I will be in Spain in June, starting with a short time in Barcelona, mostly to visit two areas that I missed when there in 2016. I plan to spend most of Sunday, June 10, at Montjuic, probably starting at the Castle, then walking down and visiting the National Art Museum and Miro Foundation, both of which close at 3 on Sundays. Should I have additional priorities in that area? In June, there should be Fountain Lights shows on Sunday evening, if I can last that long, or maybe return to Montjuic in the evening.
For Monserrat on Monday June 11, I could go on my own, but might prefer a small group tour. I see there are many, including Montserrat with tapas, Montserrat with winery, Montserrat with hiking, and Early Access Montserrat. Has anyone had a good (or bad) experience with any particular Montserrat tour? I am kind of attracted to the Early Access Tour, which would avoid the crowds and leave me with the afternoon and evening free for other things, even though the tour begins at 6:45 am. Any thoughts?
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15788 posts
It's probably not worth going all the way up to the castle unless you plan to go inside. The only good views will be on the ramparts. The funicular ends very close to the Miro. From there it's a pleasant walk with nice views down (past a very good folk museum) to MNAC. Taking the bus may be faster, but then you'd miss the views. I allowed only 2 hours at MNAC and would have liked at least 1 more hour. I should have listened to Harold's advice. The CaixaForum is interesting to visit - check if there is an exhibit and then you could go to Las Arenas for tapas and a rest, maybe some shopping. I would expect the light show to start after dark - that would be 10 pm or later. That's a long time to hang around. It's pretty easy to go to the fountain from anywhere in the city: from Pl. Espana it's a couple long blocks and then up the stairs or escalators.
Posted by
Washington DC
28085 posts
Chani (and Harold) are right: The MNAC is quite large. I think I spent about 5 hours there, spread over the course of a couple of visits. In addition to the paintings and sculpture, there are the magnificent church frescoes rescued from the Pyrenees and an interesting mondernisme collection. Someone who is a big fan of Spanish painting might easily spend more time at the MNAC than I did. And the Miro is not a tiny place. So get an early start! If you happen to have any free time late on Saturday, the MNAC is free after 3 PM and is open until 8 PM.
I agree about the accessibility of the fountains from elsewhere in the city. They are a short walk from the Placa d'Espanya Metro station. Finding a good viewing spot might be a different matter; I believe seeing the fountain show is a popular thing to do.