Camp de Tarragona

THE ROMAN VILLA OF ELS MUNTS
 
This excursion to see Altafulla's historic heritage begins with the Els Munts Roman villa, one of the best conserved and most aristocratic villas in Roman Hispania. Located next to the sea, the inhabitants of this country residence would have enjoyed the peace and quiet of rural life and the beauty of the surrounding area, without forgoing luxury and refinement.
 
Caius and Faustina were its most illustrious inhabitants and they were the ones who made extensions to the villa and carried out refurbishments. They feature in the dramatized visit to the villa. At the villa you can also find out about other routes to follow, such as Life of the elites in Tarraco, From Els Munts to Tamarit: a trek through the natural environment from Roman times to the present day, and an activity for all the family, We're taking you to the garden!
 
CLOSED TOWN
 
The excursion continues to Altafulla to visit the walled medieval centre of the town or 'closed town', a beautiful centre declared of national cultural interest. Altafulla Tourist Office organises guided tours of this walled centre and, recently, the Town Council opened a twice-monthly free visit service to the castle for small groups of twenty. It is a unique opportunity to see inside a private fortification that is still inhabited! 
 
CLOSED TOWN IN TAMARIT
 
The next stop is the 'closed town' in Tamarit. It can not be visited, nevertheless, it is imposing to behold, especially from the beach with its postcard views. 

THE MÈDOL QUARRY
 
The excursion ends with a visit to the Mèdol quarry where most of the stone was quarried to build Roman Tarraco. Its most outstanding feature is the column that presides the quarry. It is sixteen metres high. This is also a place of ecological interest due to the microclimate it has caused.
 

When thinking about the heritage of Tarragona, Roman legacy inevitably comes to mind. However the rich Tarragonan monument goes much further beyond that. The best example? The personality of the Cistercian style, based upon Romanesque art.

THE FRONT OF THE BATTLE

We recommend you to begin on a stage that has been testimony to numerous struggles: the Terra Alta has survived the Carlist Wars and the Battle of the Ebre. Thanks to this, we can still see the church of the Assumption in Gandesa and its Romanesque entrance way with the unparalleled "signature" of the Lleidan school.

High on a hill above the Ebre one approaches the ancient home of the Templars. The imposing Miravet castle fused Muslim and Byzantine details with the Romanesque style transitioning to the Gothic. Your point of destination is Siurana where you will find the castle that was the last Muslim stronghold in Catalonia. Very close by, however, evidence has been found of even earlier inhabitants: very sharp flint stones by prehistoric man!

THE OLD TÀRRACO

The wall, the amphitheatre and the arch of Berà are testimony to the centuries of Roman influence in the area of Tàrraco. The enviable patrimony of ancient Rome was testimony to the conquest of the city by Ramon Berenguer III in the 12th century, and of the construction of the future Cathedral. This temple dedicated to Santa Maria is the jewel of the high part of Tarragona. From the exterior you can see the sarcophagus of Bethesda, a fourth century Paleochristian vestige integrated into the wall.

THE LAND OF THE CISTERCIANS

It is time to immerse yourself in the Cistercian world, that of a religious order to which two of the country's most remarkable monasteries belong. Poblet is an open history book: a mausoleum of the kings of Aragon in the past, currently it is the only Catalan monastery declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Very close by, Santes Creus represents the most authentic Cistercian style of the area. It is the only monastery of the so-called Cistercian Route that is no longer home to monastic life. Here rest the mortal remains of Pere el Gran and Roger of Llúria, two of the architects of the supremacy of the Crown of Aragon in the Mediterranean at the end of the 13th century.


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The last Sunday in January is when Valls celebrates the great Calçotada Festival, marking the beginning of the calçot season. (Calçots are a kind of spring onion, and a calçotada is an informal gathering, usually in the open air around a fire, organised to cook and eat them, along with other dishes). Tradition has it that a good calçotada, a calçotada overseen by angels, as it were, “must have the Miramar mountain range as a backdrop, have a Valls country house as a stage, and the city of Valls with its tall bell tower as the stalls". Would you like to take part in the calçot season in the place where calçotada was invented?

If so, as well as having a delicious meal, why not also visit the rich cultural offerings of Valls and its surrounding area?

