Cities of Barcelona
Barcelona's old city is, without doubt, one
of the nicest and most romantic of Europe. Its small
streets, shops, the air you breathe, everything invites
you to wander around, getting to know every place of
this charming area. Even if we propose you a route,
our best tip is to walk haphazardly around, without
rushing, guided by what you see.
Costa Brava
The rugged Costa Brava stretches from Blanes (about
60km northeast of Barcelona) up to the French border.
Although parts of the coast are truly awful holiday
resorts that are jam-packed with the cheap charter-airfare
crowd in search of sand, sun and drinks (Lloret de Mar
is a prime example of what to avoid), there are some
equally spectacular locations. If you're driving, it
is quite possible to choose a spot anywhere along the
coast for a day trip. Those relying on public transport
will find it a stretch and should plan on staying over
at least one night. In the peak months of July and August,
finding some lodgings can be difficult.
Montserrat
Montserrat, only 40 kilometres (30 miles) inland from
Barcelona, is a very powerful symbol for the Catalan
people, and you would be hard pressed to find a Catalan
who hadn’t, at some point in time, visited Montserrat.
Girona
The province of Girona in the northeast of Spain, border,
France and the provinces of Barcelona and Lleida. It
covers an area of 5,886km2 and has a population of about
half a million inhabitants.
Figueres
Another 40km north from Girona along the A-7 autopista,
or by train, is Figueres (Figueras), a bit of a dive
with a one-man show - Salvador Dali. In the 1960s and
'70s he created the extraordinary Teatre-Museu Dali
here, the town of his birth.
Sitges
Sitges attracts everyone from jet-setters to young travellers,
honeymooners to weekending families, Barcelona night
owls to an international gay crowd - anyone after a
good time. The beach is long and sandy, the nightlife
thumps until breakfast and there are lots of groovy
boutiques if you need to spruce up your wardrobe. In
winter, Sitges can be quite dead but it wakes up with
a vengeance for carnaval, when the gay crowd puts on
an outrageous show. Sitges has been fashionable in one
way or another since the 1890s, when it became an avant-garde,
art-world hang-out. It has been one of Spain's most
anticonventional, anything-goes resorts since the 1960s.
Tarragona
Tarragona, located on the Mediterranean coast in the
northeast of Spain, is the most southern of the Catalan
provinces.
Conca de Barbera
This hilly, green back-country district comes as a refreshing
surprise in the otherwise drab flatlands of southwestern
Catalunya. Vineyards and woods succeed one another across
rolling green hills, studded with occasional medieval
villages and monasteries. The main attraction of the
area, however, is the Monestir de Poblet. If you have
time, you should explore the surrounding area, particularly
the walled town of Montblanc, 8km southeast of the monastery.
|
