From various points of the city we can see the mountain of Montjuïc, the mountain situated between the city and the sea. Rising over the city, southwest of the Barrio Chino, the steep hill of Montjuïc is by far the largest green area in Barcelona. Montjuïc is translated as Hill of the Jews in the medieval Catalan language, or as a corruption of Latin Mons Jovicus (that is, hill of Jupiter). In fact, Montjuïc takes its name from the Jewish community that once settled on its slopes, and there's been a castle on the heights since the mid-seventeenth century, which says much about the hill's obvious historical defensive role. Montjuïc and Tibidabo are the two mountains that give the city character, described in an old song as the "Pearl of the Mediterranean", surrounded by mountains and the sea, the "sentinels of its peace".

Montjuïc, since the erection of buildings for the International Exhibition of 1929, has been the city's greatest cultural draw, with its five museums, various gardens and the famous Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village). The ornate Palau Nacional houses the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, an extensive showcase of Catalan sculpture and painting. Also on the Montjuïc you'll find the Fundació Joan Miró, a modern art museum centering around a large collection of the works of Joan Miró. However, due to the fever of the Olympics, a new type of buildings with unorthodox designs were built next to those few unusual relics from 1929. That is the reason why, since 1992, Montjuïc has never looked so spruce.

Around Barcelona

Ciutadella and Barceloneta

Eixample

Montjuïc

Ramblas and the Old Town

Suburbs

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