VALLS AND ITS HERITAGE

Throughout the calçot season there are guided tours through the town's streets and squares, as well as to the most outstanding historical locations of this, the capital of the Alt Camp district, with an emphasis, of course, on the history of calçots, their cultivation, cuisine and related anecdotes.

If you would like to join in, or if you would like more information, just ring 977 61 25 30 or send an email to turisme@valls.cat.
 
MONASTERY OF SANTA MARIA DE SANTES CREUS

Near Valls, just 20 minutes away by car, is the Monastery of Santa Maria de Santes Creus. Why not visit it after your calçotada? There are visits on Saturdays and Sundays in January at 10.30 a.m. and 3.45 p.m. in Catalan and at 12 noon in Spanish, and on Saturdays and Sundays in February and March at 10.30 a.m. and 3.45 p.m. in Catalan and at 12 noon and 1.15 p.m. in Spanish.


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Miró went to Mont-roig in 1911 when he was 18 years old to revover from an illness, and he fell inlove with the place. He spent long periods at the family house there, 'Mas Miró'. After a few years he would spend the winters in Paris and the summers in Mont-roig, but it was Mont-roig that captivated the artist. "All my work is conceived in Mont-roig”, he said. How about a visit to see the place that so inspired him?
 
 
THE MIRÓ CENTRE
 
The Miró Cenre, located in the town's Old Church is the interpretation centre for Joan Miró, his work and his relationship with the town. It contains reproductions of Miró's paintings that are kept in galleries around the world.
 
MAS MIRÓ
 
It was in this house, located outside the town of Mont-roig, and listed as a Cultural Asset of National Interest, that the artist spent long periods over the course of 65 years. It was here that he decided to devote himself exclusively to painting and it is where he painted the first works that would lead him to becoming one of the most achnowledged painters of the 20th century. As you approach you will see the artist's studio in the foreground. Refurbishment work is currently taking place to make it suitable for visits by the public.
 
THE HERMITAGE OF THE MARE DE DÉU DE LA ROCA
 
Also visit the hermitage of the Mare de Déu de la Roca, located on a spectacular outcrop of the red sandstone that gives the town its name. It is partially embedded into the rock and affords spectacular views over the Camp de Tarragona from the natural balcony overlooking it, reached by steps from the path from the car park.
 
PAINTED LANDSCAPES
 
Mont-roig inspired Miró to paint some of his most universally acclaimed works. You can see some of these scenes, such as the one in “La Masia”, the famous painting, bought by Hemingway, depicting the house where the Mas Miró tenant farmers lived. You can discover nine more places that influenced Miró in a similar way by following the route here.
 

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In 2014 a total of nine, previously unknown, groups of rock art were discovered in Capçanes, and became the largest concentration of rock art in Catalonia. Work has recently been completed on their restoration and conservation and guided tours are now available. During this excursion you can see some of the Priorat district's artistic treasures.
 
ROCK ART

Start your route with a visit to the valleys of Capçanes, which will reveal a prehistoric treasure, the largest concentration of rock art in Catalonia, with a total of 19 sites located in three ravines. You will be able to see the rock painting called “the slaughter”, the largest animal for which there is such documentary evidence in our country. Just a few minutes by car from the centre of Capçanes, you can take guided tours on the first Saturday of every month. Tours for groups are also organised subject to prior arrangement.
 
CAPÇANES, THE VILLAGE AND THE FOOTPATHS

After your visit you can enjoy some of the local Priorat cuisine in the village of Capçanes. The village stands at an altitude of 223 metres above sea level in a valley that is circled by the Espasa, Picotxa, Montalt and Pinar dels Flares mountain ranges and the Toró cliff. In the afternoon you could follow some of the various footpaths that leave from the village to explore such places as the Tortó and Ricord ravines, and the Rock of Llaberia.
 
CAPÇANES WINE CELLAR

The following day, after spending the night in one of the area's rural guest houses, you could visit the Capçanes wine cellar and, in addition to tasting the wines and discovering the Montsant D.O. and the wine culture of the Priorat district, you will find many other things to do, such as kayaking on the Guiamets reservoir, or horse riding around the vineyards.

