Montjuic

Montjuic rises 173 metres directly above the port, and almost everything on it was built for an event: the 1929 International Exposition left the Palau Nacional, the Magic Fountain, the Poble Espanyol and Mies van der Rohe's German pavilion, reconstructed in 1986; the 1992 Olympics left the stadium, the Calatrava communications tower and the Palau Sant Jordi. Above them all sits the castle, a seventeenth and eighteenth-century fortress that trained its guns on the city as often as on attackers and served as a prison and execution site, now a museum with a walkable rampart. The hill also holds extensive gardens, the Miro foundation and the Catalan art museum, and a cable car crosses from the port.

What you actually see

• The castle - a fortress with ramparts over the port and the city.
• The 1929 legacy - the Palau Nacional, Magic Fountain and Mies pavilion.
• The Olympic ring - the 1992 stadium and Calatrava tower.
• The gardens and cable car - planted terraces and a crossing from the port.

When to go

Spring and autumn; the hill is exposed and hot in summer. The Magic Fountain runs shows on set evenings from spring to autumn, with a winter pause and occasional suspensions for drought.

Honest expectations

The hill is large and its sites are far apart, so covering it means a lot of uphill walking or using the funicular and buses. The Magic Fountain schedule is reduced and has been suspended during water restrictions. Museums charge separately.

Nearby

The Miro foundation and Catalan art museum are on the hill; the port and Poble Sec lie below.