Welcome to Catalonia!!!

Catalonia is a small country of six million inhabitants but it has more than a thousand years of history and a culture and language of its own which have forged a very distinct character. Today Catalonia is one of the most prosperous regions of Spain, it is an Autonomous Community within Spain an occupies an area of 31,930 square kilometers. The capital of Catalonia is Barcelona.

The people of Catalonia have always been open to the outside world. We love to welcome foreigners and show them our homeland. And we like them to feel at home among us. Mediterranean beaches, there are places of artistic interest, historic buildings and landscapes which are equally well worth seeing.

As you travel around Catalonia, you will discover every kind of European vegetation and landscape:

- High mountain scenery in the Pyrinees: i.e. Two spectacular National Parks: "Aigüestortes and Lake Sant Maurici", and "Cadí-Moixeró". Take also advantatge of visiting the little villages of "the La Vall d'Aran" and "the Alta Ribagorça" like Boí-Taüll, where there is one of the most beautiful little churches of the early romanesc art.

- Moderate altitudes: i.e. "Park of the Muntanya de Montserrat", with its fascinating geological formations, or explore "the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Park", near Olot, to see the tree clad hollows of extinct volcanoes, or "the Montseny range", which has been declared a reserve of the biosphere by UNESCO on account of is rich plant life.

- Southerly mountains: i.e. "the Garraf range" with bare rocks and gray and reddish soil which create a very striking atmoshpher. This is the home of the dwarf fan-palm, the only palm native to Europe. Or, "the Ports of Tortosa", overlooking the "Ebre Delta", is an important reserve of the Spanish ibex goat.

Take a good look at our traditional farmhouses or "masies", each of which was once a thriving community in its own right, and notice how the farmers have adopted modern agricultural methods without losing their sense of tradition. You will see that the Catalan countryside's a perfect blend of nature and human skill.

Catalonia also offers a wide range of coastal scenery:

- "The Costa Brava" (the "Rugged Coast"): you will be entranced by the rocks reaching out into the sea, the secluded coves and islands where the pine-tree roots struggle for a foothold right down to the water's edge.

- "The Costa del Maresme" and "Costa Daurada" : long sun-drenched beaches and white fishermen's cottages welcome you to a typically Mediterranean environment, on the shores of a friendly sea that has been known to man since ancient times.

- "The vast wetlands of the Ebre delta" : here reedy marshes provide an ideal refuge for migrating birds and the area is one of the largest bird sanctuaries in Europe.

Places with a history background:

- Greek, Roman and Iberian remains / ruins: "Empúries" , on the Costa Brava, offers the atmosphere of classical Greece. The Greek colonizers, and their Roman successors, left behind a rich collection of sculptures and ceramics here. And just a short distance away is "the iberian settlement of Ullastret" where you can stroll in the shadow of ancient towering walls. Also, on the Costa Daurada, you can visit "the Roman city of Tarraco" , present-day "Tarragona" , with its wealth of Roman remains.

- Medieval scene: as the personality of Catalonia was formed in the Middle Ages, you will find ancient buildings dating from the 9th to the 14th century in pre-Romanesque and Gothic style. Among the most remarkable are "the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes", overlooking the sea on the Costa Brava, and farther inland "the monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll" and "the three Cistercian monasteries of Santa Maria de Poblet, Santes Creus and Vallbona de les Monges", all important centres of culture and art in the Middle Ages.

- Magnificient cathedrals: in the cities of Girona, Vic, Barcelona, Tarragona, Tortosa and Lleida. "Girona cathedral" is famous for its single nave - the widest Gothic nave in Europe. Other handsome medieval buildings are the current, or former, homes of government institutions. Examples are "the Paeria" in Lleida and "the Palace of the Generalitat" in Barcelona, which is the seat of the present-day Catalan government. All these ancient stones will tell you tales of days gone by when Catalan merchants sailed all over the Mediterranean and catalan men-of-arms controlled many places around its shores.

- Modernist style: it's the characteristically Catalan version of Art Nouveau which was all the vogue in Europe. You can see modernist-style wine cellars -also known as "wine cathedrals"-, built in the rural areas, i.e. "Cavas Freixenet". Also, you will be able to discover the Modernist-style factories which bear witness to the industrial strength of Catalonia in the wake of the Industrial Revolution, i.e. "Colonia Güell" of Antoni Gaudí. Barcelona has more Art Nouveau buildings than any other city in the world, i.e. "Sagrada Família", "Casa Batlló", "La Pedrera", "El Palau de la Música", "El Palau Güell", etc. Today the innovative tradition of Catalan architecture remains very much alive.

Do not miss to visit the famous villages of the Catalan coast:
- "Cadaqués": a small town situated on the Mediterranean Sea, just a few miles from the French border. It is a picturesque and artsy village. The rough seashore north of Cadaques Catalonia provides dramatic seascapes for photographers and hikers. Salvador Dali, the famous painter of Surrealism, spent much of his life in Cadaques, where he had a house that it is able to visit.
- "Roses": the village itself is less picturesque than other Costa Brava villages. But it's worth seen because it's place in a bay with stunning views. Explore the beaches up north to Roses: "Canyelles petites" , "l'Almadraba" , as well as the Capes "Punta Falconera" and "Cap de Creus". There are several hiking routes around the area.
- "Begur": it is a very nice tiny village, famous for its coves. It has a medieval castle overlooking the town.
- "Tossa de Mar": located on the South of the Costa Brava, it is one of the villages of the Costa Brava that has preserved better its character. It has a pretty castle, narrow streets, etc.
- "Sitges": situated in the "Massif of Garraf" and only at 35km in the South of Barcelona, it's very easy to commute by local train from Barcelona. Sitges has preserved a very beautiful historical quarter with some Middle Age references.

Inland, we highly recommend to stop to:
- "Girona": it is a very beautiful town situated in the North of Catalonia. It has important historical monuments / attractions such as the walls, the mediaval quarter as well as the jewish one, "El Call", or the Arab baths.

Catalan museums:
Catalonia, small as it is, has a surprisingly large number of museums - over 300-, some with valuable collections of world-wide interest. This is just a small selection:

In Barcelona:
- "The National Museum of Art of Catalonia", on Montjuïc hill, you can admire the finest collection of Romanesque paintings in the world. Also on Montjuïc there is the Joan Miró Foundation, a highly distinctive building which houses some remarkable examples of Miro’s work. "The Museum of Modern Art", in the Ciutadella Park, contains a fine collection of 19th and 20th century Catalan paintings and sculptures. "The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art", inaugurated in 1995, occupies a striking building by Richard Meier in the heart of the Raval district. The Picasso Museum, in a handsome, well restored Gothic palace on Carrer Montcada, contains interesting works by the young Picasso, as well as items from other periods donated by the artist himself.

In Figueres:
- "Salvador Dalí Museum", the finest of the Surrealist master. It's the place of the originality and extravagance.

Source: http://www.gencat.net/turistex_nou/home_ang.htm