MARCH 1957 – Tourists enjoy the view from Monte Tibidabo near Barcelona in Spain. © Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com
The story behind the image
Back in 1957 one part of the family traveled from Oldenburg in Germany, to Alicante in Spain – with a small car. Back then, this was a huge road trip of approx. 3,000 kilometers! They visited Nancy, Avignon, Biarritz in France, and San Sebastian, Madrid, San Juan d’Alacant, and Valencia in Spain. And Barcelona.
This image shows two of our heroes as they relax on the viewing platform of Monte Tibidabo near Barcelona. In the back you can see the Gran Hotel La Florida today, a glamorous retreat that opened in 1924. It quickly became a popular destination for wealthy Catalans and visiting celebrities. After a period as a military hospital during the Spanish Civil War, the hotel was reborn in the 1950s. After another period of renovation, it reopened in 2001 blending its historical charm with modern design elements.
The really astonishing story is the location, and sadly, this is not visible in this image: Since 1901, Monte Tibidabo has been home to an amusement park – the Parc d’Atraccions Tibidabo. The park is one of the oldest amusement parks in Europe and still active today. The only visual hint in the photo is the object in the upper left corner. It is the counterweight for the attraction called “Avió”, a small replica plane that goes round-and-round, suspended by a crane, powered by the plane’s propeller.
A cable car connects Tibidabo to Barcelona, so that visitors can get conveniently to the top and back. The attractions have been modernized over time.
It’s also interesting that the attraction is located right next to the Temple Expiatori del Sagrat Cor, a huge church that is similar to Sacré‑Cœur in Paris.
Tibidabo – should not be missed when in Barcelona.
Design ideas
The high resolution image
| Capture Date | March 1957 |
| Location | Barcelona, Spain |
| Image Source | 7 x 10 cm b&w print |
| Digital Image Source | EPSON Perfection 4870 Photo |
| Digital Image Source Format | TIFF, 48 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Format | JPEG, 24 bits/pixel, sRGB |
| Edited Image Dimensions | 4459 x 3055 Pixels |
| Copyright | © by Mark Zanzig/zanzig.com |
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