08/03: owing to the strike called for Women's Day on 8th March, the Montjuïc Cable Car service might be affected. Sorry for the inconvenience.

1/1: Opening hours of the Montjuïc Cable Car, from 10 AM to 2:30 PM. Happy 2025!

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Montjuïc Castle

The defensive fortress with the best panoramic views

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  • Photo Montjuïc Castle - Barcelona
  • Photo Montjuïc Castle
  • Photo Montjuïc Castle

A fortification at the top of Montjuïc Mountain, facing the sea at an altitude of 173 meters, offers a 360º view of Barcelona: from the parade ground, you can admire the port, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Baix Llobregat.

At the Montjuïc Castle, especially in summer, exhibitions, concerts, and film cycles are organized.

Montjuïc Cable Car, on the Hola Barcelona app

Your app for discovering the city from the heights with the Montjuïc Cable Car: journey, stops and most iconic places. A comfortable way to carry your tickets too!

Discover a key strategic building in the history of Barcelona

This site holds great historical interest for the city, as it has been an ideal building for defense. It was built during the Reapers' War in 1640 and was also used to bombard Barcelona at various moments in its history.

At the end of the 19th century, the building began to be used as a prison. In 1940, the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Lluís Companys, was executed there, and in 1963 Franco inaugurated a Military Museum, which permanently closed its doors in 2009. Currently, the Montjuïc Castle de Montjuïc is owned by the Barcelona City Council.

 

Hours, prices, and tickets for the Montjuïc Castle 

  • The opening hours of the Montjuïc Castle vary depending on the season (high season in summer and low season in winter).
  • To visit the Montjuïc Castle, you must purchase a ticket: general or reduced. This can be obtained at the ticket offices of the site or through the website. We recommend buying your ticket online to avoid queues.
  • The ticket to the castle includes access to temporary and permanent exhibitions. You also have the option to take a guided tour of the Montjuïc Castle to discover and visit some areas closed to the public, such as the dungeons.
  • All information about opening hours, tickets, rates, and guided tours is available on the website of the Montjuïc Castle in Barcelona.
     

What to see at the Montjuïc Castle: 

  • The neoclassical-style access bridge designed by Cermeño in 1751.
  • The four bastions that served to protect the fortification.
  • The parade ground where the essential rooms for the life and management of the fortification were located.
  • The terrace and the watchtower from where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Barcelona.
  • The 155-meter-long sea wall from where you can obtain an impressive image of the Barcelona port.
  • The moat, which today is a beautiful garden area where many activities take place.
  • The defensive elements: the ravelin is the main feature that forms part of the tenaille. The latter is located at the center of the moat.
  • The lunettes of the sea and land, which were extensions of the bastion and served to reinforce the security of the castle.
  • The covered way, the corridor that surrounds the fortification. In the past, it was the first line of defense as it kept enemy infantry at bay.
     

For the curious ones 

  • In the castle's moat, you will find a sculpture honoring the meter as a unit of length. It was in 1792 that, from the Montjuïc Castle, French geographer and astronomer Pierre-André Méchain defined this new unit of measurement.
  • A must for: Learning more about the city's history. Within the site is the Interpretation Center of the Montjuïc Castle, a permanent exhibition that aims to delve deep into the monument's past.