Pyrenees Catalonia South of France

Welcome to your Europamundo Trip Style tour!

We will leave around 8.00 in the morning from Barcelona, we travel to GIRONA, capital of Northern Catalonia with magnificent historic center dominated by medieval buildings and Roman, Arab and Hebrew reminiscences. We will visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria (entrance included) the impressive Gothic building that is located in the upper part of the city and offers panoramic views of the city and the surroundings and we will stroll by the old Jewish quarter of narrow and picturesque streets.

We continue to French Catalonia, where we visit COLLIURE, where the great poet Antonio Machado died in exile and is buried (if travelers wish, we can go to see the place where his tomb is). Time in Collioure with its idyllic location facing the sea, the narrow streets of its old fishing district, its artistic traditions or its historical heritage. Free time to have lunch and try, if you wish, its rich seafood cuisine.

On our route, we will stop at the Rivesaltes Memorial (entrance included), a former concentration camp that was opened to house hundreds of exiles who fled Spain at the end of the civil war. Later, Jews, Gypsies and Algerians passed through its barracks. We will also visit the fortress of SALSES (entrance included), built in the fifteenth century, represents an important point in the history of Catalonia to be the place where the "peace of the Pyrenees" was signed by which Spain ceded to France the Catalan lands north of the Pyrenees. Our next stop will be NARBONNE, a coastal city in the south of France, where we will visit the Cathedral of St. Justo and St. Pastor, unfinished Gothic temple of the twelfth century, and the Horreum (entrance included) ancient Roman warehouse, One of the few buildings of this type that have been preserved to this day, it stands out for its unique architecture of thick walls and middle arches. Today, the Horreum is a museum that offers a unique insight into life and culture in Roman times. At the end of the day we will arrive in CARCASSONNE, a fortified city in the south of France, famous for its impressive castle and medieval walls. Upon arrival we take a walk along the walls and the citadel and at night, with our vehicle we will go to the outskirts of the city to admire the view of the illuminated walled city.

In the morning, with our guide we will visit (entrance included) the county castle, the walk along the walls and the archaeological museum of Carcassonne. At noon, we continue route to FOIX, a short stop to walk through this beautiful city, its old quarter and the Castle of the Counts of Foix (entrance not included). Free time for lunch. After that we continue towards the high mountains of the Pyrenees, with snowy peaks all year round. We enter Andorra, a small country whose official language is Catalan and stop at PAS DE LA CASA, a popular ski resort, usually with snow until the beginning of may. We continue route, brief stop, still in Andorra, in SANT JOAN, where we visit its Romanesque church of the twelfth century, considered one of the most beautiful churches in this small country. We will arrive in ANDORRA LA VELLA at the end of the afternoon, capital of the principality of Andorra, we will have free time to visit this beautiful city with a lot of commercial life, or you can go to "Caldea", the largest thermal spa in Europe (if you want to go, our guide can help you book tickets).

Today we visit the north of Catalonia, between magnificent landscapes and medieval places.

After entering Catalonia again, we stop in RIPOLL, a town known as the cradle of Catalonia. In the city it was built the Monastery of Saint Mary (entrance included), founded by Count Wilfredo el Velloso, legendary creator of the four bars of the Catalan national coat of arms. The capital of Ripollès was the seat of one of the most complete libraries of Christianity for centuries, where a relevant task of writing manuscripts was developed, among which three Bibles stand out, currently in the Vatican museum. After that we visit SANT JOAN DE LES ABADESSES municipality, seat of a monastery that during the ninth and tenth centuries was the only female monastery in Catalonia. The Romanesque church stands out. We include visit of the monastery and the medieval bridge. Continue to BESALU, small medieval town, time to have lunch and stroll through its alleys, its stone bridge, its castle, the Jewish baths and the old pilgrim hospital. In the afternoon we return to Barcelona (arrival around 19 hrs).

End of our services.