funicular from Paral·lel metro station, which joins the cable car's lower station.
    • The cable car can stop in high wind. Check before you set out on a stormy day.
    • Combine it with the MNAC and the Fundació Joan Miró, both on the hill.
    • Walk down through the gardens rather than taking the cable car both ways.

    Where it is

    Address

    Parc de Montjuïc, above the port

    Nearest station

    Paral·lel (lines 2 and 3), then the funicular to the cable car

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line.

    Tickets and tours: Montjuïc and its cable car

    Montjuïc and its cable car: common questions

    How do you get to the Montjuïc cable car?
    Take the metro to Paral·lel, then the funicular up the hill, whose upper station is beside the cable car's lower one.
    Is Montjuïc worth it?
    Yes, for the view of the city and the port from the castle, and for the museums on the hill, the MNAC and the Fundació Joan Miró.
    What happened at Montjuïc Castle?
    It was a fortress and for long a military prison. Lluís Companys, president of the Catalan government, was executed there in 1940.
    How much time do you need for Montjuïc?
    Allow 1.5 to 3 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.

    What visitors say about Montjuïc

    Rating from Google

    4.4

    62,288 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 25 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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