Beauty Barcelona is Spain's most haunted city, and it's no wonder. It has so much life, fun and attractions that it will last for a long time. One of the most favorite holiday destinations for both the local population and numerous tourists is Montjuic - a mountain, or rather a hill, 177 m high, located in the southern part of the city, very close to the commercial port.
There is enough entertainment here for the whole day and night, and if the Catalans prefer to wander along the paths of the park spread on it, then museums and numerous attractions await visitors.
History of the mountain
It just so happens that the location of the hill is such that it was always of strategic importance in ancient times, so its history is more connected with the protection or protection of the city. It is today that Montjuic (mountain) has lost its functions as an observation post and has become a place of "pilgrimage" for those who are thirsty for newtravel experience.
Once upon a time there were settlements of the Iberians, who monitored the sea and land from its height, but only in 1640 a real bastion was built here. Unfortunately, it was not preserved, since in the 18th century it was destroyed by the decree of King Philip V. True, after 50 years it was decided to restore it again, expand and strengthen it. For a long time after that, the fortress was a prison.
Also Montjuic in Barcelona is known for its Jewish cemetery, thanks to which it got its new name. In ancient times, it was called Mount Jupiter (Mons Jovis), but with the advent of the cemetery, it became known as Mont juïc, which in ancient Catalan meant "Jewish mountain".
Today, numerous guests and residents of the city have fun here.
Montjuic Fountain
Built for the 1929 World's Fair, the magical fountain at the foot of Montjuic was completely transformed in 1992 for another milestone event - the Summer Olympics. If earlier it was an ellipse, built according to the project of engineer Carlos Buigos, around which jets of water of different heights were thrown out in a circle and in the center, then in its modern form it is a real work of art.
At nighttime, an amazing show begins here, for which 2.5 million tourists come to Barcelona every year. A year before the Olympics, 3,000 specialists equipped it with lights and musical accompaniment. Interestingly, the music is constantly changing, and with it the vibrations and the height of the jets and their color.
Since thenMontjuic is a mountain that has become the site of festivals held by the inhabitants of the city at the end of September, with fireworks and dancing. You can see the magic of the fountain:
- every week from Thursday to Sunday, from April to September;
- and also on Saturday-Sunday from October to the end of March.
This is a favorite vacation spot of the local population - people come here specially to listen to the fountain after a week of work. Tourists praise it no less in their reviews.
Fortress of Montjuic
The first observation post on Mount Montjuic was built back in the 10th century, but this building rather combined a lighthouse and an observation deck, and only in 1640 a fortress appeared here, which served the Catalans well during the popular uprising.
Spain during this period waged a tedious thirty-year war with France, in which the Catalans stubbornly did not want to take part. In response, Madrid began to choke them with unjust laws and taxes. The last straw was the murder of a reaper during a great church holiday. Which led to a real revolution. Its result was the union of Barcelona with France and 12 years of independence.
For the reapers who oppose the royal court, Montjuic has become a haven. The mountain was fortified with a fortress built in just 30 days, which nevertheless withstood the attacks of the Castilians.
The Spaniards really honor their history, so the fortress, after several reconstructions, has been perfectly preserved to this day, and now there is a museum of military history. As notedtravelers, this is where the most stunning view of Barcelona opens.
Craft City
The open-air ethno museum is also loved by locals and travelers alike. The "Spanish Village" is ranked 4th in the list of attractions in Catalonia.
Here you can get acquainted with the various architectural styles of the country. It is amazing that, whether the buildings are full-size or miniature, they are all built from the same material and the same technology that was used at the time they represent.
Spain, in which Montjuic is not the only attraction, has become the first country that embodied its way of life, architecture and culture in a single place. Later, such mini-cities and villages appeared in other countries.
For example, the recreated Plaza Mayor combines buildings from different eras from Castile, Catalonia, Navarra, Aragon, Burgos. In the "Spanish Village" craftsmen of various directions work: potters, leather workers, glassblowers, weavers and many others. Here, students and schoolchildren are taught ancient crafts, and if they wish, tourists can also join them (as they write in their rave reviews).
At night time, the village is completely transformed, as numerous pubs and cafes, nightclubs and restaurants open here, where you can see both the cancan and the famous flamenco. As guests of the city note, the night life of the mountain is no less interesting than the daytime.
Catalan Art Museum
This museum is recognizedthe best and most complete in its collection of paintings from the era of romanticism, wall paintings of the 12th-13th centuries, a large number of paintings by El Greco and Velazquez have been preserved here.
As its guests rightly say, 236,000 works by Spanish and European artists offer a glimpse into the development of art over the past thousand years.
Thanks to the museum's restorers, the world can observe unique frescoes transferred from dilapidated churches, which can be seen in the film that I am showing in one of the halls. To study all the works, and even cover the storerooms, you will have to visit it many times.
Cemetery on the mountain
The attitude of the Spaniards to death is philosophical, so it does not surprise anyone here when they lead excursions to the cemetery. In this city of the dead, travelers meet real people who once lived in this city, who loved, suffered, were happy, rich or poor, they all now have a resting place, decorated with an interesting tombstone. It is for them that excursions are led here.
Guides offer 3 programs for visiting the cemetery - this is how Montjuic mountain can suddenly appear before a tourist. How to get here, everyone decides for himself: tourists have at their disposal a bus, a funicular and a cable car. Any type of transport will take you to the very top, from where Barcelona opens up to the admiring gaze from a bird's eye view.
Surely, Mount Montjuic, the sights of which we described in the article, will surprise and delight everyone who decides to visit Spain.
