Montjuic

Montjuic, Barcelona is one of the significant tourist destinations of the city and people from all over the country come to see the place. Montjuïc actually means Hill of Jews in the ancient Catalan language and it is a common name in Catalan countries. Montjuïc is actually a broad shallow hill that boasts of a flat top and oversees a harbor, which is located in the southeast of the city center. The eastern part of the hill is more like a cliff and from there you can enjoy breathtaking glimpses of the city as well as the harbor. Montjuïc is 173 meters high and the top of the hill was the site of many fortifications; in fact one of the fortifications, Castell de Montjuïc is still extant.

Castell de Montjuïc was built in the 17th century and further additions were made to the fortress in the 18th century. Till the time of General Franco, the fort was used a prison that used to house political prisoner. In fact Castell de Montjuïc had also seen many executions. One of the significant events in the history of the fort was in 1897, when executions of anarchist supporters lead to severe repression of the workers' struggle for their rights. Apart from this, during the Spanish Civil War many Nationalists and Republications were executed here.

Montjuïc is also celebrated for exquisite natural beauty. The slopes of hill boast of dense woods and the slopes were used by the local people to grow food and graze animals. However, most of the woods were cleared in the last decade of 19th century and by 1929 the place saw the beginning of the construction for the International Exposition. In fact many buildings have survived which were made during this time; some of the remarkable being majestic Palau Nacional, the Estadi Olímpic and the opulent Font Màgica fountains.