Catalunya, Spain Has It All, From Barcelona's Vibrant Culture to the Stunning Coasts of Costa Brava

Catalunya has a culture of its own most evident in its language, catalán, deriving from Latin as the Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese languages do. Cataluña's culture is one of the oldest and richest of the European Mediterranean. The presence of Catalan merchants in the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages was pivotal in the creation of trade routes that stretched from Sardinia and Sicily to Constantinople. The magnitude and wealth of medieval Catalonia is very much still palpable in the Gothic quarter of Barcelona, the capital of the region and the second leading city in Spain after Madrid. Catalonia and in particular Barcelona became and still is an important industrial center that led to the emergence of a wealthy middle class willing to spend their money on the beautification of their city giving way to the birth of Catalan modernism. Modernist architects expressed themselves in different ways; some wanted to revive Romanesque architecture while others looked to the French neo-Gothicism and modern styles of Germany and Austria. The goal was to create a modern art based on Catalan traditions mixed with the use of new materials as seen the works of Gaudí with La Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera and Parc Guell or Doméch and Montaner with el Palau de Musica Catalana and the Hospital of San Joan all of which represent the tourist image of Barcelona along with the cheerful Paseo de La Ramblas and colorful Mercado de la Boquería. An image updated in 1992 when Barcelona was host to the Olympic Games, the nomination sparked an ambitious urban plan resulting in a large scale restoration making Barcelona one of the most visited cities in Spain and for a long time the leader of the cultural vanguard.

Barcelona for the most part is the image of Catalunya in the world but Catalonia is more than just Barcelona, Gerona or Girona in catalán is a beautiful historic city with an extraordinary Cathedral and Jewish Quarter, el Call. The city of Tarragona preserves its rich Roman heritage with a magnificent amphitheater, forum and Aqueduct along with the Old quarter and the cathedral. The city is open to the sea and the views from el Balcón del Mediterraneo are magnificent. South of Tarragona is the natural park of Delta del Ebro, an extraordinary haven for thousands of birds, including a large breeding colony of flamingos. Lérida or Lleida in catalán is less charming than the aforementioned cities but its province in addition to being an excellent producer of fruits and vegetables has one of the most famous ski resorts in Spain, Baqueira-Beret, located in el Valle de Arán in the Pyrenees, very popular among Spanish skiers including King Juan Carlos and his family. Not far is the National Park of Aigues Tortes and Lago San Maurici some of the most striking mountain landscapes in Spain.