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HIGHLIGHTS

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coast road. or Palafrugell or both.Theydo (€11.45, 1½hours), onthewaytoPlatja d’Aro from Barcelona toSeptember) 16 fromEaster be foundoneithersideof thetown. Benet. Acoupleof beaches nice-enough can 10th-century monastery, the and entrance,which isallthatremains of a Ferrada (IronGate): awall the so-calledPorta being from itslongpast,themostimportant promenade andahandfulof curiousleftovers little inletsandlargely hiddenbeaches. ’. Alongthewayareciviles enticing several pine boughs, andtwovery polite (1950), ‘metonlyonemulecart,ladenwith Macaulay,road Rose authorof deMarTossa to Sant Feliu deGuíxols.Onthis downs of Brava theCosta forthe23kmfrom upsand A snakingroadhugsthespectacular pop 20,320 SANT FELIUDEGUÍXOLS &Easter–mid-Jun)mid-Sep–Nov h Jimbo Bike Around Getting down andaroundpicturesque bays. Guíxols isagreat drive, windingitswayup, 23km stretch of theGI682toSantFeliu de trudge onthetoll-free A2.Tothenorth, takes youalmosttoBlanes,saves aweary theC32 From Barcelona, CAR &MOTORCYCLE Feliu deGuíxols. of summerconnectionstoGironaandSant hours). there Otherwise isonlyahandful 11 timesdailyviaLloret deMar (€8.95,1¼ delNordupto Estació from Barcelona’s Sarfa BUS as SantFeliu deGuíxols. extending theroute asfarnortheastof Tossa couple of othercompaniesalsokickin,some at abooththere. a FromJunetoSeptember atPlatja(in Tossa, Gran)andtickets are sold places theboatssimplypullupatbeach costs€21.Inmany fromCalella trip toTossa or Blanes,thentransfer totheboat.Thereturn toCalella station Catalunya from Barcelona’s bikes forupto€2124hours. Sarfa buses callin hereSarfa buses frequently (up to Sant Feliu hasanattractive itself waterside 9am-9pm mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 10am-1pm&4-8pmMon-Sat ( % 902 302025;www.sarfa.com) ( % 972 343044;Avinguda dePau Casals12; rents outmountain autopista, which Monestir deSant not followthe Fabled Shore runstoand guardias 345

CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA passes through the western through side ofpasses Palafrugell, TheC66Palamós–Gironaest initself. road hubforthearea butisof littleinter-service Palafrugell isthemaintransport,shopping and pop 17,420 Palafrugell charming villages of Pals andPeratallada. outthe beachesdeveloped nearby.Inland,seek gell, isaninteresting village withacluster of less most charming, low-key resorts. bays, nowconstitute three of Brava’s theCosta one-time fishing villages intosmall squeezed dePalafrugell,Calella LlafrancandTamariu, point foracluster of enticingbeach spots. Palafrugell, 5kminland,isthemainaccess tiful stretches of Brava. theCosta Thetownof North of Palamós begins oneof themostbeau- PALAFRUGELL &AROUND tlement) after which thebeach isnamed. remains Iberianset- of a6th-to1st-century-BC wooded promontorythathidesthe‘castle’(the northern endof thebeach iscappedby ahigh of roadget partlyunsealed youthere. The tothebeach.that leadright Twokilometres heading forPalafrugell andlookforthesigns you don’tfancythewalk,drive outof Palamós Platja delCastell can pickuptheGR92trailandheadnorthfor der howithappened,allisnotlost.Again you . Platja d’esCanyers are twosmallnudistcoves, enchanting , andsoonafter, thesmallerandmoreRovira de Calonge. Thefirst beach youhitis leafy coastlineforabout 4kmtoSantAntoni walking path,which windsalongthehigh could headnorthalongthe GRS92 coastal butforsomethingmoresandy, you secluded d’Aro and15minutes more toPalamós). and €12.65respectively, 1½hours toPlatja Barcelona–Palafrugell Sarfabusroute (€11.80 ticing coves. Bothare stopsonthefrequent some magnificentstretches of coastwithen- the mainbroadbeaches andtheirresorts are more Spanishtourismthanforeign. Around the nightlife isbusy.Thearea tends toattract are issueandOK, thehigh-rises standard Brava’sCosta partyspots.Thebeaches are spotsmarkthetwoendsofThese oneof the PLATJA D’ARO&PALAMÓS 346 Begur ( Begur opposite ), 7kmnortheast of Palafru- If youshould endupinPalamós andwon- The 2km-long COSTA BRAVA ••Platjad’Aro&Palamós . Alittlefurtheronagain Sa Cova , a virtually untouched strand. If , avirtuallyuntouched strand.If Platja d’Arobeach isbigand Platja d’enRosand Platja €4; tourist office. Jardí Botànic de Cap Roig JardíBotànicdeCap Roig (about Roig,the 40minutes). AtopCap south toPlatja delGolfet to Cap beach, close northeast toLlafranc(20or30minutes), or you canstrollalongpretty footpaths coastal Apart fromplonkingononeof thebeaches, SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Sep Aug; 10am-1pm&5-8pmMon-Sat,SunApr-Jun & 4; The few fishingboatsstillhauleduponthesand. bay of rockypointsandsmallbeaches, witha buildings are strungAegean-style arounda isalsothemostspreadCalella out.Itslow The southernmostof thePalafrugell resorts, pop 420 dePalafrugell Calella one hourifyouget themostdirect service). GironaandPalafrugellalso runbetween (€4.55, 16 timesdaily(€13.70,twohours). Many buses (Carrer deTorres Jonama67-9) Oct-Apr) Sun May-Jun 9am1pm&4-7pmMon-Sat,10am-1pmSun &Sep, 10am-1pm SunJul-Aug, 9am-1pm&5-8pmMon-Sat,10am-1pm 2; Carrer delCarrilet frugell.net/turisme; mobydick.com; Carrer dela Costa Verdemobydick.com; 16-28; sitesper Moby Dick Camping SLEEPING &EATING cantada isheldinAugust. briefly before Traditionally,Calella’s quaffing. alight and cinnamonconcoctionthatyou set ing of cremat –arum,coffee, sugar,lemon are traditionallyaccompaniedbythedrink- folksyconcerts busy linkswithCuba. These maintained 19th century,whenCatalonia Bravapopular amongCosta sailors inthe shantiesthatbecame sea ancholy Caribbean mer Brava’s stages theCosta biggest sum- Calella FESTIVALS &EVENTS his homelandafter theRussianRevolution. with expensive tastes, whofell outof gracein HeNikolai Voevodsky. colonel wasatsarist around theearly-20th-centurycastle-palaceof ful gardenof 1200Mediterranean species,set Nova. The a 10-minute walkfromthemainsquare, Plaça h Sarfa runstoPalafrugell upto fromBarcelona – h mid-Oct) tourist office tourist . cantada dehavaneres 10am-1pm &5-9pmMon-Sat,SunJul- 9am-8pm Jun-Sep, to6pmOct-May) 9am-8pm Jun-Sep, isbesidetheC66Hwy.The isneartheseafront. tourist office tourist Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com ( % ( % 972 614475;Carrer delesVoltes is a short walk from the isashort walkfromthe 972 614307; www.camping ( ( % % Havaneres are mel- 972 614582;admission 972 30 02 28; www.pala 972 300228;www.pala h lonelyplanet.com 9am-9pm Mon-Sat, 9am-9pm Mon-Sat, isabeauti- bus station

Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com .com; Passeig delaTorre 28;s/d€59/115; chance of divinginthearea. location. Ithastennis courtsandoffers the thiscampinggroundisinanideal seaside, about100mfromthepine-and-oak stand 2-person tent&car€21; lonelyplanet.com schemes fromroom toroom,and spotless offers colour rooms,with differing bright Carrer deCarudo12-14;s/d€38/60) Hostal Celimar SLEEPING &EATING Youcanwalkonto Tamariu.right. steps fromtheharbourandroadupto the coast.It’sa40-minute walkup:followthe tremendous (eastof thetown),therede SantSebastià are corporated intoaluxuryhotel), uponCap and just backfromthewestern endof the beach. Mon-Sat, 10am-1pmSunApr-Jun &Sep 5-9pm Mon-Sat,10am-1pmSunJul-Aug, 10am-1pm &5-8pm ( andgetssand more crowded.The franc hasasmallerbaybutlonger stretch of them,Lla- back fromtherockycoastbetween ell, andnowmerging withitalongtheroads Barely 2km northeastof dePalafrug- Calella pop 170 Llafranc adayfromNovemberbuses toFebruary. issteadily reduced tothree orfour the service 7.40amand8.30pminJulyAugust; tween orsobe- minutes). Theyleave half-hour every Llafranc, thenbacktoPalafrugell (€1.20,30 fromPalafrugellBuses then runtoCalella, THERE&AWAYGETTING is typicalof theiroriginalapproach todishes. crustandfresh cheese fish withalight pasta) escamarlans gratinats ambpasta fresca (cray- The andseafood. uptapas Tragamar serves beach,Bo, onaseparate Platjathe Canadell, PlaçadePort little northof thearcadedseaside cheery balconies. rooms, mostwithextensive viewsand sea h hostal isbarely astumblefromthe beach and near anoldwatchtower, thishotel offers 28 ing northoutof andinaleafyspot Calella, pointontheroadlead- Dominating ahigh % LaTorre Hotel From theFar deSantSebastià Tragamar Restaurant lunch onlyMon,Wed&Thu,dinnerFri-Sun) 972 30 50 08; Carrer de Roger de Llúria; 972 305008;Carrer deRogerLlúria; (achapel nowin- Ermita deSantSebastià ( views inbothdirections along % COSTA BRAVA ••Palafrugell &Around ( % 972 301374;www.hostalcelimar.com; h 972 614603;www.hotel-latorre Apr-Sep; Apr-Sep; ( % 972 615189;mains€25; The sunset yellow Thesunset – ps mid-Oct) (a lighthouse) h h tourist office tourist Apr-Sep; Apr-Sep; 10am-1pm & ) isakiosk Set ina Set p A )

in themiddleof thevillage. Carbó 2;mains€25-30; the village are sixor sotowers builtfor defence of Napoleon’s armyin1810.Dotted around troops whowrecked ittoimpede theadvance state inwhichsame itwasleftbytheSpanish and toweringabove thevillage, isinmuch the The pop 3990 Begur road leadstothebeach of Aiguablava ( p348 ). only.Arough from mid-Junetomid-September (€1.20, 15minutes) three orfourtimesdaily, eateries. with seafood own restaurant andthebeachfront islined colours predominate.other seaside Ithasits decorated rooms.Pale oranges andaquas back fromthebeach, hasspacious,cheerfully Carrer delForaió5-7;s/dinclbreakfast €74/128) h The lucent waters onSpain’sMediterranean coast. greenery. Itsbeach hassomeof themosttrans- cove and other surroundedbypinestands as thecrowflies,Tamariu isasmallcrescent About 3.5kmnorthupthecoastfromLlafranc, pop 90 Tamariu side of town. Carrer delaSirena, upthehillonCalella ( bus services left ). TheLlafrancbusstopison dePalafrugell Calella forinformationon See THERE&AWAYGETTING slices withfigs). such dishesas ofuse fresh market producetocomeupwith here hasaFrench flavour. Itsstrength isthe Oct-May) dinner Fri-Sun rant isanotherdraw. touch andthefinedininginhotel restau- arches andsunnycourtyardsaddaromantic come withaspaciousterrace. Grandstone views.Thebestrooms sea magnificent clifftop convertedhas been intoaneleganthotel with hostelry, withachapel andadefence tower, .elfar.net; d€267-321; it alsohappenstobeoneof thebest. bathrooms. Oneof thecheapest dealsintown, EsFurió Hotel Sarfa buses fromPalafrugellSarfa buses runtoTamariu Chez Tomás Far Hotel deSantSebastià 10am-1pm &5-8pmMon-Sat,SunJun-Sep) (castle), castell tourist office tourist ( % magret d’ànecambfigues pa (

% h As thenamehints,game ( 972 30 62 15; Carrer de Lluís Marqués 972 306215;Carrer deLluísMarqués %

dating tothe10thcentury 972 620036;www.esfurio.com; dinner only daily Jun-Sep, lunch& dinner onlydailyJun-Sep, 972 62 01 93; Carrer de la Riera; 972 620193;Carrer delaRiera; ) A fine old 18th-century A fineold18th-century ( % 972 301639;www , set just , set (duck 347

is is CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA , abeach on alovelyAiguafreda cove backed by ligatory inJulyandAugust). back acrosstheFornellsbay(halfboardob- modern luxuryhotel enjoyinglovely views walled town of Pals. The main monument About isthepretty 6kminland fromBegur pop 2300 Pals A THERE &AWAYGETTING the broad Island), anudiststripbeyondwhich stretches brings youtothereddish of sand beach at kilometres there’s northof another nice Begur, eatery. Acoupleof €17) initsconvivialseaside 21 98;d€120) beach. in You couldstay moreslightly built-upSaTuna , onaquietpebbly pine-covered hills,and,abitfurthersouth,the Brava busier beach, andthe bigger and off isAiguablava,withaslightly incredibly bluewater. of Brava, theCosta with amarina,beach and hamlet ononeof themostpicturesque bays further onistheturn-offto black-sand of Begur. About 2kmdownisaturn-offtothe the Palafrugell road2kmsouthof thecentre an enticingstretch of coast,byturningeastoff You canreach of aseries smallish beaches, on Around Begur to Girona(€5.80,1¼hours). Palafrugell. oneSarfabusruns Onweekdays (€14.35,1¾to2¼hours)from Barcelona via atNo10. attheirFondaCaner baths. Eat on theterrace andrelax inthehydro-massage spacious rooms.Youcanget somesunupstairs central church is Sun) 5; Setembre office tourist against 16th-and17th-centurypirates. The 348 .hotel-rosa.com; Carrer 19;s/d€75/87; dePi iRalló a little surprise packagea littlesurprise which haswell-kept, and mid-September. late between June Plaça deForgas inBegur bus platges runsfrom (beach bus)service Sarfa buses runuptofourtimesaday Sarfa buses A few steps towardsthecastlefrom Another road from Begur leads 2km east to leads2kmeastto Another roadfromBegur One kilometre onfromtheFornellsturn- hasloadsof information. ( COSTA BRAVA ••CastelldePúbol % . A walk along the coastal track track . Awalkalongthecoastal Sa Riera 972 622162;www.parador.es; s/d€134/178) h Platja dePals tothenorth. and gobble down a paella (around andgobbledownapaella(around Platja Fonda(1km).Half akilometre ( 10am-2pm &4-7pmMon-Sat, % 972 624520;Avinguda delOnzede Hotel Rosa Hotel Parador NacionaldelaCosta Hostal SaTuna ( % Fornells (1km),a 972 623015;www (Red Illa Roja(Red ( % ai 972 62 972 62 , a ) , made thisvillage afavourite daytripforCata- ofThe warmstonehouses Peratallada have Peratallada (€14.80, twohours) onweekdays. comehere to fourSarfabuses fromBarcelona with theIllesMedes inthebackground.Up plainstothesea, northeast acrossthecoastal another. Fromthe corneror intoonemedieval ing yournose lanesandpok- wandering aroundtheuneven what makes thetripworthwhileissimply (clocktower)but delesHores is the15mTorre ‘ otherelements Salvador Dalítriangle’, whose ernmost point of northeastern Catalonia’s 10.30am-4.15pm Tue-Sat Nov-Dec) Oct, Jun &mid-Sep–late mid-Jun–mid-Sep, 10.30am-5.15pmTue-Sun mid-Mar–mid- .org; LaPera; adult/student&senior€6/4; The CASTELL DEPÚBOL (once dailyMondaytoFriday). andahotel. rural houses overnight stop.There are othersuch several roomsforan an atmosphericplacewithseven teamed withmoderncomfortstocreatebeen where theoldstone-and-timberframehas Roca 6;d€60-83) low-key boutiques. enticingrestaurantsstay, andasprinkling of are otherplacesto supplemented by several mansion (nowaluxuryhotel andrestaurant) lans. Itsnarrowstreets and11th-centurycastle- northwest of Palafrugell. Itformsthe south- Pera,is atLa justsouthof theC66and22km Peratallada busline isontheBegur–Girona l’Aliu Ca rent.com; Torrent; ste€390-625; Mas deTorrent AUTHOR’S CHOICE in thegardens. bikes. Intheevening, settleinfordinner grounds andthehotel provides mountain munal one).There are onthe tennis courts have theirownpool(inadditiontothecom- ber perioditems. suites The each top-end modified, anditsroomsfurnishedwithtim- farmhouse hasbeenlovingly restored and worldly stress andworry.The 18th-century this luxuryruralhideawayistheantidote to of Torrent, about2.5kmsouthwestofPals, Set ingreen fieldsbythetinysettlement Castell dePúbol Castell ( % isan18th-centuryvillage home, 972 634061;www.calaliu.com;Carrer dela ( you can see delPedró youcansee Mirador ( % % 972 303292;www.mastor 972 488655;www.salvador-dali pais lonelyplanet.com h 10.30am-7.15pm )

church, andgave ittohiswife, Gala,wholived mansion,whichsance includesa14th-century area.the Cadaqués include theTeatre-Museu DalíinFigueres and lonelyplanet.com Tourist office Tourist Policía Nacional iJulià (Hospital)Martí Parc Hospitalari Information MasóRafael iValentí. behind itonCarrerwith thebusstation de on Plaçad’Espanya,offCarrer deBarcelona, the river. is1kmsouthwest, Thetrainstation and footbridges linkittothenewtownacross roadbridgeseasy toexplore onfoot.Several above theeastbankof theRiuOnyarandare The narrowstreets of theold townclimb Orientation the centuries. repeated andsieges attacks survived through manesque andGothicbuildingsthathave timesproduced manyfineRo- in medieval inthelate 9thcentury.Itswealth Barcelona counties,fallingundertheswayofimportant ofbecame capital most one of Catalonia’s Muslims bytheFranksinAD797,Girona lows partof Taken ViaAugusta). from the (Carrer delaForçainGirona’soldtownfol- fromRometoCádiz thehighway Augusta, is apowerfulreason formakingavisit. from Palafrugell. Itsimpressive centre medieval sitsinavalley36kminland tilian: Gerona) largest city,Girona(Cas- Northern Catalonia’s pop 86,670 GIRONA run alongtheC66. last drive roundtheestate–after shedied. inwhich DalítookGalafora is theblueCadillac atGala’stombinthecrypt.Ingarage staring giraffe legsinthegarden,anda stuffed giraffes’ the topsof of cupboards,statues elephantswith from style,withlions’headsstaring imitable the timeshediedin1982,aged 88. ing foryoungvillage upto menalmostright notoriously promiscuousGalawasstillsend- here untilherdeath.Locallore hasitthatthe % 8am-2pm & 4-8pmSat,9am-2pmSun) 1; delaLlibertat Rambla /turisme; In 1968 Dalí bought thisGothicandRenais- In 1968Dalíbought Sarfa buses between Palafrugell between Sarfa buses andGirona The Romantownof layonVia Gerunda The castlewasrenovated byDalíinhisin- 972 18 25 00; Carrer del Doctor Castany s/n) 972 182500;Carrer delDoctor ( % (NationalPolice;Carrer deSantPau 2) COSTA BRAVA ••Girona 972 226575;www.ajuntament.gi h 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, (Hospital; Tue-Sat Jul-Aug, 10am-7pmTue-Sat Apr-Jun 10am-2pm &Sep, the Roman bathhouses, modelledonearlierMuslimandAlthough BANYS ÀRABS Crist Jacent (RecumbentChrist). Gothic sculpture, AloideMontbrai’salabaster of thechurch, isgracedbyamasterly Catalan ernmost of thechapels, atthefarwestern end Thenorth- 16th- centuryGothicupperlevels. 13th-century Romanesquearches but14th-to entrance isaroundtheside. Thenave has gle tower,isonPlaçadeSantFeliu, butthe century mainfaçade,withitslandmarksin- Sun) h greatGirona’s second ESGLÉSIA DESANTFELIU early 20th-centurypaintings. to ranges fromRomanesquewoodcarvings Tue-Sat Oct-Feb, 10am-2pmSun&holidays) 12; admission€2; ( museum 16th-century Palau Episcopal,theart Next doortothecathedral,in12th- MUSEU D’ART many belltower. the13th-centuryTorreyou cansee deCarle- Fromthecloister fine, ifweathered, carving. 112stonecolumnsdisplaysome , whose cloister to thebeautiful12th-centuryRomanesque anddarkness. the animals,sky,light circle aroundHimthecreation of Adam,Eve, showsGodattheepicentretapestry andinthe script, datingfromAD975.TheCreation and aMozarabic illuminated Tapís delaCreació Tresor’, themasterly contains Romanesque & holidays) 10am-2pm&4-6pmTue-Sat Oct-Feb,Jul-Sep, 10am-2pmSun h 44 26;www.lacatedraldegirona.com; admission€4,free onSun; nave (23m).Thecathedral’s the centuries,ithasEurope’swidestGothic exterior. Repeatedly rebuilt andaltered down ismuchbuilding, however, olderthanits The billowingbaroquefaçadeof the CATEDRAL Sights 62; Carrer deFerran Catòlic;admission€1.50; rising from Plaça de la Catedral. Mostofrising fromPlaçadelaCatedral. the attheheadofstands amajestic of flight steps % The fee for the museum alsoadmitsyou The fee forthemuseum 10am-2pm &4-7pmTue-Sat Mar-Jun, 10am-8pmTue-Sat 9.30am-2pm &4-7pmMon-Sat,10am-noon isdownhillfromthecathedral.The17th- 972 20 38 34; www.museuart.com; PlaçadelaCatedral 972 203834;www.museuart.com; , through thedoormarked, through ‘Claustre h 10am-7pm Tue-Sat Mar-Sep, 10am-6pm 10am-7pm Tue-Sat Mar-Sep, (Tapestry of theCreation) church Arab baths museum (Plaça deSantFeliu; Beatus manu- h collection ( % ( cathedral 10am-8pm % 972 2132 972 21 349

CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA 350 To ParcHospitalari GIRONA (Hospital, 2km) Martí iJulià ENTERTAINMENT EATING SLEEPING SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION El Cercle...... Maiden's...... Restaurant Albereda...... Residència Bellmirall...... Hotel Històric...... Girona...... Girona...... (see7) Museu d'Art...... Museu Arqueològic...... (see12) Galligants...... Convent deSantDomènec...... Tourist Office...... Alberg-Residència Cerveríde Geco...... Xocolateria Antiga...... La Polenta...... König...... Cipresaia...... Pensión Viladomat...... Universitat deGirona...... (see8) Museu delCinema...... Museu d'HistòriadelaCiutat... Museu d'HistòriaJueusde Monestir deSantPere Església deSantNicolau...... Entrance toEsglésiadeSant Centre BonastrucÇaPorta...... Catedral...... Post Office...... Policía Nacional...... La CaixaBank...... Feliu...... Banys Àrabs...... Església deSantFeliu...... COSTA BRAVA ••Girona Central Parc

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Plaça y s 0.1 miles 8 200 m r a Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com de laForça8;admission€2; and cleanliness, washingalmostcametobe reaction totheMuslimobsessionwithwater ered ChristianSpain,where, frommedieval in discov-style. Thisistheonlypublicbathhouse inRomanesque 12th-century Christianaffair 10am-2pmSun&holidaysyear-round) Tue-Sat Oct-Mar, lonelyplanet.com lonia’s national round-dance) tradition. the city’s Roman originsto the 2pm Sun) Força 27;admission€2; The MUSEU D’HISTÒRIADELACIUTAT studies of Jewish Spain. limited exhibitionsandisafocalpointfor arounda courtyard –hostsand stairways and mystic,thecentre –awarren of rooms figure, a13th-centurycabbalistphilosopher Named after Jewish Girona’smostillustrious 10am-3pmSun&holidays) 10am-6pm Mon-SatNov-May, Girona culture, visitthe Força. For anideaof Jewish medieval life and wascentredquarter, the Call, onCarrer dela anditsJewishcommunity (after Barcelona), medieval important second-most Jewish Until 1492GironawashometoCatalonia’s THE CALL Jewishsome medieval tombstones. and times,andinclude Romanmosaics dieval exhibitsdate fromprehistoricwhose tome- 10.30am-2pmSun&holidays) & 4-6pmTue-Sat Oct-May, h Arqueològic Museu of itspillars. Girona’s Themonastery houses onthecapitals animal andmonster carvings another lovely cloister withsomemarvellous and 12th-centuryRomanesquemonastery has Down acrossthinRiuGalligants,this11th- MONESTIR DESANTPEREGALLIGANTS back downtothecathedral. Sant Cristòfolgate, fromwhere youcanwalk de city wallsuptothe18th-centuryPortal lead upintolovely gardens,which followthe Across thestreetÀrabs,steps fromtheBanys PASSEIG ARQUEOLÒGIC kind of sauna). cold andwarmwater), (a andacaldarium (withrespectively andtepidarium frigidarium (changing room) apodyterium regarded asungodly. Thebaths an contain 10.30am-1.30pm & 4-7pm Tue-Sat Jun-Sep, 10.30am-2pm 10.30am-1.30pm &4-7pmTue-Sat Jun-Sep, Museum CityHistory

