Las Arenas de Barcelona

We caught a bus from our hotel and got off near Las Arenas de Barcelona. By then, the day was beginning to wind down, and the circular building immediately caught our attention. What is now a shopping and entertainment complex was originally a bullring, later transformed into the Las Arenas we see today.

Rather than staying there, we decided to start walking toward Montjuïc and the MNAC.

Walking Through Plaça d’Espanya

As we walked into Plaça d’Espanya, the two tall Venetian Towers came into view. Built for the 1929 International Exhibition, the towers were designed as replicas of the campanile of St. Mark’s Square in Venice.

Standing between them, with the wide avenue stretching toward Montjuïc, gave us a real sense of the scale of this part of Barcelona.

We continued along Avinguda de la Reina Maria Cristina, and the enormous Palau Nacional, home of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC), gradually came into view.

The farther we walked, the more impressive it looked. Sitting high on Montjuïc, the building seemed to dominate everything around it. The long avenue, grand stairways, fountains, and the palace-like building at the top made the walk feel almost like we were approaching a royal palace.

Magic Fountain & MNAC

As we continued uphill, we reached the Font Màgica de Montjuïc, or Magic Fountain. Located in front of the Palau Nacional, the fountain was created for the 1929 International Exhibition and became famous for its combination of water, light, and music.

Unfortunately, the fountain wasn’t working on the evening we visited because of technical difficulties. We had hoped to see the famous show, so that was a little disappointing.

Still, by the time we reached the top, it was almost completely dark. Even without the fountain show, the location offered a beautiful nighttime view over Barcelona. The lights of the city stretched out below us, while the illuminated MNAC stood behind us.

We didn’t go inside the museum because it was already after hours. Instead, we spent some time outside, taking in the view and enjoying the atmosphere.

Back to Las Arenas

After spending some time around the fountain and MNAC, we turned around and walked back toward Las Arenas. By now, we were ready for dinner, so we stopped at the mall for some much-needed food.

It was a little ironic to be eating Asian food while visiting Spain, but sometimes convenience and availability win over local specialties—especially after a long day of walking and exploring. Las Arenas had plenty of dining options, so we simply went with what sounded good at the time.

After dinner, we headed up to the rooftop of Las Arenas, which offers a free 360-degree viewpoint over Barcelona. We were glad we made the effort to go up, because the view was especially beautiful at night. From the top, we could look down over the illuminated Plaça d’Espanya, the Venetian Towers, and the long avenue stretching toward Montjuïc.

Seeing the city lights from above gave us a completely different perspective of the area we had just walked through. It was definitely worth going up, especially after dark.

We had experienced Plaça d’Espanya from street level, walked toward Montjuïc as daylight disappeared, and finally looked back at it all from above. Sometimes, seeing the same place from a different perspective is what makes the experience memorable.