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Catalonia:
country of art and touristic beaches
Best known apart from the capital,
Barcelona, is of course the Mediterranean coast, Costa Brava,
with ample beaches and mild climate, doubtlessly a first rate
touristical attraction. One shouldn't forget anyhow that Catalonia
offers as well high mountain ranges, the Pyrenees in the north,
the curious formations of Montserrat, the inactive volcans of
Garrotxa, and a wide plain area in the region's center.
Catalonia has a very marked culture of its own, most evidently of
Mediterranean tradition, and is distinguished of most other Spanish
regions in several aspects, not at least by its language, Catalonian
(although everybody speaks and understands Castilian Spanish perfectly).
Certainly it is one of the most cosmopolitan places in Spain, thanks to
its long tradition of international commerce.
The coast offers ideal facilities for all sorts of water sports, but
everywhere you will realize about that special talent to combine the
beauty of nature or monuments with modern attractions, a main reason why
Catalonia developed into one of the preferred touristical destinations.
Catalonia's excellent gastronomy is characterized by seafood, rice
dishes, wines of great international reputation and traditional desserts
like the famous "Catalonian Cream".
Major attractions:
Barcelona
Catalonia's capital, located at the Mediterranean Sea, offers the
structures of a true metropole. Among its most outstanding sights are
the Gothic
Quarter and the
works of architect Antoni Gaudi.
Costa Brava
Certainly one of the most famous Spanish coasts, stretching from the
north of Barcelona over the province of Girona. It is of great natural
beauty, with steep cliffs and romantic small coves.
Girona
A beautiful historic city with the old Jewish Quarter among its
major sights.
Figueres
The birthplace of great painter Salvador Dali. Its main
attraction is of course the museum dedicated to the artist, showing a
collection of some of his finest works.
Costa Dorada
The Golden Coast, stretching from south of Costa Brava to
Tarragona, offers apart from its great beaches and beautiful landscapes
towns of outstanding beauty, such as Arenys del Mar, Sitges (with the
highly interesting museum of Cau Ferrat) and Castelldefels.
Tarragona
An important city of the Roman empire, still preserving outstanding
monuments: the aquaeductus, an amphitheater and the Tomb of the
Scipios, located at the seaside. Close to Tarragona there are the
monasteries Santes Creus and Santa Maria de Poblet, both
of high historic-artistic interest.
Lleida (Lerida)
Located inland in a mountainous area. Most interesting is its cathedral,
"Seo", built between 12th and 15th century.
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