The Costa Brava, the “wild coast” in Catalan, is no longer really so. Widely disfigured in the 1960s by rampant urbanization, it has become one of the strongholds of European mass tourism. Fortunately, its hinterland, Empordà, is just the opposite. With the Pyrenees as a backdrop, this other Catalonia abounds, over a few tens of kilometers, of natural and historical riches which one would be wrong to sulk: an intact rural landscape, admirably preserved medieval villages, superb Catalan farmhouses, three museums dedicated to Dalí and the picturesque Girona , nicknamed “Catalan Florence”. All at 1h15 flight from Paris.

Medieval stroll in Girona

Is it due to the yellow, ocher and red houses, to the scalloped windows which overhang the curve of the Onyar river? In the golden light on the cypresses near the ramparts of the upper town? To the insistent presence of history in the alleys of the medieval city? The fact remains that Girona has a Florentine air. The proud Catalans even call it the “Florence of Catalonia”. It is undoubtedly exaggerated for this peaceful provincial city. But this nickname speaks volumes about the affection that one carries, on this side of the Pyrenees, to this picturesque and elegant city, which leaves the visitor under the spell.

Located 50 km from France and 100 km from Barcelona, the discreet Girona is still one of the best kept secrets in Catalonia. However, the rowdy (and, alas, concrete) Costa Brava is only half an hour from here. We pass by Girona, for a long time. The city was also founded by the Romans in the 1st century BC. For this reason. It was located on the strategic via Augusta, the north-south axis connecting Gaul to the Iberian Peninsula. However, Girona, when you take the trouble to discover it, turns out to be much more than a place of passage.

Restored in the 1980s, the medieval heart of the Catalan city, located on the right bank of the Onyar, is one of the most attractive in Spain. Along the Força square, a charming cobbled artery which goes up the hill towards the ramparts of the upper town, beautiful medieval residences are lined up and picturesque alleys are spread out as well as narrow alleyways with stairs, where time seems to have stood still. Until 1492, it was the Jewish quarter, Call, where one of the most important Hebrew communities on the Iberian Peninsula lived, along with Barcelona and Toledo. She was driven out by the Torquemada of the Inquisition. A museum, housed in a former school of interpretation of Kabbalah, traces the great hours of Jewish Girona.

Heavenly Cathedral and Earthly Foods

At the end of the Força square, at the top of the hill, sits the imposing Girona Cathedral. It dominates the city; you can see it from everywhere. From the narrow square Força, a monumental staircase of ninety steps leads to its forecourt. An impression of majesty and solemnity emerges from the limestone building, which took three centuries to build. Hence the mixture of styles that characterizes it: its eardrum is Baroque, its Romanesque tower. Inside, an impressive Gothic nave – the largest in the world (23 m) – soars to the sky. Do not miss the magnificent Romanesque cloister in the shape of a trapeze and the cathedral’s treasure: an 11th century tapestry telling the story of the creation of the world.

Above the cathedral is the line of ramparts which protected Girona, which has always been highly coveted. Charlemagne, who has never set foot here, and Napoleon have left their mark on the history of the city and the nomenclature of its monuments. At sunset, the walk on the ramparts, which follows the old walkway, is magical. It offers beautiful panoramas of old Girona and the cathedral, bathed in soft light, with the blue line of the Pyrenees in the distance.

In the evening, head for la rambla or plaça Independenciato have an aperitif. Girona, with its 16,000 students, has a rather lively nightlife. In the old town, beautiful designer cafes, tastefully installed behind antique doorsteps, invite you to relax. As for gourmets, they will not fail to taste tasty Catalan cuisine in one of the restaurants in the Girona Bons Fogons network. This association of restaurateurs brilliantly defends the products and recipes of the local terroir.

