Catalonia - Art and Culture 2018

By car we can explore the famous Cistercian Route, which connects three spectacular mon- asteries created under the Benedictine order. These monasteries, Santes Creus, Vallbona de les Monges, and Poblet , are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We can also enjoy towns with great wine and sparkling wine-making tradition such as Vilafranca del Penedès and Sant Sa- The Cistercian Route, the route of wine and cava and Els Ports Natural Park are different ways to visit southern Catalonia. ROUTE 5 Following the footprints of culture

ROUTE 6 From Barcelona to the Pyrenees

A trip to the north of the country, with a magical end in the land of the elves.

© imagen m.a.s.

© imagen m.a.s.

durní d’Anoia , in the Penedès region, or cultural gems like the Cartoixa d’Escaladei Charter- house, surrounded by the renowned DOQ Prio- rat vineyards, or approach villages like Pinell de Brai and Gandesa , with wineries, some of which are modernista monuments. The beautiful Els Ports Natural Park is locat- ed a few kilometres to the south. The town of Horta de Sant Joan has stunning views which inspired Picasso on his stays there. Following the Ebro River to its mouth, we come to Tortosa , a town with a very interesting artistic legacy that has been shaped by Arab, Jewish, Mediaeval, and Renaissance art. Overlooking the sea and facing the Badia dels Alfacs, the coastal village of Sant Carles de la Ràpita has one of the most important weekly fish markets in Catalonia.

Cities such as Sant Cugat del Vallès , with its Romanesque monastery, and Terrassa , a city with a great industrial past, were sites that pro- moted Modernisme and Noucentisme. The route leads to a place with more natural scene- ry, the Sant Llorenç de Munt i l’Obac Natural Park , which is home to the 12th century Ro- manesque monastery of Sant Llorenç de Munt. The route goes on to Navarcles, where the sym- bolic Món Sant Benet is located. This unique project focused on culture, tourism, and leisure brings together the mediaeval monastery and

the Fundación Alícia , an innovative cuisine re- search centre created by Ferran Adrià. From here, the route heads into the Pyrenees, where three historic churches appear one after the other: Santa Maria de Merlès, Sant Pau de Pinós , and Sant Miquel de Terradelles . The trip continues through the Coll del Port pass near the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park and takes us to Seu d’Urgell . The trip ends in a magical way, 30 km from the municipal area of Valls d’Aguilar, in the land of the minairons , tiny fantastic beings that appear in Pyrenean mythology.

the santes creus

cloister of the monastEry of sant cugat del vallès and món sant benet.

monastery and a wine- gastronomic experience in the penedès.

© chopo. Garkin. gz

© marc castellet