(Centre Bonastruc Ça Porta; (Centre BonastrucÇaPorta; hasdisplayscovering from everything COSTA BRAVA ••Girona h Museu d’Història delsJueusde d’Història Museu ( % 10am-2pm &5-7pmTue-Sat, 10am- h 972 202632;admission€1.80; ( % 10am-8pm Mon-Sat Jun-Oct, 10am-8pm Mon-SatJun-Oct, 972 2229;Carrer dela % 972 216761;Carrer sardana (Cata- , followedbya are a , . €8-15; contained apartments (going for up to €300). apartments(goingforupto€300). contained home, youcouldoptforoneof self- theseven individually decorated. Foragreater of sense spaciousroomsthatare Girona, ithaseight hotel inan historicbuildingintheheartof old Carrer deBellmirall4/a;s/d€109/122; student residence. old town,itdoublesformostof theyearasa klingly maintained rooms. klingly maintained of simplebutspar- theoldtown.Ithaseight pensiones scattered aboutthesouthernend days tend tovary. andcouscous; €9.15)isahit.Opening cheese amb formatge with blue blau icouscous(seitan ies, considerthis cheerful option.Theseitan meals €15-20; age. Orjuststopbyforadrink. a broadoutdoorterrace shadedbythickfoli- (filled roll)orsimplehotdishes, ‘King’boasts spot forbreakfast. chocolate: timehasstoodstillhere. It’s agreat lace inthewindowsandhotstickycupsof & pastry€5-8; Antiga Xocolateria Eating bathroom are marginally cheaper. in theplace’soverhaul. Roomswithshared runs itisanartistandhistaste isreflected building intheheartof thecity.Theguywho outof amedieval tractive carved spothasbeen Bellmirall 3;s/d€35/60; €60) Ciutadans 5;s/dwithoutbathroom€20/38,dwith over €18/21; 03; Carrer delsCiutadans9;dmstudent&under26yr/26yr deGirona Cerverí Alberg-Residència Sleeping Oct-Apr) 10am-8pmSat,11am-3pmSun 10am-6pm Tue-Fri, May-Sep; .org; Carrer deSèquia1;admission€3; cinema museum Spain’sonly delesAigüeshouses The Casa MUSEU DELCINEMA and thelike –it’sgreat forkids. indulging inshadow games,opticalillusions ema, butalsoaparadeof hands-onitems for not onlydisplaystracingthehistoryof cin- Residència Bellmirall Residència Pensión Viladomat La Polenta König Històric Hotel Thisisoneof thenicestof thecheaper h . TheColleccióTomàsMallol includes ( daily) % i h h 972 225782;Carrer delsCalderers 16;meals ( Foraquicksandwich, ) % Fri-Wed; Fri-Wed; Amodernyouthhostel inthe Mon-Sat) ( ( % %

972 20 93 74; Carrer de la Cort Reial 6; Reial 972 209374;Carrer delaCort ( % h 972 412777;www.museudelcinema 972 22 35 83; www.hotelhistoric.com; 972 223583;www.hotelhistoric.com; v 972 216681;PlaçadelVi8;coffee Modernista décor,frilly Modernista ( closed Jan-Mar; closed Jan-Mar; % ( ) % Forvegetarian good- 972 203176;Carrer dels 972 204009;Carrer de aip h 10am-8pm Tue-Sun

a ( % ) ) A bijou Abijou This at- 972 2180 entrepà 351

CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA & Sun) meals €25-30; Thursday-night clubbingdestination. a range dishes,fromasucculent of Catalan del Riu Güell 2; del Riu the cybertechno SaladelBall park, westof therailwayline. Acrosstheroad, Pedret. along Carrer dePalafrugell andRondade bars (andrestaurants)you willfindseveral near theriver northof theoldtown,where tipple.evening isperfectous, centuries-oldhouse foraquiet, of stonearches andtimberbeams,thiscavern- h the coastonweekends. of asmostpeopleheadfor night theweek, mer thingscalmdown.Thursday isthebig Students make thenightlife here, soinsum- &Entertainment Drinking onion). sweet with pumpkin,passionfruit,green tea and de lapassió, teverdiceba tendra ambcarbassa, tovieires and proceed fruita (clamsinorange sorbetandCampari) pari with top-ranking restaurants. start Youmight Michelinstar choice isoneof Catalonia’s & dinnerSat) canroca.com; Carretera deTaialà 40;mains€60-80; dessert. course,even mushroom inevery menuincludesadifferenttasting kindof (when theyare inwhich aspecial inseason), has gourmetthemes,such asmushrooms cuisine. Itfrequentlydishes upclassicCatalan egant Albereda, restaurant, thetown’ssenior l’Albereda 9;meals€40; menu too. two intheheartof theoldtownare onthe dinners Sav; forin Cab €13.90).Candlelit d’ànec alCabernet Sauvignon arròs allàmantol(lobster rice;€17)to 352 of of beats nights. maniacs) atNo38offer boisterous and beer and on thenight, a mixof rockandclubsoundsdepending (and nottheeasiestplacetofind),thistwo- Restaurant Albereda Restaurant Cipresaia El Cercle You can keep going until the wee hoursYou cankeep goinguntilthe wee Roca deCan El Celler In summer(May a series toSeptember), tents drinking 8am-3am) Thistranquil,romanticoptionoffers cloïsses ambsorbet denaranja iCam- COSTA BRAVA ••Verges Geco About 2kmwestof thecitycentre Carved outof warren amedieval Carved h ( ( h % % (Carrer dePalafrugell 20) dinner only Fri-Sat, lunchonlyMon-Weddinner onlyFri-Sat, midnight-5am Thu-Sat) 972 224529;Carrer delCiutadans8; 972 222449;Carrer deBlasFournàs2; (las carpas) iserrected inthe h (forheavy metal Maiden’s

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( % ( % 972 222157;www.celler 972 226002;Carrer de ( % 972 201439;Carrer (duckslices , which hosts isGirona’s (scallops h magret Mon-Fri Mon-Fri El- costs around€15. border. There are more than20trainsperday celona, Figueres andPortbouontheFrench Bar-Girona isontherailwaylinebetween TRAIN (€5.55, 1¼hours). (€3.10,50minutes) andOlot day) toBesalú daily(fouronSun- services runs uptoeight Teisa BUS (€13, 55minutes). A one hour20minutes), aswellFigueres deMarTossa (€13, (€8,onehour)andRoses destinations,includingairport tocoastal couple of adayinsummer,fromthe buses utes), Sarfarunsa connectingwithflights. (oneway/returnBarcelona €11/19,70min- (Map Nordbusstation Estació pp274–5 ) in to/from runs direct Busservices Barcelona company Thesame connection withflights. (€1.75,25minutes)main bus/trainstation in Bravafrom Girona–Costa airporttoGirona’s 15 50;www.sagales.com) is Ryanair’sSpanish hub. Costa Brava Located 11kmsouthof thecentre isGirona– AIR &Away There Getting L’Estartit mustpass. L’Estartit whichgrí isthe funnelthrough travellers to agreeable oldtown of deMont- Torroella Girona and15km northof Palafrugell, the On theRiuTer, about30kmnortheast of pop 10,230 TORROELLA DEMONTGRÍ here. passthrough buses Girona–Torroella around10pm. Thefunstarts way toCalvary. a much bigger processionenacting Christ’s Dance of thestreets Deaththrough aspartof . People dressed asskeletonsMort performthe macabre processionof evening the the Thursday tosee make (Easter), aneffort little tooffer, butifinthearea onHoly About 15kmeastof Girona,thistownhas pop 1170 VERGES to €4.10,50minutes toonehour). orboth(€3.60 about 15toPortbouorCerbère (€5.45to€6.25,1½hours),and Barcelona to Figueres (€2.40to€2.70,3040minutes) 23 33) to/fromtheairporttocentralGirona ( % 972 200275;www.teisa-bus.com inSpanish) , andjustofftheAP7A2, airport operates hourly services operates hourlyservices taxi ( % Sagalés lonelyplanet.com 972 203373,22 Dansa dela ( % 902 36

was built between 1294and1301forKing was builtbetween the impressive-but-empty 300m limestoneMontgríhillstothenorth, thetownfromtopofOverlooking the Sights &Activities lonelyplanet.com over Brava anyotherCosta package resort – has along,widebeach of butnothing finesand 6kmeastof deMontgrí, L’Estartit, Torroella pop 920 L’ESTARTIT &THE ILLESMEDES hours). (€16,1¾ to/fromBarcelona four dailybuses ing therest of theyear).Sarfahasthree or (halfasoftenfrom JunetoSeptember dur- 19) Ampsa &Away There Getting trates onlocalhistory,culture andmusic. permanent exhibitiononthe1stfloorconcen- mansion.The Quintana intheCan housed Sun Sep-Jun) Sun Jul-Aug,11am-2pm&5-8pmWed-SatMon,11am-2pm admission free; tural delaMediterrània end of which isasignpointingtheway. del LledoneralongCarrer deFàtima,atthe Headclimb fromTorroella. northfromPlaça There’s noroad,andbyfootit’sa40-minute disobedient countsof Empúries,tothenorth. Jaume the tobringheel II,duringhisefforts runs buses about hourly (€1.20) to L’Estartit abouthourly(€1.20)toL’Estartit runsbuses Can Quintana – Centre Cul- Quintana–Centre theCan In townitself, around €375. dive PADIdo anintroductory for around€45orafull,five-day OpenWater Diver coursefor togowithaguide andforinsuranceifyoudon’thaveally payextra any).Ifyou’re anovice, gear rental cancost€16aday. Nightdives are possible (usually about€30to€34).Yougener- provide sloppyinstruction. to important feel thatsafety are aspects intoaccount. Sloppydive properlytaken shopsoften provide guides?Whatistheirattitudetotouchingcoralandsealife? Whendoing courses,itis regulator.) nothingworsethanabroken (There’s Dotheybotherwithsafety checks? Dothey from pricedifference,Apart trytoassessthequality.Is equipment ingoodshapeorold? theplunge. shoppingaroundbefore taking coast; thetouristofficehaslistsofthem. It’sworth rays.rays ormarbledelectric may feed fromthehand.Ifyougetdowntoseafloor,mayseeanglerfish,thornback harbour lobsters, scorpionfishandlarge congereelsandgroupers. Somegroupersandperch crabsandvariousfish.Below10m or15m,cavitiesandcavesand sponges,aswelloctopuses, algae are colourful contribute Onandaroundrocks nearthesurface muchtotheirattraction. The rangeof depths (downto50m)andunderwater cavitiesandtunnelsaroundtheIllesMedes DIVING OFFTHECOSTA BRAVA If you’re a qualified diver, tripusuallycostsbetween€26and€30perperson.Full a two-hour yououtscubadiving,attheMedesoroffmainland cantake Several outfitsinL’Estartit ( % is a local museum andculturalcentreis alocalmuseum 972 758233;www.ampsa.org; Plaçad’Espanya h 11am-2pm &6-9pmWed-SatMon,to2pm COSTA BRAVA &theIllesMedes ••L’Estartit ( % 972 755180;Carrer d’Ullà31; Castell deMontgrí Castell

these withtheMedes.these caves alongthecoasttonorth,orcombine glass-bottomed of boattripsgotoaseries glass-bottomed boat tripstotheislands.Other end of beach, L’Estartit offer snorkelling and March andMay. legged gulls(8000pairs) breeds here between Mediterranean’s largest coloniesof yellow- There’s abigbirdpopulationtoo;oneof the animal specieshave identifiedhere. been snorkellers anddivers. Some1345plantand them Spain’smostpopulardestinationfor proliferation intheirmarinelife andmade water naturewhicha hasbrought reserve), 1985 asa stone Montgríhills,have protected been since islets, anoffshore continuationof thelime- The shores andwaters seven aroundthese Medes Illes 10am-2pmSatOct-Apr) 9am-1pm&3-6pmMon-Fri, & Sep, Jul-Aug, 9.30am-2pm&4-7pmMon-Sat,10am-2pmSunMay-Jun office tourist Marítim, atthenorthernendof which isthe the beach; thebeachfront roadisPasseig is calledAvinguda deGrèciaasitapproaches life onSpain’sMediterranean coast. home tosomeof themostabundantmarine group of rockyisletsbarely 1kmoffshore are except fortheIllesMedes (IslasMedes). The Marítim; Marítim; Kiosks bytheharbour,atnorthern deMontgrí The mainroadinfromTorroella h 9.30am-2pm & 4-9pm Mon-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun 9.30am-2pm &4-9pmMon-Sat,10am-2pmSun reserva naturalreserva submarina ( % 972 75 19 10; www.estartit.org; Passeig 972 751910;www.estartit.org; (under-

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. CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA decent, functional place with comfortable, if decent, functionalplacewithcomfortable, 354 nearby, which came tobecalledEmporion afterwards theyfounded amainland colony Sant Martí d’Empúries,thenan island.Soon atwhatisnow thecharming village of600 BC (Marseille upanew postaround inFrance),set pushing onfromatradingpostat Masilia the IberianPeninsula. Greek traders, Early one of Greek themostimportant, colonieson Empúries wasprobablythefirst, andcertainly Empúries centre. around thecoasttonorthwestof thetown Mon-Sat, 10am-1pmSunOct-Apr) Escoles 1; office find thetourist L’Escala’s PlaçadelesEscoles,where you’ll If youarrive on bySarfabus,you’llalight &Information Orientation de l’Empordà. wetlands of theParc NaturaldelsAiguamolls purias) and,about10kmfurthernorth,the Am- toancientEmpúries(Castilian: close the southernshore of It’s theGolfdeRoses. medium-sizedresortgrí, isapleasant on L’Escala, 11kmnorthof deMont- Torroella pop 5180 L’ESCALA toAugust). (July season (€16, 2¼hours), risingtofourtimesinpeak oncedaily Sarfa runstoandfromBarcelona &Around There Getting chips-style meals. a mixof basicSpanish fare andchicken-and- placesareThese allpretty similar,presenting the roundabout,isswarmingwitheateries. breakfastport. Abuffet isincluded. hangout that’sinagoodspotbackfromthe room andbalcony.Thisisbasicallyadivers’ rooms,allwithsparklingbath- unspectacular, .com; Carrer deLes Illes55;s/dwithhalf-board€44/80) are available. Bikehas asauna. rental massages andeven and location about800mfromtheseaside grounds inandaroundtown,thisisaleafy €29; .com; Paratge Campdel’Arbre; sitesper2-persontent&car Les Medes Sleeping &Eating Hotel LesIlles Hotel The northernendof Passeig Marítim, by h COSTA BRAVA ••L’Escala Dec-Oct; Dec-Oct; h ( 9am-7pm daily May-Sep, 9am-1pm&4-7pm 9am-7pm dailyMay-Sep, % ps 972 751805;www.campinglesmedes ( % 972 751239;www.hotellesilles ) Of the eight camping Oftheeight ( % 972 770603;Plaçadeles . Empúriesis1km A site, closer totheshore.site, closer Main pointsof inter- L’Escala. the Figueres road,about 1km fromcentral the onlywayinisvehicle approach from coast fromL’Escalatoreach it.Atothertimes enade infrontof theruins;justfollow 10am-6pmOct-May) Jun-Sep, student/under 7yr&senior€2.40/1.80/free; trian entrancetothe During springandsummerthere’s apedes- THE SITE office) –tomake themostof it. (€1.50fromtheticket commentary a taped little imagination–andperhaps theaidof a more Youneed don’t rise thanknee-high. peared altogether. place, after over amillenniumof disap- use, the site of theGreek town,before thewhole Christian basilicaandacemetery stoodon anearly tribes.Later, after raidsbyGermanic was abandonedinthelate 3rdcenturyAD, one. Emporiae,astheplacewasthenknown, A centurylater ithadmerged withtheGreek hadaddedatown. campandby100BC tary Punic War. About upamili- theyset 195BC cut offHannibal’s supplylinesintheSecond Iberians, forcenturies. centre, andconduitof Greek culture tothe (Market) andremained trading animportant jetty. Nearby iswhere the1992Olympic flame aGreek1.2km from L’Escala,stands stone along infrontof thesite. On one of them, was unearthedon thesite in 2005. marbleofCarrara theRoman godBacchus of archaeologists, a2nd-century-AD bustin an oval amphitheatre. Tothegreat surprise walls. Outsidethewallsare theremains of theForumandancient house, 1st-century-BC the on theupperpartof thesite.of Highlights Greek townfromthelarger Romantown better the Empúries collection,separates ologia deCatalunya, p299 ), hasabigger and Greek stoa nants of theearlyChristianbasilicaand here, andtheAgora (townsquare), withrem- of medicine)withacopyof found hisstatue the site of theAsklepion (ashrine tothegod est includethethicksoutherndefensive walls, A stringof beaches brown-sand stretch d’Arque- Museu A smallmuseum(Barcelona’s The Many of theancientstonesnowlaidbare Romanlegionslandedhere to In 218BC include the mosaic floorsRoman townincludethemosaic of a Greek townliesinthelowerpartofGreek the (market complex),besideit. Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com from the seafront prom- fromtheseafront site ( % lonelyplanet.com 972 770208;adult/ h 10am-8pm A cheerful cornerblockwithrestaurant and the lowermidrange intheheartof level town. €35/54; for aheartylunch of grilledcatch of theday eatery,an excellentwaterfrontideal seafood Albert 1;mains€35; Albert gem, the 15th-century seaside hamletofgem, the15th-centuryseaside the beaches fromEmpúriesbringsyoutoa vessel amidgreat theatricalcircumstance. was landedinaremake of anancientGreek lonelyplanet.com visit worthwhile atanytime of year. are birds around tomake usuallyenough a glossy ibis,spoonbill orrare blackstork.There theoccasional flamingo, wading birdsandeven which bringbigincreases inthenumbers of and AugusttoOctober migrationperiods, ted over 100speciesaday intheMarch toMay for migratingbirds.Bird-watchers have spot- plain of site animportant theGolfdeRoses, marshes thatoncecovered thewholecoastal This naturetheremnants parkpreserves of DE L’EMPORDÀ PARC NATURAL DELSAIGUAMOLLS alsoruntoandfromGirona. gust). Buses and three onSunday(fourdailyJulytoAu- frugell) (€16,upto2¼hours), onweekdays (viaPala-Sarfa hasonebusfromBarcelona &Away There Getting with mushroomrisotto(€42). more expensive) concoctions,such aslobster comes withless common (andfrequently and d’En Perris. scattered alongthewaterfront paradeof Port to cropuponmenus.Plentyof eateries are vies) andfresh fish,bothof which are likely L’Escala isfamousforitsanchoas (ancho- Eating the waterfront. rooms. Youcansunyourselfontheterrace. rooms upstairs, ithascleanandwelcoming Hostal ElRoser Sleeping the localchurch. watchful gazeof thestrange, squatfaçadeof bars compete foryourattention underthe cobbled lanes.OnPlaçaMajor, fourrestaurant- and stonehouses , allbright d’Empúries Martí Another few hundred metres northalong Restaurant ElRoserII Restaurant Some more expensive optionslineupon suquet hotpot).Italso (afish-and-potato paw ( % ) h COSTA BRAVA ••Parc NaturaldelsAiguamollsDeL’empordà Thisisoneof thebestbetsat 972 770219;Carrer del’Església7;s/d Tue-Sat, lunchonlySun) ( % 972 771102;Passeig Lluís Thisis Sant Sant Plaça delJocdelaPilota 2;s/d€49/70; Natural del Cap deCreus.Natural del Cap About 6km eastof crowds of into thesouthernend of Roses Parc above forgoing elsewhere. all,ahandybase office haslistsof is, accommodation),Roses holiday town’s beaches are OK(thetourist thismiddling Although 16th-century citadel. boasttheimpressivedoes wall of its seaward remains toconfirmthehypothesis.Thetown nothing Greek Rodes,although settlement, Some believe is thesiteRoses of anancient pop 15,540 ROSES &AROUND 1¾ to2¼hours). delNord(€15.30, Estació from Barcelona’s (€3.05,50minutes) anduptotwo Cadaqués or four(more inJulyandAugust)from day fromFigueres (€1.20,15minutes), three a and upto28inJulyAugust)buses fare.offering mostlyCatalan ior courtyard.Italsohasadecentrestaurant pool glistens withinthestonewallsof the inter- arches and asundeck.Asoothingswimming centre, withelegantrooms,low-slungstone 17th-centurymansioninthemodernised church withasturdy Romanesquebelltower. guer. It’salarge 13th-and14th-centuryGothic onPlaçadeJacint Verda-glésia deSantaMaria century. Thefinestmonumenthere isthe large degree of independenceuptothe14th a countythatmaintained Catalan medieval of This oldtownwasthecapital Empúries,a pop 3640 D’EMPÚRIES CASTELLÓ d’Empúries, 4kmnorth. from L’EscalaandFigueres), andCastelló byfourorfive daily Sarfabuses south (served reached bybusare SantPere Pescador, 6km times forbirds(andmosquitoes!). areopen, butmorningandevening thebest thewholepark.Thepaths are always observe the with saltwater-marsh views.Fromthetopof stretch of beach andseveral d’Empúries road.Marked paths leadtoa2km 9.30am-2pm&3.30-6pmmid-Sep Jun–mid-Sep, ( 1km eastofftheSantPere Pescador–Castelló % With avehicle, youcanget wellbeyondthe Sarfa runsfromabout 12(fewer onSundays The nearest thatcanbe placestoElCortalet informationcentre Head fortheElCortalet Canet Hotel , aformersilo,youcan Senillosa Observatori 972 454222; ( % h 972 250340;www.hotelcanet.com; 9.30am-2pm &4.30-7pmmid- aguaits (hides) pas – mid-Jun) ) 355 is a Es-

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CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA cal delirium’. area geologi- inwhatDalítermed a‘grandiose tion. They’re strewn allroundtheCadaqués weren’t justaproductof hisfertile imagina- barren shorelines thatlitter Dalí’spaintings empty moonscapes,odd-shaped rocksand of hislater life atnearbyPortLligat.The duringhisyouth,and lived muchCadaqués Salvador Dalí,whospent familyholidaysin mildly fashionablesummervisitors. that isn’tdissipated bythethrongsof even androck– light magic –afusionof wind,sea, and thesurroundingarea have areally special A whitewashed village aroundarockybay,it Brava, youcanhardlydobetter than Cadaqués. If youhave timeforonlyonestopontheCosta pop 2620 CADAQUÉS &AROUND minutes). andFigueres Roses run between (€2.30,30 (€16.45,1¾hours). Plenty day andseason dependingonthe four timesadaytoRoses, happening. inwinternights too. tofindoutwhat’s Call pool comesinhandy!),butopensonSaturday get here. Itisespeciallyactive insummer(the from allover to thecontinentmake aneffort (among othergrooves and beats). Clubbers house deeper andeven house deep house, ofmasia tospintheirsets (countryhouse) from aroundEuropeare intothis wheeled Brava’sCosta clubmeccas.BignameDJs ontheroadtoVilajuïga,Roses isoneof the .com; admission€10-15) most renowned restaurant, El Bulli( below ). the rugged coastto aroadrunsupintothehillsandalong Roses, 356 Sarfa buses from Barcelona runoneto fromBarcelona Sarfa buses Rachdingue Le A portionof to thatmagicowesitself Apr-Jun) impossible. Well before the2006seasonbegan, itwascompletely outfor thatyear. booked reached bycarfromRoses)have aplaceisnearly becomesuch international iconsthatbooking not aneatery, for thepalate. itisatheatricalspectacle Adriàandhisrestaurant (whichcanonlybe many ofthemyriad platters thatcomeyourway seemlittlemore thanpuffs ofair. This place is exquisite. toplaywith essences,sodon’tbesurprisedif service AdriàandColike tables, making ofgettinghere. theeffort TheThe restaurant settingaloneisworth hasalmostasmanystaff sees Adriàindulging himselfwithnewexperimentsininternational andMediterranean cooking. clifftop restaurant (considered Eachseason bysomethebestrestaurant onthefaceofearth). El Bulli AUTHOR’S CHOICE COSTA BRAVA ••Cadaqués&Around Chef Ferran Adrià,acclaimedbymanytobetheworld’sgreatest chef,runsthissensorial, ( % 972 150457;[email protected];CalaMontjoi; mains€150-200; ( % , about8kmnorthwestof 972 530023;www.rachdingue Cala MontjoiandSpain’s Cala de Narcís Monturiol 15; de NarcísMonturiol Cadaqués pulledinacelebritycrowdfor Cadaqués of town, off the road to Port Lligat. of town,offtheroadtoPort Cadaqués isperfect forwandering,eitherCadaqués Town The office Tourist Policía Local Clinic Information atmosphere remains. the border,butenchantment of Cadaqués’ heavily today-trippingFrench fromacross the crowdisnotquite asfamous,andleans Gabriel GarcíaMárquezpoppedby.Today Stavros Niarchos. Inthe1970sMickJagger and the Duke of WindsorandGreek shipowner attracted wasmore –WaltDisney, jet-setting realist movement. Inthe1950scrowdhe and,later,obsession wife) andjoinedthesur- with Gala(whowastobecomehislifelong earthquake inDalí’slife: heranofftoParis and hisRussian wife, an Gala,in1929caused Pauldecades. Onevisitbythepoet Éluard beauty. tocoastscapesofitself almost(ahem)surreal Creus, 8kmnortheastof lending Cadaqués, de The sparsenesscontinuestodramaticCap row hillystreets. focus of theolderpartof town,withitsnar- a gildedbaroque , with and 17th-centuryEsglésiadeSantaMaria around thetownoralongcoast.The16th- Carrer delCotxe 2; hibition beingheld. admission fee dependsonthetemporary ex- includes Dalíamongotherlocalartists.The Thanks toDalíandotherluminaries, The countryhere isdrierthanfurthersouth. The ( % deCadaqués Museu 972 258807;Carrer deGuillemBruguera) ( ( % % h h 972 159343;Carrer deBarcelona)Out 972 258315;www.cadaques.org; h 9am-1pm &4-7pmMon-Sat) retablo isthe (altarpiece), dinner daily Jul-Sep, Wed-Sun dinner dailyJul-Sep, 10am-1.30pm &4-7pmMon-Sat) ( % lonelyplanet.com 972 258877;Carrer

Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com of the beach. Youmustbookahead. shaped towers, overlooking thewestern end lot of littlewhite chimneypots andtwoegg- the SpanishCivil War. with a It’sthehouse dozen orsoyears abroadduringandaround lived here from1930to1982,apart froma was steadily altered andenlarged byDalí,who mid-Mar–mid-Jun) 10.30am-6pmTue-Sun mid-Sep–mid-JanJun–mid-Sep, & Lligat; adult/student&senior€8/5; Dalí Museu with fishingboatspulleduponitsbeach. aroundanotherlovelya tinysettlement cove, is Port Lligat,a1.25kmwalkfromCadaqués, Lligat Port memory of his1920sstay. dedicated toFederico GarcíaLorcaandin Subirachs byJosep Out thefrontisastatue town centre, isDalí’sparents’ holidayhome. PlatjaOverlooking Llaner,tothesouthof the and beautifulbluewaters make upforthat. buttheirpicturesquenesspebbles thansand, along thenearbycoast,are small,withmore main Cadaqués’ othersbeach, andseveral Beaches 1 3 2 CADAQUÉS Figueres (31km); To Roses(17km); France (37km) ( % AC

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357 8 CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA tomeus, Punta d’EnPampa; Platja EsPianc 3;s/d€107/171; sive range of rums).Comealong for Caribbean (nottomention the exten-and cool cocktails artexhibitions nights, lively with Latin-music town, thisiconof nightlife canget Cadaqués’ Nov-Easter) 2.30am Fri-Sun ofand starlets timesgoneby. photos of theartistandhordesof otherstars most beautifulplaceonearth).Inside hang thelugarmásbonitodelmundo L’Hostal Dalícalled inthe1970s,aneffusive evening One (frommidnight). music onmanynights thisclassichaslivebeachfront boulevard, L’Hostal Entertainment €15.50). dumplings withbasilsauce; foie gras consalsadealbahaca overlooking theport.Try dining area ortake oneof thefew outside tables €25-30; delights. grilledfishandotherseafood tasty to elbowwithperfect strangers, hasanamefor where customers often findthemselves elbow meals €20-25; llobarro perch). alaplanxa(grilledsea dressed Tuckintosome inclassicgingham. local workers after agoodsolidlunch attables front, thisknockaboutplaceattractsswarmsof h d’Or Cala Eating the dearest) and,predictably, season. viewsare withsea according toposition(those pool, tennis courtandgardens.Pricesvary atree-lined spacious roomswithcableTV, side ofoffers thebay,thissprawlingaffair The bestroomslookouttosea. decorative range details fromDalítorococo. creates and wellinthemainstaircase, alight classy air. Abeautifulstained-glassceiling years later. Nowadaystheplacehasastudied, hereopened in1904andPicassostayed six good-sized rooms,thishotel oozes history.It pa dencia.net; Avinguda 1;s/d€70/91; Serinyana delaCaritat position anddecentrestaurant. and remains of apopulardealbecause its 358 Hotel LaResidència Hotel Café delaHabana Café Nun Casa l’Anita Ca PlayaSol Hotel daily) COSTA BRAVA ••CadaquéstotheFrench Border h ) Intheheartof town,withjustadozen Tucked awaybackfromthewater- (Passeig; ( % Thu-Mon) h ( % ( 972 258149;Carrer deSaFitora 1;meals€20; % Tue-Sun) 972 25 88 56; Plaça del Port Ditxos 6; meals Ditxos6;meals 972 258856;PlaçadelPort h 972 25 84 71; Carrer de Miquel Roset 16; Roset16; 972 258471;Carrer deMiquel ( Head for thecute upstairs % 10pm-5am Apr-Oct) ( % This busy, ebullient place, Thisbusy,ebullientplace, h 972 258100;www.playasol.com; ( One kilometre southof % 972 258689;Carrer deDrBar- pas 9pm-2.30am Easter-Oct, 9pm- 9pm-2.30am Easter-Oct, 972 258312;www.laresi raviolis rellenos de (foie gras stuffed (foiegrasstuffed ) Ontheeast Facing the (the between Figueresbetween andPerpignan inFrance. it later became themostpowerfulmonastery with great views.Foundedinthe8thcentury, in thehillssouthwestof ElPortdelaSelva, Romanesque architecture looming500mup 10am-5pmTue-Sun Oct-May) Jun-Sep, €3.60/2.40/free, admissionfree Tue; deRodes Sant Pere deCreus.east toCap trail, which isawkwardatsomepoints,leads and woollywalkalongtherugged coast.The youcanundertake awild El PortdelaSelva on theFrench frontier,islessenticing.From both have arange of accommodation. minor beach resorts–cum–fishing towns,and and delaSelva ElPort If youwanttoprolongthejourneyFrance, CADAQUÉS TOTHEFRENCHBORDER d’Empúries. times daily(three inwinter) viaCastellò from Figueres (€4.05,onehour)uptoseven alsorunto/ daily inJulyandAugust).Buses 2¼ hours) leave twotimesdaily(uptofive (€18.05, to/fromBarcelona Sarfa buses &Away There Getting his ownmaterial. coversdoes of anyone,such asJacques Brel, and He at11pmonSaturdaynights. Nanu’s session you canspare. centand minutevador, this isworthevery Dalí. Whatever yourfeelings aboutoldSal- of hisbirth, theextraordinaryTeatre-Museu 1960s and’70sDalí created here, inthetown single, bigattraction:SalvadorDalí. Inthe adive) say witha drum town(somemight Roses, Figueres Figueras)isahum- (Castilian: Twelve kilometres inlandfromthe Golfde pop 38,880 FIGUERES Figueres andPortbou. tery. Vilajuïga isalsoonthe railway between daily, butthere are tothemonas- nobuses byatleastoneSarfabusfromFigueres served townis 5kmnortheast.Each Port delaSelva, Vilajuïga,between 8kmtoitswest,andEl The monastery isonabackroadover thehills &Away There Getting cloister.bell towerandatwo-level is flanked bythesquare Torre deSantMiquel The great triple-naved, barrel-vaulted basilica A more stopisthe spectacular

( % Llançà are enough pleasant 972 387559;adult/student/senior h , aclassicpieceof 10am-7.30pm Tue-Sun lonelyplanet.com Monestir de , Portbou ὈὈὈ ὈὈὈ Tourist office Tourist Information lonelyplanet.com true tohisrootsandlived wellover halfhis ParisBarcelona, andtheUSA,heremained hiscareerAlthough tookhimtoMadrid, Salvador DalíwasborninFigueres in1904. TEATRE-MUSEU DALÍ Sights Hospital Roja Creu Policía Nacional 8.30am-3pm Mon-Fri Nov-Easter) 8.30am-3pm Mon-Fri 9.30am-1.30pm&3.30-6.30pmEaster-Jun Mon-Fri, &Oct, 8.30am-3pm&4.30-8pm 9am-8pmSatSep, Mon-Fri, 9am-9pmSat,9am-3pmSunJul&Aug, 8.30am-8pm Fri, .com/vis-info.html; PlaçadelSol; Olot (44km) To Besalú(23km); 4 1 3 2 FIGUERES

Carrer de I'Àngel l'Empordá de C Carrer del Mestre Falla Mestre del Carrer Ronda de Barcelona Morera d'Enric 3 ( Plaça ( % % AC 1 Municipal Parc Bosc Carrer Santa Llogàia Aroles) 972 675089;RondadelRector (

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359 C4 B4 B2 B3 C2 B2 B2 B2 C3 B2 B2 A2 B2 A1 CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA h 10;adult/student€4.70/3.80; .mjc-figueres.net; LaRambla Spain’s onlytoymuseum MUSEU DEJOGUETS on loanfromthePradoinMadrid. artists,butthere areCatalan alsosomeworks finds withasizable collectionof art,mainlyby archaeologicalGreek, Romanandmedieval h student €2/1,admissionfree withaTeatre-Museu Dalíticket; This localmuseum MUSEU DEL’EMPORDÀ to theCorReial concerting piece,rangingfromthedis- in NewYork.Each 1941) andthejewellerywasmadebyspecialists onpaper(hisfirst these commission wasin on displayare thedesignsthemselves. Dalídid €6/4 orcombinedentry; Dalí, andcalledDalíJoies Cheatham collectionof 37jewels,designedby be aportraitof Abraham Lincoln. appears, fromtheotherendof theroom,to help of coin-operated viewfinders, thework wouldbeit.Withthe onthe2ndlevel Sea) ráneo (GalaLookingattheMediterranean of theabsurd, is thecrypt,withDalí’splaintomb. theformerstage of thetheatre Picasso). Beneath and Fried Bacon) amb Tall deBaconFregit Dalí oils,includingthefamousAutoretrat Tou (Fish Shop Room)offhere holdsacollectionof over theinsideof thecar. The tyres. Putacoinintheslotandwater washesall a fishing boatbalancedprecariously above the tor tyres; bothare surmountedwith bystatues, have andapileof belonged toAlCapone, trac- of whichto composed wassaid anearlyCadillac, of weirdnesscalled nal theatre Initscentre stalls. isaclassicpiece gardenareasemicircular onthesite of theorigi- like loaves of bread. female gymnasts,andstuddedwithwhatlook shapes andwhatappeartobesculptures of tell, toppedbyarowof Dalí’strademarkegg Dalí, tothepinkwallalongPujadadelCas- side theentrance,onPlaçadeGalaiSalvador from thecollectionof bizarre sculptures out- 360 Inside, the ground floor (1st level) includes a includesa Inside, thegroundfloor(1stlevel) Even outside, thebuildingaimstosurprise, A separate section isgiven section A separate over totheOwen If proof were of needed Dalí’sacute sense 11am-7pm Tue-Sat, 11am-2pm Sun&holidays) 10am-1pm & 4-7pmMon-Sat,11am-1.30pm &5-7.30pm COSTA BRAVA ••Figueres Ull delTemps Gala Mirando elMar Mediter- (RoyalHeart), isunique. h Retrat dePicasso ( % Taxi Taxi), Plujós(Rainy same asTeatre-Meseu Dalí) 972 50 23 05; La Rambla 2;adult/ 972 502305;LaRambla (Soft Self-Portrait with with (Soft Self-Portrait (Eyeof Time) through (Dalí Jewels; adult/student adult/student (Dalí Jewels; ( % Sala dePeixateries 972 504585;www (Portrait of (Portraitof combines combines . Also . Also

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Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com and light meals, this is a tasty bet. meals,thisisatasty and light options cooking, withsomeenticingseafood vermells igraten depatata (duckwithred fruit fare, such as andMediterraneanpleasing menuof Catalan brick wallsandwhite linen.Onoffer table isa street shines thiselegant eatery, withbare lonelyplanet.com up foraclassical-music performance during in, ifyou’re noteating orgambling,is toturn over toacasinoandrestaurant. Theonlyway towers, hasarather French airand isgiven Palau delsRocabertí Peralada isknownforthe16th-centuryCastell- the cloister. Also oftower, isoutstanding. great charm is church, withitsthree naves andLombardbell 3-5.30pm Oct-May) 10am-1.30pm& 1.30pm &3-6.30pmTue-Sun Jun-Sep, vent there iswhatstartedlife asanAugustinian cursion. road northeastof townforarefreshing ex- side shouldsoothetheeyes.Take theC252 tres outsideFigueres, suchcountry- pleasant It ishardtoimaginethat,justafew kilome- AROUND FIGUERES €2.10, 25minutes). to PortbouandtheFrench border(€1.85to (€7.90to€9.10,2¼hours)and Barcelona Girona (€2.40to€2.70,3040minutes) border, andthere are regular connections to GironaandPortbouontheFrenchBarcelona, timesdaily. hour) uptoeight (€4.05,one to 20timesdailyandCadaqués d’Empúries(€1.20)10 Castelló Sarfa serves &Away There Getting and awhile. the winecellar,which once onecandoevery of therestaurant here, andnodoubtvisited suquet (stew). SalvadorDalíwasabigfan classicslike rabbit withsnails)andseafood asconillrostitalan affairs ambcargols (roast thisplaceoffersgastronomic events, such Cat- meals €30-40) h gratin). andpotato sauce fine traditionalfood.Frequently thestage of up has nottired theDuránclanof serving Figueres isontherailwaylinebetween Durán Hotel Antaviana Five kilometres uptheroad,coquettish In Wed-Sun) ( % , 2.5kmfromcentralFigueres, Vilabertran 972 508787;admission€2.40,free Tue; More thanacenturyof tradition Foragoodmixof Mediterranean ( % magret d’ànecambsalsadefruits . The11th-centuryRomanesque ( % 972 510377;Carrer deLlers5;meals€30; COSTA BRAVA ••AroundFigueres . The castle, withitsround 972 501250;Carrer deLasauca5; h 10am- con- tion onTeisa toBesalú. bus services ( p352 ) andOlot( p363 forinforma- ) sections theGirona See the C66fromGirona atBesalú. The N260roadfrom Figueres toOlotmeets &Away There Getting more intriguingoptions,like of localcuisine,themenualsooffers standard fromabase the wide-rangingmenu.Starting here,to take aseat withoutconsidering even restaurant isnamed) are totempt enough you The viewstotheoldbridge (after which the h is includedintheroomprice. rooms andpeacefulgardenterraces. Breakfast sittingthe town,andyou’llfindcomfortable views frombalconiesacrossthebridge to Mostoffer ceilingsandelegantcurtains. high has well-appointed rooms,withtiledfloors, endof thegrandoldbridge.out-of-town It pai tana tryElsJardinsdelaMar- Otherwise, Besalú. There are acoupleof cheap Sleeping &Eating Cornellà . Romanesque Casa andthe12th-centuryway) behind thealtar, , withanunusualambulatory(walk- Sant Pere century Romanesquechurch of the Have normallyclosed. wise a lookatthe11th- . Sant Vicenç the bridge andtheRomanesque century Jewish ritualbathbytheriver, €1.25), and offers guidedvisitstothe central square. Ithasadecentmap-brochure Llibertat; Fluvià. tower gates, fromthesouthernsideof the Pont Fortificat village crooked acrossthetall, 11th-century controlin1111. came underBarcelona’s stretched before it asfarwestCerdanya ofwas thecapital anindependentcountythat In the10thand11thcenturies,pretty Besalú pop 2210 BESALÚ h 503 8646;www.festivalperalada.com; Carrer deSantJoans/n; the annual

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( C-26 % 11am-2pm &4- Rocabruna Olot Coll d’Ares Museu dels Museu 972 279130; (1513m) Prats de Castellfollit de laRoca Molló To Banyoles Beget , inthe 12 miles Santa Pau 20 km (23km) N260 C38 100 yearsColsisabout 4kmnorthof old,Les centre of Olot. road 4.5kmfromthe GI524 Olot–Banyoles Serra d’Informació Can delsVolcansinOlot.Another is the Casal hamlets andscattered oldstonefarmhouses. thewoodsare cropfields,afew beauty. Between createclimate, these alandscapeof unusual vegetation, aresult of fertile soils andadamp and1.5kmwide.high Together with thelush there are about30volcaniccones,upto160m Croscat, happened11,500years ago. Inthepark years agoandthemostrecent one,at Volcà del village of Pau, Santa 10kmsoutheast. most interesting area Olotandthe isbetween The parkcompletely surroundsOlotbutthe VOLCÀNICA DELA GARROTXA PARC NATURAL DELAZONA isbytheAP7andC63. car fromBarcelona day (€5.55,1¼hours). Theeasiestapproach by upto15timesa andBesalú rona viaBanyoles times aday(€13.60,twoto2½hours) andGi- Teisa &Away There Getting and ducktowildboar. prepared withasilken touch, fromchicken ambitions. Disheswithlocalproductsare edge, withironandglasswalls,gourmet central Olot.Insidethedécorhas21st-century Mon-Tue) la Canyas/n;meals€35-45;lunch&dinnerWed-Sat,only showers are alsoavailable. with satellite TV. Cheaperrooms withshared fectly roomsover comfortable three floors Major, pensionhasper- thisstraightforward in themiddleof townandoverlooking Plaça .com; Carrer deSantRoc1;s/d€37/51; bicycles. mealsandrentstyle andyoucanpurchase The accommodationisunadorneddorm- buildingsurroundedbygardens. Modernista inanunusualearly-20th-century hostel isset dm student&under26yr/26yrover€16 Malagrida Torre the towncentre. Plaça Major butthebestrestaurants are outof simpleeateries areSeveral clustered around Sleeping &Eating to/from Barcelona (via Banyoles) up to seven uptoseven (viaBanyoles) to/from Barcelona Volcanic eruptions began here about 350,000 Volcanic eruptionsbeganhere about350,000 Les Cols Pensió LaVila The mainparkinformation officeisthe ( % Set inaconverted Set 972 260196;www.teisa-bus.com) ( % 972 269209;www.lescols.com; Carretera de ( % ( % 972 264200;Passeig deBarcelona15; 972 269807;www.pensiolavila ( % 972 195074) masia, aiw / 19) runs buses runsbuses , besidethe This youth more than ) Smack Centre

363 CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA of Catalonia. medieval Maria,de Santa themostpowerful monastery the Pyrenees valleys, hefoundedtheMonestir of Toencourage Barcelona. repopulation of fré wentontobecome thefirst Count(Comte) along thesouthernsideof thePyrenees. Gui- countiesofuniting several theFrankishMarch el Pilós(Wilfred theHairy), in succeeded fromwhich thelocalstrongman,Guifré base pieces of RomanesqueartinSpain. Maria,Monestir deSanta isoneof thefinest birthplace of Atitsheart,inthe Catalonia. it canclaim,withsomejustice,tobethe valley, isashabby industrialtown.However, Ripoll, 30kmwestof Olotandinthenext pop 10,760 RIPOLL 2-person tent&car€16.95; sitesper 12 39;www.campinglafageda.com; BatetdelaSerra; Feliu de Pallerols. and fromtheFrench bordertosouthof Sant stretches towestof Olot, fromeast of Besalú ing isbannedintheGarrotxadistrict,which small countrycampinggrounds.Wildcamp- interesting partsof thepark,are somepleasant, information officesaboutroutes. plore Inquire theparkwithease. atthepark complete inlessthanaday,allowyoutoex- of thevillage. it’s mosteasilyviewedfromtheroadnorth of layerscomposed of several petrifiedlava – 8km northeastof atopacrag Olot,stands a locked-up baronialcastle. Maria,the RomanesqueEsglésiadeSanta and a rockyoutcrop,contains plaza, a porticoed picnic areas andachildren’s playground. the centre of Olot,hasapool,bar-restaurant, 364 Castellfollit delaRoca Castellfollit The oldpartof In the9thcentury,Ripollwas power tothemost Just offtheGI524,andclose goodmarked Several Mas Pau AUTHOR’S CHOICE flavours, with local products lovinglyflavours, withlocalproducts arrangedinto Wednesday toSaturday,lunchSunday,dinnerMondayTuesday) isaparadiseofdelicate luxurious suites too. Breakfast (€11).The isextra restaurant (meals€60to€80; cious roomsare onthewalls. immaculate, There withantiquefurnishingsandart are somemore ruralgetaway.The spa- aperfect andpeacefulgardens,itmakes walls, shadytimberverandah Puigventós, countryhotel isthisbreathtaking andrestaurant. Withitsstoneandochre plaster southwestofFiguereskilometres ontheroadtoOlot,andnearvillageofAvinyonet de THE PYRENEES •• Ripoll THE PYRENEES ••Ripoll ( % 972 546154;www.maspau.com;s/d€88/105; Santa Pau village, perched on Càmping LaFageda psw , ontheN260about walks, which youcan ) , 4kmeastof ( % 972 27 gloomy imitation ofgloomy imitation itsformerglory.The 1885, after which itwasrestored inarather Two fires hadleftthebasilicainruinsby pointsofamong thehigh Romanesque art. thatranks in about 1100withastoneportal A five-naved basilicawasbuilt,andadorned spiritual andculturalheart. was Catalonia’s From themid-10thtomid-11thcenturiesit astery grew rapidlyrich, big andinfluential. Following itsfoundinginAD879,themon- Monestir deSantaMaria Mariade Santa isvirtuallynextdoor. thenorthofruns through town.TheMonestir Freser–Sant JoandelesAbadesses road,which The &Information Orientation modern roomswith sparklingbathrooms. Maria.from theMonestir deSanta Ithas isbarelyfamily establishment astone’sthrow paula; Carrer delsPirineus 6;s/d€24/41; laPaula Ca Sleeping &Eating ter; admission€2) way, isthemonastery’s beautifulclaustre on theinnermostpillars. the month-by-month scenesof dailyrurallife God theCreator, inthecentre atthetop,to ture: visionof amedieval theuniverse, from helpstodecipherthefeast of sculp- Catalan) by awallof glass.Achart (in neartheportal (admission free; tomb of GuifréelPilós. most interesting feature insideistherestored a lovely surrounded bygardens, this house & 4-7pmMon-Sat,10am-2pmSun) PlaçadelAbatOliba; & www.ajripoll.org; meals €30; in the12thto15thcenturies. haute cuisine You canvisitthebasilicaanditsgreat Can Nerol Can Down afew steps,of totheright thedoor- h tourist office tourist closed 6 Jan–mid-Mar; closed 6Jan–mid-Mar; h ( h Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com % ( lunch only Sun-Fri, lunch&dinner Sat) lunch onlySun-Fri, % . It’satwo-storey created affair, masterpieces. 10am-1pm &3-7pm) 972 700011;www.elripolles.com/cala 972 701894;Carrer delPlad’Ordina 11; ( % 972 70 23 51; www.elripolles.com 972 702351;www.elripolles.com pais isbytheRibesde l unch anddinner p lonelyplanet.com , nowprotected h ) This friendly 9.30am-1.30pm ) Five Five portal (clois- In

Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com restaurant isjustbeyondit. head upstream overpass tothehighway –the Freser andcrossthebridge. and Turnright lane of Carrer delsHortolansdowntotheRiu from Carretera deRibesfollowthewinding toaskfordirections:cooking. You’llneed andFrench amixof Catalan restaurant serves lonelyplanet.com Roman outpostandgrew tosomeimportance the Llobregat. moreone of rivers, important Catalonia’s ashort waybelowthesourceofde Lillet,set twisting andturningfashiononto in Gombrènandthenproceeds through passes branches westfromCampdevànol, A shortwaynorthof Ripoll,theGI401 AROUND RIPOLL to Puigcerdà(€2.90,1¼hours). to RibesdeFreser (€1.90,20minutes) andsix celona (€5.50,abouttwohours), uptoseven train. About 12trainsadayrunto/fromBar- Ribes deFreser andPuigcerdàare better by of thecentre. ConnectionswithBarcelona, side onCarrer delProgrés,600msoutheast areThe busandtrainstations almostsideby &Away There Getting The grey stonevillage startedlife asa Outdoors chapter ( p83 ). most excitingascents. inSpain,seetheSpain andtrekking Formore information onwalking mentioned intheDirectory ( mapsofthekind and youshouldlook outforhiking p851 ). cold temperatures athighaltitude. is theweatherreliable; even inJulyandAugust youcangetrainydays,fogandcloud– turn poor. Itcangetvery hotinmidsummereven athighaltitudes,butnowhere inthePyrenees things difficult,andavalanchesarethan that,snowcanmake possible. Later, theweather can on tothesouthernflankofVal d’AranandintoAragón. of Pica d’Estats (3143m),over totheParc iEstanydeSantMaurici,then Nacionald’Aigüestortes of LaJonquera,Albanyà,Beget,Setcases,theVall deNúria,,Puigcerdà, Andorra,south on theCostaBravatoHondarribiaBayofBiscay.Itsroute across Catalonia goesbyway Moderately pricedmealsare often available. a Federació d’Entitats Excursionistes deCatalunya done withoutcampinggear,withnightsspentinvillagesor few hours,ordaywalksthatcanbestrungtogetherintotreks ofseveral days. Nearlyallcanbe The Catalan Pyrenees provide magnificent strollsofa andtrekking. walking Youcanundertake OUT &ABOUTINTHEPYRENEES Centre ExcursionistadeCatalunya refugi costsaround€11.50to€12.50.NormallyFEEC There’s boundlessscopefor Local advicefromtouristoffices,parkrangers, mountain inthehighPyreneesThe isfromlate bestseasonforwalking JunetoearlySeptember. Earlier The coast-to-coast GR11 long-distancepathtraverses theentire Pyrenees fromCap deCreus Most oftherefugis mentionedinthischapter are runby two Barcelonamountainclubs,the THEPYRENEES ••AroundRipoll climbing –Pedraforca intheSerradelCadí offers someofthe

(CEC; La Pobla % 93 3152311;www.cec-centre.org inSpanish) Lillet. Thejourney(€4)takes 1½hours. Poblade deN’HugandLa Gombrèn, Castellar viaCampdevànol, RipollandBagà between carsmir.com) to eat. bar attached,where youcanget something three of themonPlaçaMajor. Mosthave a beyond. mountains you looknorthacross avalleytothebare turies), andfromthesquare bythechurch Santa Maria bundled aroundtheRomanesqueEsglésiade webof inGombrèn).Atight alleysis (based the 13thcenturyunderlordsof Mataplana resort (see p369 ). Thehamletwasfoundedin over Molinaski theshoulderfromLa reach hamletof themountain Llobregat. Justhalfakilometre onandyou Pobla deLillettothesourceoffrom La the in oneof three simplepensions. den spread outalongtheriver. Youcansleep landscapedgar-, aModernista Jardins Artigas and thetownisalsoknownforitsdelightful its beautiful12th-centuryRomanesquebridge as alocalagriculturalcentre. People stillcross

