The Magic Fountain of Montjuic
An unforgettable sight
One of the mandatory visits of Barcelona is the complex of Montjuic, a mountain located next to the port, at the southern side of the city. There are many ways to arrive there, but the first sight of it almost all tourists get is from Plaça Espanya, behind the two Venetian towers. There, you will see the Palace of Montjuic, and right in front of it, the Magic Fountain of Montjuic. At first, you may not see the magic in it ?that is reserved for the evening, for the first dark hours of the day.
But what is the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, exactly? During the day, it's just a big fountain, but during the night, it offers a wonderful spectacle of lights, water and music. The music starts playing, and the fountain is illuminated in different colours and colour combinations, while the water starts dancing. Cascades, streams and jets of water change, dance and move at the rhythm of the music while a crowd watches, enjoying the show.
The history of the Magic Fountain of Montjuic... And the four columns.
The Magic Fountain of Montjuic was designed by engineer Carles Buïgas i Sans to occupy the space that was left after the Four Columns were demolished, in 1928. If you've already visited Barcelona, you may be confused now ? as the Four Columns are still there!
Yes, they are, but they're a replica of the original ones that was built very recently, in year 2010. The original four columns were demolished when Spain was under a dictatorship that repressed the regionalist political movement. Franco's dictatorship also violently enforced the unity of Spain over the regional movements and identities, but Primo de Rivera did so before, from 1923 to 1930. The Four Columns where designed by Catalan Modernist architect Puig i Cadafalch, and they symbolised the four bars of the Catalan flag, the senyera. And thus they were demolished.
However, a very important international event was to be celebrated in Barcelona only a year after that: the Expo of 1929. The hole left by the Four Columns needed to be filled, and thus Buïgas presented an ambitious project for the Magic Fountains, that many judged absolutely insane. It was approved, though, and more than 3 thousand workers brought it to life in only one year. In fact, all the construction works for the Expo had already begun when the Magic Fountain was designed, but the general impression was that there was something "missing". And that was how one of the most famous symbols of Barcelona was born. Buïgas found new inspiration in light; he discovered it as an element that was beautiful by itself, and that had that aesthetic purpose besides that of illuminating the shadows. He created a whole new engineering of lights, discovering that lengthening the lights would darken the others, and designing a big, independent light that would include the rest without making them disappear. Buïgas had designed several different games of light and water, but only the four big cascades and the central fountain remained.
The Magic Fountain of Montjuic would be remodelled several times, including, of course, one for the Olympic Games of 1992, when the four original cascades were repaired. However, the fountain was in a deplorable state by then, and it had to be closed after the games, to be reopened in 1994. You will have noticed that there has been no mention of the music up until this point. This is because it wasn't part of the original project. Music was added only in the 80s.
Since its inauguration, the Magic Fountain of Montjuic became a symbol of Barcelona, that would illuminate the city with its lights and dancing water at all the important events that were celebrated there. It did so during the Olympics, of course, but it does it also during the celebrations of La Mercè, the patron of Barcelona, and during Christmas. And, of course, also during the high-season months, since tourism is nowadays the most constant, important event that the city of Barcelona celebrates.
What to do next
The Magic Fountain of Montjuic can be considered an entry to the mountain of Montjuic, a place full of interesting landmarks and attractions. In fact, there is so much to see there that you could spend two whole days sightseeing, so you will need to make decisions on what to visit and what not. Of course, depending on how many days you're going to spend in this exciting city!
To make it a little bit easier for you, we're going to list the attractions you can find near the Magic Fountain of Montjuic. Our recommendation? Fill a day or an afternoon with some of the following places and put the cherry on top with the spectacle of the Magic Fountain. It will be the best way to end the day!
Montjuic Castle: This military fortress is located at the top of the Mountain. From there, you will enjoy a breath-taking view of the port of Barcelona.
Montjuic Cemetery: If you enter Barcelona from the coastline highway, you will see the cemetery climbing up the mountain. It is a beautiful one, since it is full of sculptures and monuments.
