Page 222 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Spain

220  EASTERN SP AIN

t Cadaqués
Girona. * 3,000. @ n Carrer
Cotxe 1, 972 25 83 15. ( Mon.
_ Festa Major de Verano (first
week of Sep), Santa Esperança
(18 Dec). ∑ visitcadaques.org
This whitewashed town is over­
looked by the Baroque Església
de Santa Maria. Perched at the
tip of the remote Cap de Creus
headland, in the 1960s Cadaqués
was dubbed the “St Tropez of
Spain”, due to the young crowd
that sought out Salvador Dalí in
nearby Port Lligat. The house
where he lived from 1930 until Looking south along the Costa Brava from Tossa de Mar
his death in 1989 is known as
the Casa-Museu Salvador Dalí. the new town (Neapolis); and i Tossa de Mar
Visitors can see the painter’s the Roman town. The old town Girona. * 5,500. @ n Avinguda
workshop, the library, private was found ed by the Greeks in Pelegrí 25, 972 34 01 08. ( Thu.
bedrooms, garden area and 600 BC as a trading port. It was _ Festa Major d’Hivern (22 Jan),
swimming pool. Advanced built on what was a small island, Festa Major d’Estiu (29 Jun–2 Jul).
booking is required. and is now the site of the hamlet ∑ infotossa.com
of Sant Martí de Empúries. In 550
E Casa-Museu Salvador Dalí BC this was replaced by a town At the end of a corniche, the
Port Lligat. Tel 972 25 10 15. Reserv a­ on the shore which the Greeks Roman town of Turissa is one
tions required, email pll@fundacio named Emporion, meaning of the prettiest along the Costa
dali.org Open Tue–Sun (mid­Jun– “trading place”. In 218 BC, the Brava. Above the New Town
mid­Sep: daily). Closed 1 Jan, 7 Jan– Romans landed at Empúries and is the Vila Vella (Old Town), a
early Feb, 25 Dec. & ∑ salvador- built a city next to the new town. protected national monument.
dali.org
A nearby museum exhibits In the old town, the Museu
some of the site’s finds, but the Municipal has a collection
best are in Barcelona’s Museu of local archaeological finds
y Empúries Arqueològic (see p176). and modern art including
Girona. @ L’Escala. Tel 972 77 59 76. The Celestial Violinist, by the
Open from 10am, closing time varies artist Marc Chagall.
with season; check website. & ruins. u Peratallada
8 25 Jun–15 Sep: 11:30am daily. Girona. * 188. n Plaça del Castell 3 E Museu Municipal
∑ mac.cat Plaça Pintor Roig i Soler 1. Tel 972
(872 98 70 30). _ Fira de les Herbes 34 07 09. Open Jun–Sep: daily. &
(last week end in Apr or first in May),
The ruins of this Greco­Roman Festa Major (6 & 7 Aug), Medieval
town (see p55) are dramatically Market (first weekend in Oct).
located overlooking the sea. ∑ forallac.cat o Blanes
Three settlements were built Girona. * 40,000. £ @
between the 7th and 3rd centu­ This tiny village is stunning and n Plaça de Catalunya s/n, 972 33
ries BC: the old town (Palaiapolis); only a short inland trip from the 03 48. ( Mon. _ El Bilar (6 Apr),
Costa Brava. With Pals and Palau Sta Ana (late Jul). ∑ visitblanes.net
Sator it forms part of the “Golden
Triangle” of medieval villages. The working port of Blanes
Its mountaintop position has one of the longest beaches
gives some dramatic views of on the Costa Brava, but the
the area. A labyrinth of cobbled highlight of the town is the
streets wind up to the well­ Jardí Botànic Marimurtra. These
conserved castle and lookout fine gardens, designed by Karl
tower, whose written records Faust in 1928, are spec tacularly
date from the 11th century. Both sited above cliffs. There are
counts and kings made doubly 7,000 species of Med iterranean
sure of fending off any attackers and tropical plants.
by construct ing a sturdy wall
enclosing the entire village that Y Jardí Botànic Marimurtra
even today limits the nucleus Passeig Carles Faust 9. Tel 972 33 08 26.
An excavated Roman pillar in the ruins from further expansion, ensuring Open daily. Closed 1 & 6 Jan, 24 & 25
of Empúries it retains its medieval character. Dec. & 7 ∑ marimurtra.cat
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp565–7 and pp588–90

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