Finally, let’s note, for moviegoers, an interesting cinema museum which presents a fabulous collection amassed for thirty-four years by the Catalan filmmaker Tomas Mallol. From Chinese shadows to the first films of Lumière and Méliès, passing by the magic lantern and the daguerreotypes, the permanent exhibition of the museum makes us explore the archeology of the seventh art, with the technologies and machines that led to the cinematograph.

Púbol, a castle for Gala

Born in Figueres, Salvador Dalí remained attached to the region of Girona, his native land. In the twenties and thirties, the young Dalí painted a series of paintings inspired by the village of Cadaqués, where he settled from 1930. Since 1997, Dalí’s house, located in Port Lligat (1 km from Cadaqués), has been transformed into a museum open to the public. This labyrinth house, strewn with stuffed animals, wacky objects and masterpieces, is a real surreal sanctuary. The residence of Port Lligat, which can only be visited by reservation, is one of the three elements of the “Dalinian triangle” not to be missed in the region.

In Figueres, the Teatre-Museu Dalí, a kitchissime museum designed by the master himself, is much better known it is also the second most visited museum in Spain, after the Prado! The building, which seems to come straight from a painting by Dalí, contains some of his major works, like Leda Atomica , or delirious surrealist installations like Le Taxi pluvieux and the Mae West room dedicated to the American actress of the same name.

However, it is at the castle museum of Púbolthat goes our preference. Located in the heart of a small medieval village a few kilometers from Girona, this 11th century castle was bought in 1968 by Dalí. He offered it to his wife Gala so that she could spend the last years of his life there. In fact, she only came there from time to time using the Cadillac which is still in the garage. Dalí did not settle in Púbol until after the death of his muse, in 1982, and stayed there only two years.

The place is intimate, secret and moving. It is the last home of Gala which is buried in the crypt. A giraffe, two horses and a rabbit watch over his grave. In Púbol, the surreal bric-a-brac is tinged with sobriety: tapestries, multicolored candelabras, throne, rustic dining room, evening dresses … The decor was designed for the “queen” Gala, just like this woman whimsical and reserved who lived almost a recluse. In the English garden, heads of Wagner (favorite composer of the Gala) surround a pool, while between the trees rise amazing sculptures of elephants. The inimitable touch of Dalí who, although buried in his museum in Figueres, is the last marquis of Púbol.

Green countryside and charming villages

The countryside of Gerona, which stretches across the Baix Empordà region, exudes tranquility and softness. Green hills, golden fields where, in season, bright red poppies bloom, groves from which emerge discrete medieval villages with ocher and gray stones, identifiable by the bell tower of their church: the Empordà, on the background of snow-capped Pyrenees, has a charm imbued with delicacy. It is for this reason that the wealthy Barcelonans have chosen this region as their second home. This peaceful end of Catalonia is however only a few dozen kilometers from the tourist factories of the Costa Brava. Like what, it is sometimes enough to deviate somewhat from the beaten track.

Jewels of the region, the medieval villages of Peratallada, Ullastret, Palau Sator and Pals are worth a visit. They are one of the living testimonies of the rich history of Catalonia, which, let us remember, was independent from the 10th to the 15th century. A stroll through their coarsely paved alleys feels like a time machine. These villages, classified historic monuments, are admirably preserved. Palaces, stately homes, simple village mansions, watchtowers, dungeons, ramparts, Romanesque churches with their bell towers dominating the village. There is no shortage of wonder, especially since these localities are still relatively unspoiled by mass tourism. A Catalan Luberon, in a way.

What about the sea? If you miss the big blue – after all, it is only a few kilometers away – do not despair there are still places you can visit on the Costa Brava for a dip, like the creeks around Calella de Palafrugell. This old fishing village, with its white arcaded houses (voltes) at the water’s edge, is one of the prettiest places on the coast. Driving from creek to creek, the walk on the covered way, along the Mediterranean, is particularly pleasant. Provided, however, to avoid the months of July and August, particularly crowded. The population of Palafrugell then goes from 22,000 to 200,000 people.

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