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Make a Homage to Catalonia
Every year thousands upon thousands of tourists flood into Barcelona or up to the Costa Brava, while each winter thousands more head to the ski resorts of the tiny state of Andorra. In between, however, lies a wide area that, however much it is part of Spain, will always be a nation in itself.
Those who choose to explore Catalonia should find this in spades. An autonomous region since 1980, it is a land within that joyously expresses itself in a culture and appeal to the outside world that is often intoxicating, endlessly fascinating and, to insiders, deeply political.
When the autonomous region was declared one of the first acts of the new parliament was to declare September 11th Catalan National Day. The date marked the end of Barcelona's resistance to the siege by the Bourbons in 1714 and the celebrations include tributes and wreath laying to commemorate the stand that Rafael Casanova and General Josep Moragues made in vain.
Yet that day also marks an outpouring of national pride, with the red and yellow striped flag of Catalonia waved with abandon and the language spoken freely in the street. More recently than the Bourbon times all that was impossible. Under Franco's fascist regime in the mid-20th century the flag and language were banned. This created pockets of cultural resistance, such as that expressed by Barcelona football club, which had to adopt a Spanish title and remove the Catalan flag from its crest but whose Nou Camp stadium was still the one place locals could speak the language in public.
Any football fans coming to Catalonia and to Barcelona in particular should understand that the club's famous rivalry with Real Madrid is about more than who wins the league or the cup each year. Such visitors will be able to visit the club's impressive museum and sample this part of the Catalan culture, while also being impressed by the huge stadium itself. The chance to watch the team in action could be fun too. Barcelona may have lost their titles of European and Spanish champions but have responded by signing Thierry Henry from Arsenal to play alongside the effervescent Ronaldinho.
Others, of course, will see around the city of Barcelona a wealth of architecture of a different kind to the modern Nou Camp; that of Antoni Gaudi.
Without question a highlight of the city, Gaudi's modernista architecture gives its signature to some of the most iconic structures in the city. Among these art nouveau creations are the Pala Guell, Casa Mila and the Sagrada Familia, an unfinished, four-spired basilica which is perhaps Barcelona's most famous building. Sadly, Gaudi never saw the completion of this work as he died in 1926 following a tram accident.
Visitors staying in one of Barcelona's cheap hotels can enjoy all this and plenty more: The street entertainment, bars and cafe culture lining the famous boulevard of Las Ramblas; numerous beaches; the gothic quarter in the old city, with some buildings dating back to Roman times and numerous museums.
Given so many attractions, it is easy to fail to see beyond Barcelona when considering the attractions of Catalonia. Yet the city represents just some of the province's delights. While it has beaches, those looking for resorts can find the finest sand and surf on the Costa Brava. Yet even here there are treasures waiting to be discovered, literally in the case of the still only partially-excavated Roman city of Emporiae, with its many pillars and mosaics. Then there are the wildlife-rich marshlands of Empuries and the Benedictine monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. All of this trumpets, yet again, the fact that there is more to Catalonia than the less discerning ever discover.
Viniculture is another example, with a history of wine-making that dates back to Roman times and is today manifested through the production of Cava. These winelands also include the iconic, jagged Montserrat Mountain.
The list goes on: United Nations world heritage sites exist not just in Barcelona but at Tarragona in the shape of the Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco and the Romanesque churches of Vall de Boi to name but two. The latter lies in the Pyrenees, the mountain range which provides a natural boundary between France and Spain bar the existence of Andorra in its midst. Many people visit the tiny state for its ski resorts, but Catalonia has some of its own, such as Baqueira Beret and Masella. A visit to this province can be as much a cause to pack the skis as the bucket and spade, just as it is as much a cause to enjoy historic scenery as a vibrant, modern city.
This article is provided by Hotels Hotels Hotels suppliers of cheap hotels in Barcelona
Updated: Mon, 02 Jul 2007 16:32:10
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