Mount Tibidabo (Barcelona) is the highest point in the Catalan capital. This is an amazing attraction, it is, first of all, a shrine for every inhabitant of a huge city. The highest point of the mountain is located at an altitude of 512 m – enough to see Barcelona in all its glory.
General information
If we talk about specific attractions, Mount Tibidabo is included in the list of the most visited. If Barcelona is brightly lit by the sun, the photos from the observation decks will be amazing without exaggeration.
Interesting fact! The phrase “tibi omnia dabo” is present in the Bible, it was uttered by the devil in an attempt to tempt Jesus Christ.
For the construction of the temple, this particular religious place was chosen, the hands of Jesus Christ seem to embrace the world. Tourists unanimously note that the view from the top is fascinating and memorable for a lifetime. However, the temple and picturesque landscapes are not the only attractions that travelers will see. There is an amusement park, museums, a restaurant and even a TV tower. That’s what we’ll talk about in the article.
Mount Tibidabo in Barcelona belongs to the Colserola mountain range, visually similar to a horseshoe. It is believed that the landmark appeared about three hundred million years ago on the border of the southern part of Barcelona.
Useful to know! The address of Mount Tibidabo is Plaça Tibidabo, 3-4, Barcelona. Distance from the center-7 km
The mountain was already interesting in the time of Ancient Rome, when Barcelona was already formed, so Tibidabo was regarded as an important strategic object. Many tribes were fighting for the opportunity to control this region.
Temple of the Sacred Heart
The shrine is called by locals in different ways:
- Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus;
- National Redemptive Church of Spain.
The history of the Tibidabo temple is not easy, because in the second half of the 19th century, Protestants planned to open a casino here, but at the end of the 19th century, the authorities made a final decision – to build a temple on the top, and the land was officially transferred to a priest from Italy, Juan Bosco. First, a chapel was built, by the way, it has been preserved to this day, although it looks like an extension to the main shrine.
Interesting fact! Construction work was carried out for six decades — from 1902 to 1961.
The temple on Mount Tibidabo is an architectural and religious complex consisting of several parts:
- old chapel;
- sarcophagus-occupies the first tier;
- the temple itself is located one tier higher.
What you can see for free
The first and second tiers are freely accessible for tourists, but the ascent to the bell tower is a paid service. The only way to get to the top and see Barcelona is by taking the elevator.
At the entrance to the temple, travelers immediately see the crucifix and bright stained glass windows, and a little higher – a three-dimensional picture of Jesus Christ. There are benches for guests to sit on and admire images of saints.
To the left is a place where you can put a candle, but this can be done in a rather strange way – not the fire is lit, but the LED. It is necessary to lower the coin into a special slot, after which the LED starts to light up and lights up for a certain time.
In the crypt, the walls and vault are decorated with paintings that tell about the life of Christ. By the way, here you can put a traditional candle, it will burn for a long time, as it is under a glass cup.
Useful to know! Cash registers and a church souvenir shop are located in the crypt.
The facade of the Church of the Sacred Heart on Tibidabo is decorated with the image of Christ and the faces of the 12 apostles. The statue of Christ, installed on the highest point of the mountain, symbolizes the selfless feat of Jesus-he resisted the temptations of Satan.
The church is active, services are held here every day, respectively, admission is free. Photos and videos are allowed in the church, but not during the service.
Amusement park
On Mount Tibidabo in Spain, a park has been opened since 1899. One of the oldest park complexes in the world, as well as the oldest in Spain. There is no need to worry about safety, the rides are regularly upgraded.
Most popular entertainment options:
- a plane in which guests fly inside as passengers, but the entertainment is noisy, so it is recommended to stock up on earplugs;
- The railway, which was launched in 1915, offers scenic views during the trip;
- Talaya tower, it was built in 1921, the cabins rise to a height of 50 m;
- the cypress maze is more likely not entertainment, but an opportunity to walk and admire the beautiful nature;
- carousel with barrels-suitable only for people with a hardy vestibular apparatus;
- ghost castle – it is better to visit in the evening, when the building is beautifully illuminated and gets a mysterious and fabulous look;
- The palace with crooked mirrors has been one of the most popular attractions for 50 years;
- house of surprises – great entertainment for children;
- roller coaster – does not need a detailed description, the only thing that needs to be said is that only people with strong nerves can ride here.
Tibidabo Park welcomes its guests daily during the summer months, but only on weekends and public holidays during normal times. It is better to check the schedule on the website, as the schedule changes frequently.
Useful to know! Ticket offices close 30 minutes before the park closes. It is much faster and more convenient to order tickets online.
The territory of the temple and the park is huge, if you walk along the path past the observation platforms, it will lead to the site where slides and swings for children of different ages are installed.
