There used to be a post on the old Mafengwo forum that said: If you’ve seen Barcelona’s romantic sunset, go get married. Once you actually set foot in this city of hills and sea, and sit through its dreamlike sunrises and sunsets in person, you understand exactly how the author felt when writing that line.

Especially at the top of Tibidabo, when a guy next to me suddenly pulled out a black ring, dropped to one knee, and proposed to another guy. Abracadabra!

Barceloneta Beach

The whole city is built along the hills facing east, so there are plenty of viewpoints across Barcelona where you can look out over a Mediterranean sunrise. Even so, Barceloneta Beach is still in a league of its own.

Before dawn, the sea looks like an oil painting washed in soft light. The waves lap gently at the sand, as if preparing to sing for sunrise. Compared with me waiting for the sunrise on the beach, some people were even more extravagant and had moved their viewing platform right onto the water.

As the first rays of sunlight came over the sea and collided with the deep blue water, the whole sky turned orange-red, and the ocean put on a veil of gold.

With sunrise comes life—so head toward the sun.

Then the sun leaped above the horizon, its strong light spreading across the water until the sea looked like countless diamonds dancing.

The most romantic thing I can think of is watching the sunrise in Barcelona with you.

I honestly wondered whether, after paddling back to shore, their next stop might be the marriage registration office.

After sunrise, the waterfront becomes the most energetic place in the city. People in Barcelona love sports, and runners crowd the shore. In November, with a sea breeze this gentle, how could anyone resist getting moving? Another hugely popular activity is beach volleyball, and little by little, groups start setting up nets all over the sand.

The only question is: Don’t people need to go to work? Barcelona’s answer: enjoying life matters more.

By the beach stands a strange-looking building with an equally strange name, “L'Estel Ferit” (“The Wounded Shooting Star”). It tilts there like some illegally built structure. As the light passes through the glass, it changes constantly, and I unexpectedly discovered that it makes a fantastic backdrop for sunrise silhouettes.

So I came here four days in a row to take photos of strangers posing with the light.

It feels like a lonely yet proud sentinel of the city.

A few days ago, I was having dinner with a friend, and she said the one thing she can’t stand while traveling is waking up early. I’d love to sleep in too—but then what do you do about a sunrise like this?

Getting there: From the city center, take Metro Line 4 to Barceloneta station. From there, it’s just a few minutes’ walk to the beach. You can also take the bus; several routes go there, including the V15, and get off at Pg Joan de Borbó.

Since the sun sets behind the city, Barcelona sunsets are more about watching the afterglow fall over Gaudí’s city. And from every angle, there is only one true star: the Sagrada Família.

Bunkers del Carmel

Bunkers del Carmel is a small hill near the city center. As evening approaches, it’s time to head out in search of sunset. After getting off the bus, you still have to hike a bit uphill. The houses along the path look a little worn down, and the weeds and graffiti add a touch of punk spirit.

By the time you reach the summit platform, it’s already full of young people. Some sit alone with headphones on, listening to music; others chat with friends, slowly taking in the layered gradations of the sky. As the sun sinks lower, the colors grow richer and richer.

Orange-red, crimson, dusky purple—they mingle with the city’s own exuberant colors. In the distance, the grid of streets and the flow of traffic seem to gather around the Sagrada Família like stars surrounding the moon.

The Sagrada Família really is the most beautiful fairy tale in this city.

A friend lives near Bunkers del Carmel, yet she told me she’s never come up here even once. It made me think of a saying: travel is going to see other people’s everyday lives—then telling them they don’t know how lucky they are.

Before it’s even fully dark, the police come up to clear people out, probably because nearby residents have complained too many times. But if you walk a few minutes farther down, you can keep hanging out at another viewpoint.

Getting there: Take bus 24 within the city, get off at Mühlberg, and then walk uphill for a bit.

If you’ve seen Vicky Cristina Barcelona, you probably remember the colorful old amusement park.

Tibidabo

Tibidabo is farther from the city center—you need to take the metro, then transfer to the funicular up the mountain, and finally switch to a bus to reach it. At the top is the amusement park so beloved by artsy types.
An amusement park built during the Qing dynasty!

Seeing Barcelona from the Ferris wheel does sound pretty romantic.

Compared with Bunkers del Carmel, Tibidabo offers a broader view, with the whole city slowly unfolding at the foot of the mountain like a scroll painting.

Because it’s farther from the city, though, it’s not easy to capture very detailed shots from the summit unless you have a telephoto lens.

Actually, the first time I heard the name Tibidabo wasn’t because of a movie. If you’re also a die-hard Friends fan, you probably remember this line well:

"Years ago, when I was backpacking across Western Europe, I was just outside Barcelona, hiking in the foothills of mount Tibidabo."

Besides the amusement park, there’s also a cathedral at the summit that has been under construction for many years. An amusement park and a cathedral standing side by side—it’s kind of a funny pairing. One is joy; the other is devotion.

The day I went to Tibidabo happened to be the best evening of weather during my days in Barcelona. As the sun shifted, the whole city passed through scene after scene that felt like changing movie filters. Bright.

Warm.

Romantic.

There weren’t many people at the top, and everyone stood gazing toward the Sagrada Família. Then the guy I mentioned earlier dropped to one knee. At first I thought he was joking around, but the other guy covered his mouth and started crying. Strangers nearby all offered their congratulations.

This place really does seem to work miracles.

Getting there: Take metro line S1/S2, transfer to the mountain funicular at Peu del Funicular, and then take bus 111 to the summit.

Montjuïc

Montjuïc is within the city itself. One side of the hill faces the sea, with an unobstructed view over the Port of Barcelona; the other faces the mountains, where the city’s texture and layout are clearly visible. This is probably Barcelona’s perfect mountain-and-sea panorama.

Starting from Plaça d’Espanya, you can climb the steps and follow the grand avenue lined with stone columns up the hill to the Palau Nacional, now home to the National Art Museum of Catalonia.

Montjuïc is full of artistic elements, and on another side of the hill is the Joan Miró Foundation. Even performers who haven’t yet made a name for themselves are willing to use this place as their debut stage.

Even the sculptures seem to be gazing toward the Sagrada Família.

There used to be a huge Magic Fountain in the middle, but it has been shut down for quite a while, supposedly to conserve water—which is honestly hard to believe.

Even so, it still adds a lot to the experience to sit back, listen to different musicians performing, and watch night fall over the city. November evenings already carry a slight chill, yet plenty of people still sit on the steps leaning into each other. Maybe in ordinary life, simply accompanying one another through every sunrise and sunset is the best kind of romance.

Getting there: Take Metro Line L3 to Plaza Espanya, then either walk up or take bus 150.

END

Sunrise and sunset are nature’s most beautiful gifts to Barcelona.

So dear parents, if you’re still planning to pressure your kids to get married next Lunar New Year, just buy them a ticket to Barcelona—they’ll get the hint.

About the Author

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