Tibidabo Mountain: how to get there? Description

Many tourists dedicate one to Barcelona, a maximum of three days, then to rush to the beaches of "Costa Brava" or "Maresme". And yet the capital of Catalonia is full of sights. This is a medieval Gothic quarter, the Ramblas boulevards, Güell Park, the Sagrada Familia, the cathedral of the martyr of Evlalia and the houses created by the architectonic genius Antoni Gaudí. And how many museums in the city! Not enough for a week to get around them all. Therefore, the mountain of Tibidabo, many tourists often cross out the list of attractions that they plan to see in Barcelona. But in vain. There it is worthwhile to rise not only because it is the highest point of the city. There are several interesting places in Barcelona. But how to overcome a rather steep ascent and ascend to a height of five hundred meters above sea level? On foot, and even in the summer heat, this will be very difficult. In this article we will tell you how to get to the mountain of Tibidabo in Barcelona and what to see there.

Where did this name come from

In the name of the hill, which has a height from the sole to the top less than five hundred meters, reflects all the vanity of the inhabitants of the capital of Barcelona. Many of them seriously believe that the passage referred to in the New Testament about the temptation of Christ by the devil refers to Tibidabo. And although the Evangelist Matthew says that Satan raised Jesus to a "very high mountain" in order to show Him all the kingdoms of the world, Barcelona residents are sure: from their hill views are opened no worse. In the Gospel the devil said to the Lord: "All this I will give you ..." This phrase in the Latin translation sounds like "Tibi omnia dabo si ..." So the mountain of Tibidabo got its name. Indeed, from the hill the Montserrat shrine is visible, and in clear weather - the Pyrenees. And of course, on the other hand, there is an excellent panorama of Barcelona and the blue surface of the Mediterranean Sea. Tibidabo is a part and the highest peak (512 meters above sea level) of the low, but picturesque Collserola mountain range. The hill is located in the western part of Barcelona.

Several reasons to visit the mountain of Tibidabo

In the city there is another hill, Montjuic. Its tourists visit more readily, as its top is crowned by an ancient military fort. Montjuic is low, is on the coast, its slopes are covered with a shady park. But the mountain of Tibidabo (Spain, Barcelona) is not inferior to its rival in the concentration of attractions. Here are five main reasons why it is worth to overcome the height of 512 meters and climb to the top. First, these are wonderful views. From the observation deck you can contemplate the Pyrenees and Montserrat in the north. On the neighboring hill of Pico de la Vilana there is a towering (288 meters!) Torre de Collserola TV tower, a kind of attraction of Barcelona, which is visible from Tibidabo in all its glory. The slopes of the mountain, like Montjuïc, are covered by a beautiful shady park with exotic southern plants, which will become a place of rest for weary travelers. The main attraction of Tibidabo is the Neo-Gothic temple, to which we will pay more attention here. And finally, if you come to Barcelona with children, then you must visit the highest point of the city, because on top of the hill there is also a huge park with attractions.

Mount Tibidabo and the Temple of the Sacred Heart

Almost from any point in Barcelona, you can see a statue of Christ the Savior, crowned by the dome of the church of Sagrado Corazon. Those tourists who visited Paris, note a surprising resemblance to the Sacré-Cœur Temple in Montmartre. In addition to the common name ("Holy Heart"), both cathedrals were also erected in one neo-Gothic style of the Byzantine-Roman basilica. Even if you think that everything that was built later than the end of the 19th century is an uninteresting novelty, you should still visit the Sagrado Korazon temple. At least in order to climb even higher. A shaft for the elevator is laid in the wall of the church. For two and a half euros you will find yourself on the observation deck of the dome. Want even higher? A narrow spiral staircase leads to the very feet of Christ the Savior, who spread his arms on the dome, as if he is about to embrace "all the kingdoms of the world." Walking on the observation deck, passing the elevator, you can not. Any believer can, if desired, light a candle in the church (two euros). But, given that the temple on the mountain of Tibidabo is very modern, and this lamp will be electric.

Park, entertainment and outdoor activities

The beauty of the plantation, covering the slopes of the hill, far surpasses those that grow on Montjuic. And not in vain the park has a second name - "Romantic Gardens". Barcelonaers like to walk here very much. The park can be called a botanical garden, because there is also a whole hectare of Amazonian jungle with their fauna - snakes and poisonous frogs. But in order to see the rain forest and much more, you have to pay for the entrance to "KosmoKaisha" - the best museum of natural science in Europe. But it's really worth a visit there. The museum of a mechanical toy will appeal not only to children, but also to adults.