Just behind the playground there is a picnic area equipped with tables (some of them are set in a sunny place, and some are in the shade), chairs made of tree stumps. For the convenience of vacationers, there are storage rooms for personal belongings. Of course, there are a lot of people here at the height of the tourist season, so it’s better to come in the off-season.
A tip! Do you want to see mock-ups of the most interesting places in the park and funicular? Check out the Mechanical Toy Museum.
One of the most interesting exhibits of the park is an airplane, which is almost 100 years old. Flights on it are available even if the fleet is closed. On the sign you will read an interesting fact – in August 1928, an analog of the plane flew from Barcelona to Madrid. The ride is very noisy, because the plane rises into the air by means of a propeller, and stops when the propeller begins to rotate in the opposite direction.Practical information
- Daily rides are available only in summer, and in the rest of the year you can only get here on weekends and holidays.
- The park’s opening hours are constantly changing, so we recommend that you check them on the website: www.tibidabo.cat.
- Please also check the ticket price on the attractions website: www.tibidabo.cat/ca/planifica-la-teva-visita/entrades-i-abonaments.
- Ticket offices open and close 30 minutes before the start and end of the park.
- Buy tickets on the website and get a discount.
- Free parking is available next to the park.
- When the park is closed, tourists can go on a roller coaster, on a plane and visit the observation tower.
Sightseeing platforms
There are four sites on Mount Tibidabo and the Sacred Heart Church. Two of them are located next to a religious landmark, the third is located at the top, which can only be reached by elevator, the fourth works on a TV tower. There is also a cafe on Tibidabo that offers an equally picturesque view of Barcelona.
TV Tower
Visiting this observation deck (height is almost 290 m) is paid. At first glance, the tower does not fit into the general landscape of the area, but most tourists note that its design is original and even futuristic.
The observation deck is located at an altitude of 135 m (10th floor), it is a ring gallery with a wonderful view of the city. The elevator goes up at a slow speed, and it takes about 3 minutes to get there. During the ascent, the elevator passengers ‘ ears are blocked like during a flight in an airplane.
Next to the telescopes are photos of objects that can be seen when looking at Barcelona. It is noteworthy that the TV tower is a member of the World Federation of High-Rise Towers.
Useful to know! It is better to check the opening hours of the observation deck on the official website, the cost of visiting is 5,6€.
CosmoCaixa Science Museum
An amazing place dedicated to almost everything in the world-robots, ancient people, space, space and light, sound, the bowels of the Earth. In each room, guests can conduct experiments on their own, which is especially fun for children.
The halls and expositions of the museum are dedicated to certain topics, in addition, you can visit the planetarium, rain forest, where the landscape of the Amazon jungle with exotic flora and fauna is recreated. Of particular interest is the hall of matter and the hall dedicated to the emergence of humanity. And in the most terrible hall, you can see how furry spiders and snakes are born.
The ticket price is 6€. For visiting the planetarium and some halls, you need to pay an additional 6€. Admission is free for children under 16 years of age.
How to get
From theory, we turn to practical aspects – how to get to Tibidabo from Barcelona. There are many ways to do this. The capital of Catalonia is divided into several transport zones, Tibidabo is located in the first, respectively, you will need a T-10 card to travel by train. Be sure to take warm clothes, it’s cool at the top. In the summer months, a jacket is enough, in spring and autumn-a thin hat, jacket, maybe gloves. But you can not take drinks and food, as Tibidabo is a tourist destination, so there are many cafes and restaurants here. There are also many free toilets.
Vintage tram and funicular
How to get to Mount Tibidabo from Barcelona and still get the most out of it? We tell you. This is not the cheapest route, but you will take a ride on the old blue tram. The T-10 card applies to it. The cost of the funicular depends on whether a ticket to the park was purchased. If not, the cost will be higher.
The old tram is connected to the metro (L7 line), and you can also take a tourist bus. There are two public transport companies operating in Barcelona for tourists:
- Barcelona TuristicBus-blue transport;
- CityTour Barcelona – green color.
Don’t want to overpay? Instead of the Blue Tram, wait for bus 196. Its route duplicates the tram route.
The total fare is 5.50€ tram and 7.70€ funicular (if there is no ticket to the park), 4.10€ (if there is a ticket to the park).
It is easy to walk from the tram to the funicular in just a quarter of an hour.
Important! As of January 2019, the Blue Tram was removed for reconstruction.
Electric train, funicular, bus
If you are interested in how to get to Mount Tibidabo cheap, this method is for you. The train departs from Plaza Catalunya, go to Peu del Funicular, where you can change to the funicular (there is an elevator to the stop or you can walk up the stairs). Boarding is allowed only until the middle of the funicular train, as it is inconvenient to get out of the last cars.
The final stop of the funicular is a bus stop. Bus 111 runs every 30 minutes. Outwardly, this is a small transport, somewhat reminiscent of Bogdany.
