Catalan History and Routes

A brief history of Catalonia

As early as the sixth century BC, Greek merchants established trading posts along the Catalan coast, then inhabited by proto-Iberian tribes. By the third century BC, the Phoenicians and Carthaginians had settled in (Barcelona is said to derive its name from the Carthaginian rulers Hamilcar and Hannibal Barca). They in turn were replaced after the Punic wars by the Romans, who established Tarraco, now Tarragona, at their capital for northeastern Iberia. With the fall of the Roman Empire, the Visigoths swept down from the north and took over as of the early fifth century AD. Read more

Introduction to touring Catalonia

• Girona: the Costa Brava and the low Pyrenees
• Lleida: the interior and the high Pyrenees.
• Tarragona: Costa Dorada, Ebro Delta, & Cistercian monasteries
• Barcelona: metropolis, Montserrat, and much more

A sample of our Insider's Guide
to the Provence of Girona

In addition to information which helps you to get orientated wherever you may be staying, our 70-page guidebook covers ten detailed itineraries which you can follow at your own pace, with plenty of optional detours of interest. Along with attention to the area´s principal sights, particular emphasis is placed on local gastronomy - Catalan cuisine being one of Europe's best kept secrets - with descriptions of local dishes, and listings (according to category and price range) of any given area's best restaurants. We´ll let you know where to find the best food shops, which local vineyards can be visited, and when villages celebrate market-day. Read more

An opinion piece

A critical look at tourism in the Province of Girona. Includes: the growth of mass-tourism on the coast, recent initiatives to redirect the orientation of tourism towards a more sustainable model based on rural tourism, and prospects for the future. Read more