A Spanish town in the Catalonia region of northern Spain, Figueres is mostly famous as the birthplace of Spanish artist Salvador Dali, and as such attracts thousands of holidaymakers and art fanatics, who visit to view a big museum which is dedicated to his work and called the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dali. Figueres is actually a sizeable town in its own right, and has a population of over 40,000 residents, the towns name is thought to derive from the Visigothic language. A popular day trip from many of the coastal resorts on the Costa Brava coastline, Figueres shold certainly be on your hot list of places to visit whilst in the area. It lies in the north-eastern section of Catalonia, and is just 40 kilometres from the provincial capital Girona, some close by coastal resorts include Roses, Empuriabrava, Cadaques, L’Escala and Llança, so if you are visiting any of these resorts, this could be a good idea for a day trip, especially if you are an art fan, in which case it will be a real treat. Pick a day when the weather is not so hot,then you can take your time and walk around Figueres in comfort, not missing a good beach day in the process.
March 28, 2011
September 13, 2010
Fira Palace Hotel Barcelona
Fira Palace Hotel Barcelona
An elegant hotel well located in the city of Barcelona, Spain, the Fira Palace Hotel is ideal for both leisure and business visitors to this great city. Offering two hundred and seventy six rooms, all both excellent facilities, the Fira Palace Hotel Barcelona could be your ideal accommodation. The hotel offers such fine facilities as an indoor swimming pool, health and fitness centre, sauna, gift shop, piano bar, two restaurants, patio garden, gymnasium, hair salon etc. Rooms in the Fira Palace Hotel are available from 77 euros per night (around £64), very reasonable for a city centre hotel in Barcelona. Located in the Catalonia region of north-eastern Spain, Barcelona is the countries second largest city, it is around 150km from the border with France and about 100kn from Girona. The city has a huge variety of attractions, whether you are looking for culture, entertainment of even a beach holiday, and a visit to Spain would not be complete without a visit to this amazing place. Barcelona Map.
April 8, 2010
Girona Catalonia
Girona Catalonia – Riverside Houses
A historic city in the Catalonia region of north-eastern Spain, Girona has a population of just under 100,000 and is the capital of the province of Girona which takes in many of the resorts of the popular Costa Brava coastline. Originally settled by the ancient Iberians, Girona was later called Gerunda by the Romans when they established a citadel there during their occupation of the Iberian Peninsular. Later occupied by the Visigoths and then the Moors, Girona was brought back to Christian control in the 11th century. These days Girona is the arrival point for most visitors to the Costa Brava region being the location of the main airport for the region. The airport is actually located outside the city itself, so to visit the city you will need to take a taxi or bus and from here you can access the coastline north and south via bus or train. Girona enjoys a fine climate with the best weather being during the summer months (May to September), winters are cold with frost not unusual. Worth a visit in Girona are the old town, the coloured houses of the riverside, the ancient cathedral, the Collegiate Church of Sant Feliu and the Benedictine church of Sant Pere de Galligants. Girona is located beside the AP-7 motorway which links it with Barcelona to the south-west, and Figueres and France to the north. Girona Map.
March 28, 2010
Tossa de Mar Costa Brava
Renowned for its rugged coastline Spain’s Costa Brava has some splendid coastal resorts which are very popular with holidaymakers. One of the most attractive of these seaside resorts is Tossa de Mar, a historic town which still has remnants of its ancient walled village (Vila Vella) and was originally a Roman town called Turissa some 2,000 years ago. Tossa de Mar was one of the pioneers of the Costa Brava tourist industry attracting such early visitors as painter Marc Chagall, who stayed there in the summer of 1934, he named Tossa his “blue paradise” and the town still proudly displays (in the Municipal Museum) the only Chagall painting known to exist in Spain. Renowned for its seafood, Tossa de Mar is a great place to taste some local dishes such as simitoba (fish in garlic sauce), the town has some top quality restaurants. While Tossa de Mar will attract its fair share of culture seekers, due to its long history, it is most popular with those seeking a traditional beach style holiday and its beaches, 2 having blue flag status, are perfect for this type of holiday, and also ideal for water sports enthusiasts with scuba diving and snorkelling being especially popular. Tossa de Mar has a decent choice of hotels including the Golden Bahia de Tossa, the San Eloy Tossa de Mar and the Hotel Diana. Tossa de Mar is situated on the GI-682 about 41 kilometres from Girona and its airport.
