Tarragona Off The Beaten Path Tips by Jerelis Top 5 Page for this destination

Day two in Barcelona.

We visited the Barcelona Zoo at our second visit to the city of Barcelona. We knew that didn’t want to speed through the Zoo like a whirlwind and therefore took our time (maybe the entire day) for having an extensive look at this amazing Parc Zoològic. We parked our car at the car park under the Arc de Triomf. Maybe it is not the cheapest car park, but is very close by and ideal for this occasion. There is also a metro station at Arc de Triomf, so take your pick. From the Arc de Triomf it is just a short walk towards (and through) the Parc de la Ciutadella, where the Zoo is located. Walking towards the Zoo made us just wonder where we were exactly, because the Parc de la Ciutadella was such a beautiful park. We saw amazing building, impressive fountains and beautiful spots just to chill and relax. Therefore we did decide not to walk to the Zoo in one straight line, but just to have a quick look around in the Parc de la Ciutadella en we were not disappointed about that.

The Zoo is also a great place and do take time to meander - losing yourself in the maze of alleys and lanes is one of the Barcelona's Zoo's principal pleasures. The streets wind and wander with no discernible order or object. After our stroll we rewarded ourselves with a cool glass of beer or wine for our effort! After our refreshments we headed to the Aquarama, were there was a show at 1 pm and we were right on time, because it was already getting crowded. Just imagine that the Aquarama is home to four Common Bottlenose Dolphins from the Barcelona Zoo collection, and will offer spectacular performances everyday for huge audiences. Especially for the kids this was a grand experience. We saw the dolphins play with the trainers, water jets, toys, ice-cubes and sometimes even with some guests! It’s just great to see how the dolphins and trainers demonstrate how well they work together. We learned that you won't do justice to the entire Zoo of Barcelona whenever you won't visit other parts than just the main sights and animals. So ... do meander, but the more secret pleasures of the hushed backstreets with some exoting animals to watch at are just entrancing.

Day one in Barcelona.

Barcelona is a city a lot of history indeed. On our first visit to Barcelona we explored the area of the Gothic Quarter The medieval town had its golden age between the 11th and 16th century and despite several changes undergone in the 19th and early 20th century, many of the buildings date from Medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. This rather compact part of the city of Barcelona Pals is easy to get around, and the ideal place to explore on foot. The Gothic Quarter of Barcelona is Spain, and yet it is a culture unto itself. It was an small city of the ancient Roman Empire and its legacy of monuments can be admired in the streets to this day. This part of Barcelona is definitely about getting lost among the narrow streets and discovering a plaza you've never seen before.

We started Port Vell, this old harbour stretches from the Columbus Monument to the Barceloneta and offers great possibilities to enjoy some leisure time. We continued our hike to Las Rablas and visited the historical Mercat de la Boqueria. We did walk around for almost an hour and we smelled (and almost could taste) the aromas from the various exotic flowers, fruit and vegetables, willow works, fish and other local Catalonian products. Closeby is the famous Plaça Reial which attracts a very mixed crowd. By the time we were there we saw tourists taking photos of the fountain or having a good look around, locals and expats having a drink on the terrace, street performers, and immigrants who pass by selling beer (illegally) on the street. Finally we ended up at the main square, called Placa de Catalunya on which all these beautiful historical buildings are situated. This square is the natural centre of the city of Barcelona: a stage for various minor and major events, a reference point, a meeting place and the starting point or destination for walkers who want to discover the city. So we can honestly state that the best way to explore the Gothic Quarter is by foot and the second best way is also by foot! Besides giving you the opportunity to roam the narrow streets and the cozy squares, it is the quickest way too. If you really want to, you can cross the Gothic Quarter in approximately 50 minutes. Remember that sometimes it might be quicker (and nicer!) to take a few short-cuts into picturesque alleys instead of following the masses of tourists. Maybe this is easy for us to say as we stayed for a longer period of time and not like most of the tourists only for one day. But even when your stay is rather short, do try to get away from the crowds and just have a 'look around'. The Gothic Quarter is simply a perfect place to walk for a few hours and pretending to know where you are.

El Pont del Diable - Ancient engineered waterway.

When we decided to visit Tarragona I had my mind set on seeing El Pont del Diable. Seeing the pictures on the internet and reading about it in our travel guide just made me wonder -> This is something I have to see! And I must say, we haven't been disappointed.

