Montjuïc Castle

Montjuïc Castle sits forebodingly atop a hill overlooking Barcelona, and has a long and notorious history. Founded in 1640, this fortress was used as a prison, and many prisoners were executed by firing squad during the period of fascist dictatorship of Spain. Montjuïc Castle is the only location in Barcelona where there still remains a statue of Francisco Franco; all others were destroyed after his removal from power. The castle is also know as the site of the execution of Lluís Companys, General of Catalunya, at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1940. Today, the Montjuïc Castle is open to visitors, and also contains the Barcelona Military Museum, with a collection of military artifacts and weaponry that spans a wide variety of periods, both from Spain as well as other countries. The castle also contains the Museum of Comics and Illustration, probably due to the fact that many of the villains in children’s comics of Spain make their home in the infamous Montjuïc Castle. If you want a unique experience, you should take the chairlift from Avenida de Miramar (the middle point between the base and the top) up to the castle summit, which affords a sweeping view of Barcelona as you make the climb to the top of the cliff.

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