In the Montjuïc area you will find several sports facilities, built in occasion of the Olympic Games of Barcelona in 1992.
This area is called Olympic Ring and is situated behind the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, reachable by following l’Avinguda de L’ Estadi.
Olympic Stadium LLuís Companys
The most important building in the Olympic ares is the Olympic Stadium, where you can also find the Museum of the Barcelona Olympic Foundation.
The stadium was built in 1929, for the 2nd International Fair of Barcelona, and renewed ten years later to host the 1936 Alternative Olympic Games.
This games were supposed to be the alternative to the Pylmpic Berlin Games, sponsored by the Hitler regime. Unfortunately the games didn’t end up well because of the Civil War that started the same year.
After the war, the stadium was enlarged and renovated again in 1992, to host the Olympic Games of the city.
This was also the setting for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympics, other than the Athletics competitions.
As main ornaments outside you will see two bronze equestrian figures above the Marathon Gate, decorated with sculptures made by Pau Gargallo.
The stadium has nowadays a total capacity for 55,000 spectators and was used until 2009 as the stadium of the football team RCD Espanyol de Barcelona.
More recently, the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys returned to the spotlight as the temporary home of FC Barcelona, which played its league and Champions League matches here while the Camp Nou was being renovated. It is the reason the Olympic Park has once again become a magnet for football fans visiting the city.
Palau Sant Jordi
Palau Sant Jordi is withiout any doubt the most spectacular and extravagant building in the sport complex.
Designed by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki it was conceived as an allegory of a Mediterranean tortoise with a huge glass shell.
It can accommodate up to 24,000 spectators and nowadays is often used as a Music Hall.
Calatrava’s Communications Tower
Close to Palau Sant Jordi, you will find the Communications Tower built by Santiago Calatrava, one of the jewels of contemporary architecture in the city of Barcelona.
It has a total height of 120 meters, and the same inclination of the axis of the earth.
Its slender white profile leans over the esplanade and doubles as a giant sundial: the shadow it casts across the paved square marks the passing hours, which is why locals often call it the sundial tower.
During the Olympic Games another Communication Tower was built in Collserola’s Hill by the architect Norman Foster.
Both towers aim to facilitate the communication system in the city of Barcelona and around its metropolitan area.
Picornell Swimming pool
Another important element of the Olympic Area is the Picornell Swimming pool, designed by Catalan architect Antoni de Moragues and used as the headquarters of the Olympic swimming and diving competitions during the Olympic Games in Barcelona.
The open-air diving pool is the most photographed corner of the whole Olympic Park: from the top of the diving boards the platforms frame the Barcelona skyline far below, the same postcard view seen around the world during the 1992 Games.
This swimming pool is the playground of one of the funniest summer events of Barcelona: “Cinema i bany”, litteraly Cinema and swimm, which basically consist in watching movies at night while swimming in the pool.
Close to Olympic pool you will also see a white building, the Training Institute of Catalonia, where athletes that want to become professional train and live.
Visiting the Olympic Park esplanade
The Olympic Park is free to wander. You do not need a ticket to walk the wide esplanade of the Anella Olímpica, stroll between the stadium, Palau Sant Jordi and the Calatrava tower, and enjoy the views over the city. Only the interiors and the museum charge admission or depend on event schedules.
Because the Olympic area sits high on Montjuïc, it pairs perfectly with the rest of the hill. From the esplanade you are a short walk from the MNAC (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya), and you can carry on uphill to Montjuïc Castle, either on foot, by bus or on the Montjuïc cable car for sweeping views over the port. Combining the Olympic Ring, MNAC and the castle makes for an easy half-day on the mountain.
How to get to Olympic Ring Area
- Metro: L1 and L3, stop Plaça Espanya. From the stop you can take the escalator to go up to the Olympic area.
- Buses: 50 55 61 25 193 125
- Barcelona Touristic Bus: Blue Route (Starts at Plaça de Catalunya or Plaça de Espanya). Stop: Olympic Ring
- From the metro stop Liceu (L2 and L3 Metro ) Stops: Palau Sant Jordi, Olympic Stadium, University of Sport.
- Montjuïc Cable Car (Telefèric de Montjuïc): connect from the Funicular to ride up towards the castle, passing high above the Olympic esplanade.
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is the Olympic Ring in Montjuïc?
The Olympic Ring (Anella Olímpica) is the group of sports facilities on Montjuïc built for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. It sits behind the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya and is reached along l'Avinguda de l'Estadi.
What is the capacity of the Olympic Stadium?
The Olympic Stadium Lluís Companys, originally built in 1929 and renovated for the 1992 Games, holds up to 55,000 spectators. It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics events.
What can you see at the Olympic Ring besides the stadium?
Highlights include the Palau Sant Jordi, an arena for up to 24,000 people designed by Arata Isozaki; Santiago Calatrava's 120-metre Communications Tower; and the Picornell swimming pools.