Montbau
Montbau is a time capsule from 1960s Barcelona - a planned modernist housing estate designed as a self-contained community on the Collserola hillside. The architecture has a retro charm, with communal courtyards and geometric apartment blocks that feel like a Catalan version of British social housing. Two-bedrooms average EUR 950, and the L3 metro at Montbau station provides a direct line to the center. The Velodrom d'Horta cycling venue sits nearby, and Collserola natural park wraps around the neighborhood on three sides. Green space scores a 9 out of 10 - you are essentially living in a forest clearing. The downside: walkability is a 4, local commerce is limited, and the estate can feel isolated from the broader city. Nightlife is nonexistent. Living in Montbau appeals to budget seekers and nature lovers who want direct metro access surrounded by forest, and who appreciate mid-century architecture with a story to tell.
Living in Montbau
Montbau is a planned housing estate from the late 1950s, built by the municipal housing board for families arriving from other parts of Spain. It sits at the foot of the Collserola hills, above the Ronda de Dalt along Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron. The first phase of about 1,300 flats followed rationalist planning ideas, free-standing blocks in open space instead of closed street fronts, and a second phase added density. Around 5,200 people live here, which makes it one of the city's quietest corners, greener and cooler than the center. The Palau de les Heures, an 1895 mansion with gardens, and the University of Barcelona's Mundet campus sit at its edge, and the estate keeps public art like Forma 212, Spain's first abstract urban sculpture.
Getting around
For a small estate, metro coverage is excellent: three L3 stations serve it, Mundet, Montbau and Vall d'Hebron. The L3 runs direct to Lesseps, Diagonal, Passeig de Gracia and Placa de Catalunya, which puts the center about 25 minutes away by train. The Ronda de Dalt ring road passes right below, handy if you drive, and city buses run along Passeig de la Vall d'Hebron. Walking to the center is not realistic at roughly 6 kilometers, and cycling home means a long climb, though going down is effortless. Inside the estate everything is a few minutes on foot, and trails into Collserola start directly behind the blocks.
For families
The estate has its own public school, Escola Baloo, at the top of Carrer de l'Harmonia beside Collserola; it started as a parents' cooperative in 1966 and has operated since 1967 as an infant and primary school. Healthcare is the standout: the Vall d'Hebron university hospital complex, among the largest in Spain, anchors the western end, alongside Hospital Sant Rafael and the CAP Sant Rafael for routine appointments. The Parc del Laberint d'Horta, with its cypress maze and historic gardens, sits next to the Mundet campus and is free to enter on Wednesdays and Sundays. The neighboring Vall d'Hebron sports area includes the Horta velodrome complex, which has a gym, a futsal court, a seven-a-side pitch and a basketball hall.
Before you rent
Nearly all flats date from the original estate, built between the late 1950s and the 1960s, so expect modest sizes and simple construction; ask specifically about lifts, heating and window upgrades, because renovation varies block by block. There is essentially no new construction, and a small estate means fewer listings at any moment. What you get here is quiet, green space between buildings and clean air off Collserola, at the cost of distance from nightlife and shopping variety. Blocks closest to the Ronda de Dalt can catch traffic noise, so listen at the window during a viewing, and count on the L3 for almost every trip.
EUR 1,250
Lloguer mitja (2 hab.)
7/10
Seguretat
7/10
Puntuacio familiar
1
Linies de metro
Rent figure: typical 2-bedroom (70 m2) asking rent, Horta-Guinardo district average, Idealista June 2026. Individual streets and buildings vary.
Neighborhood Scores
Punts destacats
- 1960s modernist social housing estate
- Velodrom d'Horta cycling venue
- Surrounded by Collserola natural park
- Very affordable and green
Escoles
Com moure's
Barris propers
Et mudes a Montbau?
El nostre paquet inicial inclou llistes de comprovacio especifiques del barri, guions d'inscripcio escolar i una guia de supervivencia de la primera setmana.