Visiting a graveyard might seem like a strange thing to do on a holiday, especially with so many grand sights to see. But oh, what a graveyard! And maybe in a way, it’s appropriate, because we’ll end up in one eventually. In the cheap seats no doubt.
Covering 56 hectares, Barcelona’s Montjuic cemetery contains over 150,000 burial plots, with around 1 million remains in burials and cremation ashes. We had planned to attend one of the free guided tours offered on Sunday mornings but ended up at the back entrance rather than the main gate. Since the cemetery is so large we were not able to make it to the correct location by the 11:00 AM starting time. Instead we wandered on our own through the labyrinth of apartment block sized stacked tombs (the cheap seats) and gothic style mausoleums the size of minor cathedrals. Although it was a beautiful sunny morning, the cemetery was surprisingly deserted. During our 2 hour visit, we encountered only one security guard, a few people here and there (friends and family of the deceased), and some seagulls. (If there was a tour, we never saw it).
Apparently the cemetery is not popular with the locals as a place to visit, and there is some doubt about whether it is appropriate as a tourist destination. It doesn’t appear on tourist maps and, unlike other tourist attractions, there is no need to book tickets in advance or to wait in line for admission. There are no entrance fees and no crowds. Still, this massive cemetery is astounding and awe inspiring. Filled with exquisite examples of funerary architecture and sculpture dating back to 1883, it is a must see if you are ever in Barcelona.
This is astounding and beautiful when we visited Boston years ago we took in a Cemetery there that was also really interesting. Lots of graves that we recognized from our limited history. The information is really great and the pictures are welcome – sounds like you are covering lots of ground . Hope you continue to find your trip as great. Audrey and Don
Thanks . . this cemetery was one of the highlights of our visit to Barcelona. I wish we’d had a map though, because we got a bit lost and didn’t get to see everything. Apparently there are three recommended route plans: An art tour, a historical tour or a combination tour which take approximately 2 -3 hours each.
Interesting comment…I can’t tell if this is some kind of spambot or what but I took the liberty of editing out the over the top stuff and general non-sequitars and kept all the high praise stuff….my ego needs it. Thx 🙂
Love the photos…so glad you are including them. The above ground mailboxes look very much like those on the trail that wraps around the hills and winds through the vineyards above Cinque Terre on the coastline of Liguria in Italy (where burying the dead below ground is not an option due to the rocky soil)…and the more ornate statuary and structures reminded us of the Cimetière du Père Lachaise in the 20th Arrondissement in Paris. There too there was no admission, and few others to spoil the atmosphere (those we did encounter were all in search of Jim Morrison’s modest gravestone, in the process ignoring the much more impressive monuments to such as Oscar Wilde, or Victor Noir).
Thanks!