SITGES has always been a place which has enchanted artists, tourists and visitors from all over the world. For many, the secret lies in its light and almost 300 days of sun that it enjoys every year, which attracted the painters, sculptors and writers who settled here at the end of the 19th century. Nature has indeed been generous to Sitges with its setting in an outstanding location on the Mediterranean coast at the foot of the Massif. Its cultural heritage is extraordinary, with a lively art scene and its traditions are respected with a modern perspective. Sitges has preserved important features both from mediaeval times and from its history as an old fishing town, enabling visitors to enjoy a notable architectural heritage. Moreover, it is a cosmopolitan town which has attracted residents from more than 70 nations. Yet now it is time to look forward and Sitges in the 21st century, whilst mindful of its roots, is focused on innovation and creativity. Our wish is for Sitges to remain an attractive and seductive town. To achieve this we are working in three closely connected areas: tourism, creativity and art. So whether you seek the Sitges of our forbears or the 21st century Sitges that we are shaping little by little, we invite you to discover in these pages what it is that charms you about our town.

We look forward to welcoming you,

Jordi Baijet i Vidal Mayor of Sitges Location .06 An outstanding location between the sea and the mountains TABLE Nature .12 Beaches: much more than sun, sea and sand OF CONTENTS Garraf Natural Park: an unexpected treasure near the sea

Culture .18 From a fishing town to the centre of Catalan Art Nouveau The art that permeates every corner Architecture: from the Americanos to the 21st century Traditions, activities and celebrations throughout the year

Facilities .44 Accommodation: quality and diversity Meetings in style

Best sitges .56 Outstanding and varied shopping Gastronomic capital of Garraf

Leisure .66 An ideal setting for active tourism Life in the street

Calendar .70

Agència de promoció turisme de sitges .80 Central booking office Useful addresses and telephone numbers

4 5 “Sitges is a light and small town. but it borders on the Indies of the Viceroys to the East, on the Roman coasts and Greek Islands to the West, on Andalusia and Morocco to the South, and on the Mairie de Montmartre to the North.”

Huésped del Mar (Guest of the Sea), 1945 César González-Ruano

BARCELONA

SITGES

6 7 LOCATION An outstanding location between the sea and the mountains

Sitges, situated to the south of , belongs to the county of Garraf and is surrounded by the sea and moun- tains, along 18 km of Mediterranean coast, most of which is made up of beaches. Its seafront Promenade is more than 3 km long, from the Baluard (the small square in front of the church that forms a spectacular vantage point) to the residential area of Terramar. Sitges covers an area of 43.7 km2, at an altitude of 10 metres, and is situated 35 km south of Barcelona, to which it is connected by excellent road, motorway and railway links. Barcelona International Airport is just 15 km away. Sitges nestles at the southern edge of the Garraf Mas- sif, a calcareous mountain chain that constitutes a natural barrier against the cold northern winds. This outstanding location means that Sitges enjoys its own microclimate, with mild summers and winters, an average temperature of 18.7ºC and more than 300 days of sun each year.

Sant Bartomeu i Santa Tecla church

8 9 10 11 Ribera Promenade Balmins Cove

A total of 17 beaches stretch along the Sitges coastline, each with its own character and offering excellent amenities. Each beach has its own feel: there are small and peaceful coves, wide fine sand fa- mily beaches, or urban beaches with views of the historical centre, NATURE situated right next to the promenade for easy access on foot. Six of Sitges’ beaches have been awarded the ISO 14001 quali- Beaches: ty assurance certification in acknowledgement of their exemplary environmental management and continuous improvement plan, the much more than sun, good quality of their water and sand, and their cleaning and life- sea and sand saving services.

12 13 Ribera Beach

Without a doubt, one of the town’s main attractions are its beaches, where visitors can get in touch with nature and mix with the locals.

