Explore the Area
THE SURREALIST WORLD OF SALVADOR DALÍ
Surrealist genius Salvador Dalí was born in Figueres, where the Dalí Theatre Museum houses much of his work as well the jewellery collection that he designed between 1941 and 1970. A visit to the Theatre-Museum affords an ideal opportunity to discover the unique, enthralling world of Salvador Dalí.
Dalí spent many years in Portlligat cove near Cadaqués, where he bought up a row of fishermen’s houses in which he established his residence and studio. The resulting labyrinthine structure contains furniture and personal effects, and Dali’s library and workshop.
The third Dali Museum in the area is the Púbol Castle, a gift from Dalí to his wife Gala. Art collections, the couple’s famous Cadillac, Gala’s private apartments and a collection of her haute couture gowns are on display to the public, also the crypt where Dali´s wife and muse is buried, and a curious garden.
THE JEWISH HERITAGE
The Jewish Quarter in Girona is among the best preserved in Europe, and the heritage of the Sephardite communities in medieval Catalonia can be seen in the city’s Museum of Jewish History. Besalú village, with one of the few remaining ritual “mikvah” baths in Europe, is another testimony to the Jewish heritage in the province. Castelló d’Empúries, medieval seat of the Counts of Empúries with its impressive church and Jewish quarter. Several funerary steles are conserved and the structure of the New Synagogue can still be seen.
HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
Girona city centre is recommended to take a guided visit. However, it is also pleasant to wander up and down the narrow streets and to let you get carried away by the magic of the Old Town. We invite to visit the main points of interest in the city:
- The Cathedral of Girona has the widest Gothic nave in the world. Valuable art works are conserved in the interior, including the 10th-Century Beatus and the well-known Creation Tapestry, a masterpiece of the Romanesque textile art. Also you can admire the Arab Baths, a Romanesque-style building imitating the structures of old Muslim Baths, Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants, Church of Sant Felix, houses and bridges on the River Onyar, the Rambla de Llibertat, etc.
- The Old Town in Tossa de Mar, has one of the most important medieval ramparts in the whole of Catalonia, declare National Historical-Artistic Monument. The main Modernist building in the town is Casa Sans. The Municipal Museum has an extraordinary collection of paintings by European avant-garde painters who spent time in Tossa, such as Marc Chagall and André Masson.
We should underline the importance of the ruins at Empúries, today one of the major archaeological sites in the country, testimony to the arrival of the Greeks (580 BC) and the Romans (218 BC) to the Iberian Peninsula.
MEDIEVAL TOWNS AND VILLAGES
The age-old history of Girona is well represented in the rich cultural and architectural heritage of the medieval towns and villages in the area. (Pals, Peratallada and Monells).
The old town of Pals, called “el Pedró”, is visible from afar on its hilltop location. Pals is classified as a Historical-Artistic Site and offers interesting windows, arches, wells, etc. from periods ranging from Romanesque to the 18th Century. The most outstanding sites include the Gothic church, the clock-tower, ramparts and six defence towers.
Peratallada is the typically medieval fortified village, with defence walls enclosing irregular streets that converge onto the Main Square. The village grew up around the castle, with its elegant Gothic façade, and a magnificent donjon, one of the bests of its kind in Catalonia.
Attractive stop featuring stone houses, archivolts, ornamented doors and windows. The porticoes square is the main point of interest in Monells.
GASTRONOMY & WINE
The cooking of the Costa Brava shares with other Mediterranean cuisines de basic elements that have made them famous all around de world: dish, vegetables, olive oil, poultry, fruit and so on. A cuisine of taste, often based on simple, healthy dishes.
Great gastronomy offer available, with a total of 20 Michelin stars awarded around the province (16 restaurants). El Celler de can Roca has 3 stars, and is located in Girona; the second best restaurant in the world for Restaurant Magazine (2011 and 2012)
The wines of the local Denomination of Origin Empordà-Costa Brava ensure a fitting accompaniment.
SOFT TREKKING AND CYCLING TOURS
The hiking network (signposted) permit the visitors discover the area from north to south and from east to west, passing within a short time from the most secluded bays to the most delightful woods, or from the main towns to the most out-of-the-way and peaceful little villages.
Coastal path from Calella to Llafranc, these are two small towns on the coast of Palafrugell that were originally fishing villages. Nowadays they have become prime tourism sites but without losing the charm of their traditional origins. It makes a pleasant excursion, full of surprises, pretty views, unspoiled coves and beaches with peaceful waters.
Most of the cycling network runs across the plain, though there are links by path and road to the coastal zones. You can discover the medieval villages and the breath-taking sceneries also with your family.
GOLF
Ten courses, ten different itineraries set around an incomparable geographical region: playing golf on the Costa Brava means being part of a unique and sharply-contrasted landscape which has inspired the greatest geniuses
WATER SPORTS
Discover the secret of the Costa Brava, where every corner hides an emotion to be experienced.
Large bays with waves and wind for windsurfing and yachting; miles and miles of coastline, with coves, cliffs, long beaches and fully-equipped ports for enjoying all the pleasure of sailing; marine reserves where you can immerse yourself in the blue, mirrors of water to glide over, and wild, rugged coastline to discover from your kayak.
