Catalonia - Art and Culture 2018

Enjoying nature BEYOND THE COUNTRYSIDE Thick forests, high mountain lakes, towering peaks, sub-aquatic scenery... What artistic and architectural gems stand out in the countryside?

© fira modernista de terrassa

an urban model for the Empire, is still visible. Its well preserved ruins receive more than 700,000 visits a year. Other places have had an outstanding impact on the history of Catalonia, which has marked their character. Reus , the city where Gaudí was born, is synonymous with trade. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the second most im- portant city in Catalonia. Vic is one of the most important cities of the central area. It is famous for the portals of its Pla- ça Major, its Roman temple, and the Cathedral of Sant Pere, but also for the Living Music Market Festival, where the soundtrack of modernity plays each September. In central Catalonia, Cardona is home to an impressive mediaeval castle that speaks to us of wars, stages, and invasions, but also of geology, because it has famous salt mines that can be visited to a depth of 86 metres. Who hasn’t heard of Catalan cava? A large part is produced in the Penedès region, with its capital Vilafranca . Here, both cava and high- quality wine are produced. It is also an outstand- ing square in which to create a human tower. And further to the south, by the river Ebre, Tortosa experienced prosperous times in the Renaissance. The town, which visitors pass on the way to the Delta de l’Ebre, has a rich archi- tectural heritage that is worth exploring.

Connected cities The high-speed railway lines have brought the main Catalan capitals together so that today you can travel from Barcelona to Girona in 38 minutes (by motorway it takes around 80 minutes) and from Barcelona to Figueres, very close to the French frontier, in just 53. Similarly, from Barcelona you can get to the Camp de Tarragona station (between Tarragona and Reus) in just 33 minutes, and from here to Lleida in 26 minutes more. The high-speed railway now allows many people to move around Catalonia for work and leisure. These are just some examples of the ease with which travellers can get around Catalonia. Terrassa is a living story of the Industrial Rev- olution in Catalonia, which can be seen in its modernista heritage. Visitors to the city in May will find the Modernista Fair. In March and April, visitors enjoy the internationally renowned Ter- rasa Jazz Festival.

MODERNISTA FESTIVAL IN TERRASSA.

T

he seasons of the year look differ- ent on the Delta de l’Ebre. Fields full of water act as a mirror to ref- lect the flight of the birds. Howev-

discovering the Delta de l’Ebre, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve . Beside the La Tanca- da lagoon, that favoured by the flamingos, is Món Natura Delta , an interpretation centre, and beside the L’Encanyissada la- goon, the Casa de Fusta, an ornithologi- cal museum next to an ancient hut of cane and mud. Beside the early rice fields, from Sant Carles de la Ràpita , las Ca- sotes, a 17th-century building, is now a Museu del Mar . Some of the most spectacular mountain scenery can be seen in the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park , where the eight Romanesque churches and one hermitage declared UNESCO World Heritage stand over the Vall de Boí. And in the centre of the country is the Montseny Biosphere Reserve , another idyllic place for naturalists.

er, there are also fields of mud or fields with the early shoots of rice standing out from squares of land bathed by the waters of the Ebre. In the summer, rice shoots grow and change from a radiant green to anoth- er more toasted colour between July and September. Any time of year is good for

aigüestortes i estany de sant maurici national park with the encantats peak in the background.

i

For more information www.avexperience.es

© Lluís carro

94 /

/ 95

Experience Catalonia

Experience Catalonia