Distance from Calella to Figueres. I recently returned from vacation in sunny Catalonia. Along with this material they usually read

September 2008

This review is based on impressions accumulated from trips to Barcelona on May 12-30, 2007 and September 2-13, 2008. In the story you will not find excerpts from guidebooks, historical references, gasps and sighs about the beauties of Spain, etc. - there is already plenty of this stuff on tourist sites. I will write about how to independently secure your time in Barcelona, ​​how to go on excursions without the help of travel agencies. In general, the review will be useful to all independent tourists for whom the “hotel-beach-hotel” route is not enough.

Accommodation

Both times, my friends and I lived in the town of Calella on the Costa del Maresme, 60 km north of Barcelona (Calella tourism office website - www.calellabarcelona.com).

Suburban trains run along the Costa del Maresme. The trains are modern, clean, almost silent, and all carriages have air conditioning. It takes exactly one hour to travel from Calella to Barcelona. After the Blanes train station the Costa Brava begins. From this station the railway goes deep into the peninsula and to get to the next coastal towns (Blanes, Tossa del Mar, Lloret del Mar), you have to change to a bus. For some reason, travel agencies persistently place all Russians there. Probably, so that later it would be easier for them to sell excursions - after all, getting out of the above places on your own is much more difficult, more expensive and takes longer. You have to buy a train + bus ticket or take a direct bus from Barcelona for 1.2-2 hours (depending on traffic jams).

The location of Calella in this sense is ideal: both for independent trips to the south (to Barcelona, ​​Tarragona, Port Aventura, Montserrat) and to the north (to Girona, Figueres, Cadaques).

The advantage of Calella is that it is not exclusively a tourist city (consisting of a chain of hotels). It has a historical center, there are ordinary neighborhoods with a school, hospital, stadium, etc., where local residents live. It is while relaxing in such a place that you can feel the whole flavor of Spanish life. There is a lot to see in the city itself (Les Torretes towers, lighthouse, Dalmau park). The beach is wide and clean.

On the first trip we stayed at the Balmes 3* hotel, on the second - at Neptuno 3*. Both hotels are located next to the train station (10 minutes walk), very nice, no complaints. Neptuno is located almost in the historical center.

In Calella you can often find the so-called Locutorio. This is an Internet cafe and telephone center. 1 hour of Internet costs 1 euro; for 1 euro you can talk for about three minutes with Russia (including calls to mobile phones). In hotels these services cost several times more.

The commuter train is called Renfe Rodalies (the sign is a torn white bagel in a red circle). This icon represents station entrances and passages that lead to the underground station in Barcelona. Tariffs are calculated by zone (for example, Calella is in the 5th zone, Blanes is already in the 6th). The train from Calella to Barcelona costs 3.4 euros one way, round trip (ida y regreso) 6.8 euros. For frequent trips to Barcelona, ​​it is more profitable to buy Bonotren (for 10 trips) for 25.5 euros. By the way, several people can travel along Bonotren at once if you stamp it the required number of times at the turnstile.

At all stations there are small books - Horarios de Cercanias (commuter train timetables). They are usually posted on stands, but if not, you can ask at the box office. Please note that the schedule on weekdays (laborables) and weekends is slightly different. All commuter trains heading north from Calella go to Barcelona (you can safely take any). If you are traveling from Barcelona to Calella, you can take the trains that go to the terminal stations Blanes, Macanet-Massanes, Calella.

Barcelona

I won’t describe Barcelona in detail (any guidebook can do that better than me), I’ll just share some tips.

It is more convenient to start excursion routes from Plaça Catalunya (Pl. Catalunya). A commuter train arrives there, and from there you can walk to most attractions. From Pl. Open-top tour buses depart from Catalunya. There are two competing companies, their prices are approximately the same (there are tickets for 1 or 2 adjacent days). The first company is called Barcelona Tours - it travels on one route, tickets can be purchased when boarding the bus. The second company is Bus Turistic (its stops and buses are marked with a huge eye, which reflects the monuments of Barcelona). It has three routes (all included in the price), tickets can be purchased at special information booths or on Pl. Catalunya before boarding at the ticket office. Both companies give you headphones, a map and a booklet with discounts on visiting museums, the aquarium, restaurants, etc.

In principle, two days may be enough for a quick inspection of the city, or even a week may not be enough. I suggest starting with the Cathedral of the Holy Family (Temple de la Sagrada Familia). This is a mandatory part of the program.

It's easy to walk to the Sagrada Familia. For this purpose from Pl. Catalunya needs to go along Passeig de Gracia - the famous modernist street, look at the original houses on both sides. As you drive, the most beautiful ones will be on the left side of the road, so it makes sense to go to the right and admire them from a distance. Soon on the left you will see Casa Batlio by the architect Gaudí. You can go inside, but it's a little expensive. If you are a fan of Gaudi, then it is more profitable for you to buy a combined ticket to visit all the places associated with his name (the Cathedral, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Castle Güell - at any of their ticket offices).

Further on the right side you will see Casa Mila (or La Pedrera, “the quarry”, as it is also called). It's worth a visit. In addition to rooms with antique interiors and access to the roof, there is a floor completely equipped for the Gaudí Museum. At the entrance you will be given an audio guide in English or Spanish, where a very interesting excursion is recorded.

