Max Abroad : The Best of Spain

If you happen to be visiting Barcelona in the near future don't leave without enjoying this stunning bird's-eye view of the city. Few viewpoints give a better landscape than the hilltop ruins of the Bunkers del Carmel.

Built during the Spanish Civil War as anti-aircraft fortifications in 1938, the bunkers on the hill of Turó de la Rovira were situated so that they could survey the entire width of the city. Large Vickens 105 mm cannons were mounted on the concrete and masonry defences. The objective was to protect the city of Barcelona from the Italian fascist aviation that used a bloody tactic called "carpet bombing" (later this tactic became generalized during World War II).

The carpet-bombing caused around 800 dead, more than a thousand wounded and the total destruction of about 50 buildings. The city counted as a single defence a wide network of underground shelters and this system of antiaircraft warfare installed by the Government of the Republic.

After the war, naturally, the guns were removed and the bunkers were simply abandoned. Yet the view from the site was too lovely to stay neglected for long and eventually the old bunkers became known as a beautiful if a bit remote, place to take in the historic city.

As the popularity of the site grew, the bunkers received a revamp as officials wanted to make it more appealing to tourists as well as celebrate the ancient Iberian settlement that is also nearby. The formerly secret site now regularly sees visitors but is secluded enough that it is often still fairly private. They are free to visit and open 24 hours a day.