Among the transports catalogued as peculiar and ancient of Barcelona are the funiculars, although we should say were, because nowadays the three existing ones have been completely modernized:
The Tibidabo funicular - La Cuca de Llum (the firefly).
Inaugurated in 1901, it connects the Plaza del Doctor Andreu with the Tibidabo mountain, the famous amusement park and the Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Heart. A whole skyline of the city where you can see views of the city and its mountains. To get to the funicular, you can take the 196 bus, the T2C bus (Tibibús) or the beautiful Tramway Blau (currently out of service).
In September 2019, the old carriages of the Tibidabo Funicular were removed and remodeling work began on the entire facility. In March 2021 the first carriage of the new funicular arrived, aptly named cuca de llum (firefly). The Cuca de Llum has an advanced design that has made it possible to increase its capacity and speed (the journey now takes 3 minutes), in addition to offering a panoramic view through the large windows, educational content can be consulted on the screens and electronic tablets located inside the vehicle. Following a more modern and futuristic line, the interior and exterior lighting has been improved, so that, at dusk, the funicular lives up to its name. With all these changes, the Cuca de Llum has become the first attraction of Tibidabo and a perfect way to begin to learn about the mountain's biodiversity.
The Cuca de Llum ticket is included with the Tibiclub pass, the entrance to the Amusement Park and the Emblematic Attractions Pass (Panoramic Area). Please also note that the T2C bus ticket is included with the Amusement Park ticket if purchased in advance.
Schedule
The timetable of the Tibidabo Funicular is associated with that of the Tibidabo Amusement Park.
The Vallvidrera funicular
Dating back to 1906, it was inaugurated to connect and communicate the Sarrià neighborhood with the village of Vallvidrera, today belonging to Barcelona. Over the years it has been modernized, thanks to the renovation of 1998, with a new automatic system allowing about 10 round trips per day. It also arrives at the foot of the Collserola Park.
The Montjuïc funicular
The Montjuïc funicular is on the other mountain of Barcelona, and was built in 1928, on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition of Barcelona, precisely to link the city with the mountain. When the cable car was built, it was closed, but in 1992, it reopened only the lower section, and ten years ago new renovations were made. It is connected to the city's metro network, with the Paral-lel stop, and the other stop is Parc de Montjuïc where it links with the famous cable car. Its maximum speed is 36 km/h (10 m/s).
Timetable
- From 28/10/2024 to 30/03/2025 (both included):
- Weekdays, Monday to Friday: 7:30 am to 8:00 pm.
- Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.
- From 31/03/2025 to 26/10/2025 (both included):
- Weekdays, Monday to Friday: from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm.
- Saturdays, Sundays and holidays: 9:00 am to 10:00 pm.
The price of a single ticket for the Montjuïc and Vallvidrera funiculars is 2.65 € (fare 2025). Both are included in the integrated transport cards, such as the T-casual and T-usual
