The mountain of Tibidabo is the highest point (512 m) of the city of Barcelona. Many people go up there to see the amazing view, but as we will show, the area of Tibidabo has much more to offer than just that.
On the top, we can find the oldest theme park in Spain (the second oldest one in Europe) that fills the air with children’s scream on Summer weekends. Although it’s quite an old park, children seem to enjoy themselves as much as they do in the more modern ones.
Just next to the theme park, we can visit the church dedicated to Don Bosco, which was built on the peak of the mountain between 1902 and 1961. The temple has two parts, the crypt underneath and the church over it, and from the top Christ the Redeemer is giving a hug to the whole city.
From a certain point of view it reminds us the Sacré Coeur church in Paris. Although the church on Tibidabo is relatively new, we really like its intimate atmosphere with the colorful mosaic decoration.
Apart from being a tourist attraction, the area of Tibidabo is also a popular place among local people for excursions in the weekends. There are various trails to walk around in the forest, where we can feel ourselves far from the city that is very close to us in reality. Close to here we can join local people on the 20 km long “Carretera de las Aguas”, which is a dirt road used for running or riding a bike.
How do we get to Tibidabo?
The touristic and expensive route:
Most tourists take the metro (L7) to Avenida de Tibidabo, where they change to the “Tramvia Blau” (Blue Tram), which takes them for 4,5 euros (some people just walk) to the point where the tourist funicular leaves from. The “Funicular de Tibidabo” takes them to the top for a sum of around 7 euros.
The cheap route:
We can take the train (S1 or S2) to “Peu del Funicular”, where we can change to the funicular (for free, if we use a T10 ticket, since this funicular serves as public transport), which takes us to “Vallvidrera Superior”. There, we can wait for the local bus (Nr. 111) or take a 20 minute walk to the peak. If we follow this route, we will spend just 1 euro on our trip to the Tibidabo. To return to the city, we recommend you to walk down on some of the trails close to the tourist funicular.
The Blue Tram we mentioned earlier, also deserves a few words from us. This tram has been in service since 1901, and before, it was part of the once extensive (mostly disappeared) tramway network in Barcelona.
When the tram arrives at the bottom of Tibidabo, it stops for a few minutes before heading back to Avenida de Tibidabo. We can use this moment for looking inside the tram, when there are not many tourists, you can get on the tram for a moment before it leaves, thus you can enjoy it without paying. After that, you can say that you have visited the most important things in the Tibidabo area, which is one of the areas you have to visit in Barcelona.
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Does anyone else get a Friends flashback at that title? Love it! Great write up.
Yeah, Ross’es backpacker story in Barcelona, how can I forget that?:) Thanks for reminding me of it!
Great post and gorgeous pictures! What a beautiful view at the top!! And the church is absolutely spectacular!
Thanks Constance! The view is marvellous from the top, you see Barcelona from a completely different point of view!
Nice article! I have been to the Sacré Coeur church in Paris and agree. Nice pic of the outside with his arms “giving a hug to the whole city”. 🙂
Thanks Jen for your kind comment!
Thank you so much for this post! I took my 74 year old grandma on a three-week tour of Spain in 2001. We rode the funicular just for the fun of it!
These photos totally take me back; I’m off to find my scrapbook from that trip!
Hi Kimberly! I am glad that our post made you relive a bit of your trip to Spain! Thanks for commenting on our blog!
That’s one place I didn’t visit when I went to Barcelona, looks like I missed out on a treat though, will definitely have an explore next time I’m there. Love the church mosaics!
Next time you should check out this part of Barcelona! You will see the a different facade of the city.
Ha Barcelona. My dad is a big fan of this town and I can see why!
That picture of the church is great! Looks great from up there!
Thanks Marie-Carmen for the comment! Your dad has good taste:)
That’s a nice view! Beautiful church
We are happy that you liked it!
Absolutey beautiful photos makes me want to travel to Barcelona this instant! That tram is absolutely adorable.
Thanks Veronica! Barcelona is waiting for you:)
What absolutely gorgeous photos. I so want to visit this place! Thank you for sharing and inspiring me to think more about travel.
Great to feel that we have inspired you! Thanks for reading us!
What a fantastic view of the city! I have been many times but didn’t realise there was such a good vantage point where you could look and admire what has to be, along with Cape Town, one of my favourite cities.
