One of the autonomous communities of Spain is the beautiful Catalonia, northeast of the peninsula, bordering Andorra and France, and the Mediterranean Sea. It is a beautiful land, with a great culture and one of the richest territories in the country.
But what There are beautiful places in Catalonia?
Santa Pau
If you like volcanic landscapes, the activity of the Earth, the feeling that you are on a living planet, then you can take a tour of the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone. Here is La Frageda d'en Jordà, but there is also the charming town of Santa Pau.
Santa Pau it's a medieval postcard most beautiful. It used to be the seat of the barony of Santa Pau in those days, so it retains a castle from between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries with its arcaded square. also has some Ancient churches and even one of them is inside the crater of the Santa Margarita volcano, the Sanctuary of Santa Margaita de la Cot.
the best here is visit the viewpoints of the area, all facing the old town and facing east, with the best panoramic views of the region. The town itself, surrounded by walls, is accessed through a portico that leaves you right in the Plaza Mayor, irregularly shaped, with the Church of Santa María dating from 1430 and the castle itself.
Alleys, porticoes, stone houses, Gothic windows, everything appears as you walk through this walled enclosure that transports you back in time.
The Vilosell
this town is in the province of Lleida which is not usually mentioned much among tourists, but if you like the medieval this is another example. It is in an irregular territory, with slopes, ravines, streams and pine, almond or olive forests. The Set yes runs and that means that there are also farmlands.
Vilosell is a very well preserved medieval village so you can spend some time walking through its cobbled streets, see the surrounding area and the mountains above from above, get to know the old chapel and the church, its Rural houses, the winery and luckily, its restaurants.
Unfortunately, almost nothing remains of its castle, which was demolished and its stones reused, but a beautiful viewpoint has been built on top of its ruins.
Castellar de n´Hug
Es here where the Llobregat river is born, in Clot del Moro, where there is also the Museum of the Old Asland Cement Factory and the Transport Museum of Catalonia. It is a small town located in the region of Berguedá, with no more than 80 inhabitants.
The visit may be brief but you will like it. You can try the croissants Giants for which he is famous, weighing 1 kilo, or his tasty handmade sausages. The Church of Santa Maria de N`Hug It is a beautiful medieval church from the XNUMXth century. The Shepherd Museum talks about the life of this country man and how his work was and is, and if you go on the last Sunday in August you can witness the International Shepherd Dog Competition.
And if you are interested in nature, the sources of the Llobregat River are very close. Short walk through you arrive at this site (barely half an hour down from the town). How do you get to town? By train, by bus or by car. From Barcelona it's two hours.
Tavertet
It is in the province of Barcelona, in the region of Osona on a rock and with a vertiginous precipice that looks at the swamps of Sau. It is a small town of stone housestraditionally rural. The houses in the center, 40 houses more or less built between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, They are of Cultural Interest.
Su mediaeval origin It can be seen everywhere, but the symbol is La Torre, an old defense tower. There is also a Romanesque-style church, whose construction began in the XNUMXth century and was completed only in the XNUMXth century. Also, within the same style, is Sant Miquel de Sorelols, from the XNUMXth century, smaller and on a hill together with the remains of the local castle. Another church is Sant Bartomeu Sesgorgues, of the same style, but from the XNUMXth century, built in the gorge above the stream.
The ride will continue until Pla del Castell viewpoint, with spectacular views of the town, the swamp and the mountains. But it is not the only viewpoint, there is also the Silence viewpoint, next to l'Avenc de Tavertet, a beautiful Macía that offers accommodation. Do you like the town and want to stay? Well there are more family sites that offer accommodation, for example the Masía de la Torre, in the valley, with a wonderful old tower.
Finally, if you like to walk you can go from Tavertet to Sant Corneli, in two and a half hours round trip. On the way you pass through Nivelles and an old domen in San Cornelio, next to the hermitage. Another possible route takes you from Tavertet to Puig de la Força, but it's six kilometers so it takes an hour, an hour and a half more. Here, in addition to the fact that the road is fantastic, you will see the ruins of a castle, but the views it offers are beautiful.
Caves of Benifallet
Do you like buried worlds? Well then, come to the province of Tarragona, just two hours by car from Barelona, and you will be able to discover these beautiful caves. Only They were discovered in 1968 and there are six caves, although only two can be visited.
La Cave of Two, by its two mouths, it has a 253 meter run. the other is called meravelles and it is an impressive cave 510 meters full of columns, gours, stalactites, stalagmites… A beauty!
If you go, you should go in August since you have to know that between November 1 and March 31 visits can only be made on weekends and holidays. But from April 1st to October 31st the caves are open from Monday to Sunday. Calculate about 7 euros per adult the value of the ticket.
Cove Trons
We have talked about medieval towns, mountains and caves, but what about the sea? So, before finishing we can present the Cala Trons, on the Costa Brava, a wonderful place located between cliffs that take your breath away.
The cove is located in Lloret de Mar, on the south of the Costa Brava. It is a cove with coarse sand and rocks and from the town it is reached by a coastal path. It is between the beaches of Canyelles and Lloret and this path that leads you to it starts precisely from Lloret beach, passing behind the castle of En Plaja.
The cove It is between these two huge sandbanks and is 45 meters long.. It has a pronounced entrance slope to the sea, a rocky bottom too, although if you look, on the left side, you will find a tongue of sand that helps you not to cut your feet wanting to take a dip.
I don't know if it's comfortable to lie down on stones to sunbathe, but to contemplate the sea, dive or snorkel or fish with a rod it's great
Up to this point, some of the beautiful corners in Catalonia. Of course, they are not the only ones, many have been left out of this list, but as an example of the beauty of this region of Spain, it is worth a button. And this is ours.