(FEEC; One Six Follow theroadupintomountains refugis allowyoutocook;CEConesdon’t. pensiones are gathered aboutthehamlet, refugis isinvaluable andotherwalkers % Transports Mir Transports busaday(exceptSunday)runs refugis (mountainshelters). (much remodelled over thecen- 93 4120777;www.feec.org)

( % 972 703012;www.auto Castellar den’Hug, Castellar . Anightin andthe

365 CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA nine liftsandaskischool, butsnowcanbe and at2150m.Ithas12pistes of allgrades, implausible array of roughly hewn houses, all implausible arrayof hewn houses, roughly Romanesque church isaccompanied byan ley, thishamletis ajoy.The12th-century that trailsoffhere intoaheavily woodedval- theend of lane Capping awindingmountain Beget (€8.85, twohours). viaRipoll ris 117)at7.15pmtoCamprodon (Carrer dePauruns fromBarcelona Cla- Abadesses (€1.15,15minutes). One dailybus can optforhalf(€25)orfullboard(€35). rooms. Priceshaven’t budged inyears! You hostales here. Ithasgoodif somewhatclinical Andreu 3;s/dperperson€20 cloister is charming. abaster. Theelegant15th-centurylate-Gothic retablo inal- of Maria Blanca,carved Santa La life-size figures. Alsoremarkable istheGothic of descent fromthecross,composed seven of the 13th-century polychrome woodcarving themarvellous contains conduct. Itselegant12th-centurychurch May-Jun 10am-7pmJul&Aug) &Sep, sion €1; del Monestir 12th-century In SantJoandelesAbadesses therestored pop 3620 Sant JoandelesAbadesses d’Ares intoFrance. toheadoverCamprodon the1513mCollado guide. theEditorialAlpina Núria. Get there are someexcellentwalkstotheVall de than Ripoll,andfromtheupperreaches area makes amore overnight pleasant stop unreliable (mostisusuallyartificial).The €26) day liftpass 2000 don, thennorthwesttothemodest of SantJoandelesAbadesses andCampro- townsnortheast fromRipolltothepleasant This upperpartof theRiuTer valleyreaches VALL ALTO DELTER 366 buses dailyfromRipolltoSantJoan deles buses were expelledin1017foralleged licentious el Pilós,beganlife asanunnerybutthenuns This monastery, anotherfoundedbyGuifré The C38roadleaves theTer valleyat Hostal Janpere Teisa centre ski h THE PYRENEES ••Vall AltodelTer ( % 10am-2pm & 4-6pm Oct-Apr, 10am-2pm&4-7pm 10am-2pm &4-6pmOct-Apr, ( 972 702095) % , justbelowtheFrench border over theTerbridge andthe ( % 972 720013;Plaçadel’Abadessa;admis- ( % 972 136075;www.vallter2000.com; 972 72 00 77; Carrer del Mestre 972 720077;Carrer delMestre ) isoneof twosimple operates up to seven operates up toseven Santíssim Misteri, a are worthalook. Puigmal map Vallter Vallter Museu Núria remains almostpristine,awide,green, hermitic leaningsrunamile. Butotherwise sore andthecrowdswouldmake anyonewith squatting attheheartof thevalleyisaneye- back today.Thelarge, grey complex sanctuary mention of ashrinewasmadein1162. Núria’s future wasassured. Thefirst historical came thepatronof Pyrenean shepherdsand The statuette,the when anox ledsomeshepherdstothespot. hiddenuntil1079,shepherds. Theystayed tosummonthe pot andthebellhehadused across,hiscooking child image hehadcarved, hurriedly hidawayawoodenVirgin-and- Visigothicpersecution,SantGil ently fleeing heleft,fouryearsherds. Before later, appar- north of Ripoll,preaching theGospeltoshep- a cave inanisolatedvalley26km mountain Giles) camefromNîmesinFrancetolive in SantGil(St Around AD700,thestorygoes, VALL DENÚRIA&RIBESFRESER eating options. best of thehandfulof accommodationand intheheartoftimber house thehamlet,is GR11 walkingroute. stream.isonthe it gushes amountain Beget scattered aboutstone-paved lanes.Through mid-Jul–mid-Sep) .com; Núria’s Information or yourfeet. Queralbs, butfromthere onit’sthe end of Ribes.There’s aroadfromRibesto justofftheN152 atthesouthern Enllaç station, atRibes– pinion railway)toNúriastarts north of Ripoll.Thecremallera town of RibesdeFreser, ontheN15214km to Núria,youmustapproach fromthesmall Unless you’re walkingacross themountains Orientation valley. its 12kmjourneyupthesame little Núria –orfromRibesdeFreser town,bythe the green, rockyvalleyof the thunderingRiu too, eitheronfootuptheGorges deNúria – therepoint fornumerouswalks.Getting isfun mountain-ringed bowlthatisthestarting board perperson€64) Sant Gilwouldrecoil inshock ifhecame There isnopublictransporttoBeget. El Forn h cremallera over, which rises 1000mon 8.30am-5.45pm mid-Sep–mid-Jul, 8.30am-6.45pm tourist office tourist ( % 972 741231;Carrer deJosepDuñach9;full is in the sanctuary. isinthe sanctuary. , awell-kept cosystone-and- Mare, be- deDéuNúria

( % 972 732020;www.valldenuria lonelyplanet.com (rack-and- cremallera

Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com under 26yr/26yr&over€19/23) . The símbols deNúria the restaurants andexhibitionhallsaswell that dominatesahotel, thevalleycontains The large 19th-and20th-centurybuilding deNúria Santuari lonelyplanet.com per personup to€107) train ataround7pm and9pm. thecremallera italsorunstomeet evenings On Friday 7pm mid-Julytomid-September). fast. Thecablecarruns9amto6pm daily(to from fourto14,andthepriceincludes break- €2/2) d’acampada there’s thesanctuary abasiczonaBehind NÚRIA de Freser–Núria area. Wild campingisbannedinthewholeRibes Sleeping &Eating (2913m). each (one way).Themostpopularis ridge inabout2½tofourhours’ walkingfor 2700m-to-2900m peaksonthemainPyrenees the which isabout three hours’ walk up.Ortake partofthe mostspectacular theapproach, thus saving yourenergies forthesteepestand thecremallerataking (orroad)toQueralbs, first unexciting6kmfromRibesdeFreser by can walk upthegorge toNúriabutskipthe mal mapguidebefore comingtoNúria. You (€20.30 onweekdays). with 10shortruns.Adayliftpasscosts€24.75 In winter, Núriaisasmall-scale ski resort &Walking Skiing it. while yousay put yourheadinthepotandringbell 15th century).Tohave yourprayeranswered, cooking pot(which alldate fromatleastthe his work!Steps leaduptothebell,crossand ofGil wascenturiesahead histimeorthis isn’t esque styleof the12thcentury,soeitherSant screen above andisintheRoman- thealtar Mare de DéudeNúriasitsbehindaglass opening hours astheinformationoffice. The eastern sideof thevalley.Dormroomssleep at thetopof thecablecar(telecabina) onthe Vall deNúria Hotel From theVall deNúria,youcan cap several Walkers should get EditorialAlpina’sPuig- Alberg Pic del’Àliga Alberg cremallera upandwalkdown! (sanctuary) itself anditssacred itself (sanctuary) santuari , acampingarea withlimited facilities. (bookings (bookings THEPYRENEESdeFreser ••Vall &Ribes deNúria Housed in the sanctuary in thesanctuary Housed %

( % ( 972 732020;sitesperadult/tent % has the same same hasthe santuari Theyouthhostel is 972 732048;dmstudent& 972 732020; half-board Puigmal

gauge electric-powered rack-and-pinionrail- Renfe trainsatRibes–Enllaç. connect with Gorges deNúria. Some services larly after Queralbs,asthetrain windsupthe trip,particu- albs (1200m).It’s aspectacular way). Alltrainsstop atRibes–VilaandQuer- (one way/return €9.55/15.25,45minutes one six to12timesaday;dependingonthe season runs fromRibes–EnllaçtoNúria and back operating since1931.It way thathasbeen (€6.05,2¼hours).Barcelona Enllaç fromRipoll(€1.90,20minutes) and Saturday. adayMondaytoFriday,andoneon buses poll andRibesdeFreser, withtwoorthree Ri- between Transports Mirrunsservices &Away There Getting and duringholidayperiods. A coupleof restaurants openuponweekends only atweekends andhardto get aholdof). only optioninthevillage(often itself open rest ofyear) per person€39; at slate roofs makes aprettier Tryforaroom base. hamletof with This delightful stonehouses QUERALBS have ahydromassage bathtub. with parquetandtimber,and,insomecases, board €55),where thebestroomsare spacious, their three-star placeacrosstheroad(half- cheeses, juice,cereal pastries.Ortry andsweet breakfastbuffet isgrand–loadsof coldmeats, fers simpleroomswithbathroomandTV. The €38) .com; Carrer deBalandrau24;s/d€22/44,half-boardperperson ElsCaçadors Hotel RIBES DEFRESER is generally opendaily. duringslowperiods,buttheAutoservei closed food.Thebarandrestaurantbuilding sells are to €25forameal).Ashopinthesanctuary meats(€20 infondueandbraised specialises delsPastors Cabana around €10to€12.La starters inthe€6region andmaincourses for cafeteria Finistrelles andBar bothhave service are alsoavailable mostof theyear. with bathroomandsatellite TV. Apartments building, thehotel rooms hascomfortable Pensió L’Avet Up to seven trainsadayruntoRibes– Up toseven The self- building,Autoservei In thesanctuary A family-runbusiness, thissmallhotel of- cremallera . It’s a pleasant old house that is the thatisthe oldhouse . It’sapleasant h ( daily mid-Jun–mid-Sep, Sat,Sun&holidays % ( % ( 972 72 73 77; Carrer Major 7; half-board 7;half-board 972 727377;Carrer Major % 972 727077;www.hotelsderibes 972 732020) isanarrow-

367 CATALONIA CATALONIA ὈὈ ὈὈ

CATALONIA

summer and during the ski season. Adozen summer andduringtheskiseason. butit’sajollyone,particularlyinstation, (puh-cher-da) isnotmuch more thanaway Just 2kmfromtheFrench border, Puigcerdà pop 8850 Puigcerdà guide booklet(scaledat1:50,000). hold of EditorialAlpina’s have alotincommon. Walkers should get a the Treaty of thePyrenees in1659,theystill county, were dividedby once asingleCatalan andCerdagne, Cerdanya and west.Although reachesthe higher of thePyrenees totheeast the border,occupiesalow-lyingbasinbetween alongwithFrench across Cerdanya, Cerdagne CERDANYA 368 La Seud'Urgell (50km); Torreó del Ronda Ribes deFreser (46km); To LaMolina(15km); Train Station 4 1 3 2 PUIGCERDÀ Barcelona (155km) Santa Maria

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Avin Madame guda del Segre meals €20-25; The townishometo13variedhotels and SLEEPING families. built bywealthyBarcelona summerhouses, by turn-of-the-20th-century ated backin1380forirrigation,issurrounded erratic). The (openingtimesare that somehowsurvived 14th-centuryGothicmurals built. Itcontains (Passeig del10d’Abril) The 13th-centuryGothic century war andonlythetowerremains of the17th- The townwasheavily damaged duringthecivil SIGHTS Sat, 10am-1pmSun) 1; office is thetourist takes youtoPlaçadel’Ajuntament, offwhich A few minutes’of climbupsomeflights steps atthefootoftrain station itssouthwestside. onasmallhill,withthePuigcerdà stands ORIENTATION &INFORMATION Braseria StJordi Braseria EATING doubles have hydromassage bathtubs. directions outtotheleafyexterior. The best corner oneshave windows openinginseveral greatly: somehave heavy timber beams, while style andaniceleafygarden.Theroomsvary the Avinguda delDrPiguillem 7;s/d€81/118; October andMay. also rent bungalowsbythemonthbetween pool, basketball andafootballpitch. Youcan one,witha camping optionandapleasant along theroadtoLlívia,thisisonlynearby per 2-persontent&car€31.50; pensiones. office. ofPuigcerdà isthecapital Cerdanya. ofwithin 45km.Ataheight justover 1200m, Spanish, AndorranandFrench skiresorts lie de Santa Maria 1) de SantaMaria filet debou (filletof €15.50). beef; window for thevalleyviews andtuckinto a bythe modestly pricedoption. Tryforaseat sorts of meat goodies,thismakes aninviting, h Càmping Stel Hotel delLago Hotel The estany (lake), thishotel hasold-fashioned 9am-1pm & 4-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm&4.30-7pm 9am-1pm &4-7pmMon-Fri, Hospital dePuigcerdà Església deSantaMaria h Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com estany inthenorthof town,cre- isuptheroadfromtourist Mon-Sat) ( . % ( ( wasalsowrecked butlater re- % % 972 94 03 66: Plaça de Cabrinetty 15; 972 940366:PlaçadeCabrinetty ( % 972 881000;www.hotellago.com; 972 882361;www.stel.es;sites Acheerful spot forall 972 880542;Carrer deQuerol h Església deSantDomènec Jun-Sep; Jun-Sep; ( % (Plaça deSantaMaria) lonelyplanet.com pis 972 880150;Plaça sp ) Near ) Out .

Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com into thisrustic,welcomingdenintheheart Catalan disheswithan originaltouch. Asweet Catalan of lovinglyof prepared thetownforaserving €35; lonelyplanet.com the seven-minute hopoverthe seven-minute theborder to . Five ineach direction make cerdà (€7.90,3¼ hours) viaRipolland toPuig- Six trainsadayrun fromBarcelona Train Toulouse. from where roadsheadtoPerpignan and Madame, immediately eastof Puigcerdà, (pass),then windsdowntoPuigcerdà. rising tothesouth,1800mCollado de ley, withthepine-covered deMogrony Serra along thenorthernflankof theRigardval- not allowedinthetunnel,which isatollway. Bicyclesare theTúneldelCadí. cerdà through theC16approaches Puig- From Barcelona, Car & Motorcycle at thetrainstation. d’Urgell Seu (€5.10,onehour).Theystop La andtwo orthree to via the5kmTúneldelCadí (€15,threeweekends) fromBarcelona hours) (oneat Alsina Graellsrunstwodailybuses Bus THERE&AWAYGETTING transport toreach. others are located outsidetownandrequire and iseasytorollhomefrom.Acoupleof hourswee foryears now.Itremains aclassic dancingintothe ing Puigcerdà’saprès-skiset 1; Gatzara Discoteca ENTERTAINMENT inthisrusticstonesetting. seats coriander stew). Shame aboutthegaudyplastic St Jacques inacauliflowercream with sauce crema decolifloripisto(coquille decoriandre on askewer withvegetables) to from restaurant offers acreative range of dishes, Jul-May) anddryapricotsauce). black truffles tòfona negre isalsad’albercocsec and savoury combinationisthe 20; pizza€9,meals€35-45; h La Vila The maincrossingintoFranceisat Bourg- The N152fromRibesdeFreser climbswest El Pati delaTieta h 10pm-5am Tue-Sun) broquetes decangur iverdures Oneof thebestchoices, thisunderstated lunch &dinnerTue-Sat, lunchonlySun) ( % 972 140804;Carrer d’AlfonsI34;meals

( THEPYRENEES ••Cerdanya % ( % 972 88 07 57; Rambla de Josep Martí deJosepMartí 972 880757;Rambla This club has been keep- Thisclubhasbeen h 972 880156;Carrer delsFerrers daily in high season, Thu-Sun daily inhighseason,Thu-Sun (pigeon with colomí amb vieires a la ala vieires (kangaroo (kangaroo Wander further afield. Many skiers inPuigcerdà or tostay choose SLEEPING at bothresorts rental equipmentandskischools are available altitudes of 1600mto2537m.Information, pass forthewholearea €33)of allgradesat have of acombinedtotal 96runs(daylift linked bytheAlp2500lift.Thetworesorts (2537m), 15kmsouthof Puigcerdà,andare These ski resorts lieeithersideof d’Alp Tosa La Molina& Masella entering the Llíviaenclave. You onlycrossabout2kmof Francebefore not alongwalk,andtheroadisflatquiet. it’s toLlívia.cerdà trainstation Otherwise, modern kitchen. lan fare thatcomesfromadiscreetly hidden –traditionalCata- 1791. Thefoodisdelightful h Ventura of (orsolegend Aquitaine hasit). daughterof theDuke dalliance withLampègia, the Muslimgovernor Manussa enjoyedasecret period of IslamicdominioninthePyrenees, deLlíviawhere, duringtheshort-lived Castell From thechurch you canwalkuptotheruined macy, theFarmacia foundedin1415. Esteva, is inwhat’sclaimedtobeEurope’soldestphar- Àngels, justabove Themuseum themuseum. century Gothic 10am-2pm Sun&holidaysyear-round) 10am-4.30pmTue-Sat Oct-Mar, 10am-6pm Tue-Sat Apr-May, h Municipal near thetopof thetown,centres onthe possession. sq kmof itsmunicipality,remained aSpanish Llívia wasa‘town’andso,together withthe13 Spainceded33villagesenees, toFrance,but France. Underthe1659 Treaty of thePyr- flat farmland, Llívia isapieceof Spainwithin Six kilometres northeastof Puigcerdà,across Llívia train) downtheTêtValley toPerpignan. with thenarrow-gauge TrainJaune (yellow orParis,nect withtrainsfromToulouse and inFrance,whereLatour-de-Carol theycon- % Restaurant Can Can Dine onthebalconiesof Restaurant The interest of nucleus, Llívia’stinymedieval Two orthreeadayrunfromPuig- buses Wed-Sun) 10am-7pm Mon-Sat Jul-Aug, 10am-7pm Tue-Sat Jun & Sep, 10am-7pm Mon-SatJul-Aug,Tue-Sat Jun&Sep, 972 144000,www.masella.com) ( % ( % , aramshackle building datingfrom 972 89 61 78; Plaça Major 1;meals€30-35; 972 896178;PlaçaMajor 972 89 63 13; Carrer dels Forns 4; admission €1; 972 896313;Carrer delsForns4;admission€1; ( % Església de Nostra Senyora dels dels Església deNostraSenyora 972 892031,www.lamolina.com; . andthe15th- Museu Museu

369 CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA www.canborrell.com; 3;s/dfrom€78/91) Carrer deRetorn station, thisisahandyyouthhostel.station, Rooms Molina,nearthetrain the bottompartof La of road tothe family rooms. with mostlylocal products.Youcanoptfor (meals €35),where themeals are prepared ceilings,andtherehigh isalsoafine restaurant inthecharmingstay sions tothepassing touristtrade. Youcan stone farmingvillage thatmakes few conces- arid Valltova Valley to thebroad, its waywestandnorththrough Aminorasphaltedmountains. roadwinds turn-offforanexcursionthe Ger into Torrestay, delRemei( right ). aluxuriousandcharacterfultantly, placeto little Romanesquechurch and,more impor- d’Urgell. Seu Puigcerdà andLa adayrunalongthisvalleybetween buses deMoixeró tothesouth.UpthreeSerra and delCadí made upmainlyof theSerra Pyrenees chain tothenorthandrange d’Urgell. themain Seu Itcutsitspathbetween valley towardsLa cerdà alongtheRiuSegre The N260HwyrunssouthwestfromPuig- Cerdanya Northern lado deToses. and Masella fromthe N152westof theCol- Molina RoadsalsowinddowntoLa Cadí. theTúneldel toll roadandtheC16through isbytheC58 easiest route fromBarcelona Puigcerdà. Mostpeoplecomebycar;the from there’sIn theskiseason abusservice THERE&AWAYGETTING tennisfrom table toarchery. pool (forthesummer)andactivitiesranging have warmparquet floors. Thehotel hasa valleys below.Theroomsandpublicareas by greenery, theeyetakesof inthesweep the rooms of hotel, thismountain surrounded .com; half-boardperpersonfrom€69; of theroomshave abathroom. range fromdoublestoeight-bed dorms. Many 12; dmstudent&under26yr/26yrover€19/23; 370 all different, loadedwithtimberbeamsand modestly discerningclientele. Theroomsare a rustichideawaytastefully decorated fora Hotel Adserà Hotel deDéulesNeus Mare Alberg Another kilometre onfromBolvir,take About 6kmfromPuigcerdà, Those with cars along asliverThose canproceed THE PYRENEES •• Serra delCadí THE PYRENEES ••Serra deMalniu Refugi ( % 972 892001;www.hoteladsera Borrell Can , adishevelled, Meranges ps ( ( h %

( Bolvir hasa % ) daily Jun-Sep, daily Jun-Sep, Fromthe 972 880033; 972 8920 p )

At , Andorra, and the craggy pre-PyreneesAndorra, andthecraggy range the Pyrenees climbingnorthwardstowards d’Urgell, Seu with valley fromPuigcerdàtoLa The N260runswestalongthewideRiuSegre SERRA DELCADÍ west toAndorra. reachable bycar)intheeast,andcontinues (also approaches fromGuilsdeCerdanya path of GR11walk,which thelong-distance The misnamed DryLake). the Sat &Sunrest ofyear) by apartly paved roadthatturns northoff You can reach itbyfootpath fromSaldes or of Pedraforca, 2.5kmnorthwestof Saldes. (see opposite ) nestlesbelow thenorthernface 5km northof Saldes.TheRefugiLluísEstasen range runseast–west,about The mainCadí atitsfoot, 15km fromtheC16. sits 1215mhigh about halfwaytothevillage of Saldes,which guedà. Pedraforca intoview loomsmightily heads west1.5kmsouthof GuardioladeBer- from theC16,thenalongB400, which The Pedraforca area ismosteasilyreached Orientation equippedandexperienced. suitably walkingforthose some excellentmountain range alsoofferdraforca andthemainCadí Pe-challenging rock-climbinginCatalonia. (2497m), asouthernoffshootwiththemost the range’s peakis mostspectacular known as of –rockyandfissured theCadí byravines thisface along thesouthernflank.Although risingsteepandhigh delCadí of theSerra (€664). Big spenderscouldtrythemaintowersuite gastronomic heaven for€70to€80ahead. dining isequallytempting. Youcangoto and eachonedifferent, are superbandthe getaway. The rooms,exquisitely furnished quil gardens,andisaromanticstylish government) sitsmajesticallyamidtran- and later asahospitalbytheRepublican the civilwarwasrequisitioned asaschool orated Modernistamansion(whichduring Torre delRemei AUTHOR’S CHOICE d €257-385; .torredelremei.com; Camí Reials/n, Bolvir; isthereed-coveredrefugi canales –looksdauntingenough, Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com pas , at 2130m. Right behind, at2130m.Right ( % 972 140182;www ) This tastefully dec- isonthe refugi lonelyplanet.com (the Estany Sec Pedraforca

Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com From Refugi Lluís Estasen you canreachFrom RefugiLluísEstasen Information where it’sa10-minute walkuptotherefuge. the MiradordeGresolet (niceviews),from the B400about1kmwestof Saldes.Park at lonelyplanet.com The latter route hassomehairyprecipices Verdet, thensouthandeasttothesummit. this route); orwestwardsuptotheColladadel the southeastern side(apathfromSaldesjoins refuge, thenupthemiddleof theforkfrom strenuous hours –eithersouthwardsfromthe the PollegóSuperiorsummitinabout three alpinistsintoraptures.that sends classic rockclimbs;thesouthernhasawall face, risingnearvertically for600m,hassome calledL’Enforcadura.saddle Thenorthern Pollegó Inferior (2400m),are dividedbya Pollegó Superior(2497m)andthesouthern rockypeaks,thenorthern The twoseparate proach from the eastmakes itclearwhy. The namemeans‘stonefork’andtheap- PEDRAFORCA Walking Pedraforca area only. Sep-Jun) Mon-Tue 11am-2pm&5-7pmSat,Sun &Thu-Fri, Mon-Tue &Thu-Sat,10am-2pmSunJul-Aug, 11am-1pm Pedraforca guedà ontheC16. the stream) 4kmnorthof GuardioladeBer- (walk downtothestonebridge thatcrosses Sat, 9am-1pmSun&holidays) h d’Informació Centre The Parc main NaturaldelCadí-Moixeró’s Pedraforca isalsopossibleforwalkers. Centre d’Informació Massís del d’InformacióMassís In Saldes,theCentre Tuixén’s herlast tripin1982!Youcanlearnmorenaire, aboutthese women in Sofiad’Ossera,undertook unheard of inSpain,muchlessfromdeepinland villages!The lastTrementi-otherwise virtually The womengenerallytravelled inpairs,buteven so,unaccompaniedwomentravellers were Easter & Jul-Sep, 11am-2pm &5-8pmSatSun rest ofthe year) Easter &Jul-Sep, were and farmanimals,onlyreturned homewhentheyhadsoldalltheirwares. Amongthelatter four monthsandwalkasfarafield Barcelona, leavingtheirmenfolkbehindtotend thefields items). Sincethelate 19thcentury,thesewanderingsaleswomenwouldheadoffforaslong Trementinaires (namedafter womenwhowouldheadoff (oftenfor theextraordinary onfoot)tosellthem,theso-called As late asthe1960s,villageofTuixén wasknownforitsnaturalherbsandremedies and INTREPID TREMENTINAIRES 9am-1.30pm & 3.30-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm&4-6.30pm 9am-1.30pm &3.30-7pmMon-Fri, hasinformationontheSaldesand te deroca (‘rocktea’ forupsettummies) and

