PRE-TOUR BAR-ÇELONA HOP
SUNDAY OCTOBER 19, 2025
plaҫa d’espanya
One of Barcelona’s most important squares, “Plaza of Spain” (originally the location for public hangings!) was built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition. It serves as the gateway to the Montjuic hill, which is the home of the National Art Museum, the Olympic stadium and one of the city’s major lookout points, Castle Montjuic. The square itself is a main local and national transport hub, being a junction point of several principal central Barcelona thoroughfares. Architectural highlights of the large, open plaza include the central fountain, designed by a collaborator of Gaudi, the city’s most influential modern builder; the Arenas de Barcelona, the city’s old (now retired) bullfight ring, and the unique landmark twin pillars known as the Venetian Towers.
Plaça d’Espanya is also the grand entrance to the very working-class Sants neighborhood, a walk through which offers a more down-to-earth experience compared to that found in the direction of the neighboring Montjuic sites. arter. A mix of traditional Catalan neighborhoods and trendier pockets of hipster chic, it’s considered the place to be for startups, new design schools, new-age digital companies and coffee shops (there’s even an annual roaster/barista festival here).
NAT'L ART MUSEUM / OLYMPIC GROUNDS
The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya is especially notable for its outstanding collection of Romanesque church paintings and Catalan art and design from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including examples from the Modernisme and Noucentisme schools. The museum is housed in the Palau Nacional, a huge, Italian-style building dating to 1929. The Palau Nacional, which has housed the museum since 1934, was declared a national museum in 1990 under the Museums Law passed by the Catalan Government. It is today one of the largest museums in Spain.
Beyond the museum and further up the Montjuic hill lies Anella Olímpica, the vast, sun-soaked complex developed for Barcelona’s 1992 Summer Olympics.
The major facilities here include the Olympic Stadium, the Palau Sant Jordi sports hall, the telecommunications tower designed by Santiago Calatrava and the Picornell swimming pools. The Joan Antoni Samarach Olympic and Sports Museum is also located within the Olympic Ring. Today the Olympic grounds are a popular venue for live shows by major international musicians.
MONTJUIC FORT / SALTS TERASSA BAR
The Castell de Montjuïc is an old military fortress, with roots dating back to the 17th century. built on top of Montjuïc hill in central Barcelona. The original fortification was laid out in 1640. A year later, the fort saw its first battle, during the Catalan Revolt which saw the principality challenge Spain’s authority for the first time. The original fort was demolished in 1751 to make way for a more formidable structure which partially stands today. Having taken center stage in various conflicts over the centuries, the castle played a major role in the most recent Spanish Civil War; from 1936 to 1939 both sides of the conflict imprisoned, tortured and executed political prisoners here.
In 1963, Francisco Franco inaugurated the Military Armor Museum, the official name given to the institution. Today the castle is however best known for its marvelous views looking out over the Mediterranean and the entire city of Barcelona.
In the shadows of Castell Montjuic’s cable car station lies the Salts Terrassa Bar, built right atop the terraced seating area for the 1992 Summer Olympics pool. Though a decidedly casual food and drink destination, the Salts offers one of the most breathtaking views to be had of the entire city of Barcelona, and is a great place to mix in with a largely local crowd.
BREWPUB LE SEC
This extremely tiny, well-established and atmospheric neighborhood brewery tap is set in a small side street outside the central touristy area of the city. Female owned and operated, Le Sec produces supremely drinkable and well-made ales and lagers that, in contrast to the majority of the local competition’s offerings, epitomize the elusive Brit-influenced combination of flavor, balance and restraint.
On its small and well-curated draft list can be found one or two excellent and like-minded Spanish guest brews as well as the occasional import. Though its modest approach makes Le Sec a criminally-unheralded feature of the rapidly-evolving Catalan beer scene, it remains an excellent destination by virtue of its consistent quality, and earns extra points as an authentic locals’ pub, in the Barcelona tradition.
carrer de blai
The lively, edgy barrio of Poble-Sec is slightly off Barcelona’s main tourist grid. But for fans of tapas, a visit here is a must, as the neighborhood is home to Carrer de Blai, aka Pintxos Street. This bustling pedestrian way, popular with tourists and locals alike, features dozens of high-quality pintxos bars tightly packed within a few blocks.
Pintxos — typically consisting of small pieces of bread attached by toothpick to any toppings one can imagine — technically differ from the better-known tapas in that they don’t come free with drinks at the bar! The color and type of toothpick used for the typical Carrer de Blai pintxos should however indicate whether one will get away very cheaply — by paying a single euro for a “classic” — or be required to splurge for one of the more extravagant 2-euro house specialties.
**Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented on this webpage. Inner Circle Beer Tours (ICBT) is not responsible for errors in or damages resulting from use of the information contained herein. Information contained on this webpage is subject to change without notice.**