But first of all, most people visiting Tarragona go by car to see El Pont del Diable, the famous section of the Roman aqueduct. But, it is also accessible by foot, allowing for some pastoral surprises along the way. We started this hike of 1 hour at the Tarragona Cathedral and rambling footpaths lead past farmhouses, alomond, hazelnut and olive groves, hermitages, abondoned mansions and other ancient aqueducts. Vestiges of ancient engineered waterways ring the northern fringes of Tarragona, and although El Pont del Diable is the most celebrated section, it is not the only one.

The route we hiked was rather easy to follow as it was well-marked with red and white stripes painted onto walls and rocks. When we arrived at the entrance of the parc that lead us to the aqueduct, our vains were pumped with excitement!

Directions:
It's about 4 kilometers outside Tarragona, follow the A7 to Valencia and you can see a well-signposted rest area.

El Pont del Diable - Seeing is believing.

In olden days, Tarragona dealt with its water problem by collecting rainwater, digging wells and engineering water courses that allowed a flow of water from higher elevations into the city. The Romans began the construction of their first aqueduct in Tarragona in 200 BC, bringing water to the distribution tanks (castella aquae) located around the city. They took advantage of the natural slope of the land, although in places it was necessary to built aqueducts. The aqueduct of Les Ferreres, better known as El Pont del Diable, is a good example of this and is probably the most famous stretch of this aqueduct and serves as one of the architectural symbols of the city.

Seeing it was believing it! It's trully amazing to even think about the fact how people must have done that all those years ago. So perfectly produced and productive for what it's exact purpose. We simply stood awe for a couple of minutes, just to admire its beauty and huge structure.

Directions:
It's about 4 kilometers outside Tarragona, follow the A7 to Valencia and you can see a well-signposted rest area.

El Pont del Diable - Impressive architecture.

El Pont del Diable was built in the first century AD over a natural valley, it carried water from the present-day Puigdelfi to Tarraco. It consist of two rows of super imposed arches built with stone blocks (opus quadratam). The lower section has eleven arches, each 6,30 metres wide and 5,70 metres high. The upper 25 arches are of similar size. The maximum height of the aqueduct is 27 metres and it is 217 metres long. How about that!

When we were there we had a little chat with the supervisor of the parc in which El Pont del Diable is located. He took me to the top of the aqueduct. The view was terrifying high, but trully amazing. He also told me that the water conduit that runs along the top of the arched structure would originally have been covered. Besides that it is water proofed with a special type of mortar to prevent leaks. We simply can draw up one conclusion: the simplicity of its form, perfection of its proportions and monumentality of its size makes it one of the most impressive architectural structures we have ever seen.

Directions:
It's about 4 kilometers outside Tarragona, follow the A7 to Valencia and you can see a well-signposted rest area.

El Mèdol - Trying to find it???

One of the most outstanding features of Tarragona city is its important monumental heritage which is currently being evalueted by UNESCO to see whether it can be awarded World Heritage status. In 218 BC the city was invaded by the Romans who established themselves there and converted it into the capital of 'Hispania Citeror' calling it Tarraconenses. In 45 BC Julio Caesar made it into a colony. Most of the monuments which form the city's cultural heritage were built during this Roman occupation: the ampitheatre, the aquaduct, the city wall and for example El Mèdol.

I was quite triggered to get there, but my patience was tested on trying to find it! I went by car and saw a clear sign coming from the A-7 motorway, but once I took the exit, there were no signs anymore. I drove around in the area for over 15 minutes, just trying to find a sign or any other clue where to go. Trying to figure out what to do, I stopped next to a service area close to the exit of the motorway. All of a sudden I saw a sign of El Mèdol. Quite bizarre to find my way this way. But anyway ... I parked the car and started to hike towards the sign. Time for some real action.

Directions:
Coming from the A-7 motorway, stop at the service area. Follow the sign for over 1 kilometer and stay at the historical Via Augusta.

El Mèdol - Its size and state are spectacular.

I did walk via a small road with beautiful trees on both sides of it, of which I later learned that this road was the old an historical Roman road 'Via Augusta', which used to link Rome with Tarragona. I hiked for over one kilometer and again, I did not see anymore signs to lead the way. But just when I lost hope I entered a small square and next to it I saw the pink entrance facade with the name 'Mèdol' on it. I was there ... finally!