THE ROUTE OF DRY STONE WALLS AND OTHER CONSTRUCTIONS

If you can spend a couple more days in the area don't miss the Dry Stone Route, in the area known as Taules, to the east of the town. In a very small area you will find a large variety of dry-stone construction such as margins, dry-stone huts, farmer's huts, animal pens, dens, store-rooms, cubbyholes set into dry stone walls, mounds, shelters and a lime oven.


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Antoni Gaudí was born in Reus, a city where you can still see some of the settings that influenced him during the 16 years he lived there before he left for Barcelona. We suggest you follow the Gaudí & Reus route that will lead you around the places where Gaudí spent the formative years of his childhood and adolescence.
 
GAUDÍ CENTRE
 
You can start your tour at the Gaudí Centre to make your acquaintance with this architectural genius. The centre is located in the Plaça del Mercadal, in the historic centre of Reus. It is the only interpretation centre devoted to Gaudí's life and work, and here you will get to learn about Gaudí the innovator and universally acclaimed Modernista architect.
 
GAUDÍ'S BIRTHPLACE
 
After visiting the centre take a walk up to Carrer de Sant Vicenç to see the house where Gaudí was born on 25 June 1852. This is where he spent his childhood together with his parents, Francesc Gaudí and Antònia Cornet. It is a private house and can not be visited, however, you can go to see the sculpture of Gaudí as a child which is located on the corner of Carrer Santa Anna Carrer l’Amargura, very close to the house.
 
PRIORY CHURCH OF SANT PERE
 
The priory church of Sant Pere is where Gaudí was baptised the day after he was born. Late Gothic in style, one of its remarkable features is its bell tower of which Gaudí spoke as having both religious and secular uses since it could also be used as a lookout tower. It is also interesting to see the staircase inside, which Gaudí recreated in the staircases to the bell towers of the Sagrada Família.
 
SALVADOR VILASECA SECONDARY SCHOOL, FORMER CONVENT OF SANT FRANCESC
 
Afterwards you can visit the Salvador Vilaseca secondary school (formerly known as Escoles Pies) located in the former Convent of Sant Francesc. This is where Antoni Gaudí studied, together with other notable personages, such as Eduard Toda and Josep Ribera. During their school days the three friends published a magazine called El Arlequín, for which Gaudí provided the drawings.
 
THE MISERICÒRDIA SANCTUARY
 
Antoni Gaudí professed devotion to the Mare de Déu de la Misericòrdia (Our Lady of Mercy), patron saint of Reus, and on several occasions he participated in pilgrimages to this sanctuary. In 1903 he was commissioned to refurbish the facade, and this would have been his great work for his hometown, but for a number of reasons he was never able to carry out his project, a sketch for which can be seen at the Gaudí Centre.
 
For more information visit: The Genius Route


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Speaking of Horta de Sant Joan Picasso said, “Everything I've learned I learned in Horta”. He lived in the town on two occasions, the first in 1898, invited by his friend Manuel Pallarès, while he recovered from an illness, and on the second occasion in 1909, accompanied by his girlfriend, Fernande Olivier. If you visit the town today you can see the places where Picasso spent his time, as well as the landscapes he immortalised in his paintings.
 
THE PICASSO CENTRE

The Picasso Centre is the first stop for any visit to Sant Joan. It is located in the former hospital and is a private concern with a permanent exhibition of reproductions all the works Picasso painted during his two stays in the town. Also on display are a number of objects, photographs and accounts that illustrate Picasso's Time in Horta.
 
THE STREETS OF HORTA DE SANT JOAN

The whole town was something of a canvas for Picasso. He painted the streets, the squares and the houses. The Hostal del Trompet, in the Plaça de la Missa, is where Picasso stayed with his girlfriend, Fernande Olivier, in the summer of 1909. Picasso's studio was also in this square, in the loft of the house of his friend the baker, Tobies Membrado, and it was here that he painted some decisive works that would define Cubism as we know it today.
 
THE MOUNTAIN OF SANTA BÀRBARA AND THE CONVENT OF SANT SALVADOR

The mountain of Santa Bàrbara, which Picasso painted in a number of his works, was one of the first places to be visited by the young artist and his friend Manuel Pallarès after he arrived in Horta de Sant Joan in 1898. Picasso also painted the Convent de Sant Salvador, located at the foot of this mountain. One of the most notable paintings is an oil painting entitled, La processó del convent.
 