15 Garraf Natural Park: an unexpected treasure near the sea

The natural park is a magnificent place to visit with its exo- tic, rocky landscape, its many underground cavities formed by the action of the water on the calcareous stone and a surface scored by dry streams wedged between the rocks, known as fondos. Its noteworthy peaks include , at 594.6 m and El Rascler, at 572 m. The park has its own flora and is the northernmost area in Europe where the Mediterranean palm fan grows, which is the park’s most characteristic plant species. This green lung can be discovered through the activi- ties organised by various local companies, such as guided routes, workshops, observatories and field work. The Sakya Tashi Ling Buddhist monastery is located in the Garraf Natural Park and provides meditation, relaxa- tion, tai-chi and yoga workshops. The Novella Palace and Museum is also to be found here and displays the heritage of a Catalan family that made its fortune in ’s Ameri- can colonies, along with an exhibition on Tibetan culture.

Garraf Natural Park

16 17 CULTURE From a fishing town to the centre of Catalan Art Nouveau

In mediaeval times, Sitges was a small fishing town. Life was organised around the Baluard hill, where the parish church, hospital, cemetery and a small group of houses, were all located within an enclosure, which was connec- ted to the rest of the town by a bridge at the top of Major Street. There are references that point to the existence of several gateways that closed off Nou, Tacó, Carreta, Aigua and Davallada streets, as well as a series of towers, pos- sibly built in the 14th century, which proves that the entire town was walled. Centuries later, and on the initiative of artists, cultural mo- vers and shakers, and patrons of the arts, such as Santiago Rusiñol, Ramon Casas, Miquel Utrillo or Charles Deering, Sitges became a focal point for the spread of Modernis- me (Catalan Art Nouveau). In the 19th and 20th centu- ries, Sitges welcomed painters, sculptors, musicians and intellectuals, who left an imprint on the town that has been maintained by the townsfolk to this day.

Old fishermen’s houses

18 19 Cau Ferrat Museum, former home and works- hop of Santiago Rusiñol

20 21 22 23 El Pati Blau (The blue Patio) Today, Sitges is renowned for its heritage and cosmopoli- tan character, attracting people involved in art and culture from all over the world.

Cloister of the Palau Maricel (Maricel Palace) 24 25 The art that permeates every corner Art permeates the old quarter in many forms, with its en- ticing narrow stone-paved streets for strolling along and enjoying by day or night. El Racó de la Calma (The Quiet Corner) is a magic spot that takes us back to the Catalan Art Nouveau period, with extremely valuable representative elements of architecture and the decorative arts. Cau Ferrat, the home and works- hop of the painter and writer Santiago Rusiñol, and the Ma- ricel Museum are two centres that show the intense cultural life of the town during the 19th and 20th centuries, with works by renowned painters and sculptors such as Picas- so, Casas, Nonell, Mas i Fontdevila, Llimona, Zuloaga or El Greco, as well as one of the best wrought iron collections in Europe. The Can Llopis Romàntic Museum, housed in a Neoclassical building, takes us back in time and shows us what the life of a well-off Sitges family was like in the 19th century. It is also the home of Lola Anglada’s antique doll collection, one of the best in the world.

El Racó de la Calma (The Quiet Corner)

26 27 Art galleries

The driving force of art has been passed down from generation to generation in Sitges. Sitges continues to thrive culturally, which is clear to see in its many public and private cultural facilities.

Exhibition centres 28 29 Façades along Ribera Promenade An interesting set of architectural gems and outstanding buil- dings can be discovered by strolling around Sitges’ streets. By starting at the railway station and taking in Francesc Gumà, Sant Isidre and Illa de Cuba streets, along with Ribera Promenade, we come across some of the most significant houses of the period Architecture: of the Americanos, the Sitges townsfolk who emigrated to Cuba and Puerto Rico between the 18th century and the first third of from the Americanos the 20th century in order to seek their fortunes. On their return they built stunning mansions in a mixture of styles encompas- to the 21st century sing Neoclassicism, Catalan Art Nouveau and post Art Nouveau.

