Parc d'Atraccions Tibidabo
The mountain of Tibidabo has been a popular retreat for Barcelonese since 1868 when a road was built connecting it to the city. You arrive there on the creaky old funicular -- or, less dramatically, by bus -- to find an amusement park combining tradition with modernity. Cinema buffs will recognize it from Woody Allen’s film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. In summer, the place takes on a carnival-like atmosphere, and most of the credit for this can go to a wealthy pill manufacturer by the name of Dr. Andreu, who believed (quite sensibly) that fresh mountain air was good for your health. He created the Sociedad Anónima de Tibidabo, which promoted the slopes as a public garden and was instrumental in installing both the Tramvía Blau (Blue Tram) and the funicular up to Tibidabo.
Tibidabo oozes fairground nostalgia with its retro rides—a Ferris wheel, carousel, and Avió, a bright red airplane that rotates around a central pole—along with newer attractions like a roller coaster and the terrifying free fall of Merlí. A family visit gets expensive, but you can limit costs by focusing on the Panoramic Area that includes the retro rides only. Buy tickets online in advance and include the Cuca de Llum funicular to take you up the mountain, and the Tibibus shuttle from Plaça de Catalunya.
The church next door to the amusement park is Temple de Sagrat Cor, an ugly and highly kitsch building dating from 1902, meant to provide Barcelona with its own Sacré Coeur. Its distinctive mountaintop silhouette can be seen from all over the city.
The mountain of Tibidabo has been a popular retreat for Barcelonese since 1868 when a road was built connecting it to the city. You arrive there on the creaky old funicular -- or, less dramatically, by bus -- to find an amusement park combining tradition with modernity. Cinema buffs will recognize it from Woody Allen’s film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. In summer, the place takes on a carnival-like atmosphere, and most of the credit for this can go to a wealthy pill manufacturer by the name of Dr. Andreu, who believed (quite sensibly) that fresh mountain air was good for your health. He created the Sociedad Anónima de Tibidabo, which promoted the slopes as a public garden and was instrumental in installing both the Tramvía Blau (Blue Tram) and the funicular up to Tibidabo.
Tibidabo oozes fairground nostalgia with its retro rides—a Ferris wheel, carousel, and Avió, a bright red airplane that rotates around a central pole—along with newer attractions like a roller coaster and the terrifying free fall of Merlí. A family visit gets expensive, but you can limit costs by focusing on the Panoramic Area that includes the retro rides only. Buy tickets online in advance and include the Cuca de Llum funicular to take you up the mountain, and the Tibibus shuttle from Plaça de Catalunya.
The church next door to the amusement park is Temple de Sagrat Cor, an ugly and highly kitsch building dating from 1902, meant to provide Barcelona with its own Sacré Coeur. Its distinctive mountaintop silhouette can be seen from all over the city.
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