March 10, 2010
Playa de Aro Costa Brava
One of the Costa Brava’s best loved beach resorts, Playa de Aro is situated between the towns of Sant Feliu de Guixols and Palamos around 35 km from the provincial capital Girona. Apart from the obvious attraction of its 2 mile long beach, Playa de Aro can also offer visitors a wonderful water park in the form of the Aquadiver Waterworld, the Magic Park amusement extravaganza, a Pitch n Putt golf course and a ten pin bowling alley, together with one of the best nightlife scenes along this popular part of the coastline. The sun is of course another major attraction with Playa de Aro weather offering some 2,500 hours of sunshine each year, the best months being from May to October. To get away from the crowds of the main resort you can enjoy the coastal path where you can enjoy some delightful scenery and discover some isolated bays and coves. Playa de Aro offers a great choice of hotels and is located off the C-31 south of Palamos.
September 4, 2009
Figueres Girona
Capital of the Alt Empordà district of Girona, on the Costa Brava, Spain, the market town of Figueres has a population of approximately 40,000, and will be forever linked to the painter Salvador Dali (1904-89) who was born and died there. One of the most visited locations in the town is the Teatre-Museu Dali, which was founded by the artist himself in 1974 and now boasts the largest collection of his works together with those of other artists. Another famous son of Figueres was Narcis Monturiol i Estarriol, who is claimed to be the inventor of the submarine. Also worth visiting in Figueres is the Toy Museum (Museu de Joguets), the Sant Ferran castle (eighteenth century), the parish church of Sant Pere and the old Jewish Quarter. Figueres is situated just off the AP-7 motorway between the provincial capital Girona and the French border, the closest airport is at Girona some 40 kilometres away. Figueres Map.
September 2, 2009
Travel on the Costa Brava Spain
Boasting some of the most attractive coastline in the whole of the Spain, the Costa Brava region is located in the extreme north-east of the country within the region of Catalonia. The Costa Brava borders France to the north, Aragon to the west and Valencia to the south and was one of the first regions of Spain to attract mass tourism as cheaper package holidays and flights took off during the 1960’s, from then on Costa Brava travel was a popular option for those seeking a bit of guaranteed sunshine and a holiday abroad. Obviously the excellent summer time climate was one of the biggest draws for the region but the many beautiful Costa Brava beach resorts and the fine beaches which service them was an additional attraction. Amongst the best known resorts there are some real gems, and many have an interesting history along with their appeal as pure holiday resorts. Places such as Roses, Blanes and Estartit are among the best known while inland towns such as Girona, Figueres and Begur also have much to offer. Those wishing to get the most from a visit to the region should purchase a decent Costa Brava guide book, which will advice of the best and most interesting places to visit. Costa Brava Map.
September 1, 2009
August 26, 2009
The Costa Brava Town of Blanes
Located in the region of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain, the town and resort of Blanes is popular with both Spanish and International holidaymakers having a 4 kilometre stretch of coastline with plenty of fine sandy beaches and a number of pretty coves and bays. Originally a small fishing village, Blanes is now a busy resort albeit quieter than some of its Costa Brava neighbours, its seafront is lined with high-rise apartment blocks and hotels, though remains of the old town still remind visitors of its former charm. Blanes experiences a typical Costa Brava climate with beautiful sunny, warm summers and somewhat cooler winters, the weather in Blanes can generally be relied on to be fine from June to September. One of the Costa Brava’s best known resorts Blanes is only 30 kilometres from the nearest airport at Girona. Blanes Map.
Olot and Besalu Girona
Two interesting inland towns of Catalonia in north-eastern Spain are Besalu and Olot, both worth a visit for their own merits Besalu and Olot are both within the comarca of Garrotxa and are in fact the former and present capitals of that district. Besalu, though only a small town with a population of just over 2,000, was formerly of great importance for the region and was controlled by a dynasty begun by Wilfred the Hairy for over 200 years. Settled by Romans, Visigoths, Franks and various other cultures Besalu has some very ancient buildings worth visiting, the landmark of the town is the eleventh century fortified bridge which crosses the River Fluvia at the entrance to the town, this unique bridge has a fortified gatehouse and a portcullis.Besalu became a Historic national Monument in 1966 and many of its buildings have been restored to their former glory. Olot, to the west of Besalu is the current capital of the Garotxa district and was very important for textile manufacture during the 18th and 19th centuries. The demands of the textile industry encouraged the forming of the Olot School of art, which was founded by a group of local artists whose work can be seen in the Museu Comarcal de la Garrotxa. Both towns are well inland from the Costa Brava coastline and experience a considerably different climate from the coast, in fact Olot weather can be very cold during the winter with possibilities of snow and temperatures often verging on freezing, the Garrotxa region also experiences more rainfall with around forty inches per year. Catalonia Map.