Urban Planning, Ecological Transition, Urban Services and Housing

In April 1999, the Barcelona Botanical Garden opened its doors with the aim of preserving and promoting collections of Mediterranean plants from all over the world. On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, next Sunday, 21 April, a free open day will be held at its headquarters, Montjuïc Park, with all kinds of activities for all ages: circus, workshops, live music, games and much more.

The meeting will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will be open to everyone who is interested. The Jardí will be the setting for a fun-filled day for groups, families and flora lovers of all ages for ten hours throughout the day. Live music shows and stand-up in Catalan will share the space with activities for children, as well as food trucks to have a bite to eat during the botanical festival of the city of Barcelona.

In addition, to encourage citizen participation, a shuttle bus service will be available between Plaça d’Espanya and the Jardí Botànic ticket offices. This is an easy, accessible and sustainable way to enjoy and learn about the more than 20,000 plants and 2,000 species of Mediterranean flora in the area. The first bus service will be at 10 a.m., on Avinguda de Maria Cristina, and the last one at 8 p.m., on Carrer Doctor Font i Quer, near the ticket offices of the Jardí Botànic.

25 years spreading botany

Located on Montjuïc, between the Castle and the Olympic Stadium, the Botanical Garden of Barcelona opened its doors on 18 April 1999 with a simple idea: to bring together in Barcelona the plants that have adapted around the world to live in five regions of the planet that have Mediterranean climate conditions. In addition to the Mediterranean basin, these regions are found in Australia, South Africa, Chile and California. A space created with the aim of contributing to the preservation of plant species for the future and disseminating it to raise public awareness.

Two decades and five years later, the Botanical Garden of Barcelona displays more than 20,000 plants of 2,000 species of Mediterranean flora distributed according to their geographical origin and in accordance with the landscape they form in nature. Thus, in just 14 hectares it is possible to take a stroll through four continents in a privileged setting with views of the Llobregat delta, the metropolitan area, the Olympic ring and the Collserola mountain range. The Garden also conserves a collection of bonsais of Mediterranean species and has a Seed Bank, a fundamental instrument for the conservation of plant biodiversity in Catalonia.