30 31 In Cap de la Vila Square, the town’s nerve centre, the Clock House, in a Catalan Art Nouveau style, can be found on the corner of Major Street, which leads to the Town Hall, the Old Market and the Santiago Rusiñol Li- brary. Situated next to the library is En Bosch Street, the oldest road in the town, which preserves a fragment of the mediaeval wall and an interesting set of stone houses including the Palau del Rei Moro (Palace of the Moorish King). And, overlooking the sea, we find Saint Bartholomew’s church and the Baluard, the most characteristic sym- bols of Sitges’ architectural physiognomy and essential places to visit. From this point, the seafront promenade leads to places beyond the town centre, such as Vinyet Chapel and the residential area of Terramar, where in- teresting colonial buildings can be admired. New architectural trends have also been adopted in Sit- ges and can be admired in noteworthy icons.

En Bosch Street 32 33 34 35 Vinyet Chapel Traditions, activities and celebrations throughout the year

Traditional festivals are celebrated with great intensity and a high level of local participation. Visitors are also welcome to take part and experience them like the locals. Sitges’ Main Festival, held in honour of Saint Bartholomew, the town’s patron saint, from 21st to 27th August, has been declared a cultural event of national interest by the Gene- ralitat de Catalunya (Autonomous Regional Government of ). It is an explosion of colour, music and joy with giants, cabezudos (carnival figures with enormous papier- mâché heads), fire-breathing animal figures and ancient dances such as the diables, bastons, gitanes, cercolets or moixiganga, amongst others. On 23rd August, the entrance of the grallers (musicians who play the gralla, a Catalan folk oboe) in Cap de la Vila Square, the fusillade of twenty-one firecrackers and the peal of bells signal the start of the most popular acts of the festival which, open to everyone, con- tinues with a series of street processions and spectacular fireworks from the Baluard. At 6 a.m. the next day the matinal (early morning performance) takes place, followed by solemn mass, religious processions, dancing in the street and sarda- na performances (a traditional Catalan dance).

Fireworks on 23rd August

36 37 38 39 Ball de bastons (Stick Dancing) The Saint Tecla festival, on 23rd September, known as the little Main Festival, is just as rich in terms of folkloric variety and originality and is especially aimed at the town’s chil- dren, since it serves as an introduction to local traditions in which they can play a leading role. Summers in Sitges are full of activity. The Sitgestiucultura summer schedule includes guided visits, concerts and reci- tals in the Cau Ferrat, Maricel and Romàntic museums. There is also the International Tango Festival and the Summer Con- cert Season. In fact, Sitges hosts various festivals throughout the year which give the town character and a reputation for excellence within the field of culture. Moreover, in 2008, Sit- ges has promoted this series of festivals under the label of Sitges, vila de festivals, an initiative which groups the town’s various cultural events under the same umbrella. The Festa de la Verema (Wine Harvest Festival), held in September, is an important celebration of the town’s agri- cultural tradition. Another tradition that has been revived by Sitges over the last few years is that of the castellers (human towers).

Colla Jove Castellers de Sitges (Sitges’ human tower building team)

40 41 The International Film Festival of Catalonia, of which there have now been more than 40 editions, is held in October. The Sitges Carnival is one of the most important in Europe thanks to its participative and spectacular nature. Its crow- ning moments are the Disbauxa (Debauchery) and Extermini (Extermination) parades, which are held on Carnival Sunday night and Tuesday night respectively. The Corpus Christi spring festival is world famous thanks to the artistic floral carpets that cover the town’s most central streets. And the International Vintage Car Rally, held in March, is an authentic moving car museum. Starting off in Barcelona, the convoy drives along the Garraf coastal road and reaches the finishing line at Sitges’ Fragata beach, where townsfolk and visitors cheer its arrival.

Convoy of cars taking part in the Barcelona – Sitges International Vintage Car Rally

42 43 Facilities

Accommodation: quality and diversity

Guests in Sitges’ hotels will feel much better than at home. The chance to enjoy seafront hotels with wonderful views of the Mediterranean and top quality service is a real pleasure for the senses. The accommodation offer in Sitges has something for everyone and can meet all requirements: from large ho- tels belonging to international chains to small family-run establishments. Seafront hotel

44 45 The town has 4 and 5-star hotels in outstanding loca- tions on the seafront or very close to the beach. These establishments, with attractive interior design, have a full range of excellent facilities, both for holidays and business trips. They provide a large variety of top quality services, along with a gastronomic offer that includes specialities of Mediterranean and international cuisine in keeping with their category. There are also small hotels in Sitges with a cosier at- mosphere that are ideal for family breaks. Many of these charming facilities, which pay attention to the finest detail, are situated in historical buildings in the town centre and are all just a few minutes away from the beach.

