What to See in Catalonia

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Catalonia has 5 sites (or groups) listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

• Works of Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona (1984): This is a collection of 7 works by the famous architect in Barcelona, inscribed by UNESCO. It includes the Park Güell, the Palau Güell, and Gaudí's work on the Sagrada Família.

Sant Pau Hospital ★★ (1997)
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the Palau de la Música Catalana, it is a remarkable example of Barcelona's Art Nouveau style from the early 20th century.

Palau de la Música Catalana ★★ (1997)
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the Hospital de Sant Pau, it is a remarkable example of Barcelona’s Art Nouveau style from the early 20th century.

Poblet Monastery ★★★ (1991)
This stunning monastery located between Tarragona and Lleida is a "benchmark" for Cistercian abbeys. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Roman Archaeological Ensemble of Tarragona ★ (2000)
These are around fifteen remnants from the Roman era (theatre, aqueduct, circus, etc.) scattered throughout the city and its surroundings.

Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí ★★ (2000)
This pretty Pyrenean valley in Aigüestortes National Park is home to nine medieval Romanesque churches, collectively listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Boi Taüll ski resort, the highest in the Pyrenees (2,750 m), is also located here.

Cities and Cultural Heritage

Montserrat Abbey ★★★★
This imposing and magnificent Benedictine abbey, located in the mountains near Barcelona, is one of the most visited sites in Catalonia. You can hike in the surrounding area.

Baqueira-Beret ★★
One of Spain’s most important winter sports resorts. It is located in the Val d'Aran.

Barcelona ★★★★
A favorite Spanish city for many travelers. With its architecture, monuments and buildings (including Gaudí's famous UNESCO-listed Sagrada Família), museums, beaches, and vibrant day and nightlife, Barcelona is a must-visit.

Besalú ★★
A well-preserved medieval town in the province of Girona, at the foot of the Pyrenees.

Blanes ★★
The southernmost seaside resort on the Costa Brava, with quite pretty beaches and a renowned botanical garden.

Cadaqués ★★★
This is the easternmost village on mainland Spain. With a certain charm, the place has long been a haven for celebrities, starting with Picasso and especially Dalí, whose home has been turned into a museum.

Cambrils ★★
One of the main seaside resorts on the Costa Daurada.

Castellfollit de la Roca ★★
A small village built along an impressive basalt cliff over fifty metres high.

Cardona Castle ★★
This is the most important medieval fortress in Catalonia. It is located in the municipality of the same name.

Costa Brava ★★
This is the best-known of Spain's coasts, featuring beautiful landscapes, beaches, coves, and cliffs along this stretch of Catalan coastline running from the French border to Blanes. Highly touristy, it boasts numerous seaside resorts including Lloret del Mar, Roses, L'Escala, and Sant Feliu...

Costa Daurada ★★
This is the tourist coastal area stretching over 200 kilometres from Barcelona to the Valencian Community. Beaches and cliffs with several seaside resorts, including Salou, Cambrils, and Sitges.

El Port de la Selva ★★
Beaches, water activities, and a few short hikes in the surrounding area of this charming town near Cadaqués.

Empuriabrava ★
The seaside resort was entirely designed for boating, to the extent that its marina is one of the largest in the world.

Figueres ★★
This small town near the French border is known for housing the Dalí Museum (the painter was born and died here) and the largest fortress in Europe (Castell Sant Ferran).

Girona ★★
Just a few kilometres from the Mediterranean coast, Girona offers a very pretty old centre (cathedral, Jewish Quarter, ramparts) as well as clusters of colourful houses.

L'Ampolla ★
It’s one of the many seaside resorts on the southern Costa Daurada.

L'Escala ★
A seaside resort on the Costa Brava, south of the Bay of Roses.

Lleida ★
Also known as Lérida, the city boasts a beautiful cathedral and several medieval buildings. It is also a base for exploring the Pyrenees mountain range, one of the region's main gateways to the area.

