Figueres
The first name that pops into your head when you lay eyes on this red castle-like building, topped with giant eggs and stylised Oscar-like statues and…
Must-see attractions in Costa Brava
Costa Brava
The evocative seaside archaeological site of Empúries, 1.5km northwest of central L'Escala, immerses you in a strategic Greek, and later Roman, trading…
Palafrugell & Around
If you’re intrigued by artist Salvador Dalí, the Castell de Púbol is an essential piece of the puzzle. Between Girona and Palafrugell (22km northwest of…
Girona
Towering over a flight of 86 steps rising from Plaça de la Catedral, Girona's imposing cathedral is far more ancient than its billowing baroque facade…
Costa Brava
The allure of the Illes Medes, seven islets off L'Estartit beach, lies in their range of depths (down to 50m), kaleidoscopic marine life, and underwater…
Monestir de Sant Pere de Rodes
Costa Brava
Views of distant Pyrenean peaks and the deep-blue Mediterranean combine with a spectacular piece of Romanesque architecture at this hillside monastery,…
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Cadaqués
Overlooking a peaceful cove in Port Lligat, a tiny fishing settlement 1km northeast of Cadaqués, this magnificent seaside complex was the residence and…
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Girona
Until 1492, Girona was home to Catalonia’s second-most important medieval Jewish community, after Barcelona, and one of the country's finest Jewish…
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Palafrugell & Around
The magical promontory framing the eastern end of Llafranc offers fabulous views in both directions and out to sea. It hosts an 1857 lighthouse, home to…
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Costa Brava
Besalú’s fortified stone bridge is so old, it strains memory. The first records of the bridge date to 1075, though periodic modifications have bolstered…
Monestir de Sant Pere de Galligants
Girona
This beautiful 11th- and 12th-century Romanesque Benedectine monastery has a sublime bell tower and a splendid cloister featuring otherworldly animals and…
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Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l’Empordà
Costa Brava
The remnants of the mighty marshes that once covered the whole coastal plain here are preserved in this 47-sq-km natural park, complete with scenic…
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Centre de Reproducció de Tortugues de l'Albera
Figueres
This long-running little wildlife sanctuary is a haven for Hermann's tortoises, and a force for educating people about these threatened little armoured…
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Costa Brava
Anyone familiar with Picasso’s Guernica has an insight into the horror of civilian suffering during the Spanish Civil War. This thought-provoking museum…
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Girona
Next to the cathedral, in the 12th- to 16th-century Palau Episcopal, this art gallery impresses with the scale and variety of its collection. Around 8500…
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Costa Brava
Besalú’s thriving Jewish community fled the town in 1436 after relentless Christian persecution. It left behind a 12th-century riverside miqvé (ritual…
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Figueres
Extending over four floors, the local museum time travels from ancient amphorae to 7th-century sculptures to rotating installations of contemporary art…
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Palafrugell & Around
This surprisingly large, modern museum within a 20th-century factory has audiovisual displays detailing Catalonia's cork industry. Cutting and branding…
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Girona
A walk along Girona’s majestic medieval walls is a wonderful way to soak up the city landscape. There are several access points, including a lane east of…
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Girona
Just downhill from the cathedral stands Girona’s second great church, with its landmark truncated bell tower. The nave is majestic with Gothic ribbed…
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Figueres
Figueres' sturdy 18th-century fortress commands the surrounding plains from a low hill 1km northwest of the centre. The complex is a wonder of military…
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Girona
Eighteenth-century cloisters lend an appropriately antique feel to this journey from Roman Girona to medieval times to the present day. The museum's…
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Costa Brava
This broad church seizes attention with its Romanesque tower, intricately carved portal, and a delicate sculpture on its tympanum (above the main entrance…
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Costa Brava
Even if you aren't usually lured by the dark side, Lloret de Mar's extraordinary 1901 cemetery feels more like a Modernista sculpture gallery than a…
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Figueres
This museum has more than 5000 toys from throughout the ages – from the earliest board games involving coloured stones, to intricate dolls’ houses, to…
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Girona
There's much more to this entrancing museum than the silver screen. Displays examine why humanity longs to indulge its imagination, probing the origins of…
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Girona
Although modelled on earlier Islamic and Roman bathhouses, the Banys Àrabs are a finely preserved, 12th-century Christian affair in Romanesque style …
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Museu d'Historia Medieval de la Cúria-Presó
Costa Brava
Set in the 14th-century Cúria (a centre of judicial power), this small museum provides a fascinating window into Castelló's medieval history. You'll find…
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Calella de Palafrugell
Atop Cap Roig, 2km southwest of Calella, these beautiful botanical gardens contain approximately 1000 floral species, set around the early-20th-century…
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Costa Brava
Prepare to squint with increasing intensity as you enter this peculiar 2000-item museum. Peer through a magnifying glass at jewellery, figurines and tiny…
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Palafrugell & Around
There is little to explore aside from the ragged ruins of this medieval castle, still in much the same state as when it was wrecked by Spanish troops to…
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Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya–Girona
Girona
Girona's archeology museum hosts old-school exhibits that date from prehistoric to medieval times, including pre-Roman Iberian amphorae, Roman mosaics,…
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Monestir de Sant Feliu de Guíxols
Costa Brava
Sant Feliu de Guíxols' Benedictine monastery dates to the 10th century, though later periods endowed it with a baroque building that now houses the local…
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Costa Brava
The Castell de Montgrí was built between 1294 and 1301 for King Jaume II, during his efforts to bring to heel the disobedient counts of Empúries, to the…
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Costa Brava
In its heyday, this farinera (flour factory) was producing 20,000kg of the white stuff each day. Even if milling innovations aren't your thing, a wander…
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Palafrugell & Around
From just northeast of Fornells' car park (4km south of Begur), stone stairs lead down to signposted Platja Fonda, a slate-grey pebbly beach that lures…
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Costa Brava
Today, this elegant 18th-century arch in front of the Monestir de Sant Feliu de Guíxols stands alone, the walls connecting it to the monastery complex…
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Palafrugell & Around
The finely pebbled beach of Sa Tuna sits in a small cove 3km east of Begur, fringed by now-remodelled fishers' houses. There are restaurants and parking,…
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Església de Sant Martí d'Empúries
Costa Brava
The bulk of this late-Gothic construction, with its glistening rose window, was built in the early 16th century, though tombstones point to an earlier…
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Canònica de Santa Maria de Vilabertran
Figueres
In Vilabertran, 2.5km northeast of central Figueres, you'll find a serene 11th-century Romanesque church with three naves, a Lombard bell tower, and an…
