Barcelona: Girona & Dalí Museum Day Trip with Small Group
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Famous for being the birthplace of Salvador Dali, one of the most talked-about artists of the 20th century, Figueres is a lively inland city in Catalonia, nestled on a river plain in the province of Girona, straddling the Pyrenees and the seaside resorts of the Costa Brava.
Perfect for a day trip from Barcelona or Girona, it is also an excellent base for those wishing to explore Catalonia, a Spanish region rich in scenic and cultural attractions often overlooked by tourists who only dwell on the capital city.
Many tourists come to the city just to visit the Dali Theatre-Museum, a very special museum venue that brings the surrealist world of this brilliant artist to life.
But why not stay longer, visit the beautiful old town at leisure and treat yourself to a mouth-watering dinner? Figueres’ special position between sea and mountains is also expressed in the cuisine, with delicacies that combine the best of both, such as the succulent lobster rabbit. An unmissable culinary experience for all gourmet travellers.
Figueres is an ideal destination for a day trip from Barcelona. The train journey takes about 2 hours and is well connected with frequent departures from Barcelona Sants station, but if you want to save time and travel in comfort choose a guided tour with transfer from Barcelona.
The top attraction in Figueres is undoubtedly the Dali Theatre-Museum (also known as the Dali Museum in Figueres), one of three museum venues run by the Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation to showcase the life and work of the brilliant Catalan artist known as the Dali Triangle.
Of these three venues, the Theatre-Museum in Figueres is undoubtedly the most impressive and the only museum on Dali desired by the artist himself, who oversaw its design and realisation in every detail. Opened in the 1970s, it is a bizarre building constructed on the remains of the Municipal Theatre, destroyed during the civil war. This place seemed particularly appropriate to Dali for the construction of a museum entirely dedicated to his artistic world as it was opposite the church where he was baptised and it was in this theatre that the artist held his first exhibition.
Already from the outside, the museum is something extraordinary: it is a unique surrealist-style building with a bright red façade surmounted by a futuristic plexiglass dome, the work of architect Emilio Pérez Piñero, which has become the symbol of the museum and an icon of the city of Figueres.
On display, you will find more than 1,500 works produced by Dali in every artistic field: paintings, illustrations, sculptures, photographs, engravings, installations, holograms, stereoscopes… a complete immersion in the unique and fascinating world of art of this brilliant man, made up of fantasies, obsessions, intuitions and inspirations that are truly out of the ordinary.
The museum tour will take you from his earliest artistic experiences to the masterpieces of Surrealism (his best known works) and nuclear mysticism up to the works created in the last years of his life; ample space is also dedicated to his passion for science.
The Dali Museum in Figueres is open all year round from Tuesday to Sunday. In the summer months it is occasionally open on Mondays and some openings at night.
The museum ticket also allows a visit to the permanent exhibition Dali-Jewels. You can buy tickets online, which saves you time when you arrive.
The museum is located in the centre of Figueres, a ten-minute walk from the train station.
A visit to the Dali Theatre-Museum is not the only good reason to visit Figueres: there are other interesting attractions in town, enough to fill a whole day.
Another must-see attraction in Figueres is the Castle of San Ferran, a colossal fortress with a perimeter of more than three kilometres that dominates the city from above. Built in the 18th century and still well preserved, it is one of the largest in Europe.
In a sweetly nostalgic vein, the delightful Toy Museum of Catalonia is a romantic dip into the past, recommended for children of all ages. Housed in an elegant building in the city centre, once home to the luxurious Hotel Paris, the museum is internationally recognised as one of the most important in its field.
The museum collection includes very diverse toys from many countries around the world and from different eras, from prehistoric times to the present day. Yes, toys were played with long before writing was invented!
The historical centre of Figueres is enclosed within walls of medieval origin. The town hall square also dates back to the same period, although today it appears in its neoclassical version.
In Figueres, as in every city in Catalonia, the nerve centre of the city is Las Ramblas, a bustling shopping street full of shops and restaurants that forms the backbone of the old town. Crowded at all hours, it is the right place to stop and sample the local cuisine.
During your stroll through the centre, pay attention to the elegant and sometimes bizarre modernist buildings lining the streets: the most famous are Casa Cusí, Casa Puig-Soler and Casa Salleras. Other elegant stately homes, such as Casa Bonaterra, Casa del Café Progrés and Casa Polidesei, are neoclassical in style.
If you have more time on your hands, you can visit the Museum of the Empordà, dedicated to local history, and take a look at the city’s most beautiful religious buildings (the Church of Sant Pere, the Convent of the Caputxins and the Chapel of Sant Sebastià).
Around Figueres you can visit many interesting places, including the Archaeological Park of Empuriès and that of Los Aiguamolls de l’Empordà. If you head towards the coast, you can reach the charming seaside resorts of the Costa Brava, with their traditional villages and coves bathed by a surprisingly blue sea.
Figueres is all in all small, so the rule applies that one place is as good as another! You won’t have any problems getting around, especially if you arrive here in a rented car, so choose your hotel based on your preferences and budget. Most of the hotels are located along Avinguda de Salvador Dalí i Domènech and Avinguda Barcelona, which make up the large avenue that encircles the western part of the historical centre. And speaking of the historical centre, there you will find several small accommodations, such as flats, hostals and 2 or 3-star hotels.
Figueres is located about 40 km from Girona from which you can easily reach by car in less than an hour (recommended route: AP-7). Frequent regional and MD (Media Distancia) trains connect the two cities in about 30 minutes.
The distance to Barcelona is 140 km. Calculate about one hour and 40 minutes by car. The two cities are connected by regional, MD and AVE (High Speed) trains: journey time and price vary considerably depending on the type of train you choose. It ranges from 50 minutes by AVE to more than two hours with a regional train. There is also a direct bus from Barcelona that takes about three hours to reach your destination.
Another option is to book an organised tour: there are coach tours from Barcelona that allow you to combine a visit to Figueres and Girona in one day.
What's the weather at Figueres? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Figueres for the next few days.
Figueres is located in Catalonia, at the north-eastern tip of Spain, just a short distance from the French border. The nearest city is Girona, from which it is just over 40 kilometres away.
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