Pyrenees to the Sea

La Garrotxa region. The city of Girona. The coves along the Costa Brava. The enchanting medieval villages of the Empordà. The Greco-Roman ruins at Empúries and the Dalí Museum in Figueres at Empúries and the Dalí Museum in Figueres.

The  Monastery of Santa Maria de Ripoll. The tour will start with a “must see visit” to Ripoll town, located in the Pyrenees. The Ripoll Monastery was founded by Guifré el Pilós (Wilfred the Hairy) towards the end of the 9th century. The portal of the Monastery is one of Catalunya’s Romanesque masterpieces, the iconography in its impressive carvings is known as “The Stone Bible”.

The Garrotxa’s Volcanic Zone is the best example of volcanic terrain on the Iberian Peninsula. It has 40 volcanic cones and more than 20 lava flows. The mountain landscape, the sun and climate provide a variety of vegetation, often exuberant, with holm oaks, common oaks and beech trees of exceptional value to the landscape.

Girona has all the charm of a large city but without the crowds; The old town is one of the most evocative historical centres in Catalonia, with certain elements that are unique in Europe: the Carolingian wall, an exceptionally well conserved Jewish quarter, and the grandeur of the Cathedral’s Gothic nave, the widest in the world. Girona also has six museums which possess a patrimonial collection of great interest.

The Costa Brava, often translated as “wild coast,” is paradise not only for the wild-spirited and wild at heart, but also for those who are simply looking for something a little out of the ordinary. It has something to suit everyone: Along with peaceful villages and a quiet time sunbathing, fun parties.

Discover the Mediveal village of Peratallada. “Peratallada” means “Carved Stone”, and many of the narrow streets and building foundations in this town are just that, literally carved right into the natural rock. There are also ancient cartwheel ruts cut into the road. The town is beautifully kept, and strolling around its cobbled streets you can admire a whole range of well-preserved buildings whose origins date back to pre-Roman times.
The Iberian town of Ullastret is one of the best-preserved Iberian settlements in Catalonia. It was one of the first fortified urban settlements to be found in Catalonia. It is located on a small hill from which it overlooks the gentle and peaceful landscape of the Emporda and Costa Brava to the South and the Pyrenees Mountains and Girona to the North. The original village was founded in the 6th century BC and was by the end of that century defended by a magnificent wall.

Torroella de Montgri is a 13th-14th century urban structure, a good example of classical Roman camp type layout. The old part of the town is surrounded by promenades that trace the path of the former defence walls, of which some remain: the 15th-16th century Torre de les Bruixes (Witches’ Tower), evoking legendary witches who once prevented a Catalan king from entering the town, and the 14th century Santa Caterina gate, the only remaining of the six original entrances to Torroella.

Our last stage leads us to Figueres, today the home of the world-famous Spanish artist, Salvador Dali. The city is located in the north-eastern Catalonia. With a population of 45.000 inhabitants, is the largest city near the border with France