If you go on the T-10 card, the entire road will cost only 2.20€ — this is how much a bus ticket costs, and the metro and funicular are not paid for.
Learn more about travel cards
The T-10 travel card applies to all city transport – bus, funicular, electric train, metro. The cost of the document is 10.20€, and you can use it to make ten trips in zone 1. At the same time, one trip is required:
- it must not exceed 1 hour and 15 minutes;
- it involves three transplants;
- use no more than 4 modes of transport.
You can transfer the card to other people. The maximum number of users is 10.
In addition to the T-10 card, it is possible to make a trip on a single ticket. Buy it in the metro vending machines, the cost is 2.20€.The T2-A – route bus belongs to the amusement park
The bus runs from Plaza Catalunya directly to the amusement park. The frequency of follow-up is about 20 minutes. The ticket costs 3€. Payment with a T-10 card is not valid. You need to buy a ticket from the driver.
Important! The bus runs when the park is open. The first flight is at 10: 00, the last-half an hour before the closing of the attraction.
T2B bus-the route belongs to the park complex
The flight runs from the metro station Vall d’Hebron (line L5 blue, line L3 green). If you buy a ticket to the park at the bus stop at the ticket office, you will not be charged for travel in Tibibas, otherwise the cost is€ 4.20 for one day. The route schedule is from 11: 00, and the last flight departs 30 minutes before the closing of the attraction. The interval is about half an hour.
A tip! The most comfortable and easy way to visit the amusement park is to join the tour. In this case, representatives of the tour company will take care of the road.
On foot
The most courageous tourists make the way to the top of Mount Tibidabo on foot, the ascent will seem tedious, but the descent down is convenient, quite simple. The route from the temple to Park Guell, located at the top, takes about 40 minutes. There are several hiking trails prepared for tourists, so you can choose the most attractive one.
Just beyond the amusement park, you can turn into a passageway and then follow a narrow path down to a wide road. After that, go through the alleys between the residential buildings and go to the Carrer de Josep Maria Sert Street, which is located half a kilometer from the lower stop of the funicular.
By car
Since there are several parking lots on the mountain, you can get up here by car. At the same time, you can choose a parking lot that is located at different distances from the temple and the park. The amusement park has its own parking lot.
A tip! Choose and rent a car in advance, especially in high season, when personal transport is in demand. Car rental in the Catalan capital starts from€ 14 per day.
Interesting facts
- The Bible mentions that on Tibidabo, Satan tempted Jesus to rule the entire world.
- In the Colserola mountain range, Mount Tibidabo is the highest. From the top of the mountain, you can see Barcelona, see the main city artery – Diagonal Street.
- A huge number of parrots live on the mountain, they were brought here from Argentina.
- The amusement park is the oldest not only in Barcelona, but also in Spain.
- Local riders and bikers prefer to test their nerves on the l’arrabassada track, which is adjacent to the mountain.
- Residents of the Catalan capital claim that only in Tibidabo you can taste the most delicious barbecue and a special type of onion-calsotsa.
- At the top of the mountain, Woody Allen shot wonderful landscape views for Vicki Cristina Barcelona.
Practical recommendations for tourists who want to conquer Mount Tibidabo on their own.
- First of all, remember that Mount Tibidabo is one of the most popular and visited tourist destinations. If possible, it is better to plan a trip on a weekday, if this is not possible, try to come to the mountain among the first.
- Don’t expect too much from the rides from a technical point of view, as they were built primarily with the landscape in mind.
- Be prepared that in the off-season, when there are few tourists, the old tram or funicular does not run, so plan a taxi ride or a hike on foot.
- The observation deck of the temple is built at the statue of Jesus Christ, a spiral staircase leads to it. If you are afraid of heights, it is better to refuse to climb.
- Plan all day to visit the mountain and all its attractions.
- What else to visit on Mount Tibidabo: the stone water tower in the shape of a cylinder, built in the Renaissance; the Comocais Museum, located at the foot of the mountain; The House of Mirrors, where you can see the illusion of an exit, and with the help of special gloves, guests literally feel their way to the exit; the Fabra Observatory – one of the oldest in the world, here you can see the stars, observe the planets and even take a guided tour, but for this you need to sign up for a group on the site.
- Keep in mind that some rides allow children not by age, but depending on their height.
- There is an information desk at the foot of the hill, where you can get the necessary information.
- Bike rental is available in the park.
- In summer, during the period from 13-00 to 16-00, it is better to abandon the trip to the mountain because of the intense heat.
Of course, it will not be superfluous to repeat the call-to visit Tibidabo (Barcelona). Moreover, it is not difficult to get here, but you will undoubtedly want to spend more than one day exploring all the corners and attractions of the mountain, because here is one of the most beautiful temples of Barcelona, museums, a botanical garden, an amusement park. It may be a lot for one mountain, but this is what attracts tourists and makes them want to return to Barcelona.
