Columbus Monument
Columbus Monument
Columbus Monument
Mirador de Colom
Mirador de Colon, the statue of Columbus, which points out to sea and symbolizes his journey and the discovery of America, can be visited. So, get up and enjoy the all-round view of the city.
My Rating:
The positives:
This place gives you a great view of the harbor, the Ramblas, and the city as a whole!
The negatives:
Nothing for claustrophobia... You take a small elevator all the way up, and the platform has room for six or seven people at the most...
Last Modified: 29.01.2024 | Céline
Columbus Monument
Tickets
The details
at a glance
Columbus Monument
Photo Gallery
What is there
to see?
You can take a small elevator all the way up to the Columbus statue platform and enjoy a 360-degree view of Barcelona. Your eyes glide across the old harbor, past the Maremagnum shopping mall all the way to the new harbor where you can see the big cruise ships, and on to the Montjuic, Barcelona’s own mountain.
You can see the Raval district and the Ramblas, which are easy to identify by the tree tops snaking their way through the sea of buildings. You can spot the Gothic district and the Born district as well, mainly thanks to the many medieval churches. And all the way in the distance you can even see the Sagrada Familia and the Torre Agbar.
However, be warned: If you don’t like confined spaces or heights, think twice about going up. There’s only the one elevator, there are no stairs, and the platform has room for six or seven people – not more. This is why you have to wait so long at the bottom – people have to come down in order for other people to go up.
Columbus Monument
A bit of History
The Columbus statue platform rises 60 meters into the air, and was built for the World’s Fair in 1888. For one, it honors the explorer Christopher Columbus, and for another, it signifies his visit to Barcelona, where he reported to the royal family of Isabella I and Ferdinand II after his return from America – after all, they were the ones who sponsored his travels.
Rafael Ataché designed the statue, which stands 7.5 meters tall and points towards the New World he discovered. In reality, his finger points south, not west, but it is commonly accepted that he was simply pointing towards the sea in general, leading him to America.
The statue stands on a Corinthian column 40 meters in height, with a base made up of several figures. The octagonal pedestal is crowned by four winged Victorias made of bronze. There are also four bust medallions representing people who were closely linked to Columbus, and four figures that represent the four historic realms of Spain: Catalonia, Castile, Leon, and Aragon.
Between those are groups of figures, such as the priest Bernat de Boil, who prays to a kneeling Indian.
Text- and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2016 – 2024
OTHER
Sights WITH A VIEw
Castell del Montjuic
find out more
Tibidabo
find out more
Turo de la Rovira
find out more
Santa Maria del Mar
find out more