( % Museu de lesTrementinaires 938 258046; THE PYRENEES •• Serra delCadí THEPYRENEES ••Serra ( % 938 244151;Carrer delaVinya1; isinBagà,aquietvillage h 10am-2pm &5-7.30pm trementina, orturpentine,whichwasoneoftheir more popular ( % 973 370030;admission free; and neartheMiradordeGresolet, this weekends or for a week atatimeinsummer.weekends orforaweek villages, someare although rented outonlyon You’ll findahandfulof GÓSOL &TUIXÉN outside,butnotinatent.you cansleep In winter it hasabout30places.Whenit’sfull has 87places,mealsandawardeninsummer. ful of pensiones andalarger hotel. open year-round. InSaldesyou’llfindahand- theC16andSaldes,some the B400between There are atleastfour SALDES &AROUND Sleeping &Eating Organyà. to beautiful cross-countryroadfromBerga Llorenç deMorunys(28km),which isona d’Urgell Seu (36km)andsouthtoSant to La Tuixén, scenicpaved roadsleadnorthwest hill andsometimeswritten Tuixent. From (1206m), anotherattractive village onasmall turesque toTuixén hamletof delCadí Josa pass,then Coll deJosa village. abandoned onthehillsouthof thepresent dated backtoatleastthe9thcentury,isnow The originalGósol(theVilaVella), which stone village of Gósol, 6kmfurtherwest. The B400ispaved fromSaldestothepretty Gósol, Tuixén &Beyond first route. the for comingdown:youmustuse suitable and requires It’snot agoodheadforheights. Sep; Sat,Sun &holidaysrest ofyear) Sep; orella d’ós(‘bear’sear’forcoughsandcolds). Refugi LluísEstasen Refugi A roadwestfromGósolclimbsthe1625m , onthevillage square. h

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CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA 372 Perpignan (France) totheUrgell district. Románica, from come tobe knownastheRuta hundred Romanesquechurches liningwhathas various remodellings. It’sone of more thana outstanding Romanesque buildingsdespite Mon-Sat, 10am-1pmSunOct-May) 10am-1pm&4-6pm & 4-7pmMon-Sat,10am-1pmSunJun-Sep, 12th-century On thesouthernsideof PlaçadelsOms,the Diocesà & Museu deSanta Maria Catedral office Tourist Policía Municipal Hospital Information century. market tant andcathedraltown sincethe11th of thecountsof Urgell. an impor- Ithasbeen abishopric andcapital Seu tury, theymadeLa this partof thePyrenees, inthe early9thcen- cathedral. withanadmirable medieval night, placetospenda to thenorth.It’sapleasant dur- zhey) isSpain’sgateway toAndorra,10km The lively valleytownof d’Urgell Seu (la La pop 12,320 LA SEUD’URGELL Gósol orTuixén. yourownvehicleYou need toreach Saldes, &Around There Getting turing ironbedsteads andwoodpanelling. hassmallish butimmaculatehouse roomsfea- a sprawlingcourtyard,thiscountryvillage overfriendly stoneplaceset twofloors around del díaisgoodlunch valueat€11. tender local food, suchTuck intofillingandtasty asa any inthecases rurals. ish spick-and-spanroomsthatare asgood small- withitsowncourtyardcontains house €35) .com; Carrer delColl7,Tuixén; d€23perperson; Gósol; meals€15-18; northern entrancetotown. northern Jul-Aug, 10am-2pm&4-6.30pmMon-SatSep-Jun) Atthe isme; Avinguda delesValls d’Andorra33; This bakery doublesasahomyrestaurant. In the Casa de la Ciutat (Town Hall). In theCasadelaCiutat(Town Cal FustéCal When the Franks evicted the Muslims from theMuslimsfrom When theFranksevicted Can Farragetes Can Moixó Forn Cal Right inthemiddleof Right town,thisstone THE PYRENEES •• La Seu d’Urgell THE PYRENEES ••LaSeu (fillet of beef). Themenú filet devedella(filletof beef). ( % ( 973 350050;Passeig deJoanBrudieu8). ( % seu % ( 973 37 00 83; Plaça Major 9,Gósol;d 973 370083;PlaçaMajor (cathedral; admissionfree; h 973 351511;www.laseu.org/tur % ( ( % % lunch daily, dinner only Fri &Sat) lunch daily,dinneronlyFri 973 350426;PlaçadelsOms1) 973 370034;www.calfarragetes 973 370274;Carrer delCanal2, is one of Catalonia’s isoneof Catalonia’s h h 9am-9pm p 10am-1pm 10am-1pm ) A

-u se-u big, of options for€8.50. some good medieval Pyreneansome goodmedieval church mu- Oct-May) 10am-1pm ell.org; admission€2.50; Avinguda dePau 24;s/d€33/56) Claris overly characterful, theroomsare bigenough range of not mostlysunnyrooms.Although the restored cloister of the14th-century Sant Miscela, isnotbad. and kept restaurant, spick-and-span.ItsItalian ple roomswithbasinandshared bathroom. street intheoldtown,thisplacehasclean,sim- Pensió Jové Sleeping manuscript of theApocalypse). (illustrated 10th-century Mozarabic Beatus rals, sculptures andarare andaltarpieces, 1pm &4-6pmMon-Sat,10am-1pmSunOct-May) h esque fine cloister andthe12th-centuryRoman- Diocesà Museu and-child sculpture inthecentralapse. anda13th-centuryVirgin-southern transept, impressive, withfive somemuralsinthe apses, style. Theinsideisdarkandplainbutstill you enter, isdecorated intypicalLombard kid). The (baked snails;€10)or cabrit at forn local grub.Trya dish of old-fashioned den serving this isamarvellous €15-20; Pacho Cal Eating andgourmetrestaurant.sauna miles around,withsoothinggardens, agym, & Châteaux team, itistheclassiest hotel for hotel isaworld of itsown.RunbytheRelais thisspa Seu, about 1.5kmwestof centralLa inacastlehilltopjumbleof lanes Set .com; Castellciutat;s/dupto€343/396; extra touches such asthepoolandsauna. luxurious. Whatmakes and itisthesetting, ment. Roomsare withoutbeing comfortable Domènec convent, thisisamodernestablish- Domènec s/n;s/d€103/129; person €15) Parador From insidethecathedralyoucanenter the The finewesternwhich façade,through Hotel Avenida Hotel ElCastell Hotel 10am-1pm & 4-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm Sun Jun-Sep, 10am- 10am-1pm &4-7pmMon-Sat,SunJun-Sep, h Església deSantMiquel . This good museum encompasses the encompasses . Thisgoodmuseum Sun Jun-Sep, noon-1pmMon-Sat,11am-1pmSun Sun Jun-Sep, One of two basic digs on the same Oneof twobasicdigsonthesame Mon-Sat) ( ( menú del día % % ( % Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com 973 352719;Carrer delaFont11;meals 973 352000;www.parador.es; Carrer deSant ( % 973 35 02 60; Carrer dels Canonges 42; r per 973 350260;Carrer delsCanonges42;rper ( Hiddenawayintheoldtown, % ( % 973 353242;www.museudiocesaurg h 973 350104;www.avenhotel.com; 973 350000;www.hotelelcastell pas 10am-1pm &4-7pmMon-Sat, offers abroadvariety cargols alallauna (€1.50 without Museu; (€1.50 withoutMuseu; Thishotel hasa lonelyplanet.com ) pais Builtaround aswell (roast )

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373 CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA 374 Editorial Alpina’s peakin Catalonia. thehighest Pica d’Estats, the Andorranand French borders, including walkingcountryalongandacross mountain lead tosomeremote and,inparts,tough ing backintothehillsnortheastof Llavorsí, Pyrenees. the Catalan ing uptosomeof in themostbeautifulsights pass, stretches of aseries verdant valleyslead- from Llavorsí towardsthePortde Bonaigua North of thatleadsnorthwest thehighway VALLEYS NORTHWESTERN 5½ hours) trip isshorter andcheaper viaLleida(€27.60, Llavorsí at1.56pm.TheBarcelona–Vielha and theVal d’Aran.Thereturn busleaves June toOctober itcontinues toVielha(€32.90) 5½ hours) andEsterri d’Àneu(€28.30).From toSort,Rialp,Llavorsífrom Barcelona (€26.50, Alsina Graellsrunsonedailybus(at7.30am) &Away There Getting restaurant andaheated swimmingpool. in comfortfactors like theverdant site, good feel, andthepriceincludesbreakfast. Throw wooden floors give thespaciousroomsawarm choice.the mostpleasant Timber ceilingsand s/n;s/d€83/133; Camí deRiberies rant andmini-market. riverside campinggroundhasapool,restau- 1km northof Llavorsí proper, thispleasant 2-person tent&car€18; couple of campinggroundsandfourhotels. of village amountain thanRialporSort,witha Llavorsí much more base, isthemostpleasant Sleeping other gear isusuallyprovided. costume, towelandachange of clothes.All river at€34perhour.the same start and otherpointslike Sort. tripson Canoeing other raftingcompaniesoperate fromLlavorsí enced rafters only,furtherupstream. Several Llavorsí) 22 01;www.yetiemotions.com; Carrer deBordaErad’Alfonss/n, rides toSortandbeyondwillcostmore. costs from€34(5km)upto€60(14km).Longer stretchA tripdownthesame onahydrospeed maps will help. Hotel Riberies Hotel tobringyourownswimming You need At leastonecompany, The Vall andVall deCardòs Ferrera, head- AigüesBraves Camping THE PYRENEES •• Northwestern Valleys THE PYRENEES ••Northwestern , organises high-gradetrips,forexperi-

( % h Pica d’Estats 973 62 20 51; www.riberies.com; 973 622051;www.riberies.com; mid-Mar–Aug; mid-Mar–Aug; ( Yeti Emotions ps % 973 622153;sitesper andMontgarri ) ps Thisisbyfar

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h of Àreu, atdawn.Onthewayupyouwill ley is another pleasant surprise, hiding several hidingseveral surprise, ley isanotherpleasant biggest naturethisval- (Catalonia’s reserve), heart of the Parc Naturaldel’AltPirineu Greener thantheVall andatthe deCardòs Ferrera Vall with three hotels inTavascan. cases depagès along (countryguesthouses), The valley’stownsare littered withcharming lakes territory. awaitinthisfrontiermountain showers andoffers meals.More trailsand holidays rest ofyear) the lake isthe best negotiated by4WD.Justoutof viewof road can, about 13kmawayalongatough (the largest inthePyrenees), piece of sceneryisacrystal-blue glaciallake numerous excursions. Themoststunning dle of well-kept andalaunch padfor houses marks theendof theasphaltroad.It’sahud- stone hamletsoozing bucoliccharm. Tavascan a charming Romanesquechurch, are pretty up thevalley. here.is useful There isnopublic transport Editorial Alpina’s challenging mountain- walking possibilities. road fromLlavorsí, thispretty valleyleadsto Heading northintothehillsalongL504 Vall deCardòs immaculately kept affairs. Roomsareout rooms bythenight. smallbut part of thevillage, isoneof thefew thatrents Besolí hotel inÀreu, andmore optionsinAlins. rocky summit. changing scenery, before ascendingthebare pass glaciallakes, pastures high andever- deVall Ferrera be attheRefugi to andonlyforthefit.Youneed day affair and return fromthe isanall- Pica d’Estats Feliu de la Forçauptheroad.Theascentof Sant Climentisinthelowerpartand each withaRomanesquechurch:settlements, for walkers. Itisdividedintotwoseparate There isnopublictransport. est peak,isgenerally undertaken fromhere. (3143m),theregion’sthe Picad’Estats high- walking countrywithinreach. Theascentof pretty villages more andbringingeven good 89; €13; The prettiest hamlet, , thelatter gracedwith Lladrós andLladorre There are several Easter &mid-Jun–mid-Oct) ( % h 973 624415;LaPlaças/n; d€40) daily earlymid-Jun Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com , which hasroomfor40people, deCertascan Refugi Pica d’Estats cases depagès andone , isapopularbase Àreu – , 10kmtothenorth mid-Sep, some weekends & someweekends mid-Sep, lonelyplanet.com Estany deCertas-

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turn-off ontheleftforEspot–thisis north.Afteryou proceed 12kmpassthe to Llavorsí andtheC13Hwy,alongwhich tothenextvalleyswest,youreturnTo proceed d’Àneu Valls &Around iEstanydeSantMaurici THEPYRENEES ••Parc Nacionald’Aigüestortes lau in the west. The Escrita flows out oflau inthe west.TheEscrita the intheeast andtheRiude Sant Nico- Escrita The twomainvalleys are of those theRiu THE PARK ary, andBoí,5.5kmfromthewestern side. (1320m), 4kmeastof thepark’seastern bound- The mainapproaches are viathevillage of Espot APPROACHES Orientation km andismonitored byparkrangers. area covered bythewildernessarea is408.5sq countrytothenorthandsouth.Thetotal high andincludessomemagnificent zona perifèrica ness area, outer limitisknownasthe whose 141.2 sqkm,liesatthecore of awiderwilder- wilderness of rare splendour. countless streams andwaterfalls tocreate a bine withsome200small bedecked withwildflowers inspring, com- and firforests, andopenbush andgrassland, granite and slate. Against thisbackdrop,pine tude linedbyjagged 2600mto2900mpeaksof two east–westvalleysat1600mto2000malti- action over twomillionyears, it’sessentially areas 100timesitssize. Theproductof glacial south, butpacksinmore beautythanmost east towest,andonly9kmfromnorth onlynationalparkextends 20km Catalonia’s ESTANY &AROUND DESANTMAURICI I PARC D’AIGÜESTORTES NACIONAL and thehalf-abandoned thevillagesvalley, passingthrough of this backroad(theC147)upintoamountain the RiuNogueraPallaresa. Youthenfollow d’Àneu anditwillleadyouover abridge across Follow theC13directly Esterri norththrough d’Àneu, theVall d’Isil Of thevariousvalleysthatmake upthe Valls ( of Baqueira–Beret p380 ) intheVal d’Aran. fortheskifields base a popular,ifdistant, to potter about in,you’llarrive at where youcanhire rowingboatsandcanoes off, after passinganartificiallake ontheright d’Aigüestortes deSantMaurici. iEstany most popularwayintotheParc Nacional The national park, whose boundariescoverThe nationalpark,whose Six kilometres furtheronfromtheturn- is the most intriguing. isthemostintriguing. Alós d’Isil. estanys (lakes) and Esterri d’Àneu, Esterri Borén, Isil activity are banned. otherkind ofabout every potentially harmful Hunting, fishing,mushroom-picking andjust other ‘aquaticactivities’ inthelakes andrivers. camping isnotallowed, norare swimmingor Private vehicles cannotenter thepark.Wild PARK RULES Pobla deSegur located inElPontdeSuert southofopening times).Offices the parkare Taüll (same andJunetoSeptember inEaster west sideof thepark.Asub-branch isopenat source of informationonthearea aroundthe L500, 10kmnorthfromtheN230,isagood & 5-7pmMon-Sat,10am-2pmSun) office) Oct-May) 9am-2pm &3.30-5.45pmMon-Sat,9am-2pmSun Jun-Sep, fices In Espot,there are TOURIST INFORMATION Information the EspotandBoíinformationoffices. perfect. Thehelpof guidescanbeenlisted at Maurici itisnot , scaledat1:25,000–buteven Parc Nacionald’Aigüestortes iEstany deSant deCatalunya’s is theInstitutCartogràfic Val d’Aran.Abetter mapof thewholearea Fosca; andVal d’Aran, naturally,covers the Montsent dePallars covers thenorthernVall Boí covers thewestern halfanditsapproaches; ern halfof theparkanditsapproaches; Vall de MauriciSant –ElsEncantats covers theeast- singletrail. theydon’tshowevery although Editorial Alpina’smapguidesare adequate, MAPS &GUIDES de SantMaurici. (2746m and2733m),toweringover Estany the south,endsintwinpeaks ElsEncantats ing intowardsthecentre. Oneof from these, numerous spurs of reach- almostequalheight perimeter of crests, theparkismountain with ern andwestern ends,virtuallythewhole (Twisted Waters). Aigüestortes a particularlybeautifulstretch knownas Llong,theSantNicolaurunsthrough tany pass. Three kilometres downstream fromEs- Maurici d’Espot acrossthe2423mPortarró is . TheSantNicolau’smainsource Sant Maurici park’s largest lake, the1km-longEstanyde Estany Llong,4kmwestof deSant Estany Apart fromthevalleyopeningsateast- . The ( % andBoí 973 624036; tourist office tourist ( % ( % 973 680257) h national parkinformationof- 973 696189; ( % 9am-1pm &3.30-6.45pmdaily ( 973 694000; % in Barruera, onthe inBarruera, . 973 690640) h same asEspot h 9am-2pm andLa 375

CATALONIA CATALONIA ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ

CATALONIA figure), rich Mozarabic-influenced whose col- the church’s centre isa (see Nacional d’Artde Catalunya p299 ). At mural thatnowresides Museu inBarcelona’s acopyof contains afamous 1123 central apse ferred inthe20thcentury. The tomuseums graced itsinterior untiltheworkswere trans- simple linesbutalsofortheartthat once bell tower,isagem, notonlyforits elegant, trance tothevillage, withitsslender six-storey 3km eastof Boí. age site in2000.Twoof thefinestare atTaüll, together were declared aUnescoWorldHerit- loveliest little Romanesque churches, which the park,isdotted withsomeof Catalonia’s The Romanesque Churches 376 N230 Riu Noguera PARC NACIONALD'AIGÜESTORTESIESTANYDESANTMAURICI

Lleida (117km) To ElPontdeSuert(8km); Vall deBoí Ribagor ana Garona Riu L500 Casau Vielha (BocaSud) Refugi Espitaude THE PYRENEES •• Parc Nacional d’Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici &Around iEstanydeSantMaurici THE PYRENEES ••Parc Nacionald’Aigüestortes Túnel de Vielha Barruera N230 ὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈ Riu Erill laVall Noguera Vielha Comaloforno To France (20km) Besiberri (3033m) Refugi Pic de (www.vallboi.com) a rt Lac T de Rius Sant ClimentdeTaüll Refugi dela

de Tort Caldes de Boí Restanca Durro Escunhau Cavallers Estany de Lac de Mar Boí (1240m) Boí-Taüll Taüll Resort Riu de Pantocrator (Christ

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Baqueria Fosca Colomina (2500m) Estany de (2395m)

Cap de Vall Zona PerifŁrica (2350m) (2530m) (2072m) Pics deBassiero Capdella Pic dePeguera Monestero Estany de Refugi Colomina (2171m) (2900m) Estany Gento (2983m) Els Encantats Refugi ErnestMallafré (2746m) Collada de C28 (2630m) Sabur (admission free; Refugi Josep Maria Blanc (2350m) Estany Negre 0 0 Refugi del de Peguera Gerdar Àrreu Sorpe (1300m)

Espot Riu Barcelona (220km) To Llavorsí(15km); Isil Alós d'lsil

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Esterri Pallaresa in , tours of thechurches. and it’salsowhere youcanorganise guided which hasasmallRomanesqueartcollection, Batalló 5; delRomànic d’Interpretació &Around iEstanydeSantMaurici THEPYRENEES ••Parc Nacionald’Aigüestortes fairly easy) covering 42km. Youcanalso ski more promisingareas, with 46pistes (most pass€30) daylift resort.com; The Skiing from AigüestortesLlong. toEstany to Estany GrandeDellui(2370m).Youcandescend Aigüestortes, apathclimbs2.5kmsoutheastto (1850m), 1kmuptheSantNicolauvalley from (2350m).FromPlanellGran Estany Grand’Amitges to deRatero 3km northwestupbyEstany ontheleft.Anothergoes passing ElsEncantats astero valley to rici, onepathheadssouth2.5kmuptheMon- Aigüestortes. deSantMauriciside valleysfromEstany or return willtake youupintospectacular Numerous goodwalksof three tofive hours’ SHORTER WALKS ofa total aboutthree hours. to theL500and2.5kmsouthBoí(1260m)– have around3.5kmtotheparkentrance,4km hours deSantMaurici). fromEstany Then you Llong andAigüestortes (1820m;about 3½ valleys. FromthepassyoudescendtoEstany are fineviewsover bothof thepark’smain d’Espotpass (2423m),wherePortarró there is 8km(twohours). Apaththenclimbstothe deSantMaurici(1300m) toEstany (1950m) stream Llong)orboth.Espot fromEstany de SantMaurici orAigüestortes (3kmdown- shorten thisbyusingJeep-taxis to/fromEstany about 25kmandtakes ninehours, butyoucan The fullEspot-to-Boí (orviceversa) walkis acrosstheparkinoneday. You canwalkright EAST–WEST TRAVERSE routes.bling youtopicksuitable ranging fromwellmarked tounmarked, ena- The parkiscrisscrossed byplentyof paths, Walking each or€5forallsixchurches). 2pm and4pmto7pmdaily(admission €1.20 ception of Maria Santa deTaüll) from10amto Estany Llong(3km);ittakes about fourhours From theeastern endof deSantMau- Estany You canvisitallthechurches (withtheex- Boí-Taüll resort ski h 9am-2pm &5-7pmMon-Sat,10am-2pmSun) (2171m), (2171m), Estany deMonastero ( % isoneof Catalonia’s

( 902 406640;www.boitaull % 973 696715;Carrer del ,

kitchen andshowers. the northwestof thepark(2220m);ithasa several mid-range hotelsseveral inEspot). There are range of accommodation options(including The villages of Espot,Boí andTaüll have a HOSTALES &HOTELS .refugiventosa.com) by theCEC;mealsavailable whenstaffed. blanc.com) and showers. run bythenationalpark;there’s akitchen 973 299545) but noshowers. (1950m) andrunbytheFEEC.Ithasmeals the eastern endof deSantMaurici Estany Llong. Refugi del’Estany mattresses andblankets, 15minutes southof showers are available. (CEC).Meals deCatalunya Excursionista and .com) here. outside are Those marked onthemap. overnight. Therefuges intheparkare listed offices. Mostcharge €12.50perperson tostay sure, callaheadoraskattheparkinformation where overnight; youcanstay ifyouare un- oftimes several themleave open asection in thefirst halfof theyearforskiers. Atother andforsomeweeks or mid-JunetoSeptember, for walkers. fromearly Theytend tobestaffed the Six MOUNTAIN REFUGIS mini-market. swimming pool,aswellapoolhall,barand towards theparkentrance. Ithasapleasant the bestinEspot,about 1.5kmoutof town 2-person tent&car€19; ( grounds inandaroundEspot. There are foursimilarlypricedcamping CAMPING Sleeping pistes over 32km. pass€28) day lift around the northof thepark,it’srunbyCentre % Ventosa iCalvell Refugi Blanc JosepMaria Refugi del’EstanyLlong Refugi d’Amitges Refugi ErnestMallafré Refugi digswithbunks, Basic LaCentraleta Refugi 973 624108;www.voraparc.com; PratdelVedat; sitesper refugis providezona perifèrica accommodation At Estany Grand’Amitges AtEstany (2380m),in It’s near Estany Tort(2350m) andrun It’snearEstany Espot It’s near Estany Llong(1985m)and It’snearEstany intheparkandninemore inside , which gives youafurther31 ( in TheCECrunsthisrefugi % 973 624058;www.espotesqui.net; h ( % Apr-Sep; Apr-Sep; ( 973 250109;www.amitges (reservations %

( % ( % 973 250118) 973 25 01 08; www.jm 973 250108;www.jm ps Camping Vorapark Camping 973 297090;www

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CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA mer tothe Val d’Aran) willstopattheEspot toEsterri d’Àneu(andin sum- Pobla de Segur LleidaandLa from Barcelona, Daily buses BUS &Away There Getting home-cooked fare. a piping-hotonionsoupandother simply 60 52;meals€15-20; teries, youcouldtrySantCliment river trout). entrance. Try the diningareasunny separate opposite thehotel market withadiningroominside and setting, similar range of more foodinaslightly up- Espot, thecentury-oldHotel Royaoffers a pallaresa oftry fare, withgenerous winter servings menu concentratinglargely onheartycoun- restaurant onthemainsquare hasavaried taurants. of thetownshave oneortwofairlybasicres- Most andintheoff-season. mid-week close Note thearea thatthroughout manyplaces Eating a picniclunch. less character. willpackyou For€7thestaff stonework, timberandslate roof, oozestime- are tastefully furnished andthebuilding,all haven, balcony.Therooms withrose-draped the quietcourtyardof thisramblingcountry entrance agrandstonearchway leadsinto 3;dupto€105) .com; PlaçaCapdelRiu the villageorinsurroundingarea. itself and over adozenhotels and west sideof thepark.Ithasnine far themostpicturesque onthe placetostay Three kilometres uphillfromBoí,Taüll isby Taüll here.try homestays rates includebreakfast. Itisoneof three coun- of thevillage, thisspothascleanrooms,and €25/40) Felip Residència Espot Torre deCapdella. andLa de Suert,Capdella hostales andcases depagès ElPont inBarruera, 378 (wild boar stew). (wild boarstew). Restaurant Juquim Restaurant In Taüll, where there are ahandfulof ea- Pensión SantaMaria Hotel Roya Hotel Afriendly,family-runplaceintheheart THE PYRENEES ••Val d’Aran (steaming hotpot)or ( % ( % 973 624040;meals€25-30) h truita delpais deriu (local

