Monjuic walk from top to bottom

It's been a couple of years, but from what I remember the HoHo route drops at a "mid level" about where the Olympic centre and the MNAC are. To go right to the top from there, where the castle is, you need to take the cable car (or walk, but it looked very long and steep). The views from the top are great, although the castle itself is nothing special. But from the front of MNAC you can walk down a grand staircase ending near a fountain at the city centre part where they do the big music performance and from there easily get a bus/metro to central parts.

Try this plan of attack ... easy on your time, and easy on your feet.
1. Metro to Parallel
2. Funicular to ‘Parc Montjuic’
3. Teleferic (return) to ‘Castell’
4. Walk to Joan Miro Foundation ( I highly recommend a visit)
5. Walk past Olympic Ring stadiums and tower
6. Walk by the Palau Nacional (MNAC) and down escalators to Placa Espanya
7. Visit Las Arenas
8. Stay on for Magic Fountains show (if playing)

thank you for your advice!

David, is an afternoon time enough to allow for leisurely visiting most of Montjuic sites per your itinerary? I would also want to include a tour of the MNAC. I still need to purchase tickets before departing, and your plan is worthwhile to me.

A question about item 3: what is Teleferic?

Shelley, you itinerary sounds quite ambitious to me! I am choosing to chunk-up my sightseeing, devoting part of a day only for Montjuic. Have a good visit.

Thanks,
John

1.) No, if you want to visit them, something else is if you just want to walk by while ticking them off of your list -but I doubt that's the aim, right? Montjuïc has a number of parks and a number of museums/attractions: https://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/396/parc-de-montjuic.html you'd need several days to visit them all.

2.) Telefèric is Catalan, the local language, for "cable car" http://www.telefericodebarcelona.com/en/

Hi Enric,

1) Yes, of course the point is to spend some time and visit while there. And if I need another day or two to do it proper justice, my overall itinerary will accommodate.

2) And not the restaurant of the same name?

John

The MNAC is quite large. I made two trips there for a total of about 5 hours. I had no wait at the door. In addition to the espected paintings and sculptures, the museum has lovely frescoes rescued from churches in the Pyrenees and a modernista collection that focuses on furniture, jewelry and decorative arts.

Some rough but generous timings for a visit in September (Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat - for MNAC & fountains) ...

10:00 Metro to Parallel
10:30 Funicular to ‘Parc Montjuic’
11:00 Teleferic to ‘Castell’
11:30 Visit the ‘castle’
12:30 Return teleferic, then walk to Joan Miro Foundation (lunch in the cafe)
15:00 Commence walk down Montjuic through gardens & past the Olympic Ring
17:00 Arrive at Palau Nacional (MNAC closes 8pm)
19:30 Continue down to Placa Espanya & visit Las Arenas
21:30 Magic Fountains show

A correction: no castelo, but castell and in fact, despite the City Hall keeps marketing it as a castle, it has never been, it was merely a fortress :) One more note, so you don't keep high expectations: you'll only be able to visit the "pati d'armes" (parade ground) and the roof -which I grant you it has great views over the city- but nothing else. No collections, no other rooms, no anything else.

@John, no, it refers to the cable car. The restaurant, which has several "branches" (even one in SF!) is not even located in the area.

Apologies Enric ... was unthinkingly copying a Castellano version.

Hi David,

That itinerary seems very doable. The parade grounds I could possibly scale back seeings how it more about the city views. Taking into consideration, if the current heatwave were to linger and possibly scaling back on the overall time mountain top. I leave in one month!

Enric,

Can you believe it, misled by Mr. G! I was surprised when the search returned 'Teleferic Barcelona' and sent me to the restaurant upon clicking the link. Thanks for the perspective on the fortress. I am curious to see the sprawling city and sea from the rooftop.

Again, if I need to split Montjuic into a couple of visits, that can be accomplished.

John

@John.... spoiler alert.... here!

Spectacular, Enric!

