Beauty Barcelona is the most visited city in Spain, and this is not surprising. It has so much life, fun and attractions that enough impressions for a long time. One of the most favorite vacation spots both for the local population and for many tourists is Montjuic - a mountain, or rather a hill, 177 m high, located in the southern part of the city, very close to the trading port.
Here, entertainment is enough for all day and night, and if the Catalans prefer to wander along the paths of the park that sprawls on it, then museums and numerous attractions await the visitors.
Mountain history
It just so happened that the location of the hill is such that in ancient times it always had strategic importance, therefore its history is more connected with the defense or protection of the city. This is today Montjuic (mountain) has lost its functions as an observation post and has become a place of “pilgrimage” thirsty for new experiences of travelers.
Once there were settlements of Iberians who monitored the sea and land from its height, but only in 1640 a real bastion was built here. Unfortunately, it did not survive, since in the XVIII century it was destroyed by decree of King Philip V. True, after 50 years, it was decided to restore, expand and strengthen it again. For a long time after this, the fortress was a prison.
Montjuic Mountain in Barcelona is also known for its Jewish cemetery, thanks to which it received its new name. In ancient times, it was called the mountain of Jupiter (Mons Jovis), but with the advent of the cemetery it became known as Mont juïc, which means “Jewish mountain” in ancient Catalan.
Today, numerous guests and residents of the city have fun here.
Montjuic Fountain
Built for the 1929 World's Fair, the magic fountain at the foot of Montjuic completely transformed in 1992 to another significant event - the Summer Olympics. If earlier it was an ellipse constructed by the project of engineer Carlos Bouigos, in a circle of which jets of water of different heights were ejected in the center, then in its present form it is a real work of art.
At night, an amazing show begins here, for the sake of which 2.5 million tourists come to Barcelona annually. A year before the Olympics, 3, 000 specialists equipped it with highlights and musical accompaniment. Interestingly, the music is constantly changing, and with it the vibrations and the height of the jets and their color.
Since then, Montjuic has been a mountain that has become the venue for festivals held by residents in late 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 hard week. Tourists also praise him no less.
Montjuic Fortress
The first observation post on Mount Montjuic was built back in the 10th century, but this structure rather combined a lighthouse and an observation deck, and only in 1640 did a fortress appear here, which served the Catalans in good service during the popular uprising.
Spain during this period waged a tiring thirty-year war with France, in which the Catalans stubbornly did not want to take part. In response, Madrid began to strangle them with unfair laws and taxes. The last straw was the killing 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 reapers opposing the royal court, Montjuic became the haven. The mountain was fortified by a fortress built in just 30 days, which, however, withstood the attacks of the Castilians.
The Spaniards greatly 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. According to travelers, it is from here that the most amazing view of Barcelona opens.
City of Crafts
The Ethno Open Air Museum is also loved by both locals and travelers. "Spanish Village" takes the 4th place in the list of attractions of Catalonia.
Here you can get acquainted with the various architectural styles of the country. Surprisingly, regardless of whether the buildings were made in full size or in miniature, they are all built from the same material and using the same technology that was used at the time they represented.
Spain, the Montjuic mountain in which is not the only attraction, became the first country that embodied its life, architecture and culture in a single place. Later, such mini-cities and villages appeared in other countries.
For example, the reconstructed Place Mayor square combines the buildings of different eras from Castile, Catalonia, Navarra, Aragona, Burgos. In the “Spanish Village” workmen of different directions work: potters, tanners, glassmakers, weavers and many others. Here, students and schoolchildren are taught ancient crafts, if desired, tourists can join them (as they write in their enthusiastic reviews).
At night, the village is completely transformed, as there are numerous pubs and cafes, nightclubs and restaurants where you can see the cancan and the famous flamenco. As guests of the city note, the nightlife of the mountain is no less interesting than the daytime.
Catalan Museum of Art
This museum is recognized as the best and the most complete in its collection of paintings from the Romantic era, here preserved wall paintings of the 12th-13th centuries, a large number of paintings by El Greco and Velazquez.
As his guests correctly say, that 236, 000 works by Spanish and European artists open the way to the development of art over the past thousand years.
Thanks to the restorers of the museum, the world can observe the unique frescoes transferred from the dilapidated churches, which can be found in the film, which I demonstrate in one of the halls. To study all the works, and even cover the storerooms, you will have to visit it many times.