( 973 624093;s/d€15/30,Jul-Aug % daily Dec-Easter&Jul-Sep) ( % 973 624009;meals€20) 973 696170;www.taull pensiones Through ashady Through civet desenglar cases depagès ( , either in , eitherin % Alsoin 973 69 This This for olla olla

down toBordeaux.Thanksinpartitsgeo- its river, theRiuGarona(Garonne),flowing ing isnorthwardstoFrance,which itgives Itsonlynaturalopen- 2000m-plus mountains. most outpost,issurroundedbyspectacular northern- This lushgreen valley,Catalonia’s pop 9200 VAL D’ARAN 9am to6pm). 8amto7pm,othermonthsJuly toSeptember information officesinEspotandBoí(from runfromoutsidethepark and theservices one-way fare foreithertripis€4.40perperson saving you,respectively, 8kmand10km.The Maurici, BoíandAigüestortes, andbetween deSant EspotandEstany between tle service or Boí.There’s amore orlesscontinuousshut- of getting insideitisbyJeep-taxi fromEspot Once you’re tothepark,easiestway close Around Getting short of Boí). turn-off (elCrucedeBoí)ontheL500(1km Suert andfromthere andtheBoí toBarruera toElPontde Pobla deSegur daily fromLa aconnectingbusruns July tomid-September, considered tohave three parts:NautAran de SantMaurici.Estany wards totheParc Nacionald’Aigüestortes i inanydirection,the mountains south- notably Aran’s pretty sidevalleys,walkers cangoover villages retain an old-fashioned core and,from many Thatsaid, as theeconomicmainstay. ski resort, hasreplaced farmingand herding since the1964openingof the Baqueira–Beret in danger of beingoverrun bytourism,which, 1810 to1815. came withthe Napoleonic occupationfrom on bothsidesof thePyrenees. Amajor hiccup tection to forestall thedesignsof rivalcounts 1175, whenAlfonsoIItookitunderhispro- since tiedpoliticallytoCatalonia has been language of southernFrance. orthe Occitan Aranese but graphy, Aran’snative language isnotCatalan run uptothree timesadayallyear. From (€22.15, three to4½hours) Pobla deSegur 8km uphillwalk(orhitch) toEspot. turning ontheC13.Fromthere youhave an The Val d’Aranissome 35kmlongandis For allitsintriguingpast,theVal d’Aranis Despite Aran this northwardorientation, Alsina Graells buses from Barcelona to La toLa fromBarcelona Alsina Graellsbuses Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com (aranés), which is adialectof langue d’oc,theoldRomance lonelyplanet.com Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com 1pm &5-8pmTue-Sat, 10am-1pmSun) 72 85) Just north ofthecentre alongtheN230toFrance. 72 85)Justnorth .hotelpirene.com; Carretera delTúnels/n;s/d€58/96; perfectly adequate, 18-room,old-style hotel 3; s/d€50/78) rona flowsnortheasttoFrance. Aran(LowerAran),whereand Baish theGa- west; Mijaran(MiddleAran)aroundVielha; (Upper Aran),theeastern part,alignedeast– lonelyplanet.com .com; Carretera de Gausac 4; s/d€73/96; .com; Carretera deGausac forward roomswith valleyviews. Vielha, thismodern hotel offers fairlystraight- Perched justabove onarise thecentre of benefit of powershowers. overlooking a centralsquare have thesingular can asmuch ashalve. (January toFebruary). Atothertimes,prices toAugust)andmuch of(July theskiseason of summer otherpeakholidayperiods:high Christmas toNewYear, andahandful Easter Avenguda deCastièro. formostis season High head downPasseig northoff dèraLlibertat, Forsomeofin thecapital. thecheaper places, About athirdof theVal d’Aran’shotels are SLEEPING ( from the Cross group.The tohavethat isthought partof been aDescent Mijaran artwork, especiallythe12th-century medieval somenotable Itcontains portal. 18th-century styles,witha13th-centurymain Glèisa) of thesquare. The andacrossthelittleRiuNere,Glèisa justwest The smalloldquarter isaroundPlaçadèra SIGHTS office Tourist Mossos d’Esquadra Hospital INFORMATION version, andCastilian Viella. the Catalan spellingofnese itsnameismore commonthan Vielha isAran’sjunctiontown,andtheAra- pop 5020 Vielha de Sarriulèra 10; de Sarriulèra Aran’s historyuptothepresent. % Hotel EthPomèr Hotel Pirene Hotel Hostal ElCiervo 973 64 18 15; Carrèr Major 11;admission€2; 973 641815;CarrèrMajor isachurch thatdisplays amixof 12th-to ( , analmostlife-sized woodenbust % Someof thebetter roomsinthis 973 640004;CarrèrdethEspitau) ( h % ( % THEPYRENEES ••Val d’Aran 9am-9pm) 973 640110;www.aran.org;Carrèr ( (Catalanregional police; % ( Glèisa de Sant Miquèu Glèisa deSantMiquèu 973 640075or902160242;www % 973 640165;PlaçadeSantOrenç 973 642888; www.hotelpomer Musèu dèraVal d’Aran Musèu tellsof thetale pai % h (Plaça déra Crist de 973 25 10am- ) p In )

and melted €15). cheese; formatge fós(mushrooms, topquality ham toasty bread with toppingslike ingrilled meatydishesand specialises €30) hotpot). the localspeciality, average meals–manywill dish up serving Vielha, butyouwillfindnoshortage of places Quality diningisquite hardtocomebyin EATING marble bathrooms. ings, attractive woodfurnishingsandmodern Rooms are withparquetfloors, ceil- bright high central Vielha,thishotel isidealforskiers. Lleida (160km) El PontdeSuert(40km); To HotelPirene(300m); 4 1 3 2 VIELHA

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Avenguda deth Alcalde To N230(1km); France (24km) ( 10 %

A Avg de Castièro de Avg Calbetó Barra 973 64 17 18; Carrèr de Sarriulera 26;meals 973 641718;CarrèrdeSarriulera 5 Sant Orenç

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379 CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA 64 0829;CarrèrdelaFont3;s/d€75/96; Salardú, and Beret, 8kmnorthof Salardú, and Beret, Baqueira, (VaquèiraBaqueira 3kmeast of inAranese), Baqueira–Beret rooms. straightforward village; slate-roofed it’sapleasant hotel with s/n; s/d€72/89; Vielha s/n;dmstudent&under26yr/26yrover €19/23) skiresort,Beret located 4kmfromhere. century church,Sant Andreu youcanadmire the13th- ofapse thevillage’s 12th-and13th-century you willfindonlyafew hotels open.Inthe May, June,October orNovember, however, largely resisted thetemptationtosprawl.In cleus of andnarrow streets oldhouses has Three kilometres eastof Arties,Salardú’s nu- pop 1200 Salardú international flair. a tempting mixof sturdylocaldishesand IreneThe foodatCasa issublime,featuring €40-55; eat at you’re outwanderingorskiing. canarrange forababysitterThe staff when where inAustria,withstoneandtimbertrims. This rusticplacecouldalmostbeathomesome- Besiberri Residencia arties stream isHotel three-storey belfryandtripleapse. , withits the RomanesqueGlèisadeSantaMaria rivers. is Amongitscheerful stonehouses the confluenceof theGaronaandValarties the southernsideof sitsastride thehighway Six kilometres eastof Vielha,thisvillage on pop 370 Arties leaning, rate aspecialmention. withaFrenchtional cuisine. Thedesserts, carefully prepared localandmore interna- intheheartof house theoldtown.Expect best restaurant intown,located inalow-slung 380 with abathroom. slate. Ithasroomsof uptofourbeds,each a large youthhostel builtinlocal stoneand €30-35; Just nearbyinacharming atoptheVal- house Era Mòla Hotel dethPais Hotel EraGarona Alberg fortheBaqueira– The townisahandybase Another reason forcomingtoArtiesis Irene Casa THE PYRENEES ••Val d’Aran h h crucifixion carving. crucifixioncarving. Crist deSalardú Thu-Tue mid-Jul–Sep &Dec-Apr) Wed-Sun, dinneronlyTue, &May) closedOct ( p % ) 973 64 24 19; Carrèr de Marrèc 8;meals 973 642419;CarrèrdeMarrèc isinthemiddleof theoriginal ( % ( % 973 64 43 64; Carrèr Major 20;meals 973 644364;CarrèrMajor

973 645836;Carrer deSantaPaula ( % 973 645271;Carretera de h Dec-Apr &Jul-Sep) Easily the Easily ( % 973 973 is . . system gives accessto72variedpistes total- the Spanishroyalfamily,noless!Itsgoodlift Branch at west,offthemainhighway PLAN DERAARTIGADELIN villages dotthearea too. shutters, istypicalof theVal d’Aran.Other ing villageallstoneanddarkwood house, ( thanthevalleytowns.Try to stay villagesleepy makes abetter choice of place climb afew kilometres intoArròsviaVila. This atEthPònt Turn offthehighway d’Arròs and ARRÒS, VILA&OTHER VILLAGES assortment of curiousvillages. countryside withfine walking trailsandan to theFrench frontierhidesomeexquisite The hillsoneithersideof up thehighway ofVielha North booking number you wanttorent anapartment,callthecentral down thevalleyinSalardú,ArtiesorVielha. If and nowhere Many atallBeret. skiers stay and 2510m. resort), 1500m amidfinesceneryatbetween ling 104km(larger thananyotherSpanish (see (see p430 ). Pyrenees,ese cappedbythePicd’Aneto of forbiddingmountains theAragon- tall de Linplain.Walkingtrailsleadoffintothe pasturesmountain of thePlan deraArtiga stream, asyougainaltitude,toreach thehigh is areal followthecourseof delight: theJoèu heavily woodedcountryside. Thedrive alone following theroadasittwistsitswayupinto village,Bòrdes, atypicalAranese andkeep form Catalonia’s premier form Catalonia’s 90 10; www.baquiera.es; day lift pass€39) 90 10;www.baquiera.es; daylift % There’s nowhere cheap inBaqueira, tostay and salted cod). have aspecialpenchantforbacalao (dried ison offercountry cooking andthecooks Solid itworthwhile. setting alonemakes into acharmingcountryrestaurant. The to thiscosystonewalledhouseconverted El Raconet AUTHOR’S CHOICE weekends only) weekends season;otherwise plusSat&Sunski Jul–Sep, stalhera 3,Arròs;meals€20-25; 973 640341;CapderaVila13;d€32) ( Regulars keep comingback Regularskeep % % 973 641730;CarrèrdeCre- 973 639027. resort ski h lonelyplanet.com . Thischarm- , favoured by Mon-Fri mid- Mon-Fri Casa Mariun Casa ( % 973 63 Es

Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com (€10.89) takes three hours. FromJunetoOc- Lleida andElPontdeSuert.toVielha andVielha(€27.60,5½hours)Barcelona via rundailybetween Two AlsinaGraellsbuses BUS &Around There Getting lonelyplanet.com The power of thebishops of Vic stretched far leading religiouswas oneof centres. Catalonia’s Plana deVictothe southof thePyrenees, and fine restaurants, dominates theflatlandsof La Vic, withitsattractive historiccentre andsome pop 37,825 VIC monasteries. litteredde Barberà, withmajestic medieval takes the Conca youfurthersouththrough route toLleida. Analternative route toLleida (with itswindycastlecomplex)andSolsona,en Manresa Cardona (justbeyondMontserrat), Northwest of youcanstrike thecapital, outfor ful townof Vic,withitsgrandPlaçaMajor. andthePyreneesBarcelona liesthegrace- hinterland. AboutCatalan halfwaybetween host of little-visited gems splashedacrossthe captivate the bulkof isa roamers inCatalonia Away fromthebeachesthat andmountains CENTRAL CATALONIA at Vielha. ter theN230Hwy –intoNautAran,meeting inwin- (2072m) –which issometimesclosed thePortdelaBonaiguapass the C28crosses French borderatEthPontdeRei. de Vielha,thenheadsnorthfromVielhatothe Suert reaches the5.25kmTúnel Aranthrough The N230HwyfromLleidaandElPontde CAR &MOTORCYCLE €0.80 (or€7.20forabookof 10tickets). an hour. Asingleticket foranydestinationis one endof thevalleytoothertakes upto Thetripfrom ortoLes/Pontaut. to Baquiera othersvillages. runfromVielhaeither Several Pont deRei)viaVielhaandtheintervening (forEth orPontaut toLes from Baqueira ends) toninetimesdailyalongthevalley the C13,PortdelaBonaiguaandSalardú. Llavorsí, theEspotturningon Pobla deSegur, celona andVielha(€32.90,7½hours) viaLa tober, adailyAlsinaGraellsbusconnectsBar- From theVall delaNogueraPallaresa, runsfromfour(atweek- A localbusservice CENTRALCATALONIA ••Vic Sun Oct-May) 4; meals€20-25; thereOtherwise are three hotels. mid-level with basinandshared showers inthehall. digs,thisbasic If youdoneed city tohave anagreeable gourmetgetaway. forpeople fromthebig toBarcelona enough sity of restaurants, high-quality andit’sclose city isknownforitsdisproportionate den- The Vic isaneasydaytripfromBarcelona. Sleeping &Eating Lluís Borrassà andJaume Huguet. worksbysuchcollection contains key figures as ing downof Christfromthecross. TheGothic the vividDavallament, ascenedepictingthetak- TheRomanesquecollectionincludes Barcelona. collection( cional d’ArtdeCatalunya p299 ) in Na- onlytotheMuseu itissecond In Catalonia manesque andGothicart,amongotherthings. Oct-Mar) 10am-7pmSat,10am-2pmSun 10am-1pm &3-6pmTue-Fri, senior €4/2; ( ter. Entryisfromtheleftsideof thealtar. stone lace-worksplendourof theGothicclois- thetreasurysee roomsandwanderintothe admission fee toenter theRomanesquecrypt, was destroyedbyfire in1936).Itisworththe thefirst(he hadtodothemtwicebecause set Maria ened somewhatbymuralsJosep Sert Inside, thedark,square-based pillars are light- taste, andflanked byaRomanesquebelltower. 1pm &4-7pm) Mercadal. lar markets, henceitsothername,Plaça del mansions.It’sstillthesiteModernista of regu- squares, baroqueand islinedwithmedieval, , thelargest central ofPlaça Major Catalonia’s Sights office Tourist Information of churches crammedintotheoldtown. and wideexplainsthesurprisingnumber 9.30am-2pm &4-7pmSat,10am-1.30pmSun) Carrer delaCiutat4; (with truffles) is delicious. la tòfona(withtruffles) fair prices andnopretensions. Theentrecot a of star traditional cooking,with this isabright % La Taula Hostal Osona Across Carrer deCloquer,the The 93 886 93 60; Plaça del Bisbe Oliba 3; adult/child, student & 93 88660;PlaçadelBisbeOliba3;adult/child,student& holds a marvellous collectionof Ro- holdsamarvellous Catedral de Sant Pere deSantPere Catedral h In a town that bristles with eateries, Inatownthatbristles witheateries, ( % isaneoclassical Goliathof gloomy ( h 10am-7pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-7pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pmSunApr-Sep, % 93 886 32 29, Plaça de Don Miguel de Clariana deClariana 93 8863229,PlaçadeDonMiguel ( % lunch & dinner Tue-Sat all year, lunch only lunch &dinnerTue-Sat allyear,lunchonly h 93 886 20 91; www.victurisme.com; 93 8862091;www.victurisme.com; 93 883 28 45; Carrer de Remei 3;d€28) 93 8832845;Carrer deRemei 10am-2pm & 4-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm &4-8pmMon-Fri,

(admission €2; hostal hasrooms Museu Episcopal Museu h 10am- 381

CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA source of income. mineswereUntil 1990 thesalt animportant deSal(SaltMountain). next totheMuntanya fortress above high lies which itself Cardona, the outlineof theimpregnable 18th-century Long before arrival,youespyinthedistance pop 5230 CARDONA via Terrassa runhere regularly. in thecivilwar. wasrebuiltRiu Cardener, after destruction arcsspantheratherless-impressiveeight The uniqueRomanesque size onlytothatof thecathedralinGirona. the towncentre. Its Gothicnave in issecond hillin , atopthePuigCardener de SantaMaria state. Catalan resa (1897), which publishedthe ofsembly thenationalistUnió Catalanista land, Manresa wasthesceneof thefirst as- heart- A bigcommercialcentre intheCatalan pop 64,000 MANRESA about twohours fromBarcelona. Change inVic.Thetrip(€9.50)takes buses day toFridayandat11.20amonSaturday. at6pmMon- 30inBarcelona Carrer deCasp problematic. the area. forramblesin eagled. Rupitisagoodbase along which partof thevillage isspread- whichdel Fossar, climbsthespineof thehill, away squares. EspeciallyenticingisCarrer abaroquechurchcentury houses, andtucked- reach thevillage, which isfullof quaint 17th- suspension footbridge madeinthe1940sto here comeasquite Youcrossa asurprise. around ing country–theflat-topmountains splendid oldvillageamidrugged graz- set takes you31kmalongtheC153toRupit,a An enchanting excursion northeastof Vic pop 240 Rupit AROUND VIC (€3.80, upto1½hours). Regular &Away There Getting 382 you can’tmiss thegreat hulkthat isthe Rodalies (€3.80,1¼hours) fromBarcelona Not agreat dealof theoldtownremains but Getting hereGetting withoutyourownvehicle is , apoliticalmanifesto foranautonomous CENTRAL CATALONIA ••AroundVic rodalies (lineC3)runfromBarcelona Sagalés ( % 93 8892577) Pont Vell, whose Bases deMan- buses leave buses Basílica you hearwhatthetownsfolk’sfavourite festive (donkey until killers),anoddtag which seems They callthepeopleof Solsona pop 8570 SOLSONA (€1.85, 25minutes). toSolsona proceed minutes). Uptofourbuses 1¾ hours) andninefromManresa (€3.70,40 (€10.90, to fourrundailyfromBarcelona Barcelona–Manresa–Solsona busroute. Up ortwo.the castleforanight s/d €129/170) Ducs deCardona theplacetobeismagnificent wise, tively cheap digsforanovernight Other- stay. Barcelona. in ( p299) Nacionald’ArtdeCatalunya in theMuseu frescoes, someof which canbecontemplated bare stonewallswere oncecovered inbright the castle(andnowhotel) courtyard.The asyouenterguardian’s officeontheright 1pm &3-5pmTue-Sun Oct-May) €2.40/1.80; Església deSantVicenç surrounding district. art gatheredmedieval fromchurches in the a considerable collection ofbuilding houses Sep) 10am-1pm&4.30-7pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pm SunMay- Oct-Apr, child €3/2; copal cloister. thecathedral is the Behind aGothicnaveRomanesque apses, andapretty Catedral is awater-spraying fake. of entertainmentandthedonkey nowadays peopleputanendtothisbizarrerights form of goodfortuneforthecomingyear. Animal asign glob of was,theysay, eithersubstance drink-addled crowdbelow.Tobehitbya piss onitswayup,muchof tothedelight the to death,notunreasonably, wouldshitand de lesHores). Thedonkey, literally scared by theneck,uptownbelltower(Torre carnival funwasthehoistingof adonkey, tobe. activity used buildings isthelofty andspare Romanesque The singlemostremarkable elementof the parador) wasbuiltover anolderpredecessor. Cardona is served bytheAlsinaGraells isserved Cardona A coupleof modest The Every February pointof thehigh Solsona’s The castle (followthesignsuphill tothe . Builtinthe18thcentury, thisneoclassical ( % onPlaçadela deSantaMaria Catedral h h (admission free; 973 482101;PlaçadelPalau; adult/senior& , where youcanfeel like theking of 10am-1pm &4-6pmTue-Sat, 10am-2pmSun 10am-1pm & 3-6pm Tue-Sun Jun-Sep, 10am- 10am-1pm &3-6pmTue-Sun Jun-Sep,

( % 93 8691275;[email protected]; h

( % 10am-1pm &4-8pm) . Toget in,stopatthe pensiones offer rela- 93 8684169;adult/child lonelyplanet.com matarucs Palau Epis- Parador boasts

estly priced. but clean,secure andcentral,rathermod- paiw solsonacentre.com; Carrer deÀngelGuimerà3;s/d€36/45; lonelyplanet.com 12.30pm & 3-5.30pm Sun & holidays mid-Mar–mid-Oct, 10am- 12.30pm &3-5.30pmSunholidaysmid-Mar–mid-Oct, €4.20/2.40; ing fortifiedmonastery The jewelinthecrownisdoubtlessthisimpos- de Poblet MonestirdeSantaMaria Reial villages andmonasteries. green hills,studdedbyoccasionalmedieval oneanotheracrossrollingwoods succeed ragona) toLleidaandbeyond.Vineyards an alternative (orTar- route fromBarcelona andmakesflatlands of southwestCatalonia as arefreshing drab intheotherwise surprise This hilly,green, wine-makingdistrictcomes CONCA DEBARBERÀ toSolsona.(€5.60, 65minutes) andCardona (€12.80,twohours)from Barcelona viaManresa SolsonaCentre Hotel Two to four Alsina Graells buses run daily rundaily Two tofourAlsinaGraellsbuses 2pm Sat,11am-2pmSun) for example, Cellers SantamariaandCooperativa deMollet dePerelada. Tarragona; somepleasing fresh are by, also producedintheEmpordàarea inthenorth produces somefine reds and a coupleofnotablewhites. wines come fromaround Goodfortified to discover beyondthatregion. in theCosters Raïmat, delSegre DOarea inLleidaprovince, Sauvignon, MerlotandPinot Noir)are alsowidespread. (Hare’s Eye) red varieties. Foreign CheninBlanc,Cabernet varieties(suchasChardonnay,Riesling, Garnacha andXarel.lo (for white wines),andtheBlackGarnacha,Monastrell andUlldeLlebre the combinedoutputofremaining DOregions. southwest. The Penedès region pumpsoutalmosttwomillion hectolitres ayearandthusdoubles Empordà area aroundFigueres andtheTerra inthenorth, AltazonearoundGandesain the offers somefinerestaurant optionstoo. in El ’swines,andwinesfromtheadjacentMontsantDOregion, headforthetouristoffice (denominación deorigencalificada) The heavy,tannin-loaded, deep-coloured reds ofElPriorathave gainedthemuch-desired DOC area,perhaps lesswell-knownthanwinesfromtheRioja Catalan winesare fullofpleasantsurprises. (denominación deorigen) p338). chapter, region, whichaloneproducesthebulkofallSpain’ssparklingwhite wines (seetheBarcelona of of Spain’sflagshipexporters Avid tipplerswillhave comeacrossaplayful,relatively inexpensive bubblycalledFreixenet. One CATALAN TIPPLES Falset Freixenet, CodorniuandTorres are thebignamesinPenedès region, butthere isplenty Most ofthegrapesgrowninCatalonia are native toSpainandincludetheWhite , Catalonia’s other DOwinescomefrompointsallover theregion, asthe spread asfarapart But Freixenet andbubbly are onlythetipofCatalan wineberg. Catalonia hosts11DO h ( % 10am-12.45pm &3-6pmMon-Sat,10am- ) ThisisaplainJane of aplace, 977 83 10 23; www.priorat.org; Carrer de Sant Marcel 2; Carrer deSantMarcel 977 831023;www.priorat.org; CENTRALCATALONIA ••ConcadeBarberà

( ( % forinformationonlocalwinecellars. Falset, thecapitalofPrioratarea, % 977 87 12 47; adult/student 977 871247;adult/student wine-producing zones and a remarkable varietyoftipples. zonesandaremarkable Although wine-producing 973 484340www.hotel status long held by wines alone. To further investigate winesalone. statuslongheldbyRioja Tofurther , Freixenet ofCatalonia’s Penedès isbasedat theheart wine alabaster thatisthe creation, towitnessthesculpturalgloryin andausteretypically tall Cistercian Gothic the cloister totheheadof thechurch, a itself haven. Youwillbeledfrom is amarvellous andpavilion,fountain cloister thetwo-level but largely Gothicinstyle. Withitspeaceful to thegrandcloister, of Romanesqueorigins awornRomanesqueentrance be ledthrough flanked towers, byheftyoctagonal youwill visiting emperorFelipe IIin1564. were overlaid impress withgoldtosuitably the itsbronzepanels Daurada issocalledbecause esque eral dependenciesincludingthesmallRoman- square,uneven thePlaça Major, flanked bysev- givesside world.Agrandportal accesstoalong monks’ isolationfromthevanitiesof theout- a defensive measure the andalsosymbolised Maria (a Unesco WorldHeritage site), were & holidaysmid-Oct–mid-Mar) 12.45pm &3-5.30pmMon-Sat,10am-12.30pmSun monks fromsouthernFrancein1151. The wallsof thisabbey toSanta devoted (RoyalGate), Reial Once insidethePorta Capella deSantaCaterina Capella h 9am-3pm & 4-7pm Mon-Fri, 10am- 9am-3pm &4-7pmMon-Fri, retablo andPanteón delos , founded by Cistercian , foundedbyCistercian Porta . ThenearbyPorta