In front of Casa Mila there is a street perpendicular to Passeig de Gracia. You turn right along it and after a few blocks you come to the Cathedral. When you walk, be guided by the towers of the Cathedral - they can be seen from afar. The entrance ticket costs 11 euros. The cathedral makes a fascinating impression - the ceiling, stained glass windows, sculptural groups on the facade. You can climb one of the towers, but the queue there is huge. In the Cathedral you can see the area where work is still underway, as well as a museum where plans, models, documents, decoration elements, etc. are collected.

Directly in front of the Cathedral there is a metro station called Sagrada Familia. From here we go to Lesseps station to visit another creation of Gaudí - Parc Guell. Entrance to the park is free, but it closes in the evening. You should set aside at least two hours to explore the park. To get to the park from the metro station you need to walk up a fairly steep hill. You will see two gingerbread houses with convex window bars - this is the entrance to the park. And then just walk. From the central entrance there is a staircase with a mosaic lizard (dragon), which has become a symbol of Barcelona. It is almost impossible to take a photo with it - the lizard is always densely surrounded by tourists.

Then you can take the metro to Arc del Triomf station. There you will see a red brick arch and a long alley behind it. You can walk along it to Ciutadella Park. A beautiful fountain most likely will not work. In the summer, they save water here - the fountains are either not turned on at all, or are turned on only in the evenings. There is a zoo nearby, about which I have not seen a single positive review.

If you go from Ciutadella Park towards the Jaume I metro station, you will find yourself in the Born quarter with its famous bars where they serve the most delicious cocktails. And from there it’s not far to the Gothic Quarter. The Main Cathedral (Catedral) has been standing in the woods for several years, restoration is progressing extremely slowly. The inside of the Cathedral is huge and fantastically beautiful, but keep in mind that during the day from 13:30 to 16:00 the entrance is closed.

Walking through the narrow streets of the Gothic quarter, you will smoothly descend to the sea - there is the Maremagnum shopping mall with shops, discos and the Oceanarium. Entrance to the Oceanarium (L"Aquarium) costs about 17 euros. A lot of fish, a long tunnel with sharks and other living creatures, an enclosed enclosure with penguins. Not at all impressive. Someone in a review wrote that the Barcelona Oceanarium looks like a large fish store - I agree with this definition 100%.

The long bridge from Maremagnum leads to the square where the Columbus monument stands (there is an observation deck at the top, but there is no point in climbing it). The Rambla (Les Rambles) begins from the monument. We go up it and run into the already familiar Pl. Catalunya. The Rambla is home to artists and mimes, sellers of souvenirs, birds, turtles and, of course, pickpockets. So hold on to your bags. On the left side will be the famous Boqueria market. On the same left side is the Güell Palace (Palau Guell), which just opened in 2008 after restoration.

If you want extreme sports, walk along El Raval (the block to the left of Rambla), but only during daylight hours. You will see what the Arabs turned the city into. This is no longer Spain: all around there are signs in Arabic, kebab, shawarma, prostitutes. Somewhere inside this block there is a square with a giant cat sculpture.

The excursion to the Royal Palace and Montjuic Mountain starts from the Plaza de España (Pl. Espanya). In front of the Royal Palace there is the famous “Singing Fountain”, which tour groups come to see in the evenings. There are conflicting reviews about the singing fountain - I haven’t seen it myself. Friends really liked it. But they said that the main thing is to choose the right place: if you stand further away, you will be clearly visible, but you will not hear the music; if you stand closer, you will be heard, but not seen.

You just need to walk around Montjuic - the mountain offers beautiful views of Barcelona. On the mountain you can visit the Olympic Stadium and the Joan Miró Foundation. The “Spanish Village” (Poble Espanyol), also located on Montjuic, is in fact a typical tourist trap. There is absolutely nothing to see in it.

From the new architecture of Barcelona - Agbar Tower (Torre Agbar). A large multi-colored skyscraper that towers over Barcelona, ​​located at Glories station. This tower belongs to the local water utility. Spectacular from the outside; inside, they say, there is also something to see.

Montserrat

Montserrat is located 50 km from Barcelona. On a high mountain there is a sanctuary of Our Lady and a Benedictine monastery (www.montserratvisita.com). It’s definitely worth going there, and going on your own. The beauty is unearthly, and the ride back and forth to the mountain is quite entertaining. For the trip to Montserrat we got up before dawn. We received a picnic ordered the day before at the hotel instead of breakfast. We were surprised that water was not included in the package: there were two large sandwiches, an apple, an orange, and cookies. We took the train to Barcelona Sants. From there we walked to Pl. España. Some people advise taking the metro two stops, but it’s not worth it. It takes no more than 10 minutes to walk along the street, but on the metro you spend more time walking through passages. On Pl. Espanya has many underground entrances. If you are facing the two towers and the Royal Palace, you will need an entrance that will be to the right of the right tower. There is also a blue FGC icon on a white background. Feel free to go underground and follow the FGC signs. FGC is the local Catalan railway network.

To Montserrat you need to take the R5 line towards Manresa. The first train leaves at 8:36 and then every hour. You need to take the first train to see the pristine nature of Montserrat, and not the crowds of tourists. All trains are successfully connected to the ratchet and the cable car (from the station you will have to take one of them, because there is no other way to the mountain). The trains are comfortable, with soft seats and armrests. Oddly enough, there are no headrests on the seats - this is a bit difficult given that the ride is about an hour.

