Jardí Botànic Històric

The city's original botanical gardens are one of the unknown, less-touristy places you can visit in Barcelona. They stand on Montjuïc, just behind the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya. But don't confuse them with the Jardí Botànic de Barcelona, which is also located on the same hill.

The gardens stand on the site of the old quarry of La Foixarda and are set in two deep hollows, meaning the temperatures are up to 4º C cooler than the surrounding area. This provides the ideal conditions for non-Mediterranean plants to flourish as well as the tallest trees you can see in Barcelona. The gardens are home to plants from different parts of the world, allotments and plots growing medicinal plants. They also play an important role in research and protecting endemic, exotic and endangered species.

These historic gardens were created by the botanist Pius Font i Quer in 1930, after the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition. He transferred an experimental garden from the front of the Museu de Ciències Naturals in the Parc de la Ciutadella to the site. However, the gardens didn't open until 1941.

The gardens closed for a number of years in 1986 as a result of building work for the 1992 Olympics. After the completion of a refurbishment project, the gardens reopened to the public in 2003.

This small oasis goes unnoticed by most tourists. Discover the sensory gardens, waterfall, typical Catalan farmhouse and the unusual species hidden in its grounds. Some are native to cold climates and others are only found here.

Due to slope improvement works, the Historic Botanical Garden will remain open to the public from September 14, only the Sot de la Masia Area during weekends and holidays, until further notice.