Barcelona views: Collserola ridge / Parc Güell to Tibidabo

1. Hillside gypsy neighbourhood with DIY 60s/70s housing & a couple of interesting bars (1/2/3/4/5/6).
2. Long high ridge provides spectacular views over excellent views of Barcelona and the sea, north over the Serra de Marina litoral range, south over the Garraf, inland towards Montseny, Montserrat, the Pyrenees.
3. Grand turn-of-century basilica (Gothic chapel built on top of Catalan-Byzantine one) (512m, even better views).
4. Spooky funfair pioneered by money-laundering snakeoil salesman, Dr Andreu.
5. Option: nice rustic café with good snacks / lunch.
6. Foster’s 1992 telecomms tower, early (Alpine-style) C20th villas.
7. 158m descent to town in 1906 funicular.

Options:

1. Replace 1. and 2. above with:
   1. C18th house with maze and C19th eclectic gardens (free Sunday mornings). Slightly less excellent views of Barcelona. This is much shorter.
   2. Walk along the three hills that split off from the main ridge and cut into Barcelona. Optional detours to fairly crazy bit of Horta barrio, to council-constructed hole into which a couple of blocks of Carmel district fell, to Park Güell, observatory. Without detours it’s shorter than the standard option. It’s particularly cool because the steepness of the hills make you feel you’re floating above bits of town. Some interesting stuff on view for town planners / urban geographers.
2. Replace 7. with extension of a few more kms along to end of ridge. Outstanding views of Barcelona and the Llobregat delta to the south. Excellent rose gardens. Optional visit to transexual streetwalkers and Barcelona FC’s Camp Nou stadium.