Discover 20 Must-See Places in Catalonia

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Lleida - Pyrenees

Image: Sant Quirc de Durro

Vall de Boí

This lush valley located deep in the Pyrenees is home to nine Unesco World Heritage churches and the largest collection of Romanesque art in Europe. Built during the 11th and 12th centuries, the churches have been well preserved thanks to their isolation. Don't miss the mural paintings inside Santa María de Taüll and Sant Climent.

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Image: Falles bonfire. Credit: Roc Garcia-Elias Cos / Wikimedia Commons

Pyrenees Falles

Every year around Saint John's Day and the summer solstice, young people carry burning torches down from the mountains in a tradition known as Falles. Of the 63 villages in Europe to celebrate the tradition and receive a Unesco distinction, a staggering 17 are in Catalonia. The procession continues with the lighting of a bonfire in the center of town, followed by music and dancing.

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Image: Montsec range in La Noguera, Lleida

Montsec

The skies are so clear in the Montsec mountain range that Unesco deemed it a Starlight Reserve in 2013, meaning light pollution is closely monitored. While you can enjoy the night sky anywhere in the astronomical park, Montsec's Center for Observing the Universe is one of the best places for stargazing. The observatory features a retractable dome that opens up to the heavens as well as a permanent exhibition on the origins of the universe.

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Image: Cathedral exterior

Old Cathedral of Lleida

Known as La Seu Vella, Lleida's oldest cathedral dates back to 1203. Built on the foundations of a former mosque, it was completed over the course of two centuries and exhibits a range of architectural influences. On its west side is a monumental entrance built in the Gothic style, and its south wall features a series of five late Romanesque doors. Openwork windows offer sweeping views of the surrounding area.

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Costa Daurada - Tarragona

Image: Roman amphitheater. Credit: © Alberich Fotògrafs

The Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco

Constructed by the Romans in 200 BC, Tárraco is a living museum. Whether walking around the amphitheater where gladiators used to the fight or visiting the old city wall and aqueducts, it's easy to step back into time in this Unesco World Heritage city. Don't miss the Tárraco Viva festival in May when performances and reenactments bring the stories of Roman Tárraco to life.

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Image: Poblet Monastery exterior

Poblet Monastery

Poblet Monastery has the distinction, recognized by Unesco, of being Europe's largest inhabited Cistercian complex. Of the three monasteries established by the Cistercian order in Catalonia during the 12th century, it is the only one where monks still reside. Join a guided tour to walk through the monastery's Gothic-style cloisters and visit the place where kings and queens from the medieval Kingdom of Aragon were laid to rest.

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Image: Statue of young Gaudí in Reus. Credit: Fausto50 / Wikimedia Commons

Reus "Landscape of Geniuses" Route

The Landscape of Geniuses Route traces the lives of four famous artists through Tarragona. Beginning in Reus, hometown of architect Antoni Gaudí, it continues to El Vendrell, birthplace of composer Pau Casals, and on to Mont-roig del Camp, where the coastal landscapes inspired Joan Miró's surrealist paintings. It concludes in Horta de Sant Joan, a hilltop village that appears in several of Pablo Picasso's cubist works.

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Image: Ebre Delta rice fields

Ebre Delta Nature Park

One of Europe's largest wetlands and a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, Ebre Delta Nature Park features blue lagoons and rice fields that stretch as far as the eye can see. Home to some 50,000-100,000 birds spanning 300 species, it's a birder's paradise. Biking is a popular way to travel around the park and see wildlife up close.

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Costa Brava - Girona

Image: Museum exterior. Credit: momo / Flickr Creative Commons

Dalí Theater Museum

Designed by Salvador Dalí, the Dalí Theater Museum is a work of art in and of itself. Opened in 1974 on the site of the former Figueres Theater, it houses one of the broadest collections of the painter's work in addition to that of artists he admired such as El Greco and Marcel Duchamp. Dalí also created works expressly for the museum including Rainy Cadillac, Monument to Francesc Pujols, the Mae West Room and the Wind Palace Room.

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Image: Monastery landscape view

Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes

Set atop a peak in the Rodes mountain range, Sant Pere de Rodes is an impressive example of Romanesque architecture. Built in the 10th century, it was the spiritual capital of northern Catalonia from the 11th through 14th centuries. Notable features include its towers, featuring sweeping views of the Cap de Creus peninsula, and its portalada, a large entranceway depicting the life of Christ in white marble.

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Image: Empúries ancient entranceway

Empúries

Greek and Roman histories collide in Empúries. Here, the remains of the Greek city Emporion, the only Greek ruins remaining on the Iberian Peninsula, coincide with those of the Roman city Emporiae, offering a unique window into Catalonia's ancient urban history. Attractions range from a Greek banqueting hall to Roman public baths. Be sure to visit the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia-Empúries, which houses a rare sculpture of the Greek god Asclepius found at the site.

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Image: Portal detail. Credit: PMRMaeyaert / Wikimedia Commons

Romanesque Portal in Ripoll

One of the most defining features of the Monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll is its Romanesque portal known as the "Stone Bible." Added to the original entrance in the 12th century, it features relief carvings of scenes from the Bible together with vegetal and geometric motifs. The portal's size, triumphal arch shape and rich iconography are unique and have made it a Unesco World Heritage contender.

