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Excursions For a Half Day Mount Tibidabo: On a clear day, Mount Tibidabo – on the northwestern edge of Barcelona – offers unsurpassed views of the city and the Mediterranean in one direction and Montserrat and the Pyrenees in the other. The slopes of the mountain are crisscrossed with appealing wooded walks and the summit is crowned with an old-style amusement park. Transport to the mountain is by FCC metro to Avinguda Tibidabo, then Tramvia Blau tram to Peu de Funicular and funicular railway to the summit. For a Whole Day Montserrat: 40km (25 miles) to the northwest of Barcelona, the spectacular peaks of Montserrat have been a major pilgrimage destination for centuries. Today, hordes of tourists flock to ride the cable car to this atmospheric monastery that lurks deep in the rugged mountainside. Numerous miracles have supposedly happened at Montserrat, centred on the icon of La Moreneta (Black Virgin), allegedly hidden here by St Peter. In addition to the monastery and accompanying museum, which features paintings by masters such as El Greco, Caravaggio and Picasso, the mountain hides numerous hermitages and caves, which can be reached on foot via a network of mountain paths. FCC trains to Montserrat depart hourly from Espanya station in Barcelona, to the cable-car terminus at Aeri de Montserrat. Teatre-Museu Dalí, Figueres: Located in the town of Figueres, 145km (90 miles) northeast of Barcelona and reached by motorway or rail from Passeig de Grŕcia, this unusual museum (tel: (97) 267 7500; website: www.dali-estate.org) is a surrealist showcase of the artist’s eccentric imagination. Created by Dalí himself, out of the former town theatre where he held his first exhibition, it also holds his surprisingly austere tomb. The museum is open daily 0900-1945, July to September and Tuesday to Saturday 1030-1745, October to June. Entrance is €9. Beaches: Sitges (website: www.sitges.com) is a lively Balearic-style resort, 40km (25 miles) south of Barcelona, very popular with the Spanish, British and German gay community and accessible in 40 minutes by train south from Barcelona-Sants. Alternatively, Tossa de Mar, 40km (25 miles) north, boasts several fine beaches and small bays, an attractive old town and a good museum. Buses from Barcelona are frequent during the summer but private transport may be required at other times. The Sitges Tourist Office, Carrer Sinia Morera 1 (tel: (93) 894 4251) and the Tossa de Mar Tourist Office, Avenida del Pelegri 25, Edificio La Nau (tel: (97) 234 0108; fax: (97) 234 0712; website: www.infotossa.com), provide further information. |
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