Hotel facilities 46 47 The Saló d’Or (Gold Room) of the Maricel Palace is an ideal venue for meetings and celebrations

Meetings in style

In an unbeatable setting where the most suitable ur- ban facilities are combined with the advantages of the Mediterranean coast, Sitges is the perfect place to host conferences and incentive trips.

48 49 The town’s hotel and restaurant infrastructure, which can be adapted to all kinds of events, in addition to the lei- sure activities on offer, make Sitges the right choice for companies that wish to give their events a touch of class. Over the last few decades Sitges has become one of Catalonia’s main conference destinations. Indeed, it is the top destination for business tourism after Barcelona.

Terramar Golf Club

50 51 Auditorium

As part of the Agència de Promoció Turisme de Sitges, the Sitges Convention Bureau is a body that groups together the public and private initiatives of the area in order to maintain and boost Sitges’ already high profile as a conference and in- centive trip destination.

52 53 54 55 Company event BEST SITGES Best Sitges is a quality assurance label that recognises the esta- blishments which are members of the Sitges Tourist Shopping and Gastronomy Club. Each member establishment can be identified through the “Best Sitges” sticker on its window.

Central shopping

56 57 Outstanding and varied shopping Shopping is an essential component of Sitges’ tourist offer thanks to the wide variety and high quality of its stores. Most stores are small with a family feel and outstanding products, offering an alternative to con- ventional shopping. These stores aim to be original and modern. They also have a lot of freedom in terms of opening hours and many are open on Sundays and public holidays. The main shopping area, focused on fashion and ac- cessories, can be found in the town centre. The antique dealers in Sitges are particularly worthy of mention, as are the street markets, such as the one held every Thursday, which has been set up around the Town Hall and parish church since the Middle Ages. The stalls in this market sell clothes and utensils for the home, amongst other products. The Mercat dels Sentits (Market of the Senses), situated in the Torreta area, has various stands that mainly sell handicrafts, fashion jewe- llery and clothes. It is open every day in the summer and at the weekends during the winter.

The big brands are also in Sitges

58 59 Gastronomic capital of Garraf

Sitges enjoys an extraordinary gastronomic offer that in- cludes the very best of the world-renowned Mediterranean cuisine. Sitges’ cuisine, mainly composed of fish and rice specialities, as well as the famous xató, along with the avant-garde proposals of contemporary dishes, offers a unique experience for the taste buds. The town has many top class restaurants. Many of them are members of the Club de Tast, a gourmet food tasting organisation that aims to guarantee the quality of products and provide a cuisine in which great attention is paid to detail. Indeed, the high quality of the dishes served on res- taurant tables in Sitges has earned the town a reputation as the gastronomic capital of Garraf. The popular xató is a cold dish made with curly endive, desalted cod chunks, salted tuna, fresh anchovies and ar- bequina variety olives, served with a sauce made of garlic, almonds, hazelnuts, fresh anchovies, blanched peppers, fried bread, spicy nyora pepper, oil, vinegar and salt.

Xató dish

60 61 The renowned quality of the wines with the Garraf Denomination of Origin label, along with Malvasía, the sweet wine that is typical of Sitges, made with the grape variety of the same name and classified as a Slowfood Malvasia Vines bastion, also invite us to enjoy the pleasures of the table.

62 63 Sample of good gastronomic cuisine

Restaurant on Ribera Promenade

64 65 Leisure An ideal setting for active tourism

Sitges and the county of Garraf constitute an ideal setting for active tourism. The sea and mountain en- vironment is ideal for nautical and adventure activities, discovering nature and practising all kinds of sports. There are many maritime activities on offer in Sit- ges, thanks to its 17 beaches and its sports ports: Aiguadolç, Garraf and Port Ginesta (the largest in Catalonia). In addition to this, imaginative and ex- citing activities are offered by the Sitges Active Tourism Club. This group of specialised companies and organisations organises trekking, environmen- tal and educational routes, along with thematic tours around Garraf Natural Park. The park’s interpreta- tion centre also offers various activities in order to discover the area and even has activities designed for the disabled.