It was quite weird to witness, but I was really the only one around. Was I the only one interested in this beautiful site? I could not imagine that. Just after the entrance facade an UNESCO sign said that in ancient times, stone was one of the main materials used in building. Each city had its own local quarries, although it was quite common to import types of stone not found in the area, usually by sea. The most common imported material was marble. Mainly calcareaous stone was quarried in the area around Tarragona. There are about a dozen of quarries, but the most spectacular of which, both for its size and its state of preservation, is El Mèdol.

Directions:
Coming from the A-7 motorway, stop at the service area. Follow the sign for over 1 kilometer and stay at the historical Via Augusta.

El Mèdol - It's like a huge crater.

I did hike around for quite some time and I just tried to imagine how many people must have worked here (at the same time) and how they must have chopped the stone out and transported it to the city. The first thing I noticed was the huge monolithic block in the centre, indicating the original height of the rock. Amazing! El Mèdol is like a huge crater, some 200 metres long and between 10 and 40 metres, excavated over a long period of quarrying during Roman times. Like I already said before, at its centre is a needle of rock which has been left unecavated. I stood right next to it and it gave a true feeling of the enormous work that has been in progress here a long time ago.

The stone from El Mèdol is a golden-yellow coloured Miocen 'lumaquela'. It's very easy to work and was used on a large number of Tarraco's most important buildings. It is also thought that the quarry was already used in medieval times. The stone blocks were transported to the city along Via Herculea, later known as Via Augusta. The last incredible fact I learned was that approximately 50,000 cubic metres of rock were cut from the quarry.

Directions:
Coming from the A-7 motorway, stop at the service area. Follow the sign for over 1 kilometer and stay at the historical Via Augusta.

Monestir de Montserrat - Self supporting tour!

To be completely honest we don't like the guided tours that much. We definately prefer to have a look around ourselves and explore the historical grounds by just watching and learning. The guided tours are so well attended that you're unable to hear the guide anyway and we therefore we think that you will miss out on the beuatiful details and it's also one type of tourism we don't like ... the massive groups of people wandering around (and getting in your way!).

We took our self-guided tour with some help of a map and booklet. This itinerary lead us to the most significant monuments and areas of the Sanctuary, such as the Basilica and the throne of Our Lady of Montserrat. We learned the amazing Montserrat's history through some of its architectonic and sculptoric remains and the story which was told to us by some people we spoke to. Finally we visited Montserrat's Museum which owns an important collection of modern painting, with works by Dalí, Casas, Picasso, Rusiñol, Monet, et cetera. We also saw archeology of the Biblical East and painting from 13th to 18th century, with an exceptional work by Caravaggio. So at the end of the day we could say that we had a great time at this historical place, a real pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain!

Address:
08100 Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain.

Directions:
56 kilometers north western of Barcelona.

Other Contact: Email: informacio@larsa-montserr

Phone: 093-877-77-01

Website: http://www.abadiamontserrat.net

Monestir de Montserrat - Patroness of Catalonia.

During our small hike upwards to the Monestir de Montserrat we read something about its facinating history. The monastery was first mentioned in the 9th century, enlarged in the 11th century, and in 1409 became independent of Rome. In 1811, when the French attacked Catalonia in the War of Independence, the monastery was destroyed. Rebuilt and repopulated in 1844, it was a beacon of Catalan culture during the Franco years. Today Benedictine monks live here. Via Plaça de la Creu we ended up at the Plaça de Santa Maria. We were overwhelmed by the beauty and size of the Gothic Cloister, and other structures. We also took some time to have a look at the views of the amazing Catalonian countryside. The “Serrated Mountain” (Mont Serrat) is a superb setting for Catalonia’s holiest place.

We walked over the Plaça de Santa Maria and had a look at the focal points of the square -> The two wings of the Githic Cloister built in 1477 and the modern monastery façade built by Francesc Folguero. After a quick lunch we noticed that it was getting more and more crowded. The avarage age of the people we saw must have been around 65 years! Before we entered the Inner Courtyard and the Basilica itself we learned something about the Virgin of Montserrat. This small wooded statue of La Moreneta (the dark maiden) is the soul of Montserrat. It is said to have been made by St. Luke and brought here by St. Peter in AD 50. Centuries later, the statue is believed to have been hidden from the Moors in the nearby Santa Cova (Holy Cave). Carbon dating suggests, however, that the staue was carved around the 12th century. In 1881 Montserrat’s Black Virgin became patroness of Catalonia.

Address:
08100 Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain.

Directions:
56 kilometers north western of Barcelona.

Other Contact: Email: informacio@larsa-montserr

Phone: 093-877-77-01

Website: http://www.abadiamontserrat.net