Barcelona City Council has approved plans to regulate access to the Carmel Bunkers on Turó de la Rovira, with the aim of reducing overcrowding and nuisance in the city’s Horta-Guinardó district. The move is meant to improve daily life for nearby residents while keeping access to the site under control.
The proposal was backed by Mayor Jaume Collboni’s government, Barcelona en Comú and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC). Junts per Barcelona and the Partit Popular (PP) abstained, while Vox voted against it. ERC leader Elisenda Alamany said the goal is to reduce episodes of massification, after repeated problems with saturation and incivility at the site.
The council says it wants a definitive solution in place before the current mandate ends in May 2027. The exact access model has not yet been set out, although one option under consideration is a system linked to local registration, similar to the one used at Park Güell.
At Park Güell, Barcelona residents registered on the municipal census can enter the monumental zone free of charge. The older Gaudir Més system has been replaced, after problems when some tourists used it to gain free entry during hours reserved for locals.
The Carmel Bunkers, also known as the anti-aircraft batteries on Turó de la Rovira, already have a perimeter fence in place. The city installed it in 2023, in some sections more than two metres high, to stop illegal gatherings and inappropriate use of the facilities. Even so, groups of tourists still jump the fence and ignore night-time restrictions, which continues to disturb the neighbourhood.
Sara Belbeida, the councillor for Horta-Guinardó, said the council keeps permanent contact with local residents and has launched several actions to reduce disturbances and acts of incivility. She also said the city will study how access should be managed and what role the Museum of History of Barcelona should play, given the site’s historical importance and its use as a museum space.
For more Barcelona coverage, see our Community and Sport pages. The council is expected to share more details on the new system in June.
Originally published by Tot Barcelona. Read original article.
