Tibidabo

The name comes from the Devil. In the Latin Vulgate Bible, when Satan tempts Jesus in the desert by showing him all the kingdoms of the world, he says "Haec tibi omnia dabo" — "All this I will give you." Locals shortened it to "Tibidabo," and when you stand at the summit of this 512-metre mountain and see all of Barcelona spread below you, you understand why the name stuck. It's the kind of view that could tempt anyone.

At the top sits an unlikely pair: a church and an amusement park, sharing the summit like neighbors who have learned to coexist. The Temple del Sagrat Cor (Temple of the Sacred Heart) was designed by Enric Sagnier and built between 1902 and 1961 — sixty years of construction that blended neo-Gothic and Modernista styles into something that looks like a wedding cake topped with a monumental bronze Christ figure by sculptor Josep Miret Llopart. It was consecrated as a Minor Basilica by Pope John XXIII in 1961.

Next door, the Tibidabo Amusement Park opened in 1901, making it the oldest amusement park in Spain and one of the oldest in the world. Pharmacist Salvador Andreu first proposed the idea in 1899, envisioning a funicular railway, tram line, and rides to draw Barcelonans up the mountain. Several original rides from the early 1900s are still operating — including a beautifully restored airplane ride that swings you out over the edge of the mountain with the city far below.

Getting there is half the experience. The Tramvia Blau — a vintage blue tram running since 1901 — takes you partway up the mountain, and a funicular completes the journey. On a clear day, you can see Montserrat and even Mallorca from the top.