Tickets can be bought right there and automatically. There are two stations to choose from. At Montserrat-Aeri you need to change to the cable car and climb the mountain in a round cradle. On Monistrol de M. you need to change to a cremallera. In order to save time, I recommend going there via the cable car, and back via the cremalier, since its station is further away (first comes Montserrat-Aeri, and the next is Monistrol de M.). We buy tickets from a machine - one way. How to do it.

We approach the machine and press the button, where a lot of things are written, but the word Montserrat appears. Next we select Bitllet Adult combinado (combined adult ticket), then there will be a choice of two lines Tren+Aeri (what we need is a train + cable car, costs 8.2 euros) and Tren+Cremallera (we will buy a train with a rack on the way back way, costs 7.7 euros). If you don’t figure it out, you can ask the station attendant for help.

Then we get on the train. By the way, the train arrives earlier, it also makes sense for us to arrive 10 minutes early to take seats - after all, the journey is an hour. The train starts moving strictly according to schedule, the entire carriage is packed. But as it turns out, these are all locals, going to work. They leave the car after 20-30 minutes. All stops are announced in advance and highlighted with lights on the board above the doors. You need the Montserrat-Aeri stop. We got out, about 10 tourists came out with us, went through an underground passage and found ourselves at the entrance to the cable car cabin. There, everyone's tickets were checked again, they loaded them up and set off. The journey takes about 10 minutes, the height gains very quickly, so that it will take your breath away. But it becomes especially scary when the cradle passes the joints on the supports and begins to twitch treacherously.

We arrived at the monastery and finally understood why we got up so early. There was no one there!!! No tourist buses, no crowds of tourists with cameras. Peace and quiet. It was not yet 10 am. We went to the information point - took a map and found out when the boys' choir was singing. At 13:00, no change. Upon arrival, it is better to immediately go to the Virgin Mary - then there will be a huge queue. If you are facing the entrance to the Basilica, then you need to go into the right portal (there will be a small door there) and then go along the corridor. They stroked the ball in her hand (they say that you need to make a wish and it will definitely come true). By the way, if you turn around, you will see the entire interior of the Basilica, you can take some good shots. After all, there is not yet a huge queue that pushes you from behind.

We then decided to go up the mountain and explore the hiking trails. We went to the San Joan funicular station (Funicular de San Joan) and bought a combined ticket (billete combinado) for two funiculars at once (it’s cheaper). Cost 7.5 euros. There are two funiculars: the upper one (San Joan) and the lower one (Santa Cova). Funiculars run every 20 minutes.

First we took the upper funicular. There are three main routes: from the fork to the left - to the cross, to the right - to the ruins of the chapel. Both routes are indicated by a post with two arrows. The third route is if you immediately turn right from the station, before reaching the pole, going around the perimeter of the building.

The few tourists who came with us went left. We went right. Indescribable beauty. The rocks on the peaks have bizarre shapes, reminiscent of phalanges of fingers growing out of the ground. For this reason, the Catalans call this mountain “the fingers of the devil.” Stunning mountain air. Only there did I understand what absolute silence meant. I read in reviews that you can see mountain goats on the rocks, but no matter how much we looked for them, we only saw tourists wandering in the distance along the left route.

Our route was short - about 30 minutes one way. We reached the chapel, nothing special, ruins. Let's go further - the road leads up and back, but only at a higher level, and at the end it ends with a steep, dilapidated staircase, along which you can go down, cutting off part of the way back. We returned to the station by 12:00. Deciding that we wouldn’t have time for the boys’ choir if we took other routes, we went downstairs.

How the area has changed during this time! There was a noticeable increase in people there; in other words, they filled everything there. The tourist buses arrived. There was a huge line to see the Virgin Mary, starting from the middle of the square.

At 12:30 we sat down in the basilica; there were practically no empty seats. At 12:45 the crowd filled all the aisles - there was no turning back. At 13:00 the boys began to sing. Didn't make much of an impression, I expected more. Plus, nothing was visible yet, because the crowd was standing in the aisle between the seats. After 15 minutes it was all over, we wandered out into the street and discovered that the lower funicular had a break until 14:00. Nothing to do. We went to a souvenir shop, then to the peasants in the square near the bus stop, who were selling honey, sweets and goat cheese. A wheel of cheese costs 10-12 euros depending on the type, but it's worth it. The cheese is very tasty. You can try everything right there, with the peasants. In principle, it was possible to descend to the lower route on foot - but we only found out later. For extreme sports enthusiasts, you can also climb the upper route yourself.

All 8 possible routes around Montserrat are described here - www.montserratvisita.com/Routes/_pUI7-gXTbraorWsYtYXV_fMvL1xj8odwXxppo1OjJRs.

At 14:00 we went down. The lower route goes to the right (if you stand with your back to the station) and ends with a chapel built on the site of a cave where, according to legend, the statue of the Virgin Mary was found. Every hundred meters along the road there are sculptures on a religious theme. The route itself is short - by 15:00 we had already managed to return back to the funicular.

We returned from Montserrat on a rack. Kremaliera is a special train adapted for traveling along mountain serpentine roads. The station is a large building immediately opposite the monastery. The employee helped us quickly buy tickets from the machine. Cremaliera runs to the railway station every hour. You just need to pay close attention to your destination. In total it has 3 stops: Montserrat (the monastery itself, from which you will go), then Monistrol-Vila (there is parking for cars, and trains go there every half hour) and Monistrol de M. (train station - you go there). It’s okay if you accidentally leave for Monistrol-Vila, the train will not go further, and you will have to wait for the next one, sitting on the platform. At Monistrol de M. the train arrives very quickly in the direction of Pl. Espanya, get in it and go to Barcelona.