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Barcelona Province

Image: Montserrat landscape view. Credit: S.Boixader

Montserrat

A popular day trip from Barcelona city, the Montserrat mountain range is a sight to behold. Visitors can take a cable car or railway up to the Benedictine monastery nestled above the clouds, admire architecture ranging from medieval to Art Nouveau, walk over a Gothic bridge or explore the area's breathtaking scenery on paths running through Montserrat Mountain Nature Park.

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Image: Shores of Sitges

Sitges

An ancient fishing village, Sitges enjoys 320 days of sun a year and miles of pristine beaches. Natural beauty aside, it is a center of Art Nouveau and hosts one of the world's foremost film festivals each October. Don't miss the Cau Ferrat Museum, originally the home and studio of modernist painter and writer Santiago Rusiñol, in the old quarter.

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Image: Gaudí Crypt interior. Credit: G. Sanguinetti, Diputació de Barcelona

La Colònia Güell

Designed by Antoni Gaudí as a model village for textile workers, La Colònia Güell exemplifies Catalan modernism. After walking through the village, stop into the church known as Gaudí's Crypt. One of seven Gaudí buildings recognized by Unesco, it features fluid lines, mosaics, stained glass windows and seashells.

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Image: Roman bridge in Vic

Vic

A visit to Vic isn't complete without a stroll through one of its markets. Taking place every day of the week, they pulse with a lively energy. Be sure to try one of the city's famous cold meats and visit Plaça Major, market or no market, to explore its Gothic arcades and cafes. Vic is also home to the world's largest collection of murals by Josep Maria Sert, an impressive number of which are on display in the Vic Cathedral.

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Barcelona City

Image: Plaça del Rei architecture

Plaça del Rei

Plaça del Rei, a large square in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, feels straight out of the Middle Ages. Step inside the Great Hall of the Palau Reial Major, where Catalan counts lived from the 13th to 15th centuries, head underground to discover the remains of the Roman city Barcino, or wander through the quarter's historic, narrow alleyways.

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Image: Casa Vicens exterior detail

Casa Vicens by Gaudí

Casa Vicens is the first house designed by Antoni Gaudí and is regarded as one of the first masterpieces of Modernism. Commissioned as a summer house, it features white and green tiles on the outside and nature motifs throughout. Today, it is a museum and features a permanent exhibition on 19th-century Barcelona.

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Image: National Art Museum of Catalonia street entrance

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Built in 1929 for the World Exhibition, the National Art Museum of Catalonia is Barcelona's largest and most iconic museum, housing thousands of years of Catalan art. Ranging from the 10th to 20th centuries, its collection is divided into four sections: Romanesque, Gothic Art, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Modern Art. A highlight of the museum is a series of 21 mural sections rescued from Romanesque churches throughout Catalonia.

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Image: Market exterior. Credit: Enric / Wikimedia Commons

Sant Antoni Market

Open seven days a week, the 19th-century steel-skeleton Sant Antoni Market is one of Barcelona's most recognized landmarks. Selling everything from vintage books, coins and stamps to delicious snacks, it spans an entire city block and is frequented by locals and visitors alike.

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It only takes three hours to drive through Catalonia. Yet in the space of these three hours, the scenery changes rapidly from beaches to mountains and from ancient villages to cosmopolitan cities. Bordered by the Mediterranean to the east and Pyrenees mountains to the north, this unique and culturally vibrant region of northeastern Spain is graced with dramatic landscapes and rich heritage. From ancient Roman ports and mountaintop Romanesque churches to Gaudí’s fantastical architecture and pastoral scenes that inspired Salvador Dalí paintings, the past greets you at every turn. Discover 20 must-see destinations in the map above, and explore Catalonia's different regions below.

Lleida—Pyrenees

Discover 20 Must-See Places in Catalonia — Montsec mountain range

Nature is king in Catalonia's mountainous, westernmost region. Whether stargazing in the Montsec mountains, discovering Romanesque architecture, strolling through a 13th-century hilltop cathedral or taking part in traditions such as the running of torches, time seems to stand still.

Costa Daurada—Tarragona

Spanning Catalonia's southern section, the Costa Daurada and Tarragona region boasts breathtaking coastal views and wetlands that stretch for miles. For a dose of history, visit the monasteries responsible for spreading Cistercian ideals throughout the region, and follow in the footsteps of four famous creative minds that visited or called Tarragona home: architect Antoni Gaudí, composer Pau Casals and painters Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso.

Costa Brava—Girona

Whether exploring an ancient Greek banquet hall, touring the broadest collection of Salvador Dalí works in a museum as surreal as his paintings, gazing out at the sea from a Benedictine monastery tower or reading a "Stone Bible," there is no shortage of culture in northern Catalonia's Costa Brava and Girona.

Barcelona Province

Just outside Barcelona are a number of lesser-known destinations with distinct personalities offering endless day trip possibilities. One day you could be looking out over clouds from a mountaintop monastery; the next, strolling through the old quarter of an ancient fishing village; another, exploring a Gaudí crypt or strolling through a public market lined with Gothic arcades.

Barcelona City

The energy of Catalonia's capital city is undeniable. Spend the day walking through Antoni Gaudí's extravagant and colorful architectural creations or winding through the narrow alleyways of the Gothic Quarter. Discover thousands of years of art at the National Art Museum of Catalonia and then score fabulous finds at the vintage stalls at the Sant Antoni market.

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