Catalunya (Cataluņa or Catalonia)
Flanked by the Pyrenes Mountains and bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, this region occupies the north eastern part of the peninsula. It has a strong identity, with a unique culture and language all its own. It is a highly developed region with great dynamism. With 6 million inhabitants, it is the second most populated region in Spain, after Andalucia.
Barcelona is the historical capital of Cataluņa
and Spain's second leading city in both size and importance, after Madrid.
Its port is one of the most important on the Mediterranean Sea. The city,
exceptionally beautiful, has an impressive architectural heritage that includes
the Gothic Quarter, with its cathedral, the old City Hall Building, the Episcopal
Palace and the splendid Palace of the Generalitat, the site of the Catalan
government.
The city also boasts the work of the incomparable modernist architect Antonio
Gaudi, who graced Barcelona with the better share
of his many works of exceptional genius. Among them are the unfinished Church
of the Sacred Family, G?ll Park, the Batll Home and the Mil Home.
Barcelona also has many museums, two of which
are the Picasso Museum and the Museum of Catalan Art.
Lleida, capital of the province of the same name,
is set on a steep slope that culminates in the grandiose citadel, in the centre
of which is the "Seo", or cathedral, built between the 12th and 15th centuries.
Find more information on Lleida here.
The Costa Brava is the coastal zone that begins about 40 kms. North of Barcelona and includes the entire shoreline of the province of Girona.