Where to go from Barcelona: 7 ideas for traveling in Catalonia

What do you know about Catalonia? It's the birthplace of Dalí and Gaudi, home to one of Europe's coolest amusement parks, and where you can eat seafood without spending your entire vacation budget...True, but that's not all that one of Spain's most unusual regions has to offer. Start planning your next trip today

1. Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey

This is one of Catalonia's hallmarks and most visited attractions. Even if you're not particularly religious, it's worth a visit for the scenery - the viewpoint on Mount Sant Jeroni (1,000 meters above sea level) overlooks the Pyrenees and the monastery, and in good weather you can also see the island of Mallorca.

What to do:

1. Make a wish while standing at the figure of the patron saint of Catalonia, Our Lady of Monserrat, who is nicknamed "The Darkling" because of her dark skin color. It is believed that you should rub the orb she holds in her hands. Be prepared to spend some time in line - tourists and pilgrims always crowd around the relic;
2. Attend a performance of the Escolania de Monserrat boys' choir, one of the oldest in Europe. You can do this from Monday to Friday at 13.00, on Sunday - at 12.00 and 18.45;
3. Admire the views from the observation deck on the highest peak of the massif, Mount Sant Jeroni, and then have a picnic in any clearing in the neighborhood.

How to get there:

• By car from Barcelona to the foot of Mount Monserrat (it takes a little over an hour), and from there to the monastery by cable car;
• by R5 train from Barcelona (from Espanya station, which is located at the intersection of the red and green metro lines) to the foot of Monserrat Mountain (it takes about an hour) and from there to the monastery by cable car or funicular. An all-inclusive ticket (train+climb) costs about €16 one-way.

2. Cardona, Solsona and the Artigas Gardens

The Gardens of Artigas, designed by Antoni Gaudí, are little heard of outside the country (unlike the Sagrada Familia, another work of genius), but guides and travelers in love with Catalonia highly recommend visiting them and call them a "hidden masterpiece" and a "secret gem". On your way out of Barcelona, we suggest checking out Cardona and Solsona.

What to do in Cardona:

1. Visit the fortress, whose construction dates back to the IX century - the main attraction of the town and one of the most beautiful castles in Europe;
2. Descend into a salt mine 86 meters deep. The excursion in English is held once a day, but you can safely sign up in any group - you will be given a free audio guide;
3. Walk around the Old Town, which was built in the XI century. Look into one of the entrances of a residential building, where the width of the staircase can hardly separate two adults.

You can book a hotel with a discount of up to 65% on the website.

Things to do in Solsona:

1. Explore the Old Town, which was built from the 12th to the 17th century;
2. Visit the Cathedral to see the black stone statue of the Virgin Mary;
3. Be part of a noisy celebration (various events take place in Solsona on a regular basis). There is the famous carnival at the end of February and beginning of March, and the town festival in early September, during which giant figures of religious characters parade through the streets.

Finally, you are in the town of Pobla de Lillet, home to the Artigas Gardens. The park, which blends perfectly into the surrounding landscape, was created between 1905 and 1906 to a design by Antoni Gaudi. It is small, but it makes an impression thanks to the unconventional solutions used by the maestro.

How to get there:

We recommend traveling by car. From Barcelona it takes one and a half hours to get to Cardona, from there it takes half an hour to get to Solsona and another hour to get to La Pobla de Lillet. From the final point of the route you will return to Barcelona in two hours.

Cost: tour of the salt mine in Cardona - €11, tour of Cardona Castle - €6, entrance to the Artigas Gardens - €4.2.

3. Tossa de Mar

Once a fishing village, Tossa is now one of the most beautiful and popular resorts in Catalonia. It's worth a day trip to enjoy the scenery and understand why it is the inspiration for artists, writers and other creative people.

Things to do:

1. Stroll along the wall of the Villa Vella fortress, built in XII to protect it from pirate raids;
2. See works by Marc Chagall, who was a frequent visitor, at the Museu Municipal Museum of Modern Art;
3. Learn from the locals how to party hard during the Festival of San Jordi (April 23), the celebration of St. Juan's Night (June 23-24) or Catalonia Day (September 11).

How to get there:

• By car. You will spend about an hour and a half on the road;
• by train from Barcelona Sants train station to Blanes (€7), where you will need to change to a bus to Tossa de Mar (about €4);
• by bus from Barcelona Nord station. The ticket costs around €15.

