Cities, Towns and Villages in Catalonia

© ajuntament de terrassa

© Nano Cañas

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© miguel ángel álvarez

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Sea and mountain The tour dedicated to the writer Josep Pla takes you around his native Palafrugell. Start the visit in the Josep Pla Foundation and then head to the house where he was born, the monument raised in his memory, the lighthouse of Sant Sebastià and Canadell beach, in Calella , where he would spend summers with his family. In Pals you can wander through the narrow cobbled streets until you get to the Josep Pla Viewpoint, from where you can take in a view of rice fields, the sea, the Montgrí mountains and the Pyrenees, a view which Pla described in various of his works. From Pals, cross the Empordà plains to continue the itinerary in Girona . It is a pleasure to walk around the historical quarter, the cathedral, the walls, the Turkish Baths, the church of Sant Feliu, the houses on the river Onyar, the Rambla and the Pont de Pedra (Stone Bridge) which appear in the work of Josep Pla, Benito Pérez Galdós, Prudenci Bertrana, Joaquim Ruyra, George Steiner, Santiago Rusiñol and Miquel de Palo. Scenes from novels In Vic stroll through the magnificent main square, Verdaguer street or go to the Episcopal Museum, with exhibits linked to Jacint Verdaguer, the monument to the writer and the Asilo dels Capellans. This town also remembers the writer Maria Àngels Anglada: in the market, Riera street, the old seminary and the Casa de la Hiedra, all important backdrops in her poems and novels. Finish off in Terrassa with a walk through the centre, taking in the ‘Vapores’ (old industrial buildings) and 20th century streets, old leisure areas for workers and owners, and follow in the footsteps of Jaume Cabré, visiting the scenery from the novel La teranyina .

From CALELLA to Pals 15 km From PALS to Girona 44 km From GIRONA to Vic 69 km

pursue inspiration A poem or a novel can transport you anywhere without having to get off the sofa. Likewise, visiting some towns and villages can bring you nearer to the work of writers who found the inspiration for their oeuvre in those places. There are corners of Catalonia which have been immortalised by poets and writers. For example, the landscapes of Girona, Pals, Calella, Vic and Terrassa have been portrayed in the writing of Josep Pla, Jacint Verdaguer, George Steiner, Jaume Cabré and Maria Àngels Anglada.

From VIC to Terrassa 71 km

for further information on: Montblanc page 46 Prades page 116

Santa Pau page 88 Siurana page 120 Vilafranca del Penedès page 40

Pals

Girona Vic

Calella de Palafrugell

1. Calella lighthouse. 2. Freixa country house, in Terrassa. 3. Panoramic view of Pals, with the Medes Islands

Terrassa

in the background. 4. The Turkish baths in Girona.

© ALEJANDRO YOFRE. GZ

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