By the way, having read about the unpredictable weather in the mountains, we stocked up on jackets and raincoats and carried them all the way. It was really hot in the mountains - about 26 degrees, only 2 degrees lower than on the coast. But the jackets came in handy on the way back, on the train. There was an air conditioner that turned the carriage into something like a freezer.

Figueras

There are two railway routes from Barcelona to Figueres. The first route is a railway line that runs along the coast through Mataro, Calella, Blanes to the final station Masanet-Massanes. The second “upper” route runs deep into the peninsula, connects with the coastal line at the Masanet-Massanes station and goes further to the French border past the stations of Girona, Figueres, Portbou.

If you are coming from Barcelona, ​​then you need to take this “upper” road from the Barcelona-Sans train station. If you are vacationing on the coast, you will have to change trains at Masanet-Massanes station.

At coastal stations there is a special schedule of trains docked in the required way, indicating the waiting time for transfers. You can buy a ticket at the station directly to Figueres (at the window, not at the machine). Say Figueras, ida y regreso (round trip), number of tickets. In 2008, a return ticket cost 11 euros.

So, take the train towards Macanet-Massanes. At the station, get off and sit waiting for the train that will come from Barcelona. There is nothing special to do there - the platform is in an open field, there is only a cafe. After 20-40 minutes a train arrives from Barcelona (you need to listen to which track it will take - it is announced there, but in Spanish. Via Uno - the first route, via dos, via tres, via cuatro - 2, 3, 4 respectively). The final route will be written on the face of the train (I don’t remember the name of the city - you can look it up in the schedule), this should not confuse you. There will be a lot of Russians around. According to my guesses, mostly Russians go to Figueres and Girona. It takes about 40 minutes to get to Figueres. Closer to Girona. The trains are always late. You need to carefully follow the announcements of stops so as not to miss yours.

From Figueres station, get off and go straight into the city, along the way you can ask for Museo Dali. The city is small - don't get lost. There are signs everywhere. You will recognize the museum itself from afar; you certainly won’t confuse it with anything else. Entrance to the museum costs 11 euros. The exhibition is extensive - it will take at least 2-3 hours to walk around. You can hire a guide, including a Russian one. There is a separate exhibition of Dali's Treasures (Dali Joies), the entrance is located on the opposite side of the building - quite outlandish jewelry created by Dali is collected there.

Many people go to Figueres on an excursion. In my opinion, this is unjustified - they will tell you about Dali only on the way, but in the museum (where, on the contrary, the help of a guide is required) you will still walk alone.

There is an information point near the entrance to the museum; you can take a map. Few people know that a 15-minute walk from the museum along Pujada del Castell there is a healthy fortress, Castel de Sant Ferran (www.lesfortalesescatalanes.info), as it is written in the booklet, the largest fortress in Europe. Entrance to the territory is free. You can buy audio guides or join a group excursion - you will be given a helmet and led along the fortress walls. There is also an excursion - sailing on a boat through the dungeons under the fortress. The city also has a toy museum and a technology museum.

Check at the stations in advance to find out what time you will go back, because trains run rarely and have a long break during the day. There will be no turnstiles at the station on the way back. But there is a small machine hanging on the wall at the side of the entrance to the platform - you must validate your ticket there. By the way, tickets on the train are constantly checked. While we were traveling to Figueres, the ticket was checked three times - just a ticket inspector walking back and forth on the train.

Girona

Getting to Girona is the same as getting to Figueres, just leave earlier. The city is small, so you can find everything right away. It is advisable to immediately get a map where all the walking routes are marked. The city is incredibly beautiful. The medieval walls, cathedral, and houses are well preserved. We were there in mid-May when the annual flower festival was held and the entire medieval city was decorated with flower arrangements.

Tarragona

A beautiful, truly Roman city. Travel from Barcelona-Sants by train Renfe media distancia (middle distance). The station is large, but logically built. There are many ticket offices - go to the ones with "media distance" written above them. At the box office, tell Tarragona ida y regreso (round trip to Tarragona), the number of tickets. Should cost about 10 euros per person. If it’s much more expensive, it means they’re trying to sell you a ticket for a high-speed train. Right there at the ticket office you can ask when the next train is and in which direction it goes. Tarragona is not always the final destination; the train can go to Tortosa, Zaragoza, Lleida, etc. Trains run every half hour. Buy tickets and enter through the turnstile into the central part of the hall. You put the ticket into the turnstile, it spits it out from above, you take the validated ticket, and the turnstile doors open. You must keep your ticket until the end of the trip; sometimes it is impossible to leave the platform without it (there are the same turnstiles there). Then look at the information board - the departure time of your train, the final destination and the number of the platform where the train will arrive will be written there. You go down the escalator, indicated by the number of the desired platform. Get on the train and travel for an hour. Once you get out in Tarragona, you will already have your bearings. There is an information booth near the station where you can get a map. The city has its own Rambla, Romanesque walls, a 12th-century cathedral, and a Roman amphitheater.

