The Port Vell Aerial Tramway (, ) is an aerial tramway in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It crosses Port Vell, Barcelona's old harbour, connecting the Montjuïc hill with the seaside suburb of Barceloneta. The aerial tramway first opened in 1931 and is principally a tourist attraction, used on account of its excellent views of the city and its port. It is operated by Teleféricos de Barcelona S.A. and is not part of Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (ATM) integrated fare network. Separate tickets must be purchased prior to boarding. The aerial tramway should not be confused with the Montjuïc Cable Car, a gondola lift that links the upper terminus of the Montjuïc funicular with Montjuïc Castle. Route The tramway starts at Miramar station halfway down the hill of Montjuïc at an altitude of , passes through the peak of Torre Jaume I which is high and ends at the top of Torre Sant Sebastià at , from where an elevator descends to the streets of Barceloneta. The ride offers a fine view over Barcelona, the nearby Plaça del Portal de la Pau with the Columbus Monument, Port Vell with its Balearic ferries and the World Trade Centre, and Barceloneta with its Mediterranean beaches. The tower Torre Jaume I was the world's highest aerial lift pylon until 1966, when the Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III opened. History The tramway was intended to be an attraction at the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, a World's fair. The Air Rail San Sebastian-Miramar, S.A. was incorporated and obtained the royal licence to build and operate the tramway. The manager of the project was Juan Rodriguez Roda. The towers were designed by the architect Carles Buigas and built by Material para Ferrocarriles y Construcciones S.A.. The tramway was built by Bleichert, at that time a company with a worldwide reputation, which had just completed the Aeri de Montserrat. However, the size of the project was underestimated and the tramway did not open until 12 September 1931. Initially, the tramway consisted of two sections with two cars each. The cabins travelled from the terminal stations to Torre Jaume I and back, with one haul rope for the total length to move all four cabins. All hopes for a commercial success of the venture were annihilated in the Great Depression and in the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). Torre Jaume I was used as a look-out and a machine gun post.