Saturday, 13 July 2013

Barcelona - Tibidabo Mountain

The mountain of Tibidabo lays just behind the city and has been an integral part of it since 1986 when the first road was built to reach it. It is the highest point (512m) of the Collserola mountain range that hugs Barcelona from the north. The name originates from the Devil’s temptation of Christ. According to the Bible he takes Christ up on a mountain and offers him the world saying ‘Haec omnia tibi dabo si cadens adoraberis me’ (All this I shall give you if you worship me).

When you reach the top of the mountain you can enjoy the amazing panorama over Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea.






There are lots of well-placed cafes to choose from.


Even though it’s worth climbing up only for the view, Tibidabo offers much more than that. There are lots of other things to explore. On the very top stands the Temple of Tibidabo, or the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor. You can see its silhouette that reminds you of a fairy castle from all over the city.





Interestingly, right in front of the church lies the main attraction: the hundred year old  Tibidabo Amusement Park. I’ll ‘take you’ inside in my next blog.













If you still haven’t had your fill of great views, head to the Torre de Collserola, a high tec communication tower that is only a short walk away from the church. You can go inside and a glass lift will take you up to 560m above sea level.


Finally, there are many walking routes that you can choose from to look around.


Even though it’s a bit out of the way it’s very easy to get there. The easiest option is to get the Tibidabo (T2A) Bus from Plaça de Catalunya that takes you straight to the top. Alternatively you can take the train (L7) to Av. Tibidabo. From there there’s a historic blue tram, the Tramvia Blau that takes you up to the Funicular. This will take you all the way up to the top. Both the tram and the funicular opened in 1901 to take people to the wonders of Tibidabo.  




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