Montjuic Castle: A magnificent fortress with Barcelona in the palm of your hand

Formerly a military fortress, Montjuic Castle forms an integral part of Barcelona's history. From its walls you can see not only the whole city, port and sea. Here you will also learn about the interesting and often harsh history of this building. During the last years the fort became a place full of cultural and social activities, which you should definitely not miss when visiting Barcelona!

Aerial view of the fortress castle on top of Montjuic hill

What will you learn in the article? 

• Where did the fortress come from and what is its history?
• What to see and do in and around the fortress?
• Fortress map
• How to get here?
• How much will it cost? How much is the entrance fee?

The cruel and breathtaking past of the fortress on top of Montjuic hill

Montjuic Castle can be found at the hill of the same name, which rises to a height of 173 meters above sea level. The location of the castle lends itself to an excellent defensive position for potential attackers. Today though you will appreciate it more beautiful view to the city and the port with docks.

There are nice views of the city from the castle

The foundations of the building on the top of the Montjuic hill were created as early as 1640, when the walls around one of the guard towers that stood there before were built here. This was just a step towards building a military fortress that played a key role in many of Barcelona's but also Spain's conflicts. 

The interesting thing is that during its existence it was according to the current power structure, the fortress is used both for the defense of Barcelona and for its bombardment – e.g. in 1842, the city was bombarded from the hill with the aim of suppressing the revolutionary movement of local workers and the bourgeoisie. 

Cannons located around the castle are a visible reminder of the military past

At the end of the 19th century, the castle became a prison, where mainly political prisoners were housed. Back in 1940, the head of the Catalan government was executed here Lluís Companys.

Place of worship in the castle moat with a monolith in memory of the executed Prime Minister Lluís Companys

In 1963, the castle was administered by the Ministry of Defense and a military museum was opened here. However, this disappeared with the transfer of the fortress to the ownership of the city of Barcelona in 2009. 

The fortress offers breathtaking views and cultural experiences

As soon as you arrive at the fortress, you will be amazed by the neoclassical bridge, which was an important defensive element in the past - there is a separate wooden and iron drawbridge at its very end. The latter rose in case of danger to prevent access to the fortress from the outside. 

A deep moat extends around the entire castle, which was an insurmountable obstacle for the attackers. Today, however, it serves more as a garden. Here you will see decorative flower beds and you can also walk in them.

Main entrance across the bridge to Montjuic Castle

As soon as you step inside the castle, you will find yourself at the center of the entire complex: in the spacious Parade Yard, or The Parade Ground. 

Various cultural events, exhibitions or concerts are held at this place today.

The parade courtyard of Montjuic Castle, where concerts and other cultural events are often held

If you venture further out of the courtyard, you can explore massive walls surrounding the entire fortress, their bastions and also enjoy amazing views of the entire city. As a remnant of military history, you will also see historical cannons pointing at the sea on the walls.

One of the most characteristic features of the entire fortress is its watchtower. In the past, it was used to communicate with ships entering the port of Barcelona: flags were used during the day and fires at night. 

During the tour, you can walk along the castle walls and advanced bastions

The fort was equipped with an ingenious system of walls and ditches, which made it difficult to get inside even after breaching the outer walls.

However, you should not miss the interior of the castle itself either. There you will find a visitor center located in the former casemates. This will offer you a colorful history of the fort, including period drawings and photographs. There is also a cafe or toilets in the same place. 

Montjuic fortress map

To give you a better idea of ​​what is where, I have prepared a small map for you. 

Map of Montjuic fortress and all its parts - click to enlarge

How to get to Montjuic Castle?

You can reach the Montjuic fortress on foot, by car, by bike or perhaps by cable car.

Walking route on foot or by bike

If you want to go to the top on foot, take the metro to Paral·lel station. From there, you can go all the way to the top on foot, or make your journey a little easier by using the cable car to the Parc de Montjuïc station (included in a ticket for local public transport). 

You can walk to the top from the metro in approximately 30 minutes

After that, you will have an approximately 40-minute hike leading up a slightly steeper hill. It can be done even if you are a little less physically fit. You will be rewarded with nice views of the surroundings or various stops in the form of rest zones or playgrounds. He will appreciate it especially your children. 

If you have enough time, I recommend making a stop and exploring, for example, the wonderful gardens named after Joan Brosseau (map) or Mossén Cinto Verdaguer (map).

Jardines de Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer – a relaxing park where you can make a stop

You can also go to the top of Montjuic by bike in a similar way. The castle promotes sustainable transport and therefore there are plenty of places for safe parking of bicycles.

Comfortable bus journey

If you want to go by bus, it is ideal for you line 150. It leaves from Pl. Espanya and the journey to the stop a short distance from the main gate of the castle takes 21 minutes. The bus is a great mode of transport too if you want to explore other interesting places of Montjuic hill: the bus, among others, stops at Spanish village, Olympic Park or maybe Joan Miró Museums. 

Bus number 150 will take you to the top; the classic applies to him public transport tickets

Cable car ride with views

However, the most interesting option is the road by the Telefèric de Montjuïc. It has a total of three stations. The cable car starts at Avinguda Miramar, then continues through the Mirador stop (Estació Mirador) and ends a few steps before the entrance to the castle.

Montjuic cable car; classic public transport tickets are not valid for the cable car

You can find a more detailed description of the trip, prices and my impressions of the cable car in a separate descriptive article everything you have to see on Montjuic hill.

My tip: Make your visit to the castle a day trip

For a visit to Montjuic Castle, I recommend combining is other attractions and monuments on Montjuic hill and take the whole thing as a day trip.

For example, we took the cable car up for the last time, admired the views from the castle, went around it on the way from the side facing the sea and continued to the southwest. Then followed a stop at The Migdia House (map) for a drink in the shade of the pine trees, we descended towards the cemetery and from there headed towards the Olympic Park again, had a coffee by the National Palace and admired the views and ended the whole journey at Pl. Spain. It's a very nice walking circuit for a few hours, especially with children!

How much does it cost to enter the Montjuic fortress?

The entrance fee to the Montjuic Fortress is not high, and you can also get in for free. The full price is €9, €8 for children between 12 and 6 years old. Every first Sunday of the month, and then all other Sundays after 15 p.m., entry is completely free.

If you are interested in a guided tour, the full entrance fee will be increased to €13 and reduced to €10. During the days when entry is free, you pay €4 for the tour. Guided tours always take place on weekends and holidays at 13pm in English, 15pm in Spanish and 30pm in Catalan.

It is also worth mentioning the possibility of combining a ticket to the fortress and the botanical garden Jardí Botànic, which amounts to €10 (reduced €7). The second possible option is the entrance to the fortress and the ethnological museum Museu etnològic i de cultures del món, which also costs €10 (reduced €7).

Name:	Montjuic Fortress (or Castell de Montjuïc)
Address:	Carretera de Montjuïc 66, Barcelona (map)
Transportation:	Metro L2 or L3 to the Paral·lel station, from there by cable car to the Parc de Montjuïc stop. From there you can go to the top of Montjuic on foot or by cable car Telefèric de Montjuïc. Alternatively, you can take bus number 150 to the top.
Opening hours:	March 1 - October 31: 10:00 - 20:00; box office closes at 19:30 p.m November 1 - February 28: 10:00 - 18:00; box office closes at 17:30 p.m Open every day except December 25 and January 1.
Entrance fee:	Regular entrance fee: €9 Reduced entrance fee: €6 Children under 8 years free Free every Sunday from 15:00 or any first Sunday of the month.
More information:	Official Web

Authors: Lucie Trinerová, Michal Acler