Port Aventura

(www.portaventura.es)
The amusement park opens at 10:00. It is advisable to arrive in time for the opening, because even one full day at the park is not enough. You need to go from Barcelona-Sants train station (you can get a free timetable at the ticket office or information desk). There, in addition to all the others, there is a special train going to Port Aventura (this is the next stop after Tarragona), which brings you to the Port Aventura station at 09:45. The drive is a little over an hour, a round-trip ticket costs about 11 euros. If you take another train, carefully follow the announcements of stops, since there is no sign at the station and it is unrealistic to guess that this is it. Just a platform and nothing else - no sign, no ticket office, no schedule.

While people are chuckling, not knowing which way to go, feel free to go to the end of the platform to the right - there will be a descent, and then up the road. Walk for about 15 minutes. If you don’t want to go, you can take a free train ride. It turns onto the main road on the right (the hotel is still visible in the distance), and it is at this point that you can get hooked on it.

Approach the square with the fountain, on the right is the ticket office. Get up at any one and while standing in line, decide which ticket you need. Varieties of tickets with tariffs are posted large above the box office. Depending on how early you arrive, you can stand in line for 15-40 minutes. For some reason, foreigners at the box office are always terribly stupid and cannot explain in any way what kind of ticket they need. Because of this, the queue moves extremely slowly. It's simple though. There are tickets only to the amusement park (for 1 day, for 2 adjacent days, for 3 not necessarily adjacent days). There are tickets to the amusement park + water park (in the same combinations by day). Naturally, there is a division into adults, children and tickets for the elderly. A regular adult ticket for 1 day (Adulto 1D) costs 44 euros. There is also an additional Port Aventura Express ticket for 15 euros. In September we really regretted not buying it. Its essence is that it is purchased in addition to the main ticket. You are given a card with a list of the scariest attractions (where the queues are the longest). You can stand in line for each of them for an hour during high season. With this ticket you can go to each such attraction once (then it is crossed out), bypassing the main queue. For holders of this ticket there is a special passage marked PA Express, stand for no more than 10 minutes. Time savings are obvious!

By the way, there are electronic boards throughout the park that show the average queue time for the three scariest rides.

The park has 5 zones (Polynesia, China, Mexico, Wild West, Mediterranean), each with its own flavor. The park is huge, you can move between zones on foot, by steam locomotive or by boat. Be sure to pick up a park map at the entrance (available in Russian), where all the attractions are marked and there is a schedule of thematic shows taking place in different parts of the park.

Last time we took a ride on the new Furius Baco slide - the fastest of its kind, I thought my head would come off. Two cool water attractions: Tutuki Splash (a big splash from a waterfall) and Grand Canyon Rapids (cheesecake rafting). Cool three wooden slides (especially Stampida). Well, and of course the biggest slide is Dragon Khan with 8 loops.

After riding the attraction, in a special shop next to it you can buy a photo of yourself (or put it on a mug, T-shirt, etc.). Photos can be purchased in printed form (issued in a beautiful envelope for 7 euros) or asked to be sent by email (for 5 euros). I always order by mail, the download link arrives the very next day, the photos are large and in good resolution. In order for you to request a photo by email, the store has self-service machines. After payment, the seller issues a receipt with a number written on it, which must be entered into the machine, then the photo number and your email address.

The program that you pick up at the entrance will tell you at what time and place you can take a photo with the park’s characters (Woody Woodpecker, Shrek, the Pink Panther and other heroes of the Universal Studios). It’s free and don’t pay attention to the professional photographer who will also take pictures of you. The official photographer will then give you a piece of paper with the number of your photo written on it. If you want, buy it when leaving the park. If you don't want to, no one will force you.

I would also like to say something about the shows taking place in the park. If you go to all the rides and all the shows, one day is definitely not enough. My favorite show is with birds (Aves del paraiso). The host is amazing (somewhat similar to Ace Ventura), the atmosphere of the show is indescribable. The presenter’s jokes are understandable even if he doesn’t know Spanish. Cool show Aloha Tahiti - Hawaiian dancing on the beach. It’s interesting and fun, especially when they call for volunteers from the audience and dress them up in national costumes.

A day in the park goes by very quickly. It is useless to calculate the departure time of the return train. Because he always manages to arrive at a different time than indicated on the schedule. Therefore, we simply stand on the platform and board the first train that stops in the right direction - they all go to Barcelona.

Knight Tournament

(www.castellmedieval.com)
The only excursion that we bought from a tour operator (because there was no other way to get on it) was called the “Knight’s Tournament” in a medieval castle.

From Calella the bus picked us up first, then collected tourists around Blanes, Tossa and after that went to the castle (by the way, on the way back we were also dropped off first). On the way, the ill-fated bus broke down - it could not drive up the steep mountain in Tossa, which delighted a group of French pensioners. Despite the fact that another bus arrived about 15 minutes later, we arrived at the castle very late and were pleasantly surprised that the show did not start without us (and there were more than 500 spectators). I won’t describe the tournament itself (a lot has already been written about it on the Internet). It consists of the tournament itself, dinner and a flamenco show. I can only say that the show and organization were top notch, the artists gave their all 100%. So the excursion is undoubtedly worth the money. The only thing is that the castle in which all this happened was more like a circus set: it seemed that if you leaned on the wall, it would fall.

Souvenirs and food

I combined this into one section because many people prefer to bring food and drinks as souvenirs.

