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.
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.
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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.
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:
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.
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).
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.
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.
If all this walking seems like too much work, The TMB bus route 24, V19 and 86 stop at Ctra del Carmel - Mühlberg. Use a T-Casual or Hola-Barcelona travel card.
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City walk in Barcelona from Plaza Leseps in Gracia to Parc Guell then on to Carmel bunkers and park Guinardo finishing at Alfonso X Metro.
Distance: 5.82 Km
Difficulty: Easy
Return Travel Fare: T-Casual Zone 1
Transport Network: Metro
