Montserrat Monastery.
Montserrat Monastery.
Montserrat
A very popular half-day inland trip, this spectacularly jagged peak (the “saw-tooth mountain”), 50km (31 miles) northwest of Barcelona, is home to a Benedictine monastery founded in a.d. 1025 and La Moreneta (the Black Madonna), the patron saint of Catalunya. A sacred place of pilgrimage, Montserrat is overrun on the holy days April 27 and September 8. It’s also a popular place for hiking and hard-core cycling.
Aeri de Montserrat/Rack Railway. The most scenic way to Montserrat is by 1930 cable car. The FGC train leaves from Barcelona and connects to it both ways. However, the more comfortable, panoramic Montserrat rack railway is also a spectacular way to get there, and it leaves you right in the middle of the monastery.
93-205-15-15.
www.aeridemontserrat.com or www.fgc.net/eng/bitllets_oci_turisme.asp. Cable car 10€ roundtrip; rack railway 9.80€ roundtrip.
Monestir de Montserrat/La Moreneta. The Benedictine monastery, tucked into the 1,219m (4,000-ft.) ridges of Montserrat, holds a shrine to the famous Black Madonna icon, which according to legend was discovered in the 12th century (and said to have been carved by St. Luke in a.d. 50). The library holds some 300,000 volumes, though many were lost during raids by Napoleon’s forces in 1811 (they also razed the 16th-c. Basilica). About 100 Benedictine monks continue in residence at Montserrat.
93-877-77-01.
www.montserratvisita.com. Free admission. Daily 7:30am–8pm.
Escolanía de Montserrat. One of the oldest boys’ choirs in Europe (dating to the 14th c.) performs Monday to Friday at 1pm (Salve) and Monday to Thursday at 6:45pm (Vespers). On Sundays and holidays, you can hear them at 11am and again at 6:45pm.
93-877-77-67. For more information about the choir (including an amusing FAQ) & the current calendar, visit
www.escolania.cat.
Museu de Montserrat. The museum next door to the Basilica contains minor paintings by such artists as Caravaggio, Degas, Monet, and El Greco, as well as early works by Picasso, Miró, and Dalí. Pl. de Santa María, s/n.
93-877-77-77.
www.abadiamontserrat.net. Admission 7€. Mon–Fri 10am–5:30pm, Sat-Sun 10am-5:45pm (until 6:45pm summer).
Funicular Railways. A funicular climbs to the peak of Sant Joan, where there’s a small hermitage and panoramic views, but the only way up to the Sant Jeroni hermitage and summit beyond is by foot (about a 45-min. walk). A separate funicular goes to Santa Cova, a 17th-century chapel built in the shape of a cross, where La Moreneta was allegedly discovered. www.cremallerademontserrat.com. Combined funicular ticket 8.10€ round-trip; included in Tot Montserrat & TransMontserrat tickets.
The Montserrat monastery nestled into the mountain.
Practical Matters: Montserrat
The convenient Tot Montserrat ticket (44€) includes the Barcelona Metro, a round-trip train to Montserrat, entry into the museum, funiculars, and lunch at the Montserrat restaurant; the TransMontserrat ticket (28€), is for the Metro, train, and funiculars only. Trains depart from Barcelona’s Plaça d’Espanya station (
93-205-15-15; www.fgc.net/eng/bitllets_oci_turisme.asp; Metro: Espanya). By car, take the A-2 out of Barcelona toward Tarragona and Martorell, or the Barcelona–Terrassa highway via the Túneles de Vallvidrera. The Tourist Information Office is on Plaça de la Creu, s/n;
93-877-77-01. Additional information on Montserrat and transport, including funiculars and hiking in the area, can be found at www.cremallerademontserrat.com or by calling
902-31-20-20.
An excellent day or overnight trip is to the pretty beach town of Sitges, 37km (23 miles) southwest of Barcelona along the Costa Daurada (Golden Coast). Long a cultural and intellectual center, with a wealth of modernista architecture, Sitges was a favorite of the painters Santiago Rusiñol and Salvador Dalí, as well as the poet Federico García Lorca. This quiet beach town is also one of Spain’s most prominent gay resorts (especially during Carnaval).
Museu Cau Ferrat. The former home of Rusiñol is packed to the rafters with artwork by El Greco, Ramón Casas, Ignacio Zuloaga, and others; ceramics and wrought iron; and a collection of the artist’s personal effects. The museum is expected to open in late 2014 after extensive renovation. c/ del Fonollar, s/n.