The national food that is sold everywhere is bocadillos. In other words, sandwiches in a French loaf. There are cold (frio - frio) and hot (caliente - calEnte). With different fillings: cheese (queso), jamon (jamon), tuna (atun), etc. Tapas (tapas) - snacks, also available cold and hot.

Cold drinks: orxata (orchata) - based on almond milk, very tasty and nutritious; granizado (granisado) - juice with ice, it can be lemon, strawberry, orange, etc. Supermarkets sell very tasty Pascual juice (juice with milk). From alcoholic drinks - cava (dry champagne), sargria (sometimes based on red wine or champagne). Ice cream by weight is amazing (in second place after Italian).

Something that might work as a purely Spanish souvenir:

• Chocolate from Valor factory.
• Turron sweets come in several varieties: some resemble marzipan, white ones with nuts and waffles on the edges are similar to grilled meat, brown ones with nuts are like chocolate bars. Everything is very delicious. I bought Oro de Espana factories, but this is not important. The main thing is not to buy them in souvenir shops. Go to any supermarket: it’s cheaper and there’s more choice.
• Champagne Cava (kAva). They differ in the degree of dryness: natural (the driest), then extra brut, brut, semi sec, dulce (the sweetest).
• The red wine is from the Rioja region, but don't buy it for less than 4 euros.
• Crema Catalana liqueur from Melody. Very tasty.
• From Christmas sweets - Polvoron (polvorOn). And at Christmas, the Spaniards eat Easter cakes the same as we do at Easter.
• The shops have countless inexpensive souvenirs: magnets, mugs, T-shirts, fans, castanets, etc. Among the purely Barcelona ones are animal figurines (donkey, lizard) as if made from colored mosaics (in memory of Gaudi) and various items (salt shakers, mugs, watch) in the style of Salvador Dali.

If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer.

Nadyae
17/10/2009 14:48

The opinions of tourists may not coincide with the opinions of the editors.

According to the map, the distance between Calella and Figueres is 0 km.

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Which companies take you from Calella to Figueres by train?

Among all virail partners, you will also have the opportunity to travel with Renfe, which serves the train route between Calella and Figueres.

Renfe is a national Spanish company that offers a very well developed high speed network served by Ave trains. It also covers regional short-distance routes, via the Feve train and international long-distance routes, for example with the Elipsos night train.

What is the price of train tickets from Calella to Figueres?

By booking in advance, you can find cheap train tickets from Calella to Figueres from RUB 7.70. However, train tickets for this route cost on average about 7.70 RUB.

The Salvador Dali Museum is the main attraction not only of Figueres, but of the whole of Catalonia. Every year thousands of people come to this place to join the amazing world of surrealism. I heard about this museum during my first trip to Spain, but I never made it to Figueres. On my second trip to Spain, I decided to fix this and go to the Dali Museum on my own. Actually, I came on a trip to. But after relaxing for a couple of days on the beach, I decided that I was ready to ride to Figueres, spend a day there and return the next day.

Of course, the guides offered excursions directly from the hotel, but I wanted to break out of the tourist conveyor belt. I wanted to see everything leisurely and wander through the streets where Salvador Dali walked. In the end, I'm glad I went myself. The trip turned out to be more interesting than any excursion, and I got the most out of visiting Figueres and the Dali Theater and Museum.

Salvador Dali was born in Figueres, and in recent years he lived in the theater-museum, which is his most global project. According to his will, Dali’s body was walled up in a crypt under the dome of the theater-museum.

I’ll tell you how to go to the Dali Museum on your own, and may my experience be useful to you. The museum is interesting, and it’s also worth taking a walk through the streets of the city, where there is some special atmosphere.

How to get to Figueres by train

The route turned out like this: Caleya - transfer to Maçanet-Massanes - Figueres.
Moreover, if you come from Santa Susana, Malgrad, Pineda, then you can get to the Dali Museum in exactly the same way. The train goes through all these resorts on the blue line R1.

In the photo: first on the Rodalies train on the R1 line

In the morning, immediately after breakfast, I went lightly to Kaleya station. I bought a one-way ticket from the machine directly to Figueres for 7.65 euros. I took the train and went to Massanet-Masanes (the last one, it’s impossible to miss). At Massanet-Masanes, with the whole crowd, I moved to another platform, where I changed to a train going along the line from Barcelona in the direction of Portbou.

In the photo: train towards Portbou. We'll take it to Figueres.

The schedule is very convenient, trains run frequently. I decided to think about a return ticket later :)
The whole trip took no more than two hours, I didn’t even have time to get bored. And now I’m in Figueres.

Advice.
You can now travel from Caleia to Figueres without a transfer. See the website for train schedules.

Where to stay in Figueres

From the Figueres railway station you can leisurely walk to the Dali Museum in about 20 minutes. However, on the way I planned to check into a hotel. Then I regretted a little that I had not booked a hotel before the trip - I could have saved a little money and time.

In the photo: settled in the pleasant Duran Hotel, Figueres

The first hotel that I really liked, “Hotel Rambla,” turned out to be busy. This modern hotel is inexpensive and has a great location, overlooking a beautiful boulevard (where I stay next time :)). Figueres has proven to be a popular city among tourists. I moved on and soon found another - a small and cozy hotel “Duran”, a room on the second floor for 57 euros. I quickly checked in, then drank beer in a cafe and calmly set off to explore the city. I left the Dali Museum for dessert.