Lloret de Mar ★
One of the main seaside resorts on the Costa Brava, very lively, primarily attracting a young crowd looking to party.

Mataró ★★
North of Barcelona, this seaside town has a few Roman remains and, above all, a varied architectural heritage blending Baroque, colonial style, and modern art. It is also the birthplace of the architect Puig, who built extensively here.

Poblet Monastery ★★★
This stunning monastery located between Tarragona and Lleida is a "benchmark" for Cistercian abbeys. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery ★★
This imposing Benedictine monastery perched in the heart of Cap de Creus enjoys a stunning panorama overlooking the sea and surrounding landscapes.

Palafrugell ★★
A small tourist town on the Costa Brava with a beautiful old centre. Nearby, Begur and Callela de Palafrugell are two charming coastal villages.

Palamós ★
A seaside resort on the Costa Brava, located to the north of a large bay.

Pals ★★
A charming medieval-style town just a few kilometres from the sea on the Estartit-Palafrugell route.

Port del Comte ★
This is one of the main winter sports resorts in the Girona region.

Portbou ★
On the French border, opposite Cerbère, this marina has a few beaches. It is also a railway transit zone between Spain and France.

Reus ★★
Gaudi's birthplace is located near Tarragona. It features beautiful architecture, though Gaudi did not build here. Reus is also a recognized center for climbing.

Roses ★
In its stunning bay and surrounded by two natural parks, the town (also called Roses) is a renowned resort.

Salou ★
This seaside resort in the southeast of Tarragona is best known for hosting PortAventura, one of Europe’s largest theme parks.

San Feliu ★★
Officially called Sant Feliu de Guixols, the town is a seaside resort on the Costa Brava with a monastery and several historic buildings.

La Seu d'Urgell ★
This Pyrenean town has a rather pretty historic centre. It is also the seat of the Diocese of Urgell, whose bishop is co-prince of Andorra (alongside the President of the French Republic).

Sitges ★★
A charming town south of Barcelona known for its monuments. It is also one of the main seaside resorts on the Costa Daurada, popular with a young, trendy, and gay-friendly crowd.

Tarragona ★★★
This major city between Barcelona and Valencia offers a beautiful centre and an archaeological site dating from Roman times, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Several beaches and the PortAventura theme park are nearby.

Tortosa ★
A small town in southern Catalonia with an imposing fortress and a cathedral.

Tossa de Mar ★★
A stunning medieval old town that is also a seaside resort and fishing port.

Torroella de Montgri ★
A large town on the northern coast dominated by its castle. It is wedged between the sea (Estartit beach and the Medes Islands, renowned for diving) on one side and the Montgrí massif, ideal for hiking, on the other.

Vall de Boí ★★
This pretty Pyrenean valley in Aigüestortes National Park is home to nine medieval Romanesque churches, collectively listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Boi Taüll ski resort, the highest in the Pyrenees (2,750 m), is also located here.

Natural Heritage

Cape Creus ★★★
This is the easternmost point of mainland Spain. The area, a natural park, offers stunning landscapes of rugged cliffs plunging into the sea, perfect for hiking. It’s on this peninsula that Cadaqués is located.

Montserrat ★★
This beautiful mountain range not far from Barcelona is home to the stunning eponymous abbey. The area is also—and especially—popular for hiking and climbing.

Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park ★★★
A stunning natural mountain and lake park extending from the Val d'Aran. Hiking and skiing are popular activities here.

Cadi-Moixero Natural Park ★★
The largest Catalan park, on the borders with France and Andorra. A great place for hiking.

Ebro Delta Natural Park ★★
South of Catalonia, a coastal marshland area quite similar to the Camargue where many bird species nest.

Val d'Aran ★★
This stunning valley in the Catalan Pyrenees, dotted with lakes, is where the Garonne River begins. The area is renowned for hiking and skiing (Baqueira-Beret).