93-894-03-64. www.museusdesitges.com. Admission 3.50€. mid-June–Sept Tues–Sat 9:30am–2pm & 4–7pm; Sun 10am–3pm; Oct–mid-June Tues–Sat 9:30am–2pm & 3:30–6:30pm; Sun 10am–3pm
Museu Maricel del Mar. This early-20th-century mansion houses a collection of Gothic and Romantic artworks, as well as modern Catalan pieces. The museum is expected to open in late 2014 after renovations. c/ del Fonollar, s/n. For details, see Museu Cau Ferrat (above).
Trains (40 min.;
902-32-03-20;
www.renfe.com) make departures (every 15–30 min.) from Barcelona’s Sants station. A simple round-trip is 8.20€. By car, take C-246 or toll highway A-7 (40km/25 miles south of Barcelona; allow 45 min. to an hour). The Tourist Information Office (
93-894-42-51; www.sitgestour.cat) is at Pl. Eduard Maristany, 2. (The website has good hotel links). Gay travelers should consult http://gaysitgesguide.com for information on Carnaval and gay-friendly hotels, restaurants, and bars.
Lodging: El Xalet, c/ Isla de Cuba, 33–35 (
93-811-00-70; www.elxalet.com; doubles 63€–110€), is a quirky modernista house within walking distance of the beach; Estela Barcelona Hotel del Arte (Av. Port d’Aiguadolç, 8;
93-811-45-45; www.hotelestela.com; doubles 160€–190€ but big discounts online) is an art-filled place overlooking the marina and beach, with a full spa and good restaurant.
Dining: The finest restaurant in Sitges is the sleek, elegant Fragata ($$$; Pg. de la Ribera, 1;
93-894-10-86), serving innovative Mediterranean fare and seafood. With its terrace facing the sea, it’s a place to splurge. Less exalted but still very dependable restaurants on Passeig de la Ribera include El Velero de Sitges at no. 38 ($$$;
93-894-20-51) and Mare Nostrum at no. 60 ($$;
93-894-33-93).
Cafe-Bar Roy. A good stop for a coffee or a glass of cava and snacks, this classic, old-fashioned coffeehouse has marble tables, hand-painted tiles, and Art Nouveau touches (and free Wi-Fi). c/ de les Parellades, 9.
93-811-02-69. $.
Beaches. Sitges’s biggest draw is its 17 beaches. Those in the town center and along the eastern end are the most laid-back. The most popular are Aiguadolç and Balmins. Sant Sebastià and La Fragata are known as family beaches, something that would probably not be said for those to the west. A young crowd heads to La Ribera, and farthest west are the beaches, such as Platges del Mort, that are the haunts of the least inhibited beachgoers, including nudists and large groups of gays.
Nightlife. In the town center, Carrer Sant Bonaventura, a 5-minute walk from the beach, teems with gay bars and party spots. Mediterráneo, c/ Sant Bonaventura, 6 (no phone), is the largest gay disco. One of Spain’s most flamboyant parties is Carnaval in Sitges, celebrated the week before Lent.
La Ribera Beach.
Girona
An hour north of Barcelona is Girona, one of Spain’s most historic cities. Its pristine Old Quarter is among the most beautiful in Spain. Built on an old Roman settlement and steeped in the layered histories of the Romans, Moors, and Jews, the town center is a compact jumble of narrow stone streets, dark alleyways, and the medieval arches of El Call—the ancient Jewish neighborhood. Bustling by day, the cobblestone streets of the Old Quarter turn quiet as night falls. Though one of Spain’s wealthiest cities, Girona has a reputation as a provincial and emphatically Catalan city.
El Call. Girona was home to a prosperous Jewish community for more than 6 centuries, until its members were expelled in 1492. The Jewish district (“El Call” in Catalan) is a tangle of narrow, dark, atmospheric streets tucked within the Old Quarter and said to be the best-preserved ghetto in western Europe. Carrer de la Força is the principal street, where buildings date from the 13th to 15th centuries. The Museu d’Historia dels Jueus is a well-designed history center that documents the Jewish population of Girona; the last known synagogue in the city, built in the 15th century, is part of the center. c/ de la Força, 8.
972-21-67-61.
www.ajuntament.gi/call. Admission to museum 2€, 1.50€ students & seniors (audio guide including admission 4€). May–Oct Mon–Sat 10am–8pm, Sun 10am–3pm; Nov–Apr Mon–Sat 10am–6pm & Sun 10am–2pm.
