Plaça d'Espanya

Plaça d'Espanya isn't a 'square' in the way you’re probably imagining. There are no quiet cafes with old men peeling oranges here. It is a massive, thrumming, six-way traffic circus that serves as the grand vestibule to Montjuïc. It was built for the 1929 International Exposition, a time when Barcelona wanted to prove to the world it was more than just a Mediterranean port—it was a titan of industry and art. The result is a scale that feels almost intimidating, a place designed to make the individual feel small and the state feel eternal.\n\nStanding at the center is the monumental fountain designed by Josep Maria Jujol, a collaborator of Gaudí. It’s a heavy, symbolic piece of masonry representing the seas surrounding Spain, but you’ll likely be too busy dodging scooters to contemplate the allegory. To your left and right stand the Venetian Towers, two 47-meter-high brick sentinels modeled after the campanile of St. Mark’s in Venice. They don’t lead to a canal; they lead to the Fira de Barcelona, a sprawling trade fair complex that smells of business deals and overpriced espresso.\n\nThen there’s the Arenas de Barcelona. Once a proud bullring where men faced beasts in the dust, it’s now a circular temple of global consumerism. The facade remains—a beautiful Neo-Mudéjar shell—but inside it’s all Zara, H&M, and the hum of escalators. Here’s the pro tip: don’t pay the couple of euros for the external glass elevator that takes you to the roof. It’s a tourist tax for the impatient. Walk inside the mall, take the internal escalators to the top floor for free, and walk out onto the terrace. From there, you get a 360-degree punch to the gut: the Tibidabo mountain in the distance, the Sagrada Família peeking over the skyline, and the straight-shot view up the Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina toward the National Art Museum (MNAC).\n\nSpeaking of that view, it’s one of the best things to do in Barcelona, especially as the sun starts to dip. You’ll see the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc sitting in the middle of the ascent. In the 'before times,' this was a nightly spectacle of light, music, and water. These days, thanks to Catalonia’s persistent drought, the fountain is often dry, a silent reminder that nature always bats last. Even without the water, the walk from the plaza toward the museum is essential. You pass the trade fair pavilions and start the climb—aided by outdoor escalators because, let’s be honest, it’s hot—until you reach the steps of the MNAC. Turn around there, and you’ll see Plaça d'Espanya for what it really is: a grand, chaotic, beautiful mess that anchors the city.\n\nIs it a tourist trap? Parts of it, sure. The restaurants immediately ringing the plaza are largely forgettable, serving frozen croquetas to people who don't know any better. But as a piece of urban theater, it’s unbeatable. It’s where the city holds its breath before climbing the hill. It’s loud, it’s crowded, and the air tastes like bus exhaust, but you haven't seen Barcelona until you've stood in the shadow of those towers and felt the weight of the 1929 dream pressing down on you.