Catalonia - Spain, Europe

Mediterranean Spain at its most resplendent awaits in Catalonia. The fiercely independent Basque province stretches all the way from the French border southeast along the breathtaking cliff-lined Costa Brava, the ‘spirited coast’, to its cosmopolitan capital of Barcelona, then onward through the dazzling beaches of the Costa Dorada, the ‘golden coast’, to the ancient Roman town of Tarragona.

Perhaps nowhere else in Spain do history and modern life, the natural and manmade worlds, culture and hedonistic pleasure, all intermingle to such enthralling effect. You’ll find buildings dating back a thousand years or more, and the surreal architecture of the late great Antoni Gaudi. You’ll be beckoned by museums showcasing ancient culture and others dedicated to the modern works of Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. Some of the world’s most sophisticated shopping and nightclubbing arrays itself along the streets of Barcelona, a city made for strolling. Sights of extraordinary natural beauty await exploration in the region’s mountainous interior, including the wild Pyrenees and the fantastical formations of Montserrat. Always, Catalonia’s irresistible coastline beckons.

With that coastline, of course, comes some of Spain’s most distinctive cuisine, which reaches its epiphany in zarzuela, a prodigious seafood stew named after the region’s native over-the-top operatic entertainment. Cafes and restaurants present a wide range of other choices as well, featuring local hams and sausages, game, abundant rice dishes, and a cornucopia of produce from this fertile land. You’ll drink well, too, thanks to regional production not only of familiar varietals like Cabernet, Pinot Noir, and Riesling grapes but also the incredibly refreshing local effervescent wine known as Cava, produced by the same method as French Champagne.

You’ll be tempted often to lift a sparkling glass to the many pleasures that Catalonia so openheartedly offers to visitors. And you’ll experience those pleasures at their finest with a prolonged stay that eases you more fully into the spirited Catalonian way of life.