Taste culture

Costa Brava & Girona Pyrenees: a journey to a land steeped in culture

To talk about culture in the Costa Brava & Girona Pyrenees means going back to the origins of civilisation. If we begin our search in order of antiquity, we will discover megalithic monuments in the Albera and Gavarres mountains, prehistoric caves in Serinyà, an ancient Iberian settlement in Ullastret, as well as Romanesque, Gothic, baroque and art nouveau elements feature on all the routes. Our coast has welcomed and been home to Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans, who built towns like Empúries, where nowadays we can trace the footsteps of those first visitors. From the Middle Ages we conserve exceptional examples of architecture, including the monasteries of Sant Pere de Rodes or Santa Maria de Ripoll.

In recent times, the work of such artists as the genius Salvador Dalí has introduced a new interpretation of our cultural setting and landscape by capturing its beauty in superb artistic creations. Nowadays, the Dalí Triangle, formed by the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, the Dalí House in Portlligat and the Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol, allow the visitor to embark on an almost metaphysical journey through a world of idyllic, unique landscapes.

The region’s capital, Girona, situated halfway between the coast and the Pyrenees, boasts a wide range of cultural activities and monuments. The conservation of its heritage is particularly noteworthy, with an Old Town replete with places of interest.

Taste culture

Sunrise Kayak with a typical breakfast

GIRONA EXPLORERS

Sant Pol beach +34 650 406 244 / +34 649 467 266 · www.gironaexplorers.com · info@gironaexplorers.com

At 5 am from Girona or at 5:45 am at Sant Pol beach Every day, from 1st June to 30th September Min. 4 people

Feel the peace and quiet of the Mediterranean Sea as you paddle along in a kayak at sunrise. Start the day with this amazing experience, during which your guide will tell you all about the area’s origins, history and biology. And then reward yourself with a typical breakfast of local produce by the beach to recover all the energy used up. Don’t miss it!

€55 pp 3 h

The Romans' Nordic appetisers

ESPAI CERETÀNIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Bolvir +34 972 895 192 · espaiceretania1@gmail.com · www.bolvir.cat

By appointment

All year round Min. 2 people

The Espai Ceretània Museum runs a guided tour of the Castellot archaeological settlement, which includes a tasting of Roman wine, nuts and toast with typical Roman herbs and spices.

€5 pp 2 h

Cork cutters' fare

PALAFRUGELL CORK MUSEUM, IN COLLABORATION WITH SALA GRAN RESTAURANT

Palafrugell and Llofriu +34 972 307 825 · www.museudelsuro.cat · info@museudelsuro.cat lunch

12 noon From Tuesday to Friday Min. 15 people

A guided visit to the Cork Museum and lunch at the Sala Gran restaurant in Llofriu. The visit will give you insights into the cork industry, the foundation of all the villages in the Gavarres region. The tasting menu will provide culinary and cork manufacturing sensations, with traditional cork cutters’ fare, taken from both their everyday food and the feasts and banquets so popular

€32 pp 2 h: activity and transfers + 3 h: with them.

From the vineyard to the monastery

SANT PERE DE RODES MONASTERY

El Port de la Selva · +34 972 387 559 www.patrimoni.gencat.cat/ca/coleccio/monestir-de-sant-pere-de-rodes · reservesspv@acdpc@gencat.cat

During monastery opening hours From Tuesday to Sunday, with advance booking Max. 30 people

Discover the history of wine at Sant Pere de Rodes and how the monks’ vineyards shaped the landscape of Cap de Creus. The visit ends up on the monastery’s terraces, where you will have the chance to taste three DO Empordà wines paired with local produce.

€ 81 per group (monastery entrance fee not included) 1 h 30 min

Traditional fisherman's cuisine showcooking at Espai del Peix FISHING MUSEUM

Palamós +34 972 600 424 · www.museudelapesca.org · infomuseu@palamos.cat

8 pm Fridays and Saturdays. In July and August, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Min. 10 people

This gourmet food experience is a chance to discover for yourself the seafood on sale at the Palamós fish market through traditional fishermen’s cuisine. The activity comprises a live cookery demonstration, followed by a tasting of different fish dishes, cooked using traditional fishermen’s recipes. Our aim is to acquaint visitors with simple, economical popular cuisine and to focus on local fishing produce that is not so well-known, but equally tasty and nutritional.

