Tibidabo celebrates 125 years being the main attraction for locals in Barcelona

BarcelonaThe nostalgia of a married couple entering the park saying that it had been "a thousand years" since they had been there, that "how many memories" come to their minds. And the excitement of their children, who are debuting at the highest point in Barcelona, a few centimeters below reviewing out loud and at full speed a long list of attractions and pointing at the mythical plane that flies over the city as one of their priority objectives. Grandparents, parents, children, tourists, and even historical characters; all generations coincided this Monday morning at Tibidabo to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Barcelonians' amusement park.

The party served to relive part of the Park's history. And this was also staged by the members of the La Garriga Modernista Association, dressed in period clothing, who climbed onto the carousel of horses accompanied by boys and girls, who were laughing with the excitement of spinning and spinning with Barcelona at their feet.

There were so many people –the organization distributed 2,400 t-shirts among the attendees– that the planned parade had to start late so that everyone had time to get into their place. "They're coming, they're coming," the children commented with excitement when the most historical characters of the Park began to pass by: the puppets of the Marionetarium, the automaton of La Moños, the Tibidabo mascots (Ti, Bi, Da and Bo) and also the terrifying guests of Hotel 666, the Park's house of horrors, which made some children leave the front row to take refuge behind their parents' legs and which also made more than one adult jump in fright when, suddenly, they stood just an inch from their faces.

The parade led all the attendees to the climax of the party: the blowing out of the candles on a large cake made by pastry chef Christian Escribà, which filled the Park with confetti. Just before that, however, it was the turn of the authorities. The second deputy mayor and councilor for the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district, Maria Eugènia Gay, stated that as a City Council they can only continue "improving" the Tibidabo, and she gave the example of the Blue Tram, which they will soon recover. In turn, the third deputy mayor for Security of the Barcelona City Council and councilor for Ciutat Vella, Albert Batlle, highlighted that Tibidabo is a park "for all citizens" and recalled that he started going there with his grandparents and now takes his grandchildren there.

The second oldest park in Europe

Inaugurated in 1901, Tibidabo is the oldest operating amusement park in Catalonia and Spain, and the second oldest in Europe. In fact, its plane has been for many Barcelonans the first flight of their lives. The Park has already hosted five different generations, since Doctor Salvador Andreu i Grau wanted to transform the mountain and open it to the city. Barcelona City Council, through BSM, has managed the park since 2002.

Once the 125th anniversary celebration has ended, the Park has definitively opened its doors and the attractions have started to spin, with queues and queues of children ready to try the Girabo (the Ferris wheel with views of the city), the Tibidabo Express, or the feared free fall of Merlin. The bravest have dared to reunite with the guests of the Hotel 666.