 Cataluna is made up of four provinces - Barcelona, Girona,
Tarragona and Lleida (Lerida), each with a capital city of the
same name. Barcelona is the place people want to visit and the
capital is now very much an international city. The area enjoys
a varied landscape from the high sierras of the Pyrenees, to
the Mediterranean coast and the central lowlands. There are two
Cataluna coastlines - the Costa Brava with its cliffs and deep
coves (Costa is Catalan for coast and Brava means Rugged) - and
the Costa Dorada (Gold Coast) with long, wide and gentle beaches.
There are three airports - Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona. There
are two international rail stations at Estacion de Sants and
Estacion de Francia, both in Barcelona.
Figueres is a small city around 60
miles north of Barcelona and 8 miles from the coast. It is situated
at the north-eastern end of Catalonia. It is the largest of the
cities bordering France and is the centre of a major communications
network , making it a gateway and stopping place for travellers
and tourists entering and leaving Spain.
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 Figueres nestles between the eastern end of the
Pyrenees and the Costa Brava and is best known as the birthplace
of the master of the surrealist art movement, Salvador Dali.
The main attraction of Figueres is the Teatre Museu Dali which
houses the largest single collection of Spain's most notorious
Surrealist and was designed by the artist himself. Dali is buried
inside his Museum. The old town of Figueres is pleasant to walk
around and there are a number of important monuments worth visiting,
including the old medieval walls and the castle of Sant Ferran,
a massive 18th century fortress on the outskirts of town. The
walls enclose the historical centre of Figueres, where some lovely
corners such as the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and the area around
Carrer Magre have been preserved from medieval times. La Rambla
is the best place for eating and socialising, and there are plenty
of cafés and bars to choose from. |
