Highlights of Montjuïc

Overview: Barcelona is a fairly leafy city, but every major metropolis needs a place to listen to birdsong, breathe clean air and drink in the scent of eucalyptus, oak or pine. In the Catalan capital that role is admirably discharged by Montjuïc, the one-time Hill of the Jews.

There are beautifully landscaped gardens, sprinkled with interesting statues, to discover, sun-dappled foothpaths to wander and miradors to take in the views. But it's not all pastoral idyll. It's also a major cultural hub, with two world-class museums (and a number of others)to add a little artistic and educational balm to the soul. You can recharge your intellectual batteries here, too.

The last century saw two global events take place here - a World's Fair or 'Universal Exposition' in 1929, and 1992's Olympic Games. Their legacy buildings enrich your visit, whether it's the grandiose faux-Renaissance palace that now houses a thousand years of art in the National Art Museum, the vast between-the-wars stadium that was reinvented for the 1992 event, or Mies van der Rohe's German Pavilion from the 1929 Fair, recreated on its original site in the 1980s, still startlingly modern,and alarmingly tasteful.

There's a vibrancy about the place. Even as you meander through the beguilingly restful Laribal Gardens you are just moments from the deliciously bold and life-affirming art of Joan Miró, while the 'Olympic Ring' teams the stadium's conventional form with the sleek elegance of Santiago Calatrava's communications tower and Aiko Miyawaki's playful installations.

And around the weekend, should you choose, you can end your day with a bit of communal frivolity as you bag your vantage point for the kitsch but capitivating Font Mágica. Thomas Mann's 'Magic Mountain' was never this much fun!

Tips: There are a number of ways of getting to Montjuïc, and the best way of getting there really depends on what you want to see. There's an austere castle around the summit, which was the scene of some important political executions during the Civil War. It used to house a military museum which airbrushed out of history the horrors that had taken place there, but the city authorities have now closed it and have plans to open a Peace Museum. If you want to ascend to that level you can either take the funicular (free with a Barcelona Card or a metro pass, which treats it as a transfer) from Para.lel metro station or take the recently-revamped cable car (the Telefèric) from the waterfront at Barceloneta.

This costs a whacking €9.30 return (€6.50 single) for an adult, and €6.70 return(€5 single) for a child aged 4-12, and there's a €2 discount on the return price with a Barcelona card. Views are spectacular, but it looks spindly from ground level, so rather less enjoyable if you're not good with heights. It operates from 10am until 9pm between June and September, with earlier close down times off season.

Alternatively, if you are planning to concentrate on the lower sites you can just take the metro to the Plaça d'Espanya station, and take the stairs and escalators up to the MNAC art museum in the Palau Nacional, and then either walk uphill, or jump on bus 193 from outside the museum. The brightly-coloured city-operated Tourist Buses also stop outside all the main Montjuïc sites, which feature on the red route (one of three that the ticket covers). They feature audio-guides, operate on a hop-on, hop-off basis and have an adult fare of €23 (€30 for 2 days), €14 (€18 for two days) for children aged 4-12. There's a 10 % discount if you order online.

There's little shelter as you walk around Montjuïc, so you should probably have some sunscreen handy, as well as a waterproof as - even at the bus stop outside the Palau Nacional - there's no protection from torrential summer downpours.

At €9 adult entrance, the Miró Foundation is pricey (but worth it). If you are interested in art you may well also be planning to visit the National Art Museum (also in Montjuïc), or possibly Gaudí's La Pedrera in the Eixample, and/or the Picasso Museum near the Gothic Quarter. If you visit Miró plus any two of those you will save money with an Articket, which is valid for six months, and gives you access to the four properties mentioned plus three others. It costs €25, but you'll get a 5% discount if you order it online from www.barcelonaturisme.com, and exchange the downloadable receipt for the ticket on arrival. It also lets you walk to the front of the queue.

You can also save money by having a Barcelona card - a combined transport and museum entry pass, which gives free access to a number of museums and discounts at others. It can be valid for two to five days, with prices rising incrementally for the length of your stay. Obviously the longer you stay the better value it becomes, as you will visit more museums. In Montjuïc it gives free entry to the National Art Museum and the Olímpic Museum plus the Botanical Gardens, as well as 20% discounts at the Miró Foundation and Mies Van der Rohe Pavilion, in addition to the Archaeological and Ethnological museums, should you wish to visit those. If you are weighing it up against the Articket, it also gives a 20% discount at the Picasso Museum and Gaudí's Casa Batlló among a large number of others. It costs from €27.50 for two days through to €45 for five days, all subject to a 10% discount if ordered online.