Barcelona will close Carmel Bunkers at night from May 2

Barcelona City Council will close nighttime access to the Carmel Bunkers from Tuesday, May 2. 

The popular tourist spot will continue to open during the day, from 9am to 7.30pm in the summer and from 9am to 5.30pm in the winter. 

This week, work to install a two-meter-high fence is being completed. By preventing large crowds gathering at the bunker at night, authorities aim to prevent the Civil War remains from being damaged further and to ensure that noise does not prevent nearby residents from getting to sleep. 

Local police, the Guàrdia Urbana will be tasked with ensuring large crowds do not gather and that there is no uncivil behavior. 

Change of culture 

The Carmel Bunkers are a popular viewpoint on Barcelona's Turó de la Rovira hill, 262 meters above sea level. It is common for large crowds to gather there to watch the sunset, listen to music, eat and drink. 

Rosa Alarcón, a councilor in the Horta-Guinardó district, said the closure aims to curb the "nighttime crowds and illegal parties" and to attract more cultural tourism. 

"The idea now is to be able to manage the site and change visitors' culture," she said. 

From May 2, Guàrdia Urbana will clear people from the area and close the access points daily at 7.30pm. 

That system will remain in place until at least October, when the measures put in place will be evaluated. 

Alarcón admitted that closing time "is quite early," and said the council will study how the situation develops and, if necessary, adjust the measures. 

Tension with neighbors 

Earlier in April Barcelona City Council said they could start fining people who drink and organize parties at the Carmel Bunkers viewpoint because many nearby residents had complained about the noise and crowds. 

Many locals took to social media to complain about the situation, but social media is also their main enemy, with videos of sunset parties above the Barcelona skyline proving a hit online.