Amusement park

There are two possibilities to ascend higher than the observation deck on Mount Tibidabo: a temple (or rather, its dome) and a Ferris wheel. The latter, by the way, serves the citizens of Barcelona for more than a hundred and ten years. For a long time, the Luna Park was the only electrified city of entertainment in all of Spain. But this Ferris wheel is very reliable and safe, to match the same age carousel. In the amusement park there are also more new attractions, such as roller coasters. There is also a famous fear room in Europe. In the entertainment park, its role is played by the whole "neglected" hotel "Kruger Terror". Children are not allowed to go there alone. You can go in and try to get out of the green labyrinth yourself.

Tibidabo Mountain: how to arrive

This hill is seven kilometers from the center of Barcelona. You should not walk this distance. Especially if you have allocated two or three days for an inspection of Barcelona. Tibidabo lies aside from other sights of the city, and wander there "on the road" you are unlikely to succeed. You can quickly climb the hill in a taxi. But it will not be so interesting. After all, the road to Tibidabo is already a kind of interesting adventure. The top of the hill is the end point of a long road for two types of public transport: the funicular (length 1130 meters) and the Blue Tram (1276 m). If you are in Barcelona on a weekend or during the holidays, you have the opportunity to get to the top of the mountain directly from the city center, from Plaza Catalunya, by a special bus "Tibibas".

The method is "simple, but expensive"

If you do not book a hotel close to the top of the Tibidabo mountain, you need to think about how to get there by using public transport. A taxi ride will cost at least fifteen euros one way. At the current rate, this is approximately 850 rubles. If you rented a car in Barcelona, it is worthwhile to put in the budget of a visit to Tibidabo 4,20 euros for a paid parking of the city of attractions. This price includes a bus that will take drivers and passengers from the parking lot to the gate of the amusement park. You will not call cheap and a trip to "Tibibas". These are very comfortable, modern buses equipped with air conditioning. The cars leave from Plaza Catalunya. The stop of the stop is the office of the bank Kaha Madrid. A ticket (2.95 euros one way) is purchased from the driver. The minus of this type of movement is a large interval between buses. The first car leaves at 10:15, and the last one, to the city - from the moment of closing the amusement park.

The way is "expensive, but interesting": metro + tram + funicular

Tibidabo Mountain in Barcelona is a success with tourists also because the way to it is already a kind of fascinating excursion. Funicular and blue tram were put into operation from 1901 and 1911 respectively. And since then the shape of these vehicles has not changed. Therefore, the pictures promise to come out colorful. But let's start in order.

You should know that in Barcelona there are two types of metro: the usual and the so-called light. We need the last to get to the bottom stop of the tram. The light metro is the lines L 6.7 and 8. At their stations, not the familiar "M" icon, but "R" on the orange background. The light metro is called Ferrocarrils (FGC). We need the seventh branch of it. She is marked on the subway map with a brown color. We reach the final stop of Avinguda dei Tibidabo. This station is deep, and for some reason there is no escalator in it. So if you are not sure about the strength of your feet, use the elevator.

"Tram Blau"

That's the beginning of attractive trips for tourists on a wonderful form of transport! Once you are on the surface of the earth, you will immediately see the stop of the blue tram. Not to notice it is impossible, especially when it is waiting for passengers, an old blue wagon. The conductor in a colorful uniform only adds this kind of transport charm. Ordinary single tickets (travel per day and booklet T10) here, as well as on the funicular, do not work. Travel to "Tram Blau" costs four euros, or slightly more than 200 rubles, one way (children under 7 years - free of charge). You can, of course, walk this kilometer and 200 meters on foot, along the rails. But Mount Tibidabo has quite steep slopes, and the path can make you very tired. Therefore, in order to save money and at the same time not to get tired, you can use the ordinary city bus No. 196. It has standard tickets.

Funicular on the mountain

And the blue tram and bus bring their passengers to the square. Doctors Andreu. And from there already goes the ancient Funicular del Tibidabo. When presenting a ticket to the Amusement Park travel on this more than a century-old form of transport will cost 4.1 euros. All the rest will have to shell out for 7.7 Є. Tibidabo Mountain is also available to budget tourists. But you need to go from the other side. The route is like this. The S1 or S2 train will take you to the "Peu del Funiculare" station. Then a new cable car will take you to the stop "Valvidrera Superior". There, take bus number 111, which will take you to the top of the mountain. Since the new cable car operates a regular ticket, the validity of which lasts 90 minutes, then all the way you will spend only one euro.