Regional information for Catalonia

Catalonia is an Autonomous Community of Spain, with the status of historical region, the capital of which is Barcelona. The region covers an area of 32,114 km² and forms borders with Valencia to the south, Aragon to the west, France and Andorra to the north, and the Mediterranean Sea to the east and southeast. Immigrants from outside Spain represent 12.2% of the 7.08 million population.

Best known apart from the capital, is of course the Mediterranean coastal area known as the Costa Brava. With its ample beaches and mild climate, it is without a doubt a first-rate tourist attraction.

Catalonia is not just beaches as it also offers high mountain ranges such as the Pyrenees in the north, the curious formations of Montserrat, the inactive volcanoes of Garrotxa, and a wide plain area in the region’s centre.

Catalonia has a culture all of its own, which is generally of Mediterranean tradition, but distinguished from most other Spanish regions in several ways not just its language, Catalonian (although everybody speaks and understands Castilian Spanish perfectly). It is regarded by many as one of the most cosmopolitan regions of Spain, thanks to its long tradition of international commerce.

The coast offers ideal facilities for all sorts of water sports, but everywhere you go you will recognize that special talent to combine the beauty of nature or buildings with modern attractions, a main reason why Catalonia has developed into one of the preferred tourist destinations of Spain.

Seafood and rice dishes, characterizes Catalonia’s excellent gastronomy along with wines boasting a great international reputation and traditional desserts like the famous "Catalonian Cream".

Major Attractions in Catalonia

Barcelona

Catalonia's capital, located beside the Mediterranean Sea, offers the structures of a true metropolis. Among its most outstanding sights are the Gothic Quarter and the works of architect Antoni Gaudi.

Costa Brava

This is certainly one of the most famous Spanish coasts, stretching from the north of Barcelona over the province of Girona. It is of great natural beauty, with steep cliffs and small romantic coves.

Lleida (Lerida)

Located inland in a mountainous area. Most interesting is its cathedral, "Seo", built between 12th and 15th century.

Girona

A beautiful historic city with the old Jewish Quarter among its major sights.

Figueres

The birthplace of great painter Salvador Dali. Its main attraction is the museum dedicated to the artist, showing a collection of some of his finest works.

Costa Dorada

The Golden Coast, stretching from south of Costa Brava to Tarragona, offers apart from its great beaches and beautiful landscapes towns of outstanding beauty such as Arenys del Mar, Sitges (with the museum of Cau Ferrat) and Castelldefels.

Tarragona

An important city of the Roman Empire, still preserving some outstanding monuments: the aqueducts, an ampitheatre and the Tomb of the Scipios, located beside the sea. Close to Tarragona there are the monasteries Santes Creus and Santa Maria de Poblet, both of high historic-artistic interest.

Language

Catalan, regarded as the native language of Catalonia, is one of the three official languages with the others being Castilian Spanish, which is the official language throughout Spain, and Aranese.

Airports of Catalonia

• Barcelona International Airport

• Girona-Costa Brava Airport

• Reus Airport

• Sabadell Airport

Catalan Cuisine

The cuisine of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and the Comunitat Valenciana in Spain; as well as French Roussillon relies heavily on ingredients found along the Mediterranean coast, including fresh vegetables (especially tomato, garlic, aubergine, red pepper and artichoke), wheat products (bread, pasta), olive oils from Arbequina, wines, legumes (beans, chick peas), mushrooms, numerous methods of pork preparation (eg. sausages from Vic, Ham, etc), all sorts of cheese, poultry, lamb and many types of fish like sardine, anchovy, tuna, and cod.

Traditional Catalan cuisine uses a lot of pasta (second only to the Italian cuisine) and cod (salted, dried, fresh, etc). The cuisine includes many preparations that mix sweet and salty and stews with sauces based on botifarra (raw pork sausage) and the characteristic picada (ground almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts etc, sometimes with garlic, herbs, biscuits).

Some examples are:

Savoury Dishes

• Catalan-style cod (with raisins and pine nuts).

• Suquet (a seafood casserole).

• "Sea and mountain" dishes (delicious combinations of meat and fish).

• Calçots (specially cultivated onions, grilled).

• Allioli, a thick sauce made of garlic and olive oil, used with grilled meats or vegetables and some dishes like Valencian Fideua.

Sweets and Desserts

• Crema catalana: a crème brûlée-style custard with cinnamon.

• Mel i mató: a plain dessert of mató cheese with honey.

• Tortell: a typical O-shaped pastry stuffed with marzipan, that on some special occasions is topped with glazed fruit.

• Torró: a nougat-like traditional Christmas confectionery. Nowadays many variants and flavours exist, but the traditional ones are those based on almonds and honey.

Wines

There are 11 Catalan wine-growing regions qualified by the INCAVI (The Catalan Institute of Wine): Priorat, Penedès, Catalunya, Costers del Segre, Conca de Barberà, Montsant, Alella, Tarragona, Empordà-Costa Brava, Pla del Bages and Terra Alta. The sparkling wine cava, the Spanish equivalent to champagne, is widely exported.