Walking around Figueres

The central square of Figueres is named after Gala and Salvador Dali. And all the roads in the city seem to lead to the Dali Museum. It seemed like I wasn’t planning on going there right away, but I came. Looking at the crowd of tourists at the entrance, I decided to walk around the city a little more. As it turned out, this was the right strategy.

In the photo: entrance to the Salvador Dali Theater-Museum in Figueres

To begin with, I walked around the theater and admired its famous fancy wall with “buns” and huge eggs on the roof.

In the photo: the back side of the Dali Museum in Figueres

Once again I was glad that I did not take a standard excursion, but came on my own. Tourists were brought in by bus. People quickly jumped out of them, jostling and getting into each other's frames, snapping pictures with the eggs in the background and then rushing inside the museum. Their schedule seemed to be very tight...

In the photo: a cafe in the center of old Figueres

And I still had half a day and evening left. I turned into the inner streets to grab a bite to eat and walk around Figueres.

In the photo: the famous house with cows on Plujada del Castell

Fun balcony decor

In the photo: the entrance to the toy museum on Carrer de Sant Pere, 1

Not far from Rambla I saw a small toy museum. In Figueres, it turns out there is not only Dali :) Ticket price is 7 euros. I stopped by to see what kids played with in “pre-plastic” times – a fun and educational collection.

After walking around the city, I returned to the Dali Theater-Museum around five o’clock in the evening. I paid 14 euros for entry and here I am in the very heart of surrealism :)

In the photo: the surreal begins even before entering the museum :)

Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres

The Theater-Museum complex was built on the ruins of the old theater, and Dali himself contributed most of the funds for the construction. The entire exhibition, exterior and interiors were created under his leadership and are aimed at creating a special bizarre and surreal atmosphere. Dali's idea was generally a success.

Address of the Theater-Museum: Gala-Salvador Dalí Square, 5 (17600 Figueres, Girona)
Official website of the museum: www.salvador-dali.org
By the way, you can buy a ticket to the Dali Museum directly on the website.

Lifehack “We went, we know”
To avoid standing in lines, buy a ticket not at the box office, but on the Tiqets.com website. This ticket will be a skip line. Additionally, the price includes the opportunity to leave luggage for free (if available). You can go from 9 to 18, except Wednesdays. Show your purchased ticket on your smartphone and it will be scanned upon entry.

The exposition is quite large - don’t think that you can see everything in half an hour :)

In the photo: tourists inside the Salvador Dali Theater and Museum, Figueres

The viewer, being inside the building, himself becomes part of some kind of leisurely fantastic theatrical performance.

In the photo: the famous illusion painting “Marilyn Monroe”

“I want my museum to be a single block, a labyrinth, a huge surreal object. This will be an absolutely theatrical museum. Those who come here will leave feeling like they were in a theatrical dream.”
- Salvador Dali

A series of surreal paintings and prints, crazy sculptures, optical illusions... After some time, museum visitors lose their sense of time...

In the photo: “Lincoln” – a painting within a painting – Dali’s famous optical illusion
In the photo: at the entrance to the museum, tourists next to the “Rainy Cadillac”

It’s good that I came to the theater-museum in the evening. Firstly, all the imported tourists had left and it was possible to explore everything calmly; there were very few people. Secondly, when the evening illumination was turned on, the museum’s exhibition was transformed - the level of surrealism increased significantly :) By the way, in August night visits are also added to the schedule from 22-00 to 00-30

Salvador Dali believed that the best spectacle of this museum is the evening play of light on the walls of the museum. He watched her every evening from the window of his own room in the Tower of Galatea.

The walls of the museum have been kept unchanged, so we can still see them as the great artist intended. I had long wanted to see the evening theater, so I planned to stay overnight in Figueres. Magic!

Dali Museum opening hours

The theater-museum stops opening 45 minutes before closing, so the museum's opening hours are as follows:
From November 1 to February 28, visitors are allowed in from 10:30 to 17:15, closing at 18:00.
From March 1 to June 30 from 9:30 to 17:15.
From July 1 to September 30, visitors are allowed in from 9 to 19:15, closing at 20:00.
From October 1 to October 30: from 9:30 to 17:15.

The Dali Theater-Museum is closed: January 1 and December 24, 25, every Monday from October 1 to May 31.

Evening Figueres

In the photo: excellent pastry shop “Maia” in Figueres

After what I saw, I wanted to rest and put my thoughts and feelings in order. Therefore, an evening program is planned with a visit to a pastry shop and leisurely drinking wine on the terrace of one of the cafes on the local Rambla.

In the photo: cafe on La Rambla, Figueres

Evening Figueres is full of calm and romance. Strange sensations - like an unfamiliar city, but I felt good and cozy here.

Pictured: morning market in Figueres

The next morning I had breakfast, bought some berries and some fruit at the local market and headed back to Kalela. My little “journey within a journey” is over. Now I know that such trips are much more interesting than typical excursions. Rating: 4.29/5. Total votes: 21)

Let me remind you that when planning a trip to Spain, we chose the city of Caleia, Calella, located on the coast 60 km northeast of Barcelona, ​​as our base camp. The city has a railway station, which allows for excursions to the surrounding area. So, using the local train, we have already visited Barcelona once (read the story). Now we want to go on an excursion to Girona.

