Tibidabo is the highest point in the mountains overlooking Barcelona. The summit is occupied by the Sagrat Cor (Sacred Heart) church and the Tibidabo Amusement Park. It is possible to drive there, and there is an inexpensive bus service. But ... it's also possible to take a more interesting route using a train, a tram and a funicular. We chose that route.
The Barcelona Metro system connects with regional trains, and many of them use the same tickets. It's really convenient to buy T-10 cards good for 10 rides. Each ride costs about 1€. The cards can be shared or used individually. That comes in handy near the end of a vacation.
To get to Tibidabo from our hotel, we first rode the L7 train from Catalunya to Tibidabo using our T-10 cards. Then we transferred to the Tramvia Blau - vintage tram that transports passengers through a neighborhood of expensive homes to the base of the Funicular de Tibidabo. It's an uphill 1.25km ride.
The Funicular de Tibidabo is operated by the company that runs the Tibidabo Amusement Park. It transports passengers the remaining 1102 meters straight up the mountain to the church and amusement park.
Both Tramvia Blau and the Funicular de Tibidabo have been operating since 1901. They're a bit clunky, but they're fun to ride.
A local legend says that Tibidabo is where the Devil tempted Jesus saying he would give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if Jesus would bow down to him. In Latin, "tibi dabo" means "I will give you." The view from Tibidabo is spectacular.
(from WikiCommons)
The Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor de Jesús (Temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) was built between 1902 and 1961. From the outside, Sagrat Cor is very grand looking and resembles La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre in Paris.
There are two distinct parts to Sagrat Cor - the lower crypt and the upper basilica. According to Wikipedia, the lower crypt is a "Romanesque fortress of stone from Montjuïc." This is "topped by a monumental neo-Gothic church accessed by two grand outdoor stairways."
We were there on a Saturday, and the lower church seemed to be occupied by a succession of baptisms and weddings.
An elevator took us to the top of the upper church where the views got better.
From the level where the elevator ended, we were able to climb some stairs to reach the very top Sagrat Cor where we found the huge statue of Jesus and some interesting perspectives.
We decided that this was a place that we wanted to show Allie when she arrived.
Back on the level of the upper church, we found an interior that was surprisingly small. It had some nice windows and architecture, but it wasn't as "grand" as the exterior.
We took the funicular back down to its base then decided to walk down to the train station. It was a nice day, and the neighborhood was beautiful.
The regional train lines and Metros converge at the Plaça de Catalunya. When we got back, we stopped at a cafe where I had often stopped when returning by train from HP after work. Cafe Zurich is one of the oldest cafe in Barcelona that still operates, and it's a common meeting point.
It's overpriced with poor quality food and drinks, but the location is good for taking a break.
Our dinner was tapas again - this time at another popular restaurant that is just around the corner from where we would be staying when Allie arrived. Ciudad Condal (also called Cerverceria Ciutat Comtal) is on the Rambla de Catalunya very near Plaça de Catalunya.
The tapas are outstanding at Ciudad Condal, and we tried their version of some that we knew we liked.
Our third day in Barcelona ended with a nice walk along the Rambla de Catalunya back to our hotel.
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