Jardí de la Fundació Julio Muñoz Ramonet

The Jardí de la Fundació Julio Muñoz Ramonet is one of the few private gardens in Barcelona that has, in recent years, opened its gates to the public free of charge. It sits at Carrer de Muntaner 282, in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district, as part of a historic estate known as Can Fabra.

How do you get there?

The garden lies in the upper part of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, a quiet, upmarket residential area away from the usual tourist routes. The easiest way to reach it is by metro, using a station close to Carrer de Muntaner, or by one of several city bus lines with stops right nearby. Visitors exploring Barcelona on foot often combine the visit with a walk through the upper Eixample or the neighbouring streets of Sarrià, where many Art Nouveau and modernista buildings still stand.

What will you see?

The garden was laid out in 1916 on the initiative of Fernando Fabra i Puig, second Marquis of Alella — an industrial engineer, businessman and politician who served as mayor of Barcelona between 1922 and 1923. He commissioned the design from French landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, credited with introducing the so-called "Mediterranean garden" style to Spain. Forestier also designed the Laribal and Miramar gardens on Montjuïc and Guinardó park, so this garden fits into a wider, recognisable body of work.

The original layout split the grounds into three terraces. The main terrace was centred on a rectangular pond with a fountain, its perimeter marked by terracotta pots, and the whole space was enclosed by three U-shaped pergolas planted with roses. In the 1950s the garden was remodelled by architect Joan Mirambell i Ferran, who introduced uneven ground levels to connect the garden with the palace above it and altered the orientation of the pond and the pergola — meaning the layout visitors see today is the result of two overlapping design eras.

The garden takes its name from Julio Muñoz Ramonet, a businessman who later became the owner of the estate; the foundation that bears his name now manages the property. For visitors, it's a rare chance to see a slice of early-20th-century private, upper-class Barcelona — grounds that stayed off-limits to residents and tourists alike for decades.

When should you visit?

Small compared with parks such as Park Güell or Ciutadella, this garden is valued by locals looking for a quiet corner in a densely built part of the city. Weekday mornings or early afternoons tend to be the calmest times to visit. Spring and early autumn are when the planting — including the roses trained over the pergolas — looks its best. Because this is technically private land opened to the public rather than a standard municipal park, it's worth checking current opening hours before you go, as they can differ from those of typical city parks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is entry to the garden free? Yes, admission has been free since the garden opened to the public in 2016.

Who designed the garden? The original 1916 design came from French landscape architect Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier, who also created other well-known gardens on Montjuïc in Barcelona. Joan Mirambell i Ferran carried out a further redesign in the 1950s.

How is this different from a typical public park? Unlike parks planned from the outset as public space, this was a private residential garden tied to the Can Fabra palace, which gives it a more intimate scale and a terraced layout rather than the open design of larger city parks.

How much time should I set aside? Given its modest size, a visit usually takes 20 to 40 minutes, making it a good stop during a longer walk through the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district.