3 Charming towns of the Alt Empordà
By: Torremirona Relais Hotel
08/05/2020
The Alt Empordá in the province of Girona will never cease to amaze you. It is a perfect place for sightseeing as a couple or family throughout the year. We say that 'Girona falls in love' and that is that our province has everything. Beaches, gastronomy, wines, culture, nature, festivals, medieval towns.
Today we present 3 charming villages , each in its own style and personality, located between the impressive mountains of the Pyrenees, natural parks and the calm of the Mediterranean Sea.
Besalú
Just 10 minutes by car from Torremirona , we find the town of Besalú . Besalú will surprise you as soon as you enter, with its impressive 11th century medieval bridge. Walking through the streets, it seems that the town has stopped in time. Discover the Jewish quarter or the Portalet wall or the Sant Pere monastery .
In 1966 Besalú was declared a national artistic-historical complex for its great architectural value
A curiosity: part of the film ' The Perfume ' was filmed here, based on the novel by Patrick Süskind.
Do not leave Besalú without trying the gastronomic specialty of the region, the ' volcanic ' cuisine with delicious dishes with ingredients from the area.
The Pont Vell Restaurant always surprises its visitors with its magical location, at the foot of the medieval bridge, in a stone house and with its beautiful views of the iconic municipality.
In the center of the town, and located in a historical building, after several reforms for different uses such as the courthouse and monks' convent, since 1977 the Cúria Reial Restaurant offers highly recommended, homemade and creative market cuisine.
Cadaqués
Cadaqués , the 'lost' town in the Cap de Creus Natural Park , traditionally fishing, is now one of the best-known and most visited towns in Girona.
It is famous because Salvador Dalí and his artist and intellectual friends used to spend their holidays here. The House Museum , located in the Bay of Portlligat was the artist's only stable house, where he lived and worked until the death of the love of his life Gala
But also other personalities such as Marcel Duchamp , Joan Miró or Pablo Picasso had their holiday homes here for years and left their trail in the town that has artistic corners and a bohemian and authentic atmosphere.
Be sure to visit the Santa María church , located in the upper part of the center and the labyrinthine streets of the old town, adorned with white houses.
Without a doubt, the images of Cadaqués and its unique location make this town one of the most charming places on the Costa Brava. It is not surprising, therefore, that gastronomy makes a place for itself among its streets.
In 2012, Oriol, Mateo and Eduard, colleagues of Ferran Adrià at the famous restaurant El Bulli, took the joint initiative to transform the concept of "Pica-pica" with their Restaurante Compartir . With the dish in the center of the table, the atmosphere undoubtedly leads to creating a pleasant atmosphere for enjoying modern-style cuisine, or also your more traditional proposals.
If you are one of those who cannot resist tapas and rice, and you want to feel at home, you can go for Casa Anita , one of the oldest restaurants in Cadaqués located in a town house.
Sant Marti d'Empúries
It is a town belonging to L'Escala and has only 60 inhabitants. But Sant Martí d'Empúries is undoubtedly a "must" to visit during your getaway to the Costa Brava.
And is that a few meters from the town, Empúries was the gateway to Greek and Roman culture to the Iberian Peninsula. Empúries, which in ancient Greek meant "port of commerce" or "market", is now one of the most important Greco-Roman archaeological sites in the Mediterranean.
Discovered in 1908 at the initiative of the Barcelona Board of Museums, chaired by Enric Prat de la Riba, and thanks to the initiative of the architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch and his team, the Empúries site is still alive today, with expeditions that They allow us every year to build the story of our history. A visit to the Ruins of Émpuries , home to the Museum of Archeology of Catalonia, is a guarantee of entertainment and a source of culture for young and old.
The old town center still preserves the medieval walls and the Church of Sant Martí , located next to its Plaza Mayor. Behind the Church of Sant Martí on top of a hill it opens up to the sea and gives us spectacular views of the sea and in the background the Badía de Roses and Cabo de Creus .
There are few, but great options to enjoy gastronomy in this unique town. The Mediterranean gastronomy is manifested in the restaurants that you will find in front of the wonderful church of the town. Among them, L'Esculapi , El Mesón del Conde or La Terrassa d'Empúries are the favorite restaurants of its visitors.