FROM THE ROOF TO THE DEPTHS OF TARRAGONA

Campanar catedral

TARRAGONA

In this TripIdea we propose in a just a single day to climb to the highest point of Tarragona and go down to the deepest place of the city. First you will see everything from the perspective offered by the bell tower of the cathedral and then you will discover the entrails of a hidden city underground that very little have been lucky to visit.

Etiquetes:

Tarragona, Catedral, Cova, Vistes

Catedral de Tarragona

THE CATHEDRAL AND THE VIEWS ONTO THE CITY

The best watchtower of Tarragona, in frank competition with the walls, is the bell tower of the cathedral. Until recently only the bellmen had access to this unique view, but with the reform completed in 2012 you can now also climb to it. On a clear day, you will see the whole city and the whole Camp de Tarragona. Do not forget the camera!
Once here, a walk through the cathedral is inexcusable. You can enter for free with an audioguide, or even on a private guided tour. The fusion between the Romanesque and the Gothic style of the temple can be observed in the different halls and can best seen in the cloister. In the style of the Cistercian sanctuaries, you will find capitals with vegetal motifs and others with scenes of the Old and New Testament and Moorish style sockets.

REMAINS OF MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS

And be alert, because one of the walls of the cloister has been taken from the former “Témenos”, another of the temple´s jewels. With the help of a guide or a map you can admire the oldest vestiges of the cathedral, today assimilated in different halls. If the temple was built in 1171 and consecrated in 1331, the walls of the “Témenos” date back to Roman times. It is believed that they are part of the acropolis of Tarragona, more than 2,000 years ago! With the the entrance into the temple, you also aceede to the Diocesan Museum, of great interest for the religious works that contains.

If you accede to the temple during a mess, pay attention. The organ of the cathedral of Tarragona is unique in Europe for its size and sound, refined in a recent reform in 2013.
And if they come with children, download this teaching material and discover all together the procession of the cat and the rats on one of the walls of the temple, or very lazy Wise Men enjoying a nap on a column.

Cova Urbana Tarragona

EXPLORE THE SUBSOIL OF TARRAGONA

Maybe you had no idea that Tarragona hides in the depths a really spectacular urban cave. The time has come for you to know it! It is not necessary to be an expert speleologist to delve into the bowels of the city and make a trip to the center of the Earth through labyrinthine cavities that will discover a new world.
The SIET, theTarragona Speleological Research Society organizes departures on Saturdays and Sundays, with all security guarantees. They lend the neoprene suit, the helmet, the lantern and the insurance, and you have to wear sports shoes, thick socks and old clothes. With a minimum of physical preparation and a certain audacity you will easily overcome the obstacles of the underground cavity. Bookings must be made almost one month in advance to SIET specialists.

A CAVERN WITH A SECRET ENTRANCE

The secret entrance to the cavern is on the fourth floor of a private parking on Gasòmetre Street. Once inside, you will be amazed by the surprises every meter hides. You will pass through huge flooded rooms, through tiny siphons where you will have to submerge for a few seconds to continue the path, you will bathe in the largest underground lake of Catalonia, you will have to crawl in narrow steps that will not allow you to raise your head ... and all of this accompanied by a specialist monitor that will bring the experience and calm in case the nerves overflow.
Children from 12 years - that know how to swim - and adults of less than 70 are allowed. Visits are made in groups of about 10 people. If you dare, when you all reach the end of the visit, turn off the lanterns, make absolute silence, and imagine how the city continues at a frenetic pace 40 meters above you.