4. Girona and Besalu

Want to travel back in time? Just visit Girona and Besalú, perfectly preserved medieval towns where time seems to have stood still. For lovers of natural attractions, we recommend including the Garrocha Park, where 46 volcanoes, including several active ones, are spread over 12,000 hectares.

You can book a hotel in Girona with a discount of up to -65% on the website.

Things to do in Girona:

1. Stroll through La Força Vella fortress, built in the 1st century BC;
2. Visit the Jewish Quarter and get lost in the maze of narrow streets;
3. Visit the Cathedral, built in the XI-XVIII centuries;
4. Take a few pictures standing on the Onyar River embankment.

Things to do in Besalu:

1. Stroll through the Old Town. The main road leading here passes over a seven-span bridge built by the Romans in the 11th-12th centuries;
2. Visit the World in Miniature museum, where you can see an elephant on the tip of a needle, camels in the eye of a needle and other interesting exhibits.

How to get there:

We recommend traveling by car. From Barcelona you can get to Girona in an hour and a half, another 40 minutes to get from there to Besala. The final point of the route is about an hour and a half from Barcelona.

Entrance to Girona Cathedral is €7, and a ticket to the World in Miniature Museum (Besalu) is €7.

5. Figueres, Cadaqués and Cape Creuse

Do you consider yourself a fan of Salvador Dali's work? This itinerary is for you! The famous theater-museum, the city where the genius met his muse and, finally, the easternmost point of mainland Spain - Cape Creus, where it is always windy (evil tongues say that here the great surrealist blew out his brains).

Things to do:

1. Visit the theater-museum in Figueres, which houses one of the largest and most diverse collections of Dalí's work. In this building, in the crypt beneath the stage, the maestro found his final resting place;
2. Stop by Dalí's house museum in the bay of Port Lligat, near Cadaqués. During the artist's lifetime, rare lucky people could get inside, but now a phallic-shaped pool, stuffed bears and similar interior details can be seen by everyone;
3. Sit on the edge of the world, admiring the alien landscapes. Be careful - wind gusts on Cape Creus can be so strong that you have to hold on to a rock to avoid getting into the water.

How to get there:

We recommend traveling by car. It takes about an hour and a half to get to Figueres and 40 minutes from there to Cadaqués. For the return trip to Barcelona, allow 2-2.5 hours.

Cost: ticket to the theater-museum in Figueres - €17, ticket to the house-museum in Cadaqués - €15.

6. Tarragona

This city is worth a visit for long walkers and foodies alike. The former will find many interesting sights, some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, while the latter will appreciate the delicacies of Catalan cuisine made from the freshest fish and seafood.

You can book a hotel in Tarragona with a discount of up to -65% on the website.

Things to do:

1. Admire the city and take a few photos from the Balcó del Mediterrani (Balcony of the Mediterranean), a hilltop vantage point;
2. See the Roman Forum and the amphitheater where gladiatorial fights were once held and where up to 12,000 people gathered to watch;
3. See the Roman aqueduct outside the city, nicknamed the "Devil's Bridge" by locals;
4. Taste rice with squid ink (arròs negre), noodles with fish (fideus rossejats) or cassola de romesco (cassola with walnut sauce).

How to get there:

• By car (about an hour and a half);
• by RENFE train from Barcelona Sants train station. You will spend about half an hour on the way, the ticket costs from €22 one way.

Cost of visit: entrance to the Roman Forum from €5.

7. PortAventura amusement park

If you already know what to see in Catalonia, but you want to diversify your trip with something bright and fun, then PortAventura is waiting for you! This amusement park is one of the ten best in Europe. Every year the complex, which includes a water park, attractions for adults and children, hotels, restaurants and Ferrari Land theme park, is visited by about three million people.

What to do:

1. Experience a free fall from a height of 86 meters on the Hurakan Condor ride;
2. Test your strength on the Dragon Khan roller coaster: the length of the ride is 1,269 meters, and you will overcome 8 "dead loops" in less than 2 minutes;
3. Ride Shambhala - the highest roller coaster in Europe (76 meters).

How to get there:

• By car (about an hour and a half);
• by train from Estació de França, Passeig de Gràcia or Estació de Sants station. Tickets to the theme park include round-trip train travel.

To see prices and buy tickets online, visit the official website.