Thanks Paul for the comment! I am glad to hear that you love Barcelona! Next time you come, don’t miss out on the view from Tibidabo!
Tibidabo always reminds me of the TV series Friends. Stupid, I know. But I can’t help it. The Blue Tram is really cute. Would love to ride it.
Yeah, I also remember well this story from Friends, it is not just your thing:) When I first came to Barcelona I visited Tibidabo mainly because of Friends. Thanks for the comment!
Oh no, I missed this spot while I was there! Good reason to go back!
In Barcelona it takes several visits to see all the hidden beauties, I can assure you that!
Great tips! I would definitely try the backpacker’s route next time I’m in Barcelona! Ps. That church looks amazing!
Raphael, we hope you can come to visit Barcelona soon and get to the top of Tibidabo!
I had no idea! What views! Great post 🙂
Thanks Erin for your comment!
Always love getting high above any city and seeing the awesome views. I remember last year when we ventured to Australia we went to the top of Mount Coot-tha which overlooks Brisbane and it was amazing!
Barcelona is just one of those European cities stacked with history and heritage and I would love to head on up here to explore more.
When I visit a city, I also try to look for the view from a mountain close-by to have a different perspective. What you say about Barcelona is absolutely sure! Thanks for commenting!
Looks like a wonderful place to spend some time. l have added it to my list when we get to Spain later in the year.
Great to know that you are visiting Spain. In Barcelona there are several places offering breathtaking views, feel free to contact me for information about your trip.
Now that is one seriously great view at the very top!
The view is really breathtaking, and the photos can’t even give back the real sensation.
Great photos and view! Can’t wait to get back to Barcelona one day! 🙂
Thanks Ashley for your comment! Barcelona is a great place to come back many times!
That looks like a fabulous place to visit. I have been to Barcelona twice but haven’t made it there – yet 😉
So after reading the post, next time you will not miss out on this gem of Barcelona!:)
What a lovely article, oh and just look at the weather. I need sunshine!
Thanks Sophie for your comment! We try to send you some sunshine from Spain!
Beautiful!
Thanks Nick for commenting!
With your photos and description of Barcelona, I really want to put this on my list of places to travel… I could just hear all the children’s screams of joy in the old amusement park. Frankly, I think the older parks are the BEST!
Astonishing views and architecture. You’ve done such a great job with this travel article – thanks!
Thanks Susan for your really kind comment! I am so happy that we were able to make you feel yourselves in Barcelona for a short time!
Beautiful.
I’ve never been to Barcelona, so this was not only beautiful, but also educational. Love the park, the church, and the blue tram.
Glad you liked our post and also Barcelona!
What an amazing view! When we visited Barcelona we never visited this part and looks like we definitely missed out – means we will have to return to make sure we explore this area and maybe even take a ride on the blue tram! 🙂
Yeah, now you know that you have something to come back for! Barcelona needs several trips to get discovered:)
I totally missed out on Tibidabo when in Barcelona. The line for the blue tram was ferally long, but with a busted ankle I wasn’t really mobile enough to make it on foot. Unfortunately. The pics look great!
Sorry to hear that you had to miss out on Tibidabo because of your ankle. We hope you can make it next time!
I love Barcelona and would love to go back. Definitely one of my favorite cities in Spain.
In Barcelona there are these fountains called “Canaletes” on “Las Ramblas”. According to the legend, if you drink from these fountains, you will come back to Barcelona. I hope you drank, it means you are coming back soon!:)
Barcelona is one of my favorite places in the world. You have captured it so well in your shots!
Thanks Nicole! We are glad that you liked our shots and also that you like Barcelona!
I haven’t been to Barcelona but I’ve heard friends who have rave about this place, too. Seems a small price to pay for such a view!
Thanks Anastasia for your comment! Your friends are right, Barcelona is a colorful city with full of joys. This view is just one of them:)
Gabor, I did not know that there was a Christ the Redeemer in Barcelona too! I would love to visit this city 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Sandra! We hope that you can visit Barcelona one day!
I have been to Barcelona twice now and haven’t been here. It is great that you highlight other benefits than just the views! The church is extremely pretty. Just shows how things are overlooked when in the city.
When visiting Barcelona, you can get so much impulse from the city itself that people don’t even consider looking for things outside the city center. Next time you come, you won’t miss Tibidabo!
WOW !! Fantastic views!!! The church is always realllly beautiful!
Thanks Sam for the comment, the view is really precious!