Welcome to Catalonia

Its light seduced to the Romans in past days, and it is evident that it has preserved its charm. They came, they saw and they fell in love. They wanted to control the lands north of the Ebro and they turned Tarraco into one of the main cities of Hispania. For Roman merchants and citizens it meant reaching a place full of opportunities, where they reproduced their active public and social life. A great urban legacy has been preserved, like the amphitheater, the circus or the forum, as well as the walls that surrounded the whole city. In 2000, the archaeological complex of Tarraco was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO and, every year in May, the Tarraco Viva Festival is celebrated; it is the best moment to relive the most symbolic characters, stories and areas of that Roman Tarragona.

Do you want to disconnect from the world in one of Europe´s largest wetlands? The Ebro Delta offers you an immense reserve of birds, lagoons and kilometer-long rice fields to enjoy the plainest landscape of Catalonia. Considered a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO as a unique ecosystem in the world, it is home to one of the most unique biodiversities in the Mediterranean area. There are between 50,000 and 100,000 bird of 300 different species! In addition, if you tour the Delta by bicycle, you can discover the barracks, the old constructions of the area, as well as participate in popular activities such as the festivals of the plantada (planting), or sega (harvest), where the traditional way of rice farming is reproduced. It is also mandatory that you taste a good dish of duck with rice, considered one of the most typical recipes in the area!

One hour from Tarragona, we find one of the biggest sporting temples in the world, the Camp Nou, the Futbol Club Barcelona stadium. Without a doubt, Barça is one of the most internationally known cultural emblems of Catalonia. The fact is that in any country in the world, from east to west, and in any neighborhood, there are people who have heard of this team and even have a poster Messi in the dining room. Visiting us also means stepping on the lawn where players like Romario or Ronaldinho made fans dream, as well as contemplate in the Barçca Museum all the trophies achieved during the centennial history of this club. Feel like a soccer star for a few minutes!

Are you fascinated by the history of Jews in Europe? If you want to follow the steps of this group of people in continuous exodus, in Catalonia you will find traces of its passage. At two hours and quarter away from Tarragona, there is another of the towns you never should miss: Girona. A city with a unique cultural effervescence in Catalonia, which seduces the traveler by the beauty of its narrow streets, shops with charm and its colorful river front. One of the most emblematic areas of the historic center of the city is the call, formed by a labyrinth of narrow streets and courtyards that maintain the aura of medieval times. It is one of the best conserved Jewish Quarters in the world and an evident sample of the importance the Jewish culture possessed in Girona. If it is winter, we recommend you to have a good hot chocolate in one of its pleasant cafes!

Less than four hours from Tarragona, we can almost touch the sky with our fingers. Declared a World Heritage Site, the Vall de Boí is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful corners of the Pyrenees. Covered with snow in winter and electric green in spring, between its meadows and its lush landscape, it hides a large number of Catalan Romanesque jewels. These churches have been preserved over time thanks to the isolation of the valley well into the last century. Neither builders nor artists, nor architects nor priests altered this architecture of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Do not miss the sets of mural painting in the churches of Sant Climent y Santa Maria de Taüll and Sant Joan de Boí, currently preserved in the National Museum of Catalonian Arts (MNAC), as well as the carvings produced by the Erill Workshop, like the Descent of Erill la Vall of the Santa Eulalia de Erill-la-Vall church.