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| Montserrat, Province of Barcelona |
The autonomous region of Catalonia lies in the northeastern corner of Spain. It spans over a total area of 32,108km2, and consists of the four provinces Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. The capital Barcelona is the second-most populated city in Spain with its 1.6 million inhabitants. The metropolitan area of Barcelona has no less than 5.5 million people. Overall, more than 7.7 million people call Catalonia their home. Catalonia has three official languages, Catalan, Spanish and the Aragonese dialect of Occitan, which is almost exclusively spoken in the Aran Valley, the northwestern part of the Province of Lleida. Catalan, however, is widely spoken, and is gaining ground on Spanish as the predominant language of Catalonia. About 32% of Catalans, claim to speak Catalan as their first language, whereas 50% claim to speak Spanish. The Catalans are, in general, very proud of their linguistic and cultural heritage, both of which were suppressed during the time of Franco's reign. In recent years, there has been an upsurge in Catalan nationalism, with many Catalan's pushing for independence from Spain.
Barcelona
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| La Sagrada Familia |
It is impossible to describe Barcelona without mentioning Antoni Gaudí, the architect behind most of the city's most iconic buildings. Antoni Gaudí, an exponent of the literary and artistic Catalan modernism, sought himself to evoke a unique Catalan character from his work. Few would disagree, upon conemplating the unfinished La Sagrada Familia,
Casa Milà, or
Casa Battló that the style is unique, whether you like it or not. La Sagrada Familia is the most visited monument in Spain, and no less than seven of his works have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Apart from the aforementioned, the list also includes Park Güell, Palau Güell, Casa Vicens, now a museum, all in Barcelona, and the crypt at the Colònia Güell Church in the nearby suburb of Santa Coloma de Cervelló.
Barcelona is also a very cultural city with an array of interesting museums to showcase the artistic talents of both Spanish as well as Catalan artists. Worth mentioning is the Teatro-Museo Dali, to commemorate the Catalan artist Salvador Dali. The Funcació de Joan Miró is another worthwhile place to visit to contemplate the works of this famous Barcelona-born painter and sculptor. There is also the more general exhibition in the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, as well as the Museu d´Història de Barcelona. Other interesting museums include the Museo Picasso.
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| Palau de la Música Catalana |
Another cultural bastion is the impressive Palau de la Música Catalana, designed in the Catalan modernist style, it is the only concert hall of its kind to also be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Catalan music can also be enjoyed in more humble surroundings, when people take to the streets of Barcelona in summer between 6 and 6:30 pm to dance sardana in a symbol of Catalan unity. The dance can also be watched at the Focs de Sant Joan Festival on 24 June, as well as during the Festes de la Mercè, where sardana along with the human towers, castells, is one of the cultural spectacles on display.
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| Camp Nou |
However, the most popular cultural bastion where Catalan nationalism is expressed unfiltered, remains the awe-inspiring old football ground, the Camp Nou. It is the home turf for Catalan footballing giants, FC Barcelona, one of the most famous football clubs in the world. With its capacity of 99,354 seats, it is the largest football stadium in Europe, and the club is even considering expanding its capacity!
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| Montserrat |
In the province of Barcelona, some fifty kilometres inland from the capital, lies the Benedictine Abbey Santa María de Montserrat, on the hillside of the Montserrat mountain. The abbey hosts the Virgin of Montserrat Sanctuary. The monastery dates back to the 11th century, albeit it was rebuilt in the 19th century after the Basilica was destroyed in the Peninsular War of 1807-1814. Part of the church got a new facelift in the decades after the Civil War. It is still a functioning monastery with some 70 resident monks. Montserrat also has a museum with exhibitions by mainly Catalan painters, as well as a small archaeological collection. The mountain itself is popular with climbers.
Girona
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| Onyar River and Catedral |
The Province of Girona is situated in the far northeastern corner of Spain, bordering to the north with France. The province has a population of close to 750,000, with about a fifth of those living in the provincial capital of the same name. In its midst, the Gothic Catedral de Santa María towers over the city's houses. It has the widest nave of any Gothic church in the world. It was initially built in Romanesque style and its bell tower dates back to early 11th century, wheres the Gothic overhaul was completed in early 15th century. The nearby Banys Àrabs, Arab Baths dating back to 1194 are also not to be missed. Girona is an old city founded in 79 BC. The testament to that is the Forca Vella fortress and its surrounding walls dating back to its early days. The city centre with its old quarter is a walk through history. The narrow cobble-stoned alleys in the Jewish Quarter date back to before the first millennium. Of particular interest in is the Jewish Museum in Carrer de la Forca. If you are interested in fine dining, and have deep enough pockets, the Celler de Can Roca is one of the best restaurants in the world.
Tarragona
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| Roman Amphitheatre |
To the south of Barcelona is the Province of Tarragona. Its provincial capital is even older than Girona, dating back to the 5th century BC. The initial settlement was fortified and colonised by the Romans, and it holds many appraised archaeological sites from this period. The Roman ruins of Tarragona are a joint UNESCO World Heritage site. Amongst the ruins are worth mentioning the amphiteatre, circus, citadel, pretorium, Augustus' Palace and the Necropolis.
Lleida
The Province of Lleida, LLérida in Spanish, covers an area of 12,150km2. It has a population of 440,000, of whom about 140,000 live in the provincial capital. The capital city of Lleida is one of the oldest in Catalonia, dating back to the 6th century BC. Its history is not as preserved as that of Tarragona or Girona, though. Much the town was destroyed in the 17th century Catalan Revolt, and also suffered much damage from bombing during the Spanish Civil War. The Centre Històric still contains the quaint medieval charm of rural Spain. Lleida has also renewed itself, and has become a cultural town of some acclaim. The Lleida Museum exhibiting historical artefacts and works of art opened in 2008. Lleida also contains several music and theatres venues, as well as a conservatory. In 2010, there was a new addition when the theatre and congress hall La Llotja de Lleida opened as well.
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| Aigüestortes National Park |
Lleida is situated in the beautiful surroundings of the Pyrenees, as serves as a good overnight stay to visit the national park with the near-impossible name to remember: Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici. In this national park, the steady stream of thawing water from the Pyrenean mountain tops has formed over 200 lakes. You can see lush green pine and fir forests below peaks towering over 3,000 meters above. The park is ideal both for family hiking and more challenging multi-day trekking.
