Montjuïc

For many visitors, and certainly for those who arrive by sea, the mountain of Montjuïc is their first glimpse of Barcelona. Jutting out over the port on one side and facing the monumental Plaça Espanya on the other, Montjuïc is strategically placed as a pleasure ground, and a fortunate lack of a constant water source has deterred residential development. Instead, it became the focal point of two of the city's key international events: first the World Fair of 1929, of which many structures still remain, and second the 1992 Olympic Games.

The largest "green zone" in the city, Montjuïc's forests and parks have always been popular with joggers, cyclists, and strollers. In recent years, the city's council embarked on a project to spruce these up, install walkways and escalators, and reclaim some forgotten gems in the process. One of these is the Font del Gat, Passeig Santa Madrona 28 (tel. 93-289-04-04), a once-fashionable cafe built by moderniste architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch that now acts as a Montjuïc information point and restaurant. Top-flight hillside museums, such as the Miró Foundation and the MNAC, are additional good reasons to leave the bustle of city behind and take the rewarding climb up here.

The Magic Fountain

Without a doubt, the most popular attraction for young and old alike in the Montjuïc area is the Font Màgica (Magic Fountain). During the day, the grandiose fountain at the base of the staircase to the MNAC seems like any other, but at night it takes on a different personality. At regular intervals, the fountain puts on a spectacular show. Music, ranging from pop ballads to pop classics, belts out from loudspeakers, and multifarious lights are beamed from inside the fountain itself. The gushes of water, controlled externally, "dance" to the mixture of light and sound. Supposedly the only one of its kind in the world, the fountain was designed by the visionary engineer Carles Buïgas for the 1929 World's Fair, pre-dating similar Vegas-type attractions by decades. It's free and never fails to enthrall. Grab a seat at one of the nearby outdoor cafes and enjoy. It's at Plaça Carles Buïgas 1. Metro: Espanya. The sound-and-light shows run from May to early October, Thursday through Sunday at 9:30, 10pm, 10:30, 11, and 11:30pm. The rest of the year, they are held on Friday and Saturday at 7, 7:30, 8, and 8:30pm.

Swinging over the Port

Unless you suffer from vertigo, the most spectacular way to reach the Castell de Montjuïc, and the other attractions on the sea-face of the mountain of Montjuïc, is via a cable car that crosses the port. The Transbordador Aeri starts at Torre de Sant Sebastián at the very end of the Passeig de Joan de Borbó in Barceloneta (bus no. 17, 64, or 39), stops at the World Trade Center on the way, and finishes at the ascent to the peak of Montjuïc. The cable car runs every 15 minutes daily from 10:30am to 7pm. Cost is 6€ ($7.50) one-way, 7.20€ ($9) round-trip.

A Bicycle Built for Two

One of the star pieces of the MNAC's moderniste collection is a self-portrait of Ramón Casas and fellow painter Pere Romeu riding a tandem. This iconic work was originally done for Els Quatre Gats, essentially a tavern that served as a fraternity house for moderniste movers and shakers, bohemians, intellectuals, and poets. A young Picasso designed the menu (and held his first exhibition there), and various other works donated to the owners still adorn the walls, although now most, such as Casas's peddling portrait, are reproductions of the originals. The colorful Casas, who had spent many years in the artistic circles of Montmartre, was a notable artist in his own right. His interpretations of fin de siècle Barcelona provide a valuable insight to this heady time.