The Most Beautiful Place in Montjuic Hill!
One of the prefered places in Barcelona by tourists is Montjuic Hill, a broad hill that lies in the southwest of the city center. In medieval Catalan, Montjuic means ‘Jew Hill,’ however some historians claim that it is derived from the Latin phrase Mons Jovicus which means hill of Jupiter. On top of the hill, many old fortifications are located, including the famous Castell de Montjuic. The fortress can be dated back to the 17th century. This place holds a lot of history especially for Spain because once the fortress was used as a prison for political prisoners. Now it has been developed into an interesting tourist destination.
The hill has many attractions, including a botanical garden called Montjuic Gardens, Palau Nacional (National Palace), Anella Olimpica and Poble Espanyol. There is also the Magic Fountain of Montjuic called the Fuente Mágica de Montjuic in Castillan. The fountain is situated at the head of Avenida Maria Cristina and is one most of the beautiful sights to behold.
The Four Columns were previously located on the site of the Magic Fountains. The columns used to represent the Catalanism movement and so were demolished during the era of Prime Minister Miguel Primo de Rivera.
The Magic Fountain of Montjuic was constructed for the Barcelona International Exposition in 1929 and was designed by Carles Buigas. It was a costly project at that time but one can clearly see that it was worth every penny. More than 3000 workers worked diligently to finish this project on time. The very first light fountain show took place on 19th May 1929, just a day before the Exposition. Due to the Spanish Civil War the fountain was badly destroyed, however Buigas saw to its repair in 1955 when things had calmed down in Spain.
What is so special about this fountain?
It has a spectacular display of light and dancing water that is illuminated every night with beautiful symphonies. The music was added with the light show in the 1980s before the Summer Olympics in 1992.
Today the music is taken from famous movies like The Lord of the Rings, The Godfather and even Gladiator. Classical music is also included in the show.
Open:
- from October to April: every 30 minutes from 7:00 to 20:30.
- From May to September: from 9:00 to 23:00
How to arrive:
Metro : Plaza Espanya (L1, L3, L8)
Tram: S4, S8, S33
Bus: A1, A2
We recommend our selection of apartments near Parc Montjuic, for a truly amazing stay in Barcelona.
