above Montjüic hill view from Plaça Drassanes

above map of Sants-Montjuic districts

Sants-Montjuïc centers on Montjuïc hill, which offers sweeping sea views from Montjuïc Castle and city vistas from paths near the Olympic Stadium. The area is home to cultural institutions like the Joan Miró Foundation, in a striking modernist building, and the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, in a neoclassical palace. Gardens and pine-filled parks cover the hill, while cable cars connect it to the city and harbor.

The historic village of Sants is located above the Gran Via. Once a rural settlement, it grew rapidly in the first half of the 20th century when textile mills, factories and shops set up their premises here. Like many other villages on the Barcelona Plain, Sants was annexed by Barcelona in 1897.

oble-sec extends from below the Avinguda del Paral·lel to the foot of Montjuïc Hill. Its working-class roots and a long-standing theatrical tradition are some of the distinctive traits of this Barcelona neighbourhood, where you'll still find one of the air-raid shelters built by the local community during the Spanish Civil War.

However, the most iconic landmark in Poble-sec is certainly Montjuïc Hill. Standing 185 metres high, its characteristic outline, resembling a cliff sinking into the sea, has been a symbol of the city since ancient times and a superb viewing point over Barcelona. The hill was known as the Mount of the Jews (Montjuïc in Catalan) and so-named because Barcelona's Sephardic community bought land here in medieval times to bury their dead. Montjuïc has been one of the city's key suppliers. The Romans used stone quarried on Montjuïc to build Barcino, and the Christians took stone from here to construct iconic medieval landmarks such as Santa Maria del Mar.

Montjuïc has been, and remains, a superb lookout point over Barcelona. You can enjoy exceptional views of the city, port and coastline from its many belvederes – such as the Mirador del Alcalde, and the Mirador del Migdia and the path that connects them – and unique means of transport, such as the cable cars which run up to the castle and across the harbour.

Poble Sec Neighborhood

Located between the foothills of Montjuïc and the port, Poble Sec a a neighbourhood of Montjuic.

For a long time it was a relatively poor area and home to some of Barcelona’s most destitute residents. Today, Poble Sec is slowly making a name for itself as an up-and-coming corner of town with a great food scene. Poble Sec dates as far back as the ancient Roman times.

It wasn’t until about the 19th century that the neighborhood got its name, when plans were made to create an extension, known as the Eixample.

But in the end Poble Sec area was not included in the Eixample extention plans, it was at this time that the various neighborhoods between the port, Montjuic and Parallel were given the name Poble Sec – meaning ‘Dry Town’ in Catalan.

above; El parallel

Avinguda del Paral·lel

El parallel is one of the main streets of the city of Barcelona, dividing Ciuitat Vella, Eixample and Sant-Montjuic district. It receives this name because it is parallel to the Equador.

It runs from Plaça d'Espanya, where the city's exhibition halls are located, to the seafront to the passenger ship port, and the neighbourhood of Poble Sec, on the side of Montjuic, from the neighbourhoods of Sant Antoni and El Raval. It was officially inaugurated on October 11, 1894.

The surrounding quarter of Pole Sec , is most known for theatres (as of 2009, there are three in the avenue, Apolo, Condal and Victoria, but there were many more), as well as cabarets and erotic shows, El Molino, once one of the city's most renowned cabarets, is being rebuilt. 

Metro station in Poble Sec neighbourhood are found alon Avenida del Paral.lel bordering with Sant Antoni like Poble Sec station on the GREEN line L and El Raval with Paral.el station on the GREEN L 3 and PURPLE line L2

Internal areas of Poble Sec neighbourhood

El Poble-Sec is a compact district with shady squares and elegant 19th-century architecture. Above a photo of Carrer de Blai which is known for its creative tapas bars and lively drinking dens, Away from the buzz, locals gather in alfresco cafes around charming squares such as Plaça de las Navas (see below) and Plaça del Sortidor.

above; Plaça del Sortidor

Plaça d'Espanya

Plaça d'Espanya ) is one of Barcelona's most important squares, held at the foot of Montjuic, in the Sants-Montjuic district.  It was designed in 1915 and built in 1929 so that it could be ready to host the 1929 Universal Exposition. The square has been in public use since then.

One of the city's biggest squares, it is the junction of several major main roads: Gran Via de Les Corta Catalane, Avinguda del ParallelCarrer de la Creu Coberta and Carrer de Terragona, all of them lead to the Palau Nacional through Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, which houses one of Catalonia's finest museums, the Museu Nacional d'Arts de Catalunya (MNAC).

The fountain at the centre of the square was designed by Josep Maria Jujol, a collaborator of Antoni Gaudi.