Nothing to do with Montjuïc, of course,... but if you reeaaally want a spectacular sprawling of the city you should go to Tibidabo, at the fun fair, at the Collserola ridge, north of the city. This would be the view... and even more spectacular at night. And in Tibidabo you have also a spectacular church.

thank you for all the information that has been posted. Because we have such a limited time to visit - we know that we cannot do justice to all the sites available to us. It is the dilemma of whether you just get a taste of a lot of things or do you delve more deeply into just a few? Not sure there is a right answer to that question - just personal preference. That said, if we took your itinerary David (below) and did not do the teleferic to Castell and did not visit Las Arenas - and treated our visit more like a walk with different things to see - about how long would it take? I am just trying to judge when we would need to arrive if we wanted to see the magic fountains that evening.

1. Metro to Parallel
2. Funicular to ‘Parc Montjuic’
3. Teleferic (return) to ‘Castell’
4. Walk to Joan Miro Foundation ( I highly recommend a visit)
5. Walk past Olympic Ring stadiums and tower
6. Walk by the Palau Nacional (MNAC) and down escalators to Placa Espanya
7. Visit Las Arenas
8. Stay on for Magic Fountains show (if playing)

MNAC closes 8pm and first fountains show is 930pm so you have 90mins there to fill. (Remembering also for MNAC & fountains you must plan this for a Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat) ...

14:00 Metro to Parallel
14:30 Funicular to ‘Parc Montjuic’
15:00 Visit Joan Miro Foundation
16:30 Commence walk down Montjuic through gardens & past the Olympic Ring
18:00 Arrive at Palau Nacional (MNAC closes 8pm)
20:00 Continue down to Placa Espanya & visit Las Arenas
21:30 Magic Fountains show

I walked down and came out near the base of the Ramblas. I had no map - it was easy enough to figure out. Now with a smart phone it would be really easy if you use google maps and follow the little blue circle to keep your bearings about you. The exhibits in the fortress are interesting as you can see the cells up there where political prisoners were incarcerated by the Franco regime.

Nothing to do with Montjuïc, of course,... but if you reeaaally want a spectacular sprawling of the city you should go to Tibidabo, at the fun fair, at the Collserola ridge, north of the city. This would be the view... and even more spectacular at night. And in Tibidabo you have also a spectacular church.

Enric:
Just noticed your post. We'll be arriving in Barcelona on October 18. We'll check in the hotel early, hopefully get a bit of sleep then head out sometime after lunch. We'd like to visit Casa Vicens, before our 16:30 ticket for Parc Guell Monumental District. It looks like sunset is a bit after 19:00 hr. Based on your post, we'd like to go to Tibidabo and check the view before heading back to the hotel. What Metro/bus combination will get us from Parc Guell to Tibidabo with as little up-hill walking as possible, and where would you recommend for dinner near Parc Guell or Tibidabo? Thanks.
Jon

So sorry Jon, just saw your post just today.

... are you sure?. While the views are really something, it's a pain getting there by public transportation on a Thursday because in Oct the amusement park is closed during the week (only opens on weekends) and when the park is closed the Tibibus doesn't work and the funicular closes early (6:15pm in Oct). In all, it'd take you too long to get to the top of Tibidabo before sunset... and sunset happens so fast that you need to be there way in advance, otherwise it's a waste of time. Besides, the panoramic area -the so-called Sky Walk- closes at 6pm (check details)

So, I can suggest a far easier alternative, which involves getting out of Park Güell thru one of the exits at the top close to the Turó de Les Tres Creus and walking 200 yards to El Mirador del Virolai --look it up in Google Maps, towards the north of the park- will take you to an esplanade with these views. Easy peasy, less walk. Not the same than Tibidabo but good enough.

Inside the park, the Turó in itself already offers great views... but most recently the City Hall has installed powerful lights (to avoid visitors falling down the stairs when it gets dark!) and that kills the view a bit at sunset.

Enjoy!