€20 - €25 pp 2 h

Visit and taste Hostalric

HOSTALRIC CASTLE - DOMUS SENT SOVÍ

Hostalric +34 972 874 165 · www.turismehostalric.cat · turisme@hostalric.cat

By appointment

All year round, with advance booking Min. 10 people / Max. 50 people

The town of Hostalric conserves one of Catalonia’s most outstanding medieval quarters and is protected by an imposing military fortress built in the modern period. Discover the historic site with a guided tour of the castle and the medieval quarter, and round off the experience with a gourmet tasting of a selection of local charcuterie washed down with a pitcher of wine at the Domus Sent Soví Gastronomy Centre.

€6 - €8.50, according to group size 2 h

A visit to Hostalric with a cookery workshop

HOSTALRIC CASTLE - DOMUS SENT SOVÍ

Hostalric +34 972 874 165 · www.turismehostalric.cat · turisme@hostalric.cat in the group

By appointment

All year round, with advance booking Min. 10 people / Max. 30 people

Discover the history and the nooks and crannies hidden in the town of Hostalric with this visit to its castle and the medieval quarter. Finish up with a workshop where you’ll learn to make the traditional arròs a la cassola rice dish, with surf & turf ingredients, at the Domus Sent Soví Gastronomy Centre. An experience that will appeal to all

€28.50 - €29.50, according 5 h to the number of people your senses.

DO Olot: visit, shop and eat

EDUCART

Olot +34 972 903 822 / 616 132 433 · ww.educart.cat · educart@educart.biz · reserves@educart.biz under 12, free)*

12 noon To check Max. 20 people

Don’t miss a visit to the centre of Olot and its market to discover the local producers and their produce, including charcuterie, meat, pulses and vegetables. Products with the 100% Olot label: ratafia liqueur, coca de llardons pork crackling sweet flatbread, chocolate, traditional espadrilles and statues of saints are just a few of the things that you can discover in the capital of the Garrotxa region, where you can also visit century-old shops brimming with old-fashioned charm. The activity is complemented with a visit to the Carme convent cloister and the main square, and then returns to the market for a

€6 pp (children tasting session of local produce. 1 h 30 min

The viewpoints route, with a wine tasting at the top of the watchtower PALAFRUGELL CORK MUSEUM

Sant Sebastià lighthouse viewpoint +34 972 307 825 · info@museudelsuro.cat

By appointment, with advance booking By appointment, with advance booking Min. 2 people/ Max. 20 people

A guided tour of the Sant Sebastià mountain to very winningly encourage the discovery of a heritage site formed by an Iberian settlement dating back to the fifth - first century BC, a fifteenth-century watchtower, an eighteenth-century chapel and inn, and a nineteenthcentury lighthouse. They are all perched on the top of a mountain, with stunning cliffs looming over the sea and one of the best panoramic views of the Costa Brava. The visit ends up with a tasting of DO Empordà wines in the Sant Sebastià watchtower.

€5 pp (children under 12, free) 1 h 30 min

Strambotism evenings with artist Quim Hereu (Art & Cocktail) DOR MUSEUM

Sant Julià de Ramis +34 872 201 442 · www.dormuseum.com · info@dormuseum.com

From 8 to 9 pm Check the programme / by appointment Min. 10 people / Max. 20 people

A visit & cocktail reception with artist Quim Hereu and strambotism. A space where you can discover the visual manifesto of strambotism, the only artistic movement born in Catalonia, which seeks the fusion of reason with folly. A visual experience based on three large-format works (12 x 6 m), which represent time, power and freedom. The latter is a work in progress, which enables visitors to observe the artist’s creative process.

€25 pp 1 h