Teatre Grec and Around

In part of the beautification of Montjuïc for the 1929 Exhibition, an old stone quarry was made into a formal garden. Since Hercules forgot to build an ancient Greek theatre when he was in town, the city did, complete with a stone armchair for a bigwig.

The Grec Festival, Barcelona's biggest festival of the performing arts, takes place here (and elsewhere) in July. The geometric parterres and pergolas above the theatre have charming views over the city.

The delightful Palau de Agricultura in nearby Plaça Margarida Xirgu is another survivor of the Exhibition. After doing service for decades as the city flower market, it now serves as the Teatre del Mercat de les Flors, the centrepiece of the Ciutat de Teatre complex, along with the Espai Lliure, home to the prestigious Catalan-language Teatre Lliure.