the park’s origins 

The Three Hills are known locally as ‘Los Tres Turons‘. They are made up of the Turó de la Rovira, the Turó del Carmel and the Turó de la Creueta del Coll.

Turó de la Rovira

This 262m high hill is named after an old oak wood. An archeological dig in 1937 discovered an Iberian settlement, quite possibly of the Laietani tribe. It dates from the 4th Century and had streets and houses. Unfortunately it was destroyed to make way for the hill’s most notable landmark. The anti-aircaraft battery was built in 1938 to defend Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War. It featured four Vickers 104mm canon. There are now three inside spaces explaining the history of the site. The views from here are spectacular, but can get very busy.

Turó del Carmel

Named after the district, the 266m hill is also known as Turó d’en Móra because of the 19th Century manor house that was built on the hill. Offering views of the nearby Park Guell, the only other building of note is on the eastern slope called the Santuari de la Mare de Déu del Mont Carmel

Turó de la Creueta del Coll

Notably the lowest of the three hills at 245m and sometimes refered to as Turó d’en Falcó, it was the site of a stone quarry. Subsequently, when the business closed Barcelona reclaimed the area for public use. A park of the same name opened in 1967 and features open spaces, table tennis, playgrounds and a huge shallow swimming pool. As with many public spaces in the city there are various art installations. The most striking is the 50 ton concrete ‘claw’. Eduardo Chillida‘s work is suspended above the water on four steel cables and is probably the weirdest thing you will ever see at a swimming pool!

Above all, the three hills area of the city is well worth a visit and every year is getting busier and busier. It is still not the easiest area to get to. The local buses are fine (use a T10 card) but be very careful with your possesions.

Top Tip

The anti-aircraft battery is a great place to watch the sunrise over the city and is the only spot to get a fabulous 360° view of Barcelona.