Carmel Bunkers - Barcelona's Best City Viewpoint

About Carmel Bunkers

Turó de la Rovira, in Parc del Guinardó, Barcelona is a hill adjacent to the Parc Güell hill and one of the best Barcelona city viewpoints to enjoy the amazing 360-degree panorama.

Carmel Bunkers History

The anti-aircraft battery at the bunkers of Carmel are the remains of a concrete structure built in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War to protect Barcelona city from aerial bombardment.

During the Spanish Civil War, the Italian air force was flying from an airfield in Mallorca to bombard the city. The Barcelona Government placed gun batteries on the Turó de la Rovira in an attempt to try and shoot down the aircraft, but the guns were not very accurate or effective against the dive bombers.

After the Spanish Civil War, the area became a shanty town and the bunkers were transformed into squatter housing. That is why some of the concrete slabs have been tiled over. The squatters were relocated before the 1992 Olympics.

Image Gallery for Carmel Bunkers

Click on any of the 19 images to open full screen gallery player

Visiting Carmel Bunkers

At the moment the concrete remains of the bunkers is freely accessible and is a good spot to watch the sun set. However, the Catalan Government has decided that it does not want people having drinking parties at the bunker summit and is working to enclose the space with fencing and deny access at night. As yet a date when this restriction will come into force has not been announced so enjoy it while you can.

Carmel Bunkers viewpoint Opening Hours in 2023

UPDATE: Since May 2nd 2023 access to the bunkers and viewpoint is closed at night because of neighbours complaining about it becoming a party area with load music and noisy people as well as a location for Botellónes, a local term used to describe street parties where people bring bottles of drink.

The popular tourist viewpoint is now fenced and closed at night with opening hours:

Summer: 9:00h to 19:30h
Winter: 09:00h to 17:30h

The local police patrol the site and eject people that try to remain there after closing time.

This situation will be reviewed in October 2023 but I do not imagine a reversal of this decision so Barcelona looses its best sunset and lunar eclipse viewpoint.

MUHBA Turó de la Rovira Opening Hours (Interior Museum Spaces)

There is a free history museum in the bunkers (MUHBA Turó de la Rovira) which has irregular opening hours. The content of this free exhibition is in Catalan and Spanish and contains a lot of historic photos of the bunkers and surrounding area as well as details of its role during the Spanish Civil War (1936 - 1939).

October to May:

Tuesday: 10:00h to 14:00h & 15:00h to 18:00h
Wednesday: 10:00h to 14:00h & 15:00h to 18:00h
Saturday & Sunday; 11:00h to 15:00h & 16:00h to 18:00h

June to September:

Wednesday: 16:00h to 20:00h
Saturday & Sunday; 11:00h to 15:00h & 16:00h to 20:00h

Carmel Bunkers Homepage

What to take with you for Carmel Bunkers

You can visit Carmel Bunkers on a bicycle because it is an open ruin monument.

If planning to go inside any of the museum spaces then a bicycle will not fit through the doors and no obvious places to chain a bike to except the railing by the museum ticket office.

There is ramp access from Carrer de Maria Labernia for pushchairs but it is a steep ramp so a wheelchair might be too difficult.

Day Trip Rucksack

Small 10L day trip and museums rucksack

0.8L water bottle

Reusable, refillable 1L water bottle.

Picnic Blanket

170 x 140 cm

Summary of Prices

Train/Bus Fare Entry Ticket Additional Information Train/Bus Fare Entry Ticket Additional Information Adult Zone 1 T-casual FREE Child T-familiar FREE Notes Interior of bunker free entry Wed 10h-14h, Sat & Sun 10h-15h.

Getting to Carmel Bunkers

Address: Carrer de Maria Labernia s/n, Barcelona. 08032

Carmel Bunkers are on the top of Turó de la Rovira, a small hill in the middle of the city. They are surrounded by parkland so getting there involves a bit of walking.

From EL Carmel blue metro line L5: Exit the metro station to street level and turn into Carrer de la Conca de Tremp and follow uphill for about a kilometre. At the end of this road turn right then left then a left again into Carrer de Mühlberg. When this road transitions into a gravel path you will see a path on the left going up to the bunkers.
From Guinardo - Hospital de Sant Pau yellow metro line (L4): you can reduce the uphill effort by taking Carrer del Telegraf and using the escalators in the street to cut out some of the uphill climb. At the top of Carrer de Telegraf you can walk up through Parc del Guinardo to reach the bunkers.
From Parc Güell: it is about a 20 minute walk from an exit at the top of the park through Parc Carmel enjoying viewpoints of Barcelona city. Parc Carmel leads onto Carrer de Mühlberg. This is my recommended route combining a visit to the bunkers after Parc Güell to make a full days activity. See the Wikiloc section for the route. The route terminates at Alfonso X Metro stop on the yellow line (L4).

If all this walking seems like too much work, The TMB bus route 24, V19 and 86 stop at Ctra del Carmel - Mühlberg.