Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park
A BRIDGE DESIGNED BY EIFFEL
The famous French engineer has the gift of making famous all the works that bear his signature, as if he were a cult film director. Nevertheless, some tend to go unnoticed even though they deserve applause . This is the case of the bridge Les peixateries velles , a key pedestrian link in the commercial development of both banks of the River Onyar. It is true that he does not have the pharaonic magnificence of other good Gustave's creations, however he does it manages to be photogenic and admired thanks to its red color , to its structure of intersecting iron beams and to acting as an ambassador of the avant-garde without disturbing. Or what is the same, for having that ability to be modern without ripping the panorama or disturbing . To all this we must add its historical importance since it is one of the first bridges made with this material in the entire Peninsula. In addition, the views it gives over the characteristic colorful houses allow **the photon of the city to be within the reach of any smartphone with a skillful finger**.
The Eiffel Bridge in Girona: a red wonder
A MODERNIST CEMETERY
The expansive wave of this popular style easily surpassed the Barcelona metropolitan area and reached these latitudes. And he did it with original proposals , sublimating spaces that have not traditionally been beautiful, at least in Spain. It is the case of this cemetery, whose surprise factor is double when found in a town with a party fame that is difficult to correct . But leaving aside the bad of Lloret de Mar, the work projected by Artau i Fàbregas drinks from the parné that the Indians brought back from their wanderings through the colonies. This large colony wanted to be buried in its place of origin, so their houses for eternity had to be designed by the best architects of this movement.
The underlying idea is to show off until the end of time. The result is curious and beautiful in equal parts . The different pantheons and hypogea have ultra-decorated facades and sculptures where features of Modernism are easily observed, such as the use of mosaic, the predominance of curved lines and the presence of nature in the form of gargoyles and other mythological beings. A visit that goes from being gloomy to being exciting and even more so when you discover tombs designed by geniuses like Puig i Cadafall either Vicenç Artigas.
SOME JEWISH BATHS UNIQUE IN SPAIN
The presence of this culture in the province It is not limited only to the charming Jewish quarter of the capital . In Besalu , after crossing its bridge, fighting imaginary dragons and digesting the precious stomach of medievalism, it's time to go underground to find wonders . This is how it appears miqveh or Jewish public bath, a space next to the river and attached to the old synagogue where the staunchest parishioners took the opportunity to bathe before the celebration of Shabbat and even to 'clean' and bless all everyday objects not made by a Sephardic.
Its use was also very common by married and pregnant women who They came here to achieve the total purification of the body and soul . At present, your visit finishes off the good overdose of culture and history that is received through its streets. Its good state of conservation and its adaptation to tourism make this place a unique attraction. both for its historical characteristics and for its enjoyment.
Jewish baths in Besalú
THE LONGEST RACK TRAIN IN SPAIN
At this point there is no need to explain the spell that this transport of mountains has . What is striking is finding a line with alpine characteristics but at the foot of the Pyrenees. Or what is the same, ** a transport capable of saving 1000 meters of unevenness in just 12 kilometers of tracks ** and that, in addition, is the only connection between a region and the rest of the world. Well that's how he is Núria's zipper , a train that connects the Nuria Valley with Ribas and that, along the way, is dedicated to discovering idyllic and mountainous landscapes. Its charm and enchantment is the biggest claim of this winter season as well as the strongest argument to consolidate the Ripolles What one of the most family friendly regions in all of Catalonia.
The longest rack railway in Spain is in Girona
AN AVANT-GARDE UNDERGROUND WINERY
Once the Ampurdán wine is no longer unknown and that wine tourism in this region is an essential and unavoidable tourist asset, it is time to find the most wonderful rarities. **Among them stands out the Bell-Lloc estate (Palamós) **, a winery that reinterprets the avant-garde concept so as not to be a strange and gratuitously spectacular mass. In fact, its great achievement is to be contemporary at ground level , without raising inhabited sculptures or claiming their visit from kilometers around. It is a labyrinth of steel plates who, digging in the ground, draw spaces dedicated to wine. And also playing with the lights , since the sun's rays and the aromas of the Mediterranean forest filter through the cracks in these surfaces. A strange creation, captivating without being exuberant, born in the mind of the local architecture studio (from Olot) RCR Aranda Pigem Vilalta.
The Bell-Lloc estate (Palamós)
THE PENINSULAR TIMANFAYA
Well, perhaps it would be more fair to name it El Timanfaya verde. The Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park is a show that mixes two different genres: chlorophyll and the whims of lava. The first gives you acres and acres of perfect, humid forests overflowing with vegetation made up of holm oaks, oaks and beeches . The second sculpts different natural sculptures on the ground in the form of craters, accumulations of lapilli and basalt columns. An entertaining 2x1 for hiking or simply visiting the Crosat museum space.
Investigate the depths of the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park
THE VENICE OF TOMORROW
The sum of favorable land (the Ampurdán marshes) and a strong investment caused the dream of creating a gigantic marina would come true. half a century later, Empuriabrava is the closest thing to a contemporary Venice that can be found in the whole country , with more than 24 kilometers of navigable channels where boats, sailboats and yachts make utility vehicles less useful. That yes, that nobody counts on the heritage that the ducal city has since its similarities focus more on the routine on the water. Nevertheless, the compendium of constructions that are not too tacky and of boats moored at their doors makes up more than a panoramic postcard view.
*** You may also be interested in...**
- Five plans to enjoy Girona
- Girona: kitchen at the stroke of landscape
- The 40 photos that will make you want to spend the summer (all your life) on the Costa Brava
- Nine wineries one step away from the Costa Brava
- Girona: here it was...
- All articles by Javier Zori del Amo
Empuriabrava: the Venice of tomorrow