Various companies organise nautical activities 66 67 Life in the street

For relaxing, seeing and being seen, or simply whiling away the hours, the town’s streets and squares are dot- ted with cafés, bars and ice cream parlours with a wide variety of styles and atmospheres. Whether facing the sea or right in the heart of the town, the terraces of Sitges’ cafés and bars are always attractive venues for taking in the hustle and bustle of the street and obser- ving local life. Throughout the year, Sitges’ bars and terraces offer a great atmosphere by day and night. Along Marquès de Montroig and Primer de Maig streets, which run between the central Parellades Street and the Ribera Promenade, there are an extraor- dinary number of music bars with outdoor tables where young people have fun until the early hours, especially during the summer. The chill-out bars are ideal for re- laxing while world famous DJs spin the latest dance music in the discotheques.

Terraces in Aiguadolç Port 68 69 CALENDAR SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN WINTER

70 71 SPRING

Patchwork Fair

Easter

Saint George. Book and Rose Festival

Corpus Christi Festival

Floral Carpet Competition

National Carnation Exhibition

Bonsai Exhibition

Music and Dance Festival

72 Corpus Christi floral carpet 73 SUMMER

Concerts de Mitjanit de Sitges (Sitges Midnight Concerts) International Festival

Season of concerts by the Joventuts Musicals de

Sitges (Sitges Musical Youth)

Season of Sardana Performances

Sitgestiucultura

Activities in museums and in the Maricel Palace

Sitges International Tango Festival

Vila de Sitges International Chess Open

Celebrations in Vinyet Chapel

Saint Bartholomew. Sitges’ Main Festival

Sitges Summer Stock Fair

74 Gegants de la Vila (Giants of the Town) 75 AUTUMN

Festa de la Verema (Wine Harvest Festival)

Wine sampling

Saint Tecla. Children’s Main Festival

Menjar de Tast. Gastronomic Festival

International Film Festival of Catalonia

Tots Sants Festival

Session of the Sitges International Film 76 Festival of Catalonia 77 WINTER

Christmas

Parade of the Three Kings

Sitges Half Marathon

Carnival

Antiques Fair

Sitges Art Fair

Sitges Winter Stock Fair

Barcelona – Sitges Vintage Car Rally

Enduro World Championship Trial

Carnival parade 78 79 AGÈNCIA DE PROMOCIÓ TURISME DE SITGES

The Agència de Promoció Turisme de Sitges assists visi- tors directly at three information points located in diffe- rent parts of the town, where in addition to gaining infor- mation on Sitges, visitors can also make hotel bookings, book cultural tours, such as the Americanos Route or the Catalan Art Nouveau Route, and find out everything they need to know about the Catalunya Bus Turístic, which passes through Sitges and visits the Torres Winery and the emblematic mountains of Montserrat.

CENTRAL BOOKING OFFICE

Bookings can be made for any of Sitges’ hotels on the www.sitgestur.com website. There is supplementary in- formation on culture, gastronomy, shopping, leisure, bu- siness stays and active tourism.

Cannon situated in Baluard Square

80 81 USEFUL ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Agència de Promoció Turisme de Sitges (+34) 938 109 340 / 902 103 428 www.sitgestur.com / [email protected] Sínia Morera, núm. 1

Central Booking Office www.sitgestur.com

Oasis information tourist point (+34) 938 109 340 / 902 103 428 Sínia Morera, núm. 1

La Fragata information tourist point (+34) 938 110 611 Passeig de la Ribera, La Fragata

Station information tourist point Eduard Maristany square

Sitges Convention Bureau (+34) 938 109 311 / 902 103 428 / www.sitgescb.cat / [email protected] Sínia Morera, núm. 1

Best Sitges Club for Shopping and Gastronomic Products (+34) 938 109 340 / 902 103 428 / www.bestsitges.cat / [email protected] Sínia Morera, núm. 1

82 Garraf Beach 83