By car from Barcelona, take the ronda (beltway) in the direction of France and then the A-7 to Girona; the trip is 97km (60 miles). Frequent (40–90-min.) trains leave from Barcelona’s Estació Sants and arrive at Girona’s Plaça de Espanya (
902-24-02-02; www.renfe.com); if you’re only traveling to Girona (city), the train is the way to go. The main Oficina de Turisme is on the pedestrian-only main drag, Rambla de la Llibertat, 1 (
97-201-00-01; www.girona.cat/turisme). A trip to Girona can (and really should, if you have the time) easily be combined with visits to L’Empordà and the Costa Brava (see p 154).
Lodging: The swankest hotel in town is AC Palau de Bellavista, just outside the Old Quarter and near Plaça de Catalunya, with a glass-box exterior and elegant rooms (Pujada Polvorins, 1;
97-208-06-70; www.marriott.com; doubles 70€–135€). Hotel Citutat de Girona (c/ Nord, 2;
972-48-30-38; www.hotel-ciutatdegirona.com; doubles 88€–135€) is a stylishly modern midsize hotel at the edge of the Old Quarter. Bellmirall is a charming guesthouse in the heart of the Old Quarter, with just seven rooms in a restored 14th-century stone mansion (c/ Bellmirall, 3;
972-20-40-09; www.bellmirall.eu; doubles 65€–85€; closed Jan–Feb).
Dining: Le Bistrot ($), a terrific little place that spills out onto the steep steps of an Old Quarter alleyway with candlelit tables, is a great place for gourmet pizzas, salads, and crepes (Pujada Sant Domènec, 4;
972-21-88-03). Blanc ($), connected to the Hotel Ciutat de Girona, is a chic, excellent-value restaurant that serves Catalan and Mediterranean dishes (c/ Nord, 2;
972-41-56-37). El Celler de Can Roca ($$$$), in sleek new surroundings, is one of the top upscale restaurants in Catalunya, if not in all of Spain—by itself it may be worth a trip to Girona (Can Sunyer, 48, in Taialà, northeast of Girona;
972-22-21-57; www.cellercanroca.com).
Banys Àrabs. The 12th-century Arab baths are one of the few reminders of Girona’s Moorish community. Restored in the 1920s, the Romanesque baths are among the best preserved in Spain. c/ Ferran el Católic, s/n.
972-21-32-62.
www.banysarabs.org. Admission 2€ adults, 1€ seniors & students. Apr–Sept Mon–Sat 10am–7pm & Sun 10am–2pm; Oct–Mar Mon–Sat 10am–2pm.
Catedral. Steep Baroque stairs climb to Girona’s imposing cathedral overlooking the city. The cloister and tower are the only surviving elements of the original, early-11th-century Romanesque building. The single nave is the widest Gothic nave in the world (and the second-widest of any style, after St. Peter’s in the Vatican). In the treasury is a magnificent collection of religious art. Perhaps the most important piece is the 11th– or 12th–century Tapestry of the Creation, an embroidered depiction of humans and animals in the Garden of Eden. Pl. de la Catedral.
972-21-58-14.
www.catedraldegirona.org. Admission (nave, cloister & treasury) 7€ adults, 5€ seniors & students (audio guide included); free admission on Sun. Apr–Oct daily 10am–8pm; Nov–Mar daily 10am–7pm.
A street in Girona’s El Call neighborhood.
Roman Walls. For great views of the old town, walk along a 5km (3.1-mile) portion of the original Roman wall, which dates to the 1st century a.d. Afterward, don’t miss the pretty, serene gardens tucked behind the cathedral and just below the city wall: Jardins de la Francesa (French Woman’s Gardens) and Jardins de les Alemans (German Gardens).
Museu d’Art. Girona’s Art Museum, in a former Episcopal palace, covers almost 1,000 years of history and art. It features excellent Catalan Romanesque and Gothic paintings, as well as a significant collection of contemporary art. Among the highlights is a 15th-century altarpiece, Sant Miquel de Cruïlles, one of the finest works of Catalan Gothic art anywhere. The museum also boasts its altarstone of Sant Pere de Roda, from the 10th and 11th centuries; this work in wood and stone, depicting figures and legends, was once embossed in silver. Pujada de la Catedral, 12.
972-20-38-34.
www.museuart.com. Admission 2€ adults, 1.50€ students & seniors, free for children 15 & under. May–Sept Mon–Sat 10am–7pm, Sun 10am–2pm; Oct–Apr Mon–Sat 10am–6pm & Sun 10am–2pm.
