A Journey Full of Journey
The Grand Tour of Catalonia is a journey that explores the area from north to south and east to west. The Catalan Tourist Board (CTB) has created this tourist product in the format of a route for travelling across Catalonia in a vehicle and over multiple days, discovering its main attractions related to heritage, nature, wine and food, and encountering its people, customs and traditions. It has been designed for travellers interested in authentic manifestations of local culture. Travelling by car is part of the experience, which is why it takes place on roads with high landscape value which allowtravellers to enjoy the environment.
It is a circular route that invites people to take a tour featuring diverse experiences, such as tasting traditional cuisine paired with an excellent local wine in a unique architectural space, or immersing oneself in natural environments on foot. People will be able to explore all the corners, often not well known even to the Catalan people, and to discover and enjoy Catalonia in different days. Leaving Barcelona and travelling clockwise, the route stops at important places on a journey towards an in-depth understanding of the country.
The Grand Tour of Catalonia covers more than 2,000 kilometres, designed to be experienced in a motor vehicle in one of two ways: on a single 13-day journey or in 5 sections, each featuring between 5 and 7 stages. The Iconic Grand Tour of Catalonia is a route along which each kilometre is guaranteed to captivate travellers. Along a 13-day circular route, which may seem longer due to the variety of experiences and landscapes, the visitor will get to know the great cultural and natural icons of Catalonia. These elements are distributed throughout the territory in a balanced way, are of great cultural, natural and gastronomic relevance, and are found in rural and urban settings. This Iconic Grand Tour of Catalonia will be the main attraction for visitors; while taking them to essential attractions, it will encourage them to continue exploring the territory
For travellers wishing to delve into a specific part of the route, the Grand Tour of Catalonia is divided into 5 sections, which go deep into the territory around each essential icon. Tourists will find other suggestions for experiences that are less well-known but equally interesting and complementary. The sections feature between 5 and 7 stages (each stage is equivalent to one day): they start in a large and well-connected city, in order to facilitate access for visitors, and run along roads featuring landscapes of interest.
The itinerary includes Barcelona, Tarragona, Delta de l’Ebre, the Pyrenees, Val d’Aran, the Seu d’Urgell, the Volcanic area of la Garrotxa Natural Park, Figueres and Montseny, and many more.
The different sections of the grand tour are:
1. Barcelona – Tarragona: The starting point will be the city of Barcelona and its modernist legacy that will take us to the Roman Tarragona. Along the way, we will discover the mountains of Montserrat, Cardona and its castle, the historical and artistic heritage of Solsona, the Penedès landscapes of vineyards and wineries, the charm of Sitges and the musical legacy of Pau Casals in El Vendrell.
2. Tarragona – Lleida: From this Roman Tarraco, this section will start following the coast of Costa Daurada, between ancient olive trees and vineyards, passing through the Delta de l’Ebre. The seafood cuisine of Cambrils, the Terra Alta wine cathedrals, the modernist wineries of Priorat and the impressive monasteries of the Cistercian Route, such as Poblet, will be its main attractions before reaching Lleida.
3. Lleida – La Seu d’Urgell: From Lleida and its iconic Seu Vella, the route will enter to the Catalan Pyrenees. The Val d’Aran, the small medieval villages, the starry sky of Montsec and the Romanesque churches ensemble in Vall de Boí will become travel companions. A trip that will also include a visit to the Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici National Park and adventure sports on the Noguera Pallaresa river before arriving at La Seu d’Urgell.
4. La Seu d’Urgell – Figueres: From the medieval charm of La Seu d’Urgell, the stretch will head east to Catalonia along the Cadí Moixeró Natural Park. The route will pass by the Monastery of Ripoll and its facade with biblical scenes, the Volcanic Area of La Garrotxa Natural Park and its 40 volcanoes and Santa Pau and its famous beans; until reaching Figueres, the universe of Dalí.
5. Figueres – Barcelona: From Figueres, this last section will continue to Cadaqués and Cap de Creus. It will continue along the Costa Brava, full of seafaring villages with its Camins de Ronda, and fishing ports such as Palamós that offer a unique prawn for its flavor. Medieval villages such as Peratallada will allow a break halfway before crossing the Montseny Natural Park and make a stop at the family beaches