383 CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA well worth searching out. out. well worthsearching .es) Centre d’InformacióiReserves Centre Information routes towardsthePyrenees.several pointofvaried history.It’salsothestarting ian: Lérida)isalikable placewithalongand but ifyou’re notinahurry Lleida (Castil- Much of isflat and drab, western Catalonia pop 124,710 LLEIDA Monges 28km eastof Montblanc,and 10am-1.30pm &3-6pmTue-Sun mid-Jan–mid-Mar) 10am-1.30pm &3-5.30pmTue-Sun mid-Sep–mid-Jan,Sep, Creus Santes drive lovely toPradesleadsthrough country. manesque origins.Thewindingcross-country and churches, aswell assomevestiges of itsRo- includinga highlights, Gothic royal mansion this one-timeroyalresidence isjammedwith battlements, away. Surroundedbymedieval smallhotels. town withseveral road thatmakes walkingtempting, isabright monastery tree-lined alongapleasant country ity. It isworthspendingtimeexploringthevicin- de Poblet MonestirdeSantaMaria Around Reial minute walkfromthelatter. Francolí (€7.55)–themonastery isa40- line) stopatMontblancandL’Esplugade regional (Ca4 Regular trainsfromBarcelona minutes, twomake allstopsonweekends). threeweekdays, stopatthemonastery (55 of Mallorca andValencia) andPere III. suchcontain greats asJaume I(theconqueror coffins, restored byFrederic Marès (see p287 ), Reyes (Kings’Pantheon). alabaster Theraised Lleida provides informationaboutthe city. 2pm &4-7pm Mon-Sat,10am-1.30pm Sun)Turisme de 31bis; Carrer Major http://turisme.paeria.es; free Tue; adult/child €3.60/2.40,plusPoblet&Vallbona €7, monasteries de Francolí(50minutes) andontoLleida & 4.30-6pmSunholidaysNov-Feb) 10.30am-1.30pm&4.30-6pmTue-Sat, noon-1.30pm Mar-Oct, 6.45pm Tue-Sat, noon-1.30pm&4.30-6.45pmSunholidays €7; Creus &Pobletmonasteries 384 More interesting stillis If monasteries are of interest, Vibasa buses Of sixVibasa fromTarragona toMontblanc,L’Espluga L’Espluga deFrancolí,2.5kmawayfromthe CENTRAL CATALONIA ••Lleida h ( % 10am-1.30pm &3-7pmTue-Sun mid-Mar–mid- 973 33 02 66; adult/child €2.50/2, plus Santes 973 330266;adult/child€2.50/2,plusSantes ( % 977 63 83 29; Plaça de Jaume el Just s/n; 977 638329;PlaçadeJaumeelJusts/n; ( % h 902 101363;www.vibasa 10.30am-1.30pm &4.30- , tothenorth,are ( % Montblanc, 8km Vallbona deles 902 250050; h Monestir de Monestir de 10am- , about , about Sat, 10am-1.30pm Sun Oct-May, 10am-1.30pm&4-7.30pm Sat, 10am-1.30pmSunOct-May, 06 53;admission€2.40; free; it onlyrecently recovered from241years’ masterpiece of theTransitionalstyle,although Muslim controlfromAD719to1149).It’sa site of aformermosque(Lleidawasunder stone inthe13thto15thcenturieson Tue-Sat, 10am-1.30pmSunOct-May) 10am-1.30pm&3-5.30pm Tue-Sat, 10am-1.30pmSunJun-Sep, ugly opening hourstheextraordinarily youcanuse on itswestern side,butduringthecathedral’s 19th centuries. defensive wallserected the12thand between withina It stands inpositionandgrandeur. else everything Tue-Sat, 10am-1.30pmSunJun-Sep) Vella Lleida’s ‘oldcathedral’,LaSeu Vella La Seu Post office Policía Nacional delaGeneralitat Turisme Oficina with a Gothic courtyard. It now houses the with aGothic courtyard.It nowhouses barracks. Vella Seu built whenLa wasturnedinto a cal its inception.The18th-centuryneoclassi- thecitygovernmenthoused almostsince A 13th-centuryGothicmansion &Around Major Carrer Suda. La governors, delReior known astheCastell Islamic fortress andresidence of theMuslim capitals. carved has averitable forest of slendercolumns with occupation, dormitories duringthemilitary spacious ifaustere and asstables interior, used are lacedwithexceptionalGothictracery.The southwest endof windows thecloister, whose War of theSpanishSuccession. punishment forthecity’soppositionin asabarracks,which beganasFelipeuse V’s 9.30am-2pmSat) Mon-Fri, de SantJoan. 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To Zaragoza 17 adrid Barcelona (155km); (175km) ( ) Riu Serge % Singlesare smallish buthave Plaça de ( Bores % 0 0 973 23 94 05; www.hotelreallleida.com; 973 239405;www.hotelreallleida.com; 973 242700;PlaçadeSantJoan4; Camps Restaurant Santbernat...... (see17) Bus Station...... Market (Mercat)...... El CellerdelRoser...... Hotel Real...... Hotel RamonBerenguerIV...... Hostal Mundial...... Sala d'Arqueologia...... Museu d'ArtJaumeMorera...... Lift (Ascensor)...... La SeuVella...... La SeuNova...... La Paeria...... Castell delRei(LaSuda)...... Antic ConventdelRoser...... (see10) Post Office...... Policía Nacional...... Centre d'InformacióiReserves..... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES Generalitat...... Oficina Turismedela INFORMATION TRANSPORT EATING SLEEPING Elisis

Ave Joseph Tarrandellas paiw ( To LaSeud'Urgell(126km); % Barcelona viaA2(154km) pa 973 237345;Plaça D 300 m ) 0.2 miles ) A mod- These These 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 4 3 2 1 9 8 7 6 5

385 C4 B3 C3 C3 B1 C3 C4 C3 B3 B2 C4 C3 B2 C2 A3 B1 C3 CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA Saracíbar; meals€20-30; meals €40-50; up totwo hours), including high-speed (€9.90to€19.80, trains head toZaragoza from €8.90to€20.30. Asimilarnumberof by theendof fares 2006).Second-class range from LleidatoTarragona opensas planned AVEfaster timesstillifthehigh-speed stretch twotothreelona, taking hours (youmayfind line. Upto23trainsdailyrunto/fromBarce- Lleida isontheBarcelona–Zaragoza–Madrid TRAIN andHuesca(inAragón). Barbastro d’Urgell, theN230toVielhaandN240 Seu main northwardroadsare theC14toLa ortheN240HwytoTarragona.Barcelona The or avoid theA2toZaragoza tollsbytaking are bytheAP2,butyoucan and Zaragoza The quickest Tarragona routes toBarcelona, CAR &MOTORCYCLE ( % For general information,call bus-timetable BUS &Away There Getting are chargrilled meatdishes. attractions Thestar rather dourbusstation. eatery like thisuponthe1stfloorof the Mon) imported. a SundayinearlyMay, thatsomehave tobe nual many So snail-eating capital. Lleida isCatalonia’s Eating couple of roomshave access. wheelchair and thebetter oneshave generous balconies.A Seu d’UrgellSeu (€14.50,2½hours). d’Àneu (€16.50,three hours); andtwotoLa Sort,Llavorsí andEsterri PobladeSegur, La (€10.89, 2¾hours); one(exceptSunday)to hours); twotoElPontdeSuertandVielha (€16.70,2¼to2¾ on Sunday)toBarcelona 386 sics asentrecot cheese. inCabrales alongwithsuch clas- Lleida forfineseafood, Thisisoneofing seriously. thefew spotsin take thebusiness ofhorrible highrises) cook- giventhis strip–asurprise thesurrounding chefs inthisshady (oneof on house several % La Pèrgola Santbernat Restaurant 973 26 85 00. Daily services byAlsinaGraells 973 268500.Dailyservices 973 271470) Youwouldhardlyexpecttofindahearty (SnailFestival), heldon Aplec delCargol COSTA DAURADA ••VilanovailaGeltrú cargols are swallowedduringthean- h ( % Mon-Sat Jun-Sep, Thu-TueMon-Sat Jun-Sep, Oct-May) include up to 13 buses (three includeupto13buses 973 238237;Passeig deRonda123; h lunch &dinnerThu-Sun, ( % 973 271031;Carrer de The

30; www.volager.com; CamídeCastellnous/n) de pagès orahostal. About theonlywayto dam tothesouth,attractspeleologists. along thefootof thegorge, andaroundthe north, alongtheborderwithAragón.Caves Ribagorçana flowsintothegorge fromthe end of range. theMontsec TheRiuNoguera gorge of rockwallsatthewestern 80m-high is thestunning a fullsix-daycoursecomesto€400. gliding withtheschool foraday(€80),while provides alltheequipment.Youcangohang- offers hang-glidingBellpuig, courses here and intherange.the highest including oneattheSantAlíspeak(1678m), . Església deSantPere the topof which istheintriguingruinof the like amantleover ahill,protrudingfrom top of Colld’Àger(912m).Thevillage isdraped ittothenortheastasyoureachyou’ll see the ley of name. thesame IfcomingviaBalaguer, caving and climbing. ItisalsoapopularareaCatalonia. for walking, main stage for hang-gliders in andultra-lights This hillyrange 65kmnorthof Lleidaisthe MONTSEC hours). trainsheadtoMadridhigh-speed (€55,2¾ justunderonehour.ones, taking About 10 (an almond-and-hazelnut sauce used on used (an almond-and-hazelnut sauce is home totheculinary delicacyof Six minutes westof Sitges bytrain, Vilanova pop 61,430 VILANOVA ILA GELTRÚ answertoEuroDisney. Catalonia’s the modernextravaganza of PortAventura – ofis theoldRomancapital Tarragona, and out intotheMediterranean. Alongtheway RiuEbremighty ( Ebro), which protrudes20km of mainly flatcoast,cappedbythedelta the resorts withunendingbroadbeaches alonga of rada (GoldenCoast),aseries mostlyquiet South of Sitges ( p334 ) stretches the Dau- Costa COSTA DAURADA own wheels. get intoandaroundthearea iswithyour A choice locationforwalkers andclimbers You can stay atoneofYou canstay ahandfulof take-off points, hasahalf-dozen Montsec The focalpointis , anarrow Congost deMont-Rebei Àger, avillage intheval- Volàger lonelyplanet.com ( % , based in , based 973 3202 cases cases xató

Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com itself is, however, of is,however, itself littleinterest. broad beaches. Much of thesprawlingtown López,andatrioofsought-after actorSergi themuch various dishes, particularlyseafood), lonelyplanet.com you back €2.40. from Sitges. thefare FromBarcelona willset The townisjustdown the &Away There Getting denizens of localcooking. lunch onlyonSunday),oneof thesenior Fitorra(meals€30; La the nearbybeach. Thehotel isalsohometo you canjustchill inthegardenafter adayat Saunter oroptforamassage. tothesauna, Or computers withbroadbandInternet access. of categories. Thebestroomshave their own ofa series doubleroomsandsuites inavariety town justbackfromthewaterfront. Itoffers inaleafy,tranquilpartoftop hotel isset rer d’IsaacPeral 4-8;r€90-160; longer… reasonone serious forhangingoutalittle orSitgesthe dayfromBarcelona butthere is topopdownVilanovaIt’s easyenough for Sleeping &Eating Vilanova stages ariotous ilaGeltrú Festivals of steam locomotives attracts kidsof allages. Thecollection trains, nexttothetrainstation. forthemaintenanceinstallations of steam & 5-8pmdailyAug) & Sun,10.30am-2.30pm4-6.30pmSatSep-Jul, 11am-2pm adult/student &child€4.50/3.50; Museum; (Railway delFerrocarril nova’s mainattraction,theMuseu A few blocksinlandfromthebeaches isVila- Sights 10am-2pm SunNov-Mar). 10am-2pm&4.30-7.30pmSat, 10am-1pm Tue-Fri, Sep-Oct, 10am-2pm &4.30-7.30pmSat,SunApr-Jun & 10am-2pm SunJul-Aug,10am-1pm&4.30-7.30pmTue-Fri, .net; Passeig delCarmes/n; office Tourist Information grams of at oneanother! sweeties in costumelaunch more than100,000kilo- of whentownsfolk mels (Battle theSweeties), One of isthe thehighpoints (carnival) inFebruary thatlastsfor13days. Hotel Cèsar Hotel ( ( % % % , located inthe19th-century COSTA DAURADA ••Altafulla 93 8151125;www.hotelcesar.net; Car- 93 815 84 91; Plaça d’Eduard Maristany; 93 8158491;Plaçad’EduardMaristany; 93 8154517;www.vilanovaturisme h

ais 10am-2pm &4-9pmMon-Sat, Tuesday toSaturday, h 10.30am-2.30pm Tue-Fri 10.30am-2.30pm Tue-Fri rodalies (lineC2) Batalla delsCara- ) Thetown’s carnaval

chantingly placedyouthhostels. Occupying of town,thisisoneof theregion’s more en- dent &under26yr/26yrover€18/21) an absorbing place. remains cathedralmake andfinemedieval it archbishopric in1089.Todayits rich Roman 714, butreborn of aChristian astheseat abandoned when the Muslimsarrived inAD andAsturias.in Tarragona was directing campaigns until25BC, and stayed conensis province allmodernSpain) (roughly ofAugustus madeitthecapital hisnewTarra- who calleditTarraco, In27BC in218BC. Tarragona wasfirst occupiedbytheRomans, pop 128,150 TARRAGONA Tarragona (€1.30to€1.50,10minutes). A hostof from localtrainsruntoAltafulla &Away There Getting (singles/doubles €50/70). Upstairs areas tandoori. five pretty rooms There are thrownin,such alsosomesurprises cookingwithanemphasisonseafood. Catalan old town,therestaurant offers traditional made theirfortuneintheAmericas) mansion builtby dinner Sat&SunOct-May) fulla; meals€30; walls. corporates atowerbelongingtotheoldtown a fineoldmansionwithterrace, in- iteven Gran Casa Alberg Sleeping &Eating many available forholidaylet. but have converted sincebeen – intohouses aswarehouses the 19thcenturytheyserved the row of cheerful single-storey knownas houses the othersideof thefreeway) isbacked bya 13th-century itisa andwindows.Capping stone portals and whitewashed wallswithrose-coloured issmallbutcharming,Altafulla allcream corelim invasion.Theoriginalmedieval of inthewakefortified settlement of theMus- 10km eastof Tarragona wasconverted intoa ent citizensof Tarragona, thistownabout Once aRomanholidayresort fortheafflu- pop 1675 ALTAFULLA Altafulla’s broad Altafulla’s Faristol Botigues deMar ( % h 977 65 00 77; Carrer de Sant Martí 5,Alta- 977 650077;Carrer deSantMartí castle. lunch & dinner Jun-Sep, dinner Fri, lunch& dinnerFri, lunch &dinnerJun-Sep, ( % (Sea Shops). Untilwellinto (Sea Housed inan18th-century Housed indianos (localswhohad beach (about 2kmawayon 977 650779;Plaçeta12;dmstu- Intheoldpart

387 CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA 388 0 400 m TARRAGONA 0 0.2 miles

To Bus Station (200m); s COSTA DAURADA ••Tarragona é Hospital Joan XXIII (500m); u q A r v e Aqüeducte Romà (4km); u i d a l n a tina Barcelona (96km); M u g d is INFORMATION t u u r a n d g C Arqueològic Valencia (260km) o edruna r a in d e v ia C Ciberespai...... 1 C1 u M l d A r de g o e a Sa n e de V S C M n Guàrdia Urbana...... 2 C2 i d Santa Joaquima I t P v a Passeig a ta Pla de 11 A in l u Post Office...... 3 D2 P u Palau n Camp de Plaça e y 12 s Regional Tourist Office...... 4 D2 a Mart e d e Imperial r u Tourist Information Kiosk...... 5 F2 Car e 8 d q Tàrraco rer rr a o a i e m C C d‘E i d o l Pla de Tourist Information Kiosk...... 6 C1 sta C g a C s ni ir ia R e sla V ri 20 C d la Seu l Tourist Information Kiosk...... 7 E2 6 u V e i iv e i Fig I p r ad C 28 on 1 ue e e C d a t res a Im p r d e rc n Tourist Infromation Kiosk...... 8 E1 r ' ia 9 M e l ia A i s I 'Im 14 e l N atr t v ai I a rc a ou P n E1 o s e m r er a Tourist Office...... 9 R a d o C o ia S C ia R C j de e u V a de a e 2 r d a v ls Plaça del 25 d u P al M arre ala le g C P C e Ajuntament rs Fòrum i re d C e Pa Av Portella s C s A Plaça de d 16 a v lt e P 19 i l 15 de la n ja a la Font la Ca s 24 g i s N n R 29 a 21 u ó A a u d am c m R ' s b Carrer a e Market d d e la 22 Av m s V P o (Mercat) C de n e 18 r l a l a r la o F t C Car C Plaça í d r rer de Governador Gon t t del Rei a e o n s gust f y a u Exit u To Camping Las l e A a ó S Carr g a t d n Vi d'August A from Circ Palmeras (1km); Platja P s u R i Plaça de t 5 a r C r er a SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES Necròpolis Paleocristians...... 19 A2 i 4 t Roman Arrabassada (1km); s Ca b C o rre Corsini F R n s M r a a 7 a e e de e Platja Llarga (3km); Amfiteatre Romà...... 10 F3 Passeig Arqueològic...... allo 20 E1 d a Carrer m S d 33 i rc d b g a i l e r Barcelona (90km) C le 3 a e na L záles d r o Catedral...... d 11 F1 Pretori i Circ Romans...... 21 F2 N r e C de Reding o r e a a d v C s e r a i r Gi C e Entrance to Catedral, d C e l r e r a Plaça d'Arce Riu Francolí d r Plaça e e

m l de ó á Cloister...... I 12 F1 SLEEPING e C i úñez i 10 Ochotorena r n u Ponent a n r m r r l de a d r N d a e e U a Fòrum Romà...... 13 D3 Hostal La Noria...... 22 E2 J n r 'A a P C r C de Méndez p l e C a d e C 13 e Museu Casa Castellarnau...... 14 E1 Hotel Lauria...... 23l E3 a d r C a r s n l r v l e rer II a C e l e d n r d e r t a e t E r e r 23 d è Hotel Plaça de la Font...... 24 E2 iv e r Museu d'Art Modern...... 15 F2 r issa r e s re a ria g n a C r l P Platja del Miracle a t r C s c pu a o d a a v Museu d'Història de les Armes tx S e o i M in C r o n a s a r P a o o s c e t o C de deRoger Llú T a Antigues...... 16 E2 EATING r a n C c s e e e d e d d d e t Museu Diocesá...... (see 12) Bar Toful...... P 25 F2 o 'I a el d o c p a d a e r r r a f r t a d o A P x R EI Varadero...... 26 B4 ' i Museu del Port...... 17 B4 e

C de Cart Agena Orosi a r p l r d m r B i a 31 e e C It a arre L'Ancora...... r 27 B4 r r d r Museu Nacional Arqueològic de V de r a C Sa e a nt M a r M iquel i u Tarragona...... 18 F2 Quim Quima...... 28 F1 r C d a ig r a e P Plaça de s M E D I T E R R A N E A N Plaça C ó C s a c Ca e a r i rr Carrer del la Carros rer r er P dels d B d d e S e ar e m ce r Train Infants ith is lon S E A a e General Contreras r Station M r Ca u rr e a C e a ar r e re Re d r d ial n d C e r L r 30 DRINKING eo a n l r e l r e C e r a r r rre t EI Cau...... 29 E2 r a a de M s 17 ar C a C Pub Sis...... 30 D4 C C e Plaça lonelyplanet.com er d P t Carrer de Rebolledo dels e an S 26 ENTERTAINMENT S de Carros a er Ca n arr 27 rrer Cova del Jazz...... 31 D3 t C de e Tra J d fal o C ina Serrallo gar 32 Discos...... 32 D4 a av n Gr Music Bars...... (see 32)

TRANSPORT Port Balcó Bus to Beaches...... 33 F2 Esportiu marks thebeginningof theoldtownand,in- Vella,the east,andparallel,isRambla which ing theMediterranean. Acoupleof blocksto overlook- northwestfromaclifftop roughly Nova,The mainstreet which isRambla runs Orientation lonelyplanet.com the northwest flankof thebuilding. Theentrance isbythecloister on de laSeu. features, astypifiedbythemain façade onPla temple, itcombinesRomanesque andGothic 1171and1331onthesitebetween of aRoman of yourtime,ifyou’re todoitjustice. Built 1½hours ormorea treasure deserving house 10am-2pmMon-Satmid-Nov–mid-Mar) mid-Oct–mid-Nov, 10am-5pm Mon-Sat 10am-7pmMon-SatJun–mid-Oct, May, admission €2.40; Tarragona’s Sitting grandlyatthetopof theoldtown, CATEDRAL als todropbyandtake alook. shop owners are generally happyforindividu- rants. Iftheyare nottoobusywithcustomers, viewed, someof theminshopsandrestau- the oldtownwhere Roman remains can be moreIt details than30locationsthroughout bana brochure fromthe maintouristoffice. Pick upthehandyRuta Ur- Arqueològica Sights &Activities office Tourist office tourist Regional 9.30am-2pmSat) Fri, Post office Information kiosks Hospital JoanXXIII Guàrdia Urbana Ciberespai Information northwest, offPlaçaImperialdeTàrraco. isabout 2kminland,justtothe bus station Nova, andthe of neartheseafront, Rambla the RomanroadfromRometoCádiz. followsthelineof cidentally, theViaAugusta, 11pm Sat&Sun) Figueres 58;perhr€1.80; These are scattered abouttown. 2pm Sun&holidaysOct-Jun) 10am-2pm&4-7pmMon-Sat,10am- 3pm SunJul-Sep, 39; isme.es; Carrer Major Torroja 58) 37) Riba tuny 4; The train station isabout 500msouthwest The trainstation h 9am-2pm & 4-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pmSat) 9am-2pm &4-6.30pmMon-Fri, ( (PlaçadeCorsini; % ( cathedral h % 977 245764;Carrer d’Estanislau ( % 10am-1pm &4-7pmMon-Satmid-Mar– COSTA DAURADA ••Tarragona 977 250795;www.tarragonatur ( ( % h 977 240345;Carrer dePrat h h ( % 977 232714;Passeig de ( 10am-2pm Sat & Sun Apr-Sep) 10am-2pm Sat&SunApr-Sep) % 9am-9pm Mon-Sat,10am- 9am-11pm Mon-Fri, 10am- 9am-11pm Mon-Fri, h 977 233415;Carrer deFor- 977 23 86 85; Pla de la Seu; 977 238685;PladelaSeu; 8.30am-8.30pm Mon- is Roman sites (which since2000together have 22 20;Carrer delsCavallers14) is another excavated area with astretch of southwest. Linked tothesite byafootbridge rest of theforumstretched downhilltothe legal disputes were fromwhich the settled), was occupiedby ajudicialbasilica(where ing columns.Thenorthwesthalfof thissite the werethey say, burntalive here in AD259. tian bishop Fructuosusandtwodeacons,who, to commemorate themartyrdomof theChris- mains of 6th-and12th-centurychurches built well-preserved Tarraconensis province. Nearthe beach isthe the provincial forumandpoliticalheartof Nearby PlaçadelFòrumwasthelocationof here tobeyondPlaçadelaFontthewest. held. Thecircus,300mlong,stretched from of theRomancircus,where chariot raceswere 52; PlaçadelRei) serves Castellarnau as Casa the Museu a 14th-centurynoble mansion,which now constituted a Unesco WorldHeritage site) and Sun &holidaysOct-Easter) 9am-5pmTue-Sat, 10am-3pm 3pm Sun&holidaysEaster-Sep, per site€2/1,allsites€8/4; This MUSEU D’HISTÒRIADETARRAGONA from thelife of StThecla. inthe13thcenturywithscenes was carved Themarblemainaltar walnutstalls. carved in thecentre of thenave has15th-century TeclaSanta onthesoutheastern side. Thechoir isnormallykeptde patron saint, intheCapella ThearmofBrussels. StThecla,Tarragona’s from with 16th-and17th-centurytapestries with 14th-to19th-centurychapels and hung Gothic atthesouthwest.Theaislesare lined long, isRomanesqueatthenortheastendand breastfeeding Virgin. of a 14th-century polychrome woodcarvings from Romanhairpinstosomelovely 12th-to ocesà, withanextensive collectionextending Di- theMuseu rooms offthecloister house funeral…until thecatcomesbacktolife! The rats conductingwhattheyimaginetobeacat’s oneof capitals, which shows manesque carved animals, tothedeath.Initsarena are there- where gladiators battledeach other,orwild Southeast of Carrer deLleidaare remains of iCircRomans withthePretori Start The interior of thecathedral,over 100m The cloister hasGothicvaultingandRo- , dominated by several impos- Fòrum Romà,dominated byseveral museum , which includes partof thevaults (www.museutgn.com; adult/student&senior Amfiteatre Romà Amfiteatre comprises four separate fourseparate comprises . h 9am-9pm Tue-Sat, 9am- ( %

( 977 242579) %

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, CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA Sep, 10am-1.30pm & 4-7pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun & holidays 10am-1.30pm&4-7pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pmSun &holidays Sep, free; This carefully presented DE TARRAGONA MUSEU NACIONAL ARQUEOLÒGIC Spanish Succession. put upbytheBritishduringWar of the are mainlyRoman,whiletheouter oneswere twolinesofbetween citywalls;theinnerones ously assumed. much bigger andmore thanprevi- important the Romanrepublic) suggests theforumwas (the major triumvirate of godsatthetimeof tions of atemple toJupiter, JunoandMinerva discovery in2006of remains of thefounda- lic andreligious life fortheRomantown.The Roman street. Thisforumwasthehubof pub- www.mnat.es; Plaça del Rei 5;adult/senior &under18yr€2.40/ www.mnat.es; PlaçadelRei 390 around partof theperimeter of the oldtown The October 2008. Otherwise, theseandmanyotherteams turnupat 2008.Otherwise, October club, theCastellers deVilafranca, tooktheirthirdsuccessive titlein2006.The onewillbein next a record ofeightstoreys. lapsing isdescarregat. Especiallydifficultisa for tumultuousapplauseandcheering. A A completed castell issignalledbythechildattop(the forthefirst,secondandthirdstoreys) are(extra ringsofsupport trickyandtermed were achieved. the 1880s,whencastells suchas Penedès andTerrassa have three ofthemostfamousteams of Unesco declared thePatum aWorldHeritageitem in2005. day after Easter Sunday)althoughthere are simplifiedversions over twoorthree thenext days. and smoke. The ‘real’ Patum happenson Corpus Christi(theThursday followingtheeighth Sun- monsters,giantsmulelike dwarfs, and mencovered ingrassculminates inamassfrenzy offire fire festival isthePatum inBerga. Anevening ofdancingandfirework-spitting angels,devils, bined midsummerandStJohn’sEve celebration,andfireworks explodeallnight.The supreme accompanied bygrotesque(knownas ‘dwarfs’ and queen.Almostevery townandvillagehasitsownpair,oruptosixpairs,ofgiants. They’re dance inthesquares. Giantstend pairs,suchasamedievalking tocomeinmale-and-female round-dance) andgegants,splendidlyattired 5m-highgiants thatparadethroughthestreets or placeinJulyorAugust.ally take Part ofthe if youintend togetclose!) dragon figures runthroughthestreets spittingfireworks atthecrowds. (Wearprotective clothes festivals, butCatalonia addsaspecialtwistwiththe Catalans getuptounusualtricksatfestatime. Fire inmanySpanish andfireworks playabigpart FIRE-BREATHERS, GIANTS &HUMAN CASTLES h Every twoyearsachampionship competitionisheldinTarragona’s bullring. The mostsuccessful There are acastell variouswaysofconstructing : thosebuiltwithoutapinya, A more orderlycelebrationisthebuildingof On LaNitdeSantJoan(23June),bigbonfires burnatcrossroadsandtownsquares inacom- Correfocs COSTA DAURADA ••Tarragona 10am-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pmSun &holidaysJun- isapeacefulwalk Passeig Arqueològic are ofthe often part museum ( % festa major,atownorvillage’smainannualfestival, whichusu- tres denou(‘three ofnine’,ieninestoreys ofthree people) 977 23 62 09; 977 236209; castell thatmanagestodismantleitselfwithoutcol- festa majorfunare the pilar, atowerofonepersonperstorey, whichhas capsgrossos, or‘bigheads’). 11 75;Avinguda iCajal80;adult/senior &under deRamón museum is openatpresent. museum elaborate tombs.Unfortunately onlyitssmall ern edge of town andboastssomesurprisingly is onPasseig delaIndependènciaonthewest- cemetery of late-Roman andVisigothic times Tue-Sat, 10am-2pmSun Oct-Jun) h NacionalArqueológic deTarragona;18yr €2.40/free withMuseu attheNecròpolisPaleocristians seum Priapus. ing anoutsizedstonepenis,symbolof thegod you canadmire ancientfertility aidsinclud- creatures. sea arts oneveryday Inthesection Mosaic dePeixos delaPineda, isthelarge, pottery. A highlight almostcomplete the Romancitywalls,frescoes, sculpture and includepartof Exhibits orCastilian. Catalan mostexplanatorymaterialraco, although isin Oct-May) castells –humancastles. Valls, Vilafranca del Admission entitlesyoutoenter themu- 10am-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun Jul-Sep, 10am-5.30pm 10am-8pm Tue-Sat, 10am-2pm SunJul-Sep, correfoc inwhich deviland (fire-running), gives intoRomanTar- furtherinsight anxaneta) raisingtheirarm,acue castellers. The goldenagewas festes allover Catalonia. sardana (Catalonia’s national . Thislarge Christian folre ormanilles showing fish and showingfish and lonelyplanet.com net (clean).

