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My Escapes Spain Barcelona Back to Barcelona! The Montjuïc Fortress

The Montjuïc Fortress

January 23, 2014
[...]

So I got on top of Barcelona with the telecabin...
The Fort of Montjuïc is immense, with thick walls. Great views towards the city and the cargo port, I did check out the fortress walls, but overall there's not much else to see up there...

These are my experiences... more photos than words, in this case.

By the way, Montjuïc means "Jewish Mountain" - Barcelona had a large Jewish community during the middle ages. It is only 184,8 m high, but it felt like 500!


Montjuïc moat around the fortress

Quite a deep, abrupt moat!

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The Montjuïc Fortress was built in 1640 and in 1641 it already saw battle between the defending Catalonians and the attacking Spaniards. The fortress withstood, the 26,000 Spaniards retreated.


Vegetation on walls

Green vegetation camouflages part of the walls

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Of course, the old Montjuïc Fort wasn't the same with the one you can see today.
The old one was demolished in 1751...

Various new bastions and other improvements were added to the newly built structure over the years. The current design stands since the year 1799.


Walls of Montjuïc Fortress

Quite complex walls

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The fortification was equipped with a staggering 120 cannons. Old cannons, which are not the same as the newer early 20th century equipment that I photographed.

I read a story of soldiers who've simply given up the fort to Napoleon's army without any opposition. They were allegedly ordered not to fight the French.


Montjuïc Fortress northern walls

Well thought-out thick walls on the northern section

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I walked around it and in some areas it looked like they really needed to improve the road: unpaved... at least I had a nice view over the cargo port. Impressive!


Cats of Montjuïc Fortress

Montjuïc feline community

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A bunch of cats were running around in the fort, slight rain and almost no tourist traffic up there at all. Just like in Lisbon. Only that these were different. The ones in Lisbon were more fat and had round heads...

Helmet statue

Helmet statue at the entrance

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I explored the fortification inside and outside.
Walking around required foughly an hour. Of course, at one point I had to turn back and choose another path, the moats and walls often blocked me from getting further.
You'd need a map to get around it from first.

Various heavy weapons are exposed both outside and inside.
Cannons of all sorts. Most of them from the very late 19th century and the early 20th century.

Some of them were rather "small" field guns, others were immense coastal batteries.

The internal museum part of the fortress was closed, but I was allowed to enter a few rooms (free of charge), where I was able to see 400-500 year-old pistols and other weaponry.

My way down to the city was by a modern funicular.

It departed approximately from the spot where I took the cable car.

Of course, I had a round-trip ticket for the aerial tramway, so I got back to where I had embarked and then proceeded to the metro station.

Another way would have been by funicular, which goes from Parc de Montjuïc all the way down to the Paral-lel station, where it connects with the purple L2 TMB (metro) line. A short walk and you can get to the Ramblas.

I'll leave you with my walkaround photos and the photos of the cannons...


Fortress walls near moat

Just be careful: don't walk too close to the edge, there's no fence and the moat is very deep!

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Montjuïc Fortress corner

At the corner I caught a glimpse of the cargo port

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Montjuïc edge towards the sea

Wicked fence here and lots of exotic plants

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Barcelona cargo port

The cargo port down below... and a cruise ship.

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Cactuses on the side of Montjuïc

Cactuses grow on the side of Montjuïc. Look: two more cruiseships!

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Barcelona skyline in the fog

You can clearly depict some of the main landmarks of Barcelona

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Montjuïc tunnel

Tunnel... access to the interior

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Guard post and huge cannon

Guard post to the left and immense cannon up there, on top!

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Coastal batteries

Two British-made Vickers coastal batteries

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Coastal gun in Barcelona

You can comprehend the sheer size of this cannon by comparing it to the tourists' telecope!

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305 mm coastal battery

305 mm (6 in) Ordóñez gun

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305 mm Ordóñez gun

Side view of the same type of gun

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Field gun

A field gun...

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Escape Hunter

About the Author:

Escape Hunter, the young solo traveler in his early 30's explores the World driven by curiosity, thirst for adventure, deep passion for beauty, love for freedom and diversity.
With a nuanced, even humorous approach to travel, an obsession for art and design, Escape Hunter prefers to travel slowly, in order to learn and "soak up" the local atmosphere...



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