Barcelona was home to a very successful summer Olympic Games in 1992, which included the “Dream Team” of USA basketball stars and names like Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Oscar de la Hoya. You can still visit the city’s Olympic Park facilities in Parc Montjuic. The largest and dominating structure is the Olympic Stadium, but there’s also an indoor sports facility, the Olympic Spire, and a nice open space for walking. Most of the attractions can be visited for free.
Olympic Stadium:
The stadium was originally built in 1927 for the International Expo of 1929. At the time it was built it was the second largest stadium in the world. Barcelona hoped to host the 1936 Olympics but lost out to Berlin in part because of political instability in Spain at that time.
The stadium was renovated in 1989 and is now named after Lluís Companys, president of the Catalan government during the Spanish Civil War who was killed not far from here. It can seat about 56,000 people.
After the 1992 Olympics the stadium has remained in use. It’s still home to big sporting events, like football and major international competitions. It is also a popular venue for big name concert acts including the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and many others.
Depending on which approach is taken, the outside appearance of the stadium varies quite a bit. The photo below, was taken of the stadium from Plaça d’Europa and provided last weekend’s One Clue Mystery. It was recognized by George G — well done!
The Olympic Stadium is open daily, in the summer from 10am to 8pm and in the winter from 10am to 6pm.
Palau Sant Jordi
Palau Sant Jordi is a covered pavilion built by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. It can accommodate about 24,000 people. Many consider it an architectural marvel.
The Palau Sant Jordi hosted Olympic disciplines like gymnastics, handball and volleyball. It remains a popular site for music and sporting activities.
Telecommunications Tower
The tower was designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatra. The tower’s shape symbolizes an athlete holding up the Olympic torch. It was intended to be a new symbol for the city of Barcelona.
The Plaça d’Europa
A spacious square between the Olympic Stadium and the Telecommunications tower, with walkways and water features. A lovely place to walk.
The Olympic and Sports Museum
This museum is located right beside the Olympic Stadium. It covers a variety of sports as well focusing on Olympic values. There is a fee for admission.