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Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com & holidays Jun-Sep; 10am-2pm&4-7pmTue-Sat, 11am-2pm & holidaysJun-Sep; 4-7pm Mon-Sat,10am-1pmSun) eras.com; sitesper2-persontent&car €37; ing whentemporary exhibitionstake place. 8pm Sat,11am-2pmSun&holidays) Anna 8;admissionfree; gallery This modestart MUSEU D’ARTMODERN lonelyplanet.com of Platja Llarga (3kmnortheastof Tarragona) LasPalmeras Camping Sleeping Vellafrom alongRambla Nova. andRambla to both(€1.05).Youcanget buses thesame go stoponViaAugusta and 9fromtheBalcó further out,stretches 1 forabout 3km.Buses , beginning2kmis longer, andPlatjaLlarga rabassada, 1kmnortheastacrosstheheadland, clean butcanget terribly crowded. The town beach, BEACHES the freeway tollgates. marked oneithersideof theAP7,justoutside to thevicinity,orparkinoneof thelay-bys 10to20minutes,running every willtake you Sant SalvadorfromPlaçaImperialdeTàrraco, which you cantotter totheotherside. Bus5to along aqueduct (217mlongand27mhigh), the N240).Itisafinestretch of two-tiered into Tarragona (nearwhere itintersects with justofftheAP7freeway,rough which leads It sits,somewhatincongruously,intheleafy theRomansleftbehind. other of themarvels Romà Aqüeducte Bridge isactuallythe The so-calledDevil’s PONT DELDIABLE faring items. a few modelboatsandoneortwoothersea- only), andCastilian Roman times(inCatalan displays tracingthehistoryof theportfrom shed. There’s notalottoit;there are some Sun &holidaysOct-May) €1.80/1.20; ( Down bythewaterfront, thiscuriousmuseum MUSEU DELPORT museum If you’re intooldswords,lancesandpistols,this ANTIGUES MUSEU D’HISTÒRIADELESARMES cheerful campingground liesatthefar end % 977 25 94 42; Refugi 2MolldelaCost;adult/student 977 259442;Refugi (Carrer delaNau12;admission€3; h 10am-2pm &5-8pmTue-Sat, 11am-2pmSun (admission free; COSTA DAURADA ••Tarragona Platja delMiracle h is housed inadockside ishoused 10am-8pm Tue-Fri, 10am-3pm&5- 10am-8pm Tue-Fri, ( % ( % isaninteresting stop. 977 208081;www.laspalm isatitsmostinterest- 977 23 50 32; Carrer de Santa 977 235032;Carrer deSanta h 9am-dusk) , isreasonably h ps 10am-1pm & 10am-1pm & Platja Ar- , yetan- ) This fishing port. About adozenbars and restaurants the town’s rience can bestbehadinSerrallo, meat inboilingwhite wine. fondue, including oneinwhich youcookthe crepes,cheese varioustypes of lasagna, meat and menu iswide-ranging,includingsausage or optfortheshadylittlecourtyard.The playful forameal.Huddleuptobare setting stonewall mansionmakesvated medieval amarvellous 1bis; meals€35,menúdeldía€14.90; and choice of meatandfish mains. also goodvalue,withagenerous gazpacho dinner. Themidday or fish–acheap, cheerful andgood-value ers crowdinforasteak inmushroom sauce, by foratipple,andonweekend oth- evenings over ortwo. abeer Duringthedaypeopledrop of a meccaforlocalsinsearch goodol’tapas Since the1940sthisknockaboutbarhasbeen €15-20; Bar Toful Eating occasional nicetouch such asfresh flowers. quet floors, leather-backed furniture andthe on thefunctionalside,butbesthave par- ofhas awhiff anotherera. Theroomsare alittle thehotel along thecity’sgrandestboulevard, Nova 20;s/d€40/58; conies withviewsover thesquare. ofand, inthecase halftherooms,littlebal- modern look,withsoft colours, sturdybeds atriflecramped,havealthough apleasing crisp notch upandalsoonthetownsquare isthis pdelafont.com; PlaçadelaFont26;s/d€40/58; gona’s street life. balcony assure youawindowonoldTarra- witha attached cleanbathroom,andthose Rooms are buthave simpleenough theirown can’t domuch cornerdigs. better thanthese ontheoldtown’smainsquare,right you 53; s/d€21/34) land nearby. frontage anduntouchedwood- coastal seaside camping groundenjoysa1.5kmstretch of leafy parklandjustbackfromthebeach. The east of thecity.Abigpoolstretches outamid grounds scattered behindthebeaches north- and isoneof thebetter of camping eight The quintessential TarragonaThe quintessential expe- seafood Quim Quima Hostal LaNoria Lauria Hotel PlaçadelaFont Hotel pensión withitsownrestaurant. Rooms, h ( % 8am-6pm Mon-Thu, &Sat) 8am-midnightFri Forabargain position basement 977 214216;ArcdeSantBernat4;meals ( % as ( % 977 23 67 12; www.hlauria.es; Rambla Rambla 977 236712;www.hlauria.es; ( % 977 252121;Carrer delesCoques ) With its dignified façade Withitsdignifiedfaçade menú deldía(€8.75)is 977 238717;PlaçadelaFont ( % h 977 246134;www.hotel Tue-Sat) Thisreno- a 391 ) A

CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA seafood. Go for a selection of Goforaselection dishes, whichseafood. quet Vell; takes 52minutes to1½hours. range from €5.40to€17.20, andthejourney viaSants.FaresGràcia station inturista class Passeigper dayrunto/from Barcelona’s de Up to50regional trains andlong-distance TRAIN the train. coast. As youare arule though, better offwith main Andaluciancities,Andorraand thenorth Madrid, Alicante,Zaragoza, Pamplona, the Valencia, runtoBarcelona, Bus services BUS erally themuch easieroption. Tarragona iswellconnected. Thetrainisgen- Lying onmainroutes southfromBarcelona, &Away There Getting which maestro isonthatparticularnight. arenights thesame.Checkwebsite for ensuringthatnotwo perform onmostnights, ing incentralTarragona. Various DJsandacts from 11pm. Pau 5) delProtectorat 3am) Carrer delaPau delProtectorat. in frontof such thetrainstation, asalong Esportiu (marina),andinsomeof thestreets and The mainconcentrationof nightlife isthe &Entertainment Drinking unheard-of. onsummerweekends areat midnight not one of Hour-long theoutdoortables. queues at upstairs) or,inthesummer,take upaseat it’ll begood.Youcansitinside(head choose, a laplancha (grilledcrayfish). Whatever you fried mussels), include might (Carrer deTrafalgar13) 1am) by 10.30pm. the restaurants theirkitchens fairlyearly, close ends inparticulartheplaceispacked. Most of here theday’scatch, andonsummerweek- sell 392 Roman circus,thisisthebestplacefordanc- Cova delJazz conversation. AtnearbyCova natured placetostopbyforadrinkandloud Pub Sis L’Ancora El Cau For a dose of Foradose ’80smusic,thisisagood- anditssister establishment clubs alongthewaterfront nearthePort COSTA Aventura DAURADA ••Port h ( % ( % daily) (Carrer deTrafalgar25;meals€25-30;1pm- 977 231212;www.elcau.net;Carrer deTrin- 977 238014;Carrer deBarcelona6; Set inoneof thevaultsof Set the ostrón (fatoyster) and youcanencounter live music tigres breaded (stuffed, and brimwithmouthwatering El Varadero (Carrer de h cigalas 8pm- bars

map guidingyouto30-odd man- Modernista s/n; 5pm lateMar–mid-May) h Aquatic Park Park, thecomplexincludestwohotels and tocheck.weekends andholidaysbutitiswise March varygreatly. Theparkusuallyopenson ranging fromtheWildWesttoPolynesia. rides inEurope),spread acrossthemedareas park (at 100moneof amusement thehighest del Foc(Temple of Fire) andHurakanCondor rides andotherattractions,such astheTemple tow. Theparkhasplentyof spine-tingling ing dayout,especiallyifyouhave children in lies 7kmwestof Tarragona. Itmakes anamus- midnight Jul-Aug, 10am-8pmEaster-Jun 10am-7pmOct) &Sep, €53.50/43; €37/30, Jul&Aug €35/28,2-daytickets mid-Sep–mid-Jun adult/senior &child5-12yr .portaventura.es; ture parks One of Spain’smostpopularfunfair-adven- AVENTURA PORT to €15.10,uponehour40minutes). lucía. Upto11headnorthwestLleida(€5.40 downthecoastandintoAnda- eral proceed (€14.75 to€31.30,two3½hours) andsev- pretty village mountain of Tarragona (€1.30to€1.50,1520 minutes). in advance. Regulartrainsconnect Reuswith forwhichtobook of youneed houses, these and French) tosomeof themostinteresting organises guidedvisits(sometimes inEnglish sions aroundthetowncentre. Thetouristoffice office of mansions.The a series Modernista tiles andbrandy.Birthplaceof Gaudí, itboasts andamajor exportcentrein Catalonia of tex- city mostimportant 19th century,thesecond Reus was,formuch of halfof thesecond the pop 99,500 REUS &AROUND the AP7,orN340fromTarragona. around 1½hours). Byroad,take exit35from (from€5.20to€5.95, minutes) and Barcelona a dayfromTarragona (€1.20to€1.50,1015 times about a1kmwalkfromthesite, several of wetrides. €9.50/8 remaining dayswhenonlytheheatedareas are open; Trains runtoPortAventura’s ownstation, Opening daysandhours fromNovember to Up to15trainsadayrunsouthValencia In additiontothemainarea, PortAventura About 35kmnorthwest of Reus,above the h 10am-7pm Jul-Aug, 10am-6pm mid-May–Jun & Sep, 10am- &Sep, 10am-7pm Jul-Aug,10am-6pmmid-May–Jun ( % 9.30am-1.30pm &4-7pmMon-Sat) 902 36 02 00; turisme.reus.net; Carrer de Sant Joan 902 360200;turisme.reus.net;Carrer deSantJoan ( (adult/child & senior €19/15.50 mid-May–Sep, (adult/child &senior€19/15.50mid-May–Sep, % 902 2041or , a waterworld with all sorts , awaterworld withallsorts % , stand the the Siurana, stand lonelyplanet.com 902 202220;www canprovide a h tourist tourist Caribe Caribe 10am-

ers. in InSiuranayoucouldstay and thearea attractsrock-climbers andwalk- the rockywallsof the range, deMontsant Serra to thereconquering Christians.Toitswestrise remains of oneof thelastMuslimcastlestofall lonelyplanet.com Salou), inspired bytheplace’slongbeaches, extension of of touristghetto thehigh-density A sprawlingtouristtown(more orlessan pop 26,210 CAMBRILS d’Escornalbou. deSantMiquel Escaladei orCastell-Monestir of abouthalfanhour. compulsory guidedtour,probably inCatalan, and chapterhouse. Youwillbetaken ona (from the12thand13thcenturies),cloister most interesting elements are thechurch but hardlytoexactinghistoricalcriteria. The complex isinruins;partshave rebuilt been ing from1153,much of thecastle-monastery 10am-1.30pm&3-5.30pmTue-Sun Oct-May) Jun-Sep, d’Escornalbou Miquel deSant theCastell-Monestir , stands Riudecanyes (€4.50/3.90). are available(usually inCatalan) onweekends are a1kmwalkoutof thevillage. Guidedvisits Oct-May) 10am-1.30pm&3-5.30pmTue-Sun 4-7.30pm Tue-Sun Jun-Sep, 06; adult/student&senior€2.40/1.80; tive ruinsof the produces somefineElPriorat reds. Theevoca- range,in avalleybelowthemountain which westwardsto the Montsant hugstherugged southernfaceof TV7021) Siurana, anarrowandpicturesque road(the inthemiddleofstone house thevillage. 6;d€36) 82 1450;Carrer Major & senior€2.40/1.80; There isnopublictransporttoSiurana, To thesoutheast,4kmwestof thevillage of From , 9kmfrom From CornudelladeMontsant, of abating intheimmediate future. The thatthebullsareof theirlonghistory andthefact heated notkilled. debate showsnosigns are allowedbytheCatalan government, whichrecognises therighttohold these around withflaming torchesattachedtotheirhorns. Denouncedby animalrightsgroups,they between abullwithropestiedtoits hornsandtownsfolk,thelatter involvingbullsrunning towns, peoplecelebrate bouscapllaçats oftug-of-war andbousembolats,theformerakind region, localshave indulgedintheirownsummertormentoftheanimals. InAmpostaandother butsomemaynotbeawarelong historyinthespectacle) thatinthesouthern corneroftheir Many Catalanstheirloathing ofbullfighting(anattitudethatclasheswithBarcelona’s advertise TAKING THEBULLSBY THEHORNS , a12th-centurymonastery complex, h COSTA DAURADA ••Cambrils Cartoixa d’Escaladei Cartoixa 10am-1.30pm &4-7.30pmTue-Sun

( % , acharming, refurbished 977 834007;adult/student Escaladei, located h Can Roig Can 10am-1.30pm & ( % 977 8270 ( % . Dat- 977 977 10am-1.30pm &3.30-6.30pmMonWed-Sat, 4.30-7.30pm Mon&Wed-Sat,10am-1.30pmSunEaster-Oct, 4-8pm) 30; in classisthenearby the portionsare andgenerous. tasty Astep up canbeabrupt, but fishing boatstieup.Service Passeig 26;meals€45-55; deMiramar ant cloister and some baroque additions. Other ant cloister andsomebaroqueadditions.Other afine stands groundsthere unearthed andinwhose now Arab cemetery hasbeen a smallmedieval over bytheimposing end of thecity,northof theEbro,iswatched hours intheJardins delPríncepgardens. Sun) 1; PlaçadelCarrilet .turismetortosa.com; and MuslimSpainforfourcenturies. Christian on thenorthernfrontlinebetween Romans, Visigoths andMuslims.Thetownwas themallcomeandgo:Greeks, hasseen Tortosa Home toIberiantribessome2000years ago, pop 33,700 TORTOSA gona bylocaltrain(€1.50to€2.10). caldereta debogavante Sun) Manel as aculinarymagnet. port and,above all,somethingof areputation ers, someRomanremains, thebusyfishing tow- bit of medieval exploration,withseveral in manypeople’sminds,theplacerewards a aregona. sunandsand Although uppermost and fishing port,18kmsouthwestof Tarra- aroundtheoriginaloldvillagehas developed pas h office As wellasthetourist The oldtown,concentrated atthewestern isabout 25minutesCambril fromTarra- trybustling For goodseafood, , where you might succumb to the succulent , where succumbtothesucculent youmight , there isaninformationofficewithsimilar datesapleas- back to1347andcontains

Tue-Sun) ( % ) 977 363024;Passeig 38;meals€25- deMiramar . The , afew steps awayfromwhere the parador Gothic catedral ( Gatell Casa % (lobster stew; €37). Castell delaSuda,where Castell 977 44 44 50; s/d €116/154; 977 4450;s/d€116/154; ( h % festas because (Seu; (Seu; h Tue-Sat, lunch only Tue-Sat, lunchonly 977 449648;www ( % 10am-1.30pm & h La Roca d’en La Rocad’en 977 36 00 57; 977 360057; 9am-1pm & 9am-1pm &

393 CATALONIA CATALONIA CATALONIA and cooltilefloors. There’s abardownstairs. roomsboastgood-sizedbeds what antiseptic modern ifsome- cheerful, centralstopwhose (admission €1.20; 2pm SunOct-Apr) 10am-2pm&3-6pm Mon-Sat,10am- 10am-2pm SunMay-Sep, Buera22,Deltebre; Martí The Information d’Enveja (twopeopleand acar€2.50). linkDeltebreing untilnightfall, toSantJaume (transbordadors), allontheN340. Threede laRàpita, towns of andSantCarles L’Ampolla,Amposta toDeltebrethe delta andbeyondfromthe bank isSantJaume d’Enveja. Roadscrisscross Cava. Facinghalf La Deltebre onthesouthern ern halfiscalledJesús iMaria andtheeastern river atthecentre of thedelta. Deltebre’s west- about 5kmalongthenorthernbankof the it’s middle. Thetownof Deltebre straggles land withtheEbroflowingeastwardsacross arrowheadof isaseaward-pointing The delta Orientation the along thecoastsandaroundlagoons,form over torice-growing. Some77sqkm,mostly Peninsula toparkthemselves choose here. 10% of allwater birdswintering ontheIberian they are alsonumerousinwinter andspring: average of 53,000ducksand15,000coots,but thebirdpopulationpeak,withan ber) sees (October andNovem-The migrationseason water-ern Spain’smostimportant bird habitat. wetlandisnorth- beaches, thisflatandexposed reedy lagoonsandfringed bydune-backed southern border.near Catalonia’s Dotted with river, sticksout20kmintotheMediterranean l’Ebre), downbythe formedbysiltbrought ofThe delta the de Delta Río Ebro(Catalan: EBRO DELTA l’Ebre area. de runintotheDelta Twotofourbuses buses. hour 10minutes) are more frequent thanthe LleidaandTarragonaBarcelona, (€5.40,one other onRondadelsDocs.Trainsto/from Avinguda 139;s/d€32/54; delaGeneralitat lovely JardinsdelPríncep,perfect forastroll. attractions includethe 394 The train and bus stations areThe trainandbusstations opposite each Hostal Virginia Nearly half the delta’s 320sqkmareNearly halfthedelta’s given Parc NaturalDeltadel’Ebre Centre d’Informació Centre COSTA DAURADA ••EbroDelta iscombined withanEcomuseu h ( % same asCentre d’Informació) runningfromearlymorn- 977 44 41 86; www.hotelvirginia.net; 977 444186;www.hotelvirginia.net; h 10am-2pm &3-7pmMon-Sat, Palau Episcopalandthe ( % 977 489679;Carrer de . aiw , with ferries ) is a isa

ant, barandminimarket. There are twomore Platja del’Eucaliptus.Ithasitsownrestaur- is inasmalleucalyptusgrove justbackfrom its northernend. Platjalong, wideandsandy de l’Eucaliptusat spitwiththe bya5kmsand joined tothedelta where theyreproduce. is delaBanya Punta oneofhas been only five placesinEurope the birdsnesthere, andsince1992thedelta birds.Almost2000of mostspectacular delta’s the the bestplacestosee Tancada are delaBanya andPunta generally La you canpickupattheCentred’Informació). TancadaLa one(others are marked onamap towers and hastwoobservation L’Encanyissada allinthesouthof delaBanya, thedelta. Punta Tancada andLa L’Encanyissada lagoonsand times for of town,rents outbicyclesyear-round. 17; Avinguda Golesdel’Ebre 184;perday€10) Deltebre. and youcanrent placesin onefromseveral A goodwaytoexplore isby thedelta bicycle Sights &Activities and L’Ampolla. Amposta fices are delaRàpita, inSantCarles lagoon, 10kmsouthwestof Deltebre. Otherof- besideL’Encanyissada deFusta, Casa at La lagoons a permanentexpositiononthedelta’s 10am-2pm &3-6pmMon-Sat,SunOct-Apr) h an aquarium-terrarium of species. delta environmentand displays describingthedelta around in theleafycourtyard andgardensin rooms, as wellasagoodrestaurant. Lounge hotelto Riumar,thisdelightful hasmodern On thenorthernedge of Deltebre, bytheroad Avinguda delCanal,Camídel’Illeta s/n;s/d€56/94; Deltebre. camping groundsatRiumar,10km eastof & car€19.75; Eucaliptus Camping Sleeping there are takers). enough (andwhetherornot depends ontheseason tip.Boatsgodaily,butthefrequencydelta’s the mouths of theEbro andIlladeBudaatthe of companiesthatrundailytourist (1½ hours, €10perperson) fromDeltebre to Delta Hotel are morningandevening Early thebest There’s another Olmos 10am-2pm & 3-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun May-Sep, 10am-2pm &3-7pmMon-Sat,SunMay-Sep, ( % bird-watching, andgoodareas include h Lloguer de Bicicletes Torné Lloguer deBicicletes Book accommodationBook online at lonelyplanet.com 977 480548) Apr–mid-Oct) Apr–mid-Oct) ( % ( 977 480046;www.dsi.es/delta-hotel; % information office 977 47 90 46; sites per 2-person tent 977 479046;sitesper2-persontent isjustoneof acouple This camping ground This campingground greater greater flamingos, the lonelyplanet.com

, intheheart (admission €1.50; (admission €1.50; ( % boat trips 977 4800 pa with with )

you eat, ranging from frog’s legs and eel to you eat,rangingfromfrog’slegsandeel grand oldivy-covered Much house. of what the mouthof theriver. tryNuri Cava, InLa marina. fishing townwitha apleasant de laRàpita, is grown. which someof whatyoueatintherestaurant lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright thetermsandconditions onoursiteforalongerwayofsaying youknow, orresell it. See everyone site,massemailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake or aroundabout it.Ask about theirboatres- dishes,comesfromtheriver seafood-and-rice h ( % You’ll find several eateries byRiumarand You’ll findseveral There are afew inSantCarles placestostay lunch daily) 977 480128;Carretera delesGoles;meals€25-30; , locatedEbroina bythemighty COSTA DAURADA ••EbroDelta

once daily. (€1.20,30minutes)days), andfromAmposta daily (twiceonSaturday,Sundayandholi- (€2.35,50minutes)Tortosa uptofourtimes toJesúsbuses from iMaria Cava andLa bybusoratrain-busTortosa combination. butitispossibletoreachyour ownwheels, iseasiesttogetThe delta toandaroundwith &Away There Getting on theriver alittlefurtheralong. theSantaSusana taurant, Autocars Hife Autocars

( % 902 119814;www.hife.net) ( % © LonelyPlanetPublications 629-204117) , tiedup

runs 395 CATALONIA CATALONIA