- Olympic Ring: Montjuic was a key place during the Olympic Games of 1992, which were celebrated in Barcelona and became a key moment in its history, since they made Barcelona one of the top tourist destinations in the world. You can see the Olympic Stadium Lluís Companys, the Palau Sant Jordi and the Telecommunications Tower by Santiago Calatrava, as well as the Picornell Swimming Pools, from where you can enjoy a great view of the city.
- Montjuic Cable Car: You can climb to the top of the mountain in a cable car that will remind you very much of a giant Ferris Wheel. Not suitable for those who are afraid of heights!
- Palace of Montjuic and Catalan Museum of National Art: In this beautiful palace you will be able to see an important collection of Catalan paintings and sculptures. Poble Espanyol: If you're travelling with children, Poble Espanyol is a mandatory visit. It was also built for the same important international event, the 1929 Expo. Nowadays, it hosts many parties and festivals, but you can still visit it to see what gives it its name. There, you will find typical constructions and plazas from different Spanish villages, including many beautiful and famous spots of the Spanish geography. It is a perfect way of travelling around the country without moving from the city of Barcelona!In fact, there are more places that you can visit near the Magic Fountain of Montjuic. In the mountain, you will also find more than 2,000 species of plants in the Botanic Gardens, and the Joan Miró Foundation, which is dedicated to this important abstract artist. And right next to the Magic Fountain, you will find Barcelona's CaixaForum, a museum where you can visit several temporary exhibits in art and photography. The Museum is located in a beautiful building of the architectural style that made Barcelona famous, Modernisme, and that used to be a textile factory. The textile industry was of extreme importance in Barcelona, and contributed to make it one of the richest cities in Spain during the Industrial Revolution. If you want to learn about Barcelona's history, the CaixaForum is also a good place to do so, since there are guided visits to the building as well.
Magic Fountain of Montjuic online tickets
You won't need to get any Magic Fountain of Montjuic online tickets, because the show is completely free. In fact, you can see it as many times as you want, since it takes place several times every evening ?we'll explain all about it in the next section of this article.
But, even if there are no Magic Fountain of Montjuic online tickets to get in advance, we still recommend to do some planning. The show is well known and loved, so the place gets really crowded really quickly. If you want to get a good view, and take pictures that are free of other tourists trying to get their camera as close as possible, we recommend to go there at the very least half an hour early - and even that may not be enough.
As you saw in this same article, there are tons of interesting things to do in Montjuic, so we recommend visiting the many attractions located there before going to the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, online tickets in advance or not. And, of course, to plan accordingly to finish about an hour before the first show starts, so you can get the best spot. Keep in mind that the water of the fountain dances at the rhythm of music, but you won't hear much of it if you're not close enough.
Remember that even if there aren't any Magic Fountain of Montjuic online tickets to get, the many attractions that are nearby do have them, and you can get them all with GowithOh. You can find online tickets for the National Museum of Catalan Art, the Joan Miro Foundation, the Poble Espanyol, the cable car, and more!
Other useful information
The Magic Fountain of Montjuic has several different schedules depending on the season and the month. In autumn and winter, considered from November to March, it only works on Fridays and Saturdays at 7, 7.30 and 8 pm. The show takes place more often in the schedule for spring and summer. In April, May and October the frequency is the same, though, but later. The show is on Fridays and Saturdays at 9, 9.30 and 10 pm. The change in schedule goes according to the time the sun goes down ?the sky needs to be dark so the game of lights can be fully appreciated.
Finally, in June, July, August and September, they add Thursdays and Sundays to the schedule, and they delay it even a half an hour more. It starts at 9.30, 10 and 10.30 pm those four days of the week.
Those who travel to Barcelona from January 7th to February 18th won't be able to see the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, since the show is closed during that time for maintenance. If seeing it is one of the highlights of your trip to Barcelona, it's better to wait a little while!
To arrive to the Magic Fountain of Montjuic, you can take metro L1 (red) or L3 (green) until station Espanya. You will then be at Plaça Espanya, and you will see its two beautiful Venetian Towers right after you exit the metro. Behind them you will see the Palace of Montjuic. The Magic Fountain is right in front of it!
Are you looking forward to seeing the Magic Fountain of Montjuic in action? Don't forget to tell us about your experience in the comments!
-
-
1,5 hours
-
2.500.000
