MONTJUIC

Montjuic, a steep mountain to the south of the city, once had a Roman settlement and temple to Jupiter crowning its heights. Since the 1929 International Exhibition, however, pretty pavilions have been converted to exhibition palaces, Olympic stadiums and concert halls.

One of the best ways to reach Montjuic is by funicular railway, from the Avinguda Parallel Metro station. The Drassanes, the city's medieval shipyards which have been transformed into Barcelona's highly acclaimed Museu Maritim, lie to the east of Montjuic at the port end of Las Ramblas, close to the station.

Once on Montjuic, you'll find two of the city's greatest art museums, one dedicated to Joan Miro and his colorful works, the other showing a world-renowned collection of Catalan Romanesque frescoes that were rescued from decaying Pyrenean churches.

The Sants neighbourhood lies on the northern side of Montjuic, and this is where you'll find Barcelona's main train station of the same name. At the foot of Montjuic, on the eastern side, the residential neighborhood of Poble Sec has some attractive houses and squares, and cosy cafes and bars, particularly along the Carrer de Blai.