THE PICASSO CAVE

Picasso and Pallarès decided to spend a few days of summer in the cave, used as a refuge by shepherds, in the mountain of Santa Bàrbara. The cave can now be visited following the Picasso Cave route which has been signposted by the Parc Natural dels Ports. All the necessary information, including maps, is available from the Ecomuseu dels Ports.
 
Visit more Picasso locations in Horta de Sant Joan.

More information is available in the Paisatge dels Genis


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The Cistercian Route runs through a fully Mediterranean landscape, and one with a long vine-growing tradition, the cultivation of vines having been a pillar of the region's agriculture since the 13th century. During this visit you will be able to learn about and taste the wines of the district and you will also be able to visit one its architectural jewels, the Monastery of Santes Creus.
 
MONASTERY OF SANTES CREUS

The Monastery of Santes Creus, which forms part of the Cistercian Route, was founded in 1160 under the patronage of the Montcada and Cervelló families and Count Ramon Berenguer IV. Located on the banks of the river Gaià, it was the centre of one of the most extensive and influential monastic dominions of the Crown of Aragon. You can find out more about the monastery's history and life as a Cistercian monk in the video, “El món del Cister”. The monastery houses the tombs of king Pere el Gran and of king Jaume II el Just and his queen, Blanca d’Anjou.
 
MAS VICENÇ WINE CELLAR

A visit to the Mas Vicenç wine cellar, one of the most iconic wine cellars of the Tarragona D.O. and just 20 minutes away by car from the monastery of Santes Creus, is an ideal opportunity to find out more about the district's vine-growing tradition and to taste the wines. The family cellar is housed inside an old Catalan country house and covers 550 square metres distributed over five rooms: a vinification room, two aging rooms, a bottling room and a finished products room. Here you can taste some modern, characterful wines.
 
This route includes entrance to the Monastery of Santes Creus and the audiovisual presentation, the visit to the Mas Vicenç Cellar, and an evening meal, and half-board over-night accommodation. Please consult the terms and conditions here.


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In 1911, Eduard Toda, a native of Reus and a consul, historians, writer, Egyptologist and bibliophile, purchased the former monastery of Sant Miquel d’Escornalbou in order to refurbish it. Many of the leading figures of the Renaixença, or Catalan Renaissance, passed through its rooms where today you can see examples of the collections Toda made during his journeys and stays in such places as Macau, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Egypt.

Today a visit to Escornalbou offers a glimpse of what it must have been like to live in grand mansion during the early twentieth century. Additionally, Toda conserved some important elements of the former church and cloister, which command an impressive view over the districts of Tarragona.

While you are there you shouldn't miss:
 
THE SARRAÍ SPRING

A 10-minute walk from the house will take you to the Sarraí Spring. The Spring has now run dry but it was here that, according to legend, a Saracen, the son of a local emir, and a Christian, the wife of the governor of Escornalbou, fell in love. According to the legend the lovers escaped on horseback and the horse led them up a track to the place now known as Salt del Dimoni (Devil's Leap), where it stopped and jumped into the void. It is said that the devil dragged the bodies of the two lovers off to hell, along with that of the horse, because they were never found.
 
THE FRIARS' WAY

This pathway was opened up around 1818 with two purposes in mind: to provide stone for the extension of the convent, and to create a place of leisure for the friars. It has magnificent panoramic views that include Hospitalet to the mountains of Prades, and from El Garraf on the river Ebre, to the coast. There are days when you can even see Mallorca on the horizon. Halfway up you will find the Tres Verges hermitage.
 
SANTA BÀRBARA HERMITAGE

Having seen the magnificent panoramic view that can be obtained from this, the highest peak of Escornalbou, it will come as no surprise to discover that this hill has been occupied since prehistoric times because it was a perfect location for dominating the entire area surrounding it. The hermitage, which dates from the 17th to 19th centuries, is dedicated to Santa Bàrbara, the protector against thunderbolts and storms, who protected those living in the monastery and the people living nearby.


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