Girona is located northeast of Calea (Calella) inland. There is a direct railway line from Barcelona to Girona (line R11), which unfortunately does not pass through Caleia (Calella). You can get from Calea to Girona only with a change at the station Ma?anet Massanes(see diagram on the left). The red circles on the diagram indicate the stations that interest us: Calella – Ma?anet Massanes – Girona. The direct train from Barcelona to Girona is quite rare. Time windows reach 3 hours. Therefore, in order not to “hang around” at the transfer station waiting for a direct train to Girona, you need to have a train schedule on line R11 (direct railway line). In other words, from Kalea (Kalella) to the transfer station Ma?anet Massanes we need to arrive shortly before the arrival of the train from Barcelona heading towards Girona on the direct line R11 at the same station.
Let's look at a fragment of the train schedule on line R11 (direct). According to the schedule, the train from Barcelona will arrive at Ma?anet Massanes station at 10:04.

Now let's look at a fragment of the train schedule on our R1 line. If we leave Calea at 9:28, we will arrive in Ma?anet Massanes at 9:57.

In total, we have 7 minutes at our disposal: the train to Girona will arrive at the same platform, only on a different track. It is possible that he may be a little late. Above I gave an example of weekend schedules, which are more “strict” in terms of time connections. Now we get on the train and go to the Ma?anet Massanes stop.

After 30 minutes we arrive at the final station Ma?anet Massanes. In our case, we had to wait about 40 minutes for the train to Girona. There were no other morning options. In total, about 20 people arrived for the transfer. The Ma?anet Massanes station is a rather remote place, remote from the centers of civilization - just a station in the forest. It has a small building containing a waiting room, a ticket office and a small cafe. From Kalei (Kalella), two more couples of elderly Englishmen were traveling with us in the carriage. In Blanes, a gang of Spanish youth loaded onto the carriage. About six guys and girls. They behaved noisily and, as we would say, defiantly, but peacefully. Judging by the “Iroquois” on their heads, they could be classified as a dying breed of punks. So, at the Ma?anet Massanes station in the waiting room, one of them took a recumbent form, raising his legs, resting them against the wall. All this was accompanied by approving cries of boyfriends and girlfriends. Less than five minutes later, a policeman appeared in the hall, a tall fellow, like “Uncle Styopa.” He said something quietly to the cheerful company and they immediately calmed down. The “recumbent” even sat down on the bench. Before the train arrived in Girona, the cheerful company showed no more signs of life. “Uncle Styopa” also brought order to the two girls. When we arrived at Ma?anet Massanes station, on the next platform (towards Barcelona) a couple of girlfriends in evening dresses caught our attention. Two friends were sleeping peacefully on a bench, putting their high-heeled shoes under their heads. Apparently they were not strong enough to get home. While we were wandering around the platform while waiting for the train, they managed to wake up, smoke and move to another bench. They also didn’t like that shop for some reason. They eventually calmed down, sitting on the edge of the platform. The morning coolness of the asphalt surface of the platform brought them peace. Not so! “Uncle Styopa” brought order here too, appearing out of nowhere. The waiting audience watched the scene from afar. The policeman said something to the girls, they verbally resisted, but submitted to the force: they stood up from the edge of the platform and left the station. Before the train arrived, the policeman walked sedately along the platform with his hands behind his back. Seeing the approaching train from Barcelona, ​​I asked him: “Girona?” He shook his head: “No.” Indeed, the train passed by. When the second train arrived, he nodded - yours. These events fit into 40 minutes of waiting for the train to Girona at Ma?anet Massanes station.

Another half hour and we get off at Girona station (Girona, Girona). There is a tourist information desk at Girona railway station. It is located in a visible place - just look carefully around. Be sure to take a city map there. Leaving the station building, we head to Plaza Catalunya. For most tourists arriving by train in Girona (Girona), Plaza Catalunya is like the “gate” to the Old Quarter of Girona (Barri Vell, in Catalan) - the most interesting place for tourists, the “highlight” of the excursion program (see diagram below) .

The tourist card of Girona (Gerona) on the city’s official website is similar to the one issued at the tourist counter at the train station. Check it out in advance.

Sunday morning - on the way to the Old Quarter of Girona (Barri Vell), we meet rare passers-by on the streets, mostly tourists. The city is practically extinct. From Girona station, along Bailen street we get to Barcelona street. We turn onto Sant Antoni M. Claret street, and from there it’s a stone’s throw to Plaza Catalunya.

From Girona station, along Bailen street (on the right in the photo) we get to Barcelona street (on the left)

And so we come out to Plaza Catalunya: it’s pretty deserted here on this sunny Sunday morning. Plaza Catalunya is a very wide bridge over the Onyar River, which divides the city of Girona into two parts. To the north, along the river, about fifty meters, there is the Port de Pedra bridge, on which the starting point of the green excursion train is located. Anyone who wishes can take a sightseeing tour on this train “from Romashkov” - it travels throughout the Old Quarter. The duration of the excursion is 30 minutes.
Schedule - every 45 minutes from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 18:00
Ticket price (adult) – 4.00 €
Ticket price (up to 10 years) – 3.50 €

Girona, Plaza Catalunya, at the same time a bridge over the Onyar river.

Fat fish splash in the dry Onyar River. As they say and write in guidebooks, tourists often feed the fish. So they are not in danger of starvation; But the fish would like more water in the Onyar River. We looked at the fish - we went to the Old Quarter.

Girona, Plaça Catalunya, fish splashing in the Onyar River.