Parc de Joan Miro' previously known as Parc de l'Escorxador, it is nowadays named after the Catalan painter and his 22-metre-tall statue called "Woman and Bird"

Arenas de Barcelona a used to be a bullring  It opened on June 29, 1900, and its last bullfight was held on June 19, 1977. The building was converted and reopened in 2011 as a shopping mall.

Above; Plaça Espanya

Above;Arenas de Barcelona

Above; Parc de Joan MIrò

National Art Museum of Catalonia,  Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

The spectacular neobaroque silhouette of the Palau Nacional can be seen on Montjuïc's slopes from across the city. Built for the 1929 World Exhibition and restored in 2005, it houses a vast collection of mostly Catalan art spanning the early Middle Ages to the early 20th century.

The museum’s collection of modern art consists of works by artist like Gaudí, Dali, Picasso Tapier and many others. In addition to modern paintings, there are drawings, prints, and posters dating from the 16th century and thousands of coins and medals. Also there is a department of photography.

Plaça Espanya view from the Museum of National Arts

Montjuïc

 Montjuïc stands more than 200 meters above the sea, with its cliffs plunging into the stunning blue Mediterranean waters. It used to be an old Jewish cemetary hence its name. (The mountain of the Jewish)

This scenic hilltop neighborhood of Barcelona boasts sensational views, beautiful gardens, and excellent museums.

Many popular tourist sites are found in the Parc de Montjüic, an expansive parkland with the Castell de Montjuïc on its summit. Also in this park is the dazzling Montjuïc Magic Fountain, which features spectacular light shows, and the Museum of Catalan Art, focusing on artists of the Catalonia region.

After admiring the Montjüic Park and the museums, visitors can stroll through the bohemian neighborhood of Poble-Sec to see the work of local artists and munch on tapas

Parc del Mirador del Poble Sec in Barcelona

Parc del Mirador del Poble Sec is one of the green parks located in Montjuïc. The park offers a peaceful, relaxing ambience and a quick escape from the bustling city. It is good to find a place near the city where you can just go for quick nature trip to unwind. Here you can walk around the gardens to get some fresh air plus see stunning views of the Mediterranean sea and the Barcelona Port. Aside from the abundant plants and the view, you will also see children’s play areas, ping-pong tables, and pergola shades for you to rest or have a picnic after strolling around.

Foot entrance of Montjuic park from Passeig de Josep Carner

Jardins de Mossèn Costa i Llobera

The Mossèn Costa i Llobera Gardens offer a spectacular panoramic view of the city’s coastline and port. These are one Europe's biggest gardens specialising cactus and succulent plants. Facing the sea and sheltered by Montjuïc, they are located on a privileged mirador, just a few minutes from the city centre.

Castell de Montjuïc

Montjuic Castle

Montjuïc Castle ( Castell de Montjuïc ) is an old military fortress, with roots dating back from 1640, built on top ot Montjüic hill. The fortress has several large-calibre guns that were used to defend the port area. Almost 200 meters above the sea, the castle affords unobstructed 360-degree views. Visitors can take a walk along the flat roof of the citadel and the corner bastions. From this marvelous vantage point, the panoramic outlooks include the cityscape of Barcelona, the mountains in the background, the harbor and coastline.

The castle can be accessed by the Montjuic Cable Car a gondola lift that has its upper station near the castle entrance and connects, via the Montjuic Funicular, with the Barcelona Metro at Parallel station

The Montjuic funicular

The Montjuic Funicular is a funicular railway. The railway mainly runs through a tunnel and connects the Barcelona Metro's Parallel station  (with connections to lines L2 and L3) with the hill of Montjuicand the various sporting facilities and other attractions there.

The upper station of the funicular is adjacent to the lower station of the Montjuic Cable Car, a gondola lift, that continues uphill to a terminal near the Montjuic Castle the summit of the hill

Montjuïc Cable Car

The Montjuïc Cable Car (Telefèric de Montjuïc ) is a car lift. The cable car runs from a lower terminus adjacent to the Montjuïc Park upper station of the Montjuïc Funicular, and climbs higher up the Montjuïc hill to a terminal near the Montjuic Caste on the top of the hill. At its midpoint, the line executes a 90 degree turn and the cabins pass through Mirador station

Sants neighbourhood

The area of Sants itself doesn't have that many attractions but there are many lovely restaurants in the area, as well as bars. From Sants you can travel to areas of interest in 10-15minutes. You could also walk to  Plaça Españya and Montjuïc where there are attractions

All in all, Sants is a quiet, mostly residential area, out of town but easily accessible.

The Barcelona Sants train station (Estació de Sants) is the focal point of the area and is one of Barcelona's largest and most well-connected stations with direct trains to the airport and destinations outside of Barcelona

above Barcelona Sants train station