Houses on the Onyar River.
Banys Àrabs.
Monestir de Sant Pere de Galligants. This 12th-century Catalan Gothic Benedictine monastery houses the city archaeology museum, with several items culled from the Roman ruins at nearby Empúries. Pl. de Santa Llúcia, s/n.
972-20-26-32.
www.mac.cat. Admission 2.30€ adults, 1.60€ students, free for seniors & children 15 & under. Oct–May Tues–Sat 10am–2pm & 4–6pm, Sun 10am–2pm; June–Sept Tues–Sat 10:30am–1:30pm & 4–7pm; Sun 10am–2pm.
Lola Café. On the most atmospheric street in the old Jewish Quarter, this hip, dark cafe frequently features live music on weekend nights. c/ de la Força, 7.
972-22-88-24. $$.
Cases de l’Onyar. The picturesque, multicolored houses (cases) along the Onyar River shimmer in the water’s reflection, with drying laundry fluttering in the breeze. Many of the houses date to the Middle Ages, when they were outside the original walls of the Old City. Leading to the modern city is the Pont de Ferro, an iron bridge built by the Eiffel Company in 1877, 12 years before the Eiffel Tower.
The Tapestry of the Creation in the Girona cathedral (p 151).
Museu del Cinema. Spain’s only cinema museum is the extensive private collection of one man, Tomàs Mallol. The museum houses his collection of some 25,000 cinema artifacts, including photographs, posters, engravings, and interactive exhibits, as well as the original camera of the Luimière brothers. c/ Sèquia, 1.
972-41-27-77.
www.girona.cat/cinema. Admission 5€ adults, 2.50€ students. Oct–Apr Tues–Fri 10am–6pm, Sat 10am–8pm, Sun 11am–3pm; May–June & Sept Tues–Sat 10am–8pm, Sun 11am–3pm; July–Aug daily 10am–8pm.
L’Empordà, the plains and rolling green hills surrounding Girona, is Spain’s Tuscany. Inland from the coast are small and mostly unassuming medieval villages, clusters of ancient stone houses—many converted into weekend and summer homes by affluent Barcelonans. The Costa Brava, the “untamed coast,” is a stretch of rocky coves and sandy beaches, with deep cobalt-blue Mediterranean waters, pine trees, and whitewashed fishing villages. Sadly, the natural beauty of the coastline’s southern end, nearest Barcelona, has been marred by sand-and-sun mass-market tourism.
Cruïlles & Monells. These two quiet villages are attractive enclaves of medieval stonework. Monells’s main claim to fame is a magnificent porticoed main square, while at the center of Cruïlles, once enclosed by walls, is a Romanesque 11th-century monastery.
Peratallada. Less slick than Pals (see below), this picturesque town grew up around an unusual castle. You’ll also find a 14th-century palace, a porticoed main square, and houses rich with Gothic details, several of which house inns and antiques shops.
Pals. Almost too pretty and perfect, this medieval town rising above the plains is hugely popular with tourists. Pals’s alleyways and stone walls look as though they might be part of a movie set.
Begur. This attractive hilltop town is topped by the ruins of a 13th-century castle, with commanding 360-degree views of the whole of L’Empordà and the Costa Brava, all the way up the coast to Cadaqués. Many houses below are colonial in style, built by returning locals who set out for Cuba in the early 19th century. On the outskirts of Begur are excellent beaches, including Aiguablava, Sa Riera, and Sa Tuna.
Dalí Triangle. The Empordà region is marked by the trail of Spain’s famous oddball, the surrealist painter Salvador Dalí, who hailed from northern Catalunya and lived much of his life on the Costa Brava. Three points, including a museum and two curious homes, form the Dalí Triangle. Together they are a must-see for anyone with an appreciation for Dalí and the absurd.
Pals, a picturesque town.
Figueres: Teatre Museu Dalí. Dalí’s Museum-Theater, which he designed as his legacy in his birthplace of Figueres, is part theater, part amusement park—fittingly idiosyncratic and witty. Dalí is buried in a crypt here. The red building is topped by giant white eggs and decorated with glazed ceramic loaves of bread; inside is a salon with furniture re-creating Mae West’s face. In the courtyard sits a black Cadillac with sprinklers inside. Pl. de Gala–Salvador Dalí, 5.
972-67-75-00.
www.salvador-dali.org.
Cadaqués/Port Lligat: Casa-Museu Salvador Dalí. Next to the seaside village of Cadaqués, Dalí built his first home with Gala, his eccentric Russian-born wife. They cobbled together several fishers’ residences and decorated them in Dalíesque fashion: with stuffed swans, a lip sofa, and Dalí-designed chimneys.
972-25-10-15.
www.salvador-dali.org.
Púbol: Castell Gala Dalí de Púbol. Dalí bought a medieval castle in an isolated L’Empordà village for his beloved princess in the late 1960s, but Gala allowed Dalí to visit only when she invited him. Even into her late 60s, she entertained a coterie of much younger men here. There are odd Dalíesque touches throughout, though the castle is less nutty than the other two points in the Triangle.
972-48-86-55.
www.salvador-dali.org.
Calella de Palafrugell.
Empúries. The extensive ruins of a Greco-Roman city, one of the most fascinating archaeological finds in Spain, are on view at the Museu d’Empúries. Three different civilizations settled on the coast here between the 7th and 3rd centuries b.c.: Empúries is the only place in Spain with incarnations as a Greek village, an Iberian settlement, and a Roman town.
972-77-02-08.
www.mac.es. Admission 3€adults, free under 16 & over 60. June–Sept daily 10am–8pm; Oct–May daily 10am–6pm.
Palafrugell Beach coves. Several of the most beautiful coves and sandy beach spots along the Costa Brava are near Palafrugell. Calella de Palafrugell, Llafranc, and Tamariu are gentle, protected spots with good swimming and walking paths through pine-forested hills.
Palamós. The tensions of a Costa Brava town caught between tradition and modern development focused on tourism are apparent in this old fishing village.
The bizarre meets the absurd at the Dalí Museum in Figueres.
Practical Matters: L’Empordà & Costa Brava
Car is by far the best way to travel around the region. Figueres is 150km (93 miles) north of Barcelona on A-7 and 50km (31 miles) north of Girona. To get to Cadaqués, take C-260 from Figueres and then a long, twisting, maddening road (GI-614). Púbol is 40km (25 miles) south of Figueres along highway C-252 or 16km (10 miles) east of Girona along C-255. From Girona, trains travel to the Costa Brava towns of Llança, Blanes, and Colera, as well as Figueres. For additional information, see http://en.costabrava.org.
Lodging & Dining: The following hotels all have very good, and in some cases, superb, restaurants: El Far Hotel-Restaurant is a cliff-top property formed by a 17th-century hermitage and a 15th-century lighthouse, with drop-dead views of the bay and Mediterranean and nine elegant, cheery rooms (Platja de Llafranc, near Palafrugell;
972-30-16-39; www.elfar.net; doubles 135€–250€). In L’Empordà, near the coast, is Castell de’Empordà, a 700-year-old castle converted to an outstanding luxurious small hotel. It’s 3km (2 miles) from La Bisbal (
972-64-62-54; www.castelldemporda.com; doubles 170€–310€; closed Nov–Mar). La Plaça de Madremanya, in a small Catalan village halfway between Girona and the coast, is a gorgeous country hotel, with one of the region’s finest restaurants, and a comparatively great value (c/ Sant Esteve 17, Madremanya;
972-49-04-87; www.laplacamadremanya.com; doubles 75€–145€, suites 120€–185€). In Begur, AiguaClara Hotel-Restaurant is an exquisite, excellent-value boutique hotel in a small colonial-style palace, with charmingly shabby-chic decor (c/Sant Miquel, 2;
972-62-29-05; www.aiguaclara.com; doubles 85€–155€, suites 125€–175€). A terrific little restaurant in Begur is Can Climent i Sa Cuina ($$), with an elegantly rustic dining room like the kitchen of an old farmhouse and fresh and creative market Catalan cuisine by a young chef; the set menu at lunch is a steal (Av. Onze de Setembre;
972-62-20-31).
Cap Roig. On a cliff-top peninsula is a magnificent estate that once belonged to a Russian army general and is now home to beautiful Mediterranean botanical gardens (Jardí Botànic) with extraordinary views of the coast. In summer months, the Festival Jardins de Cap Roig features live jazz, rock, flamenco, world music, theater, and opera (including big names like Bob Dylan).
972-61-45-82.
www.caproigfestival.com. Admission 3€. The gardens are open daily, Apr–Sept 9am–8pm & Oct–Mar 9am–6pm. On concert days (July–Aug), they close at 2pm.
Sant Feliu de Guixols. The beginning of the “good” Costa Brava after miles of overdevelopment, this easygoing town has a 10th-century church and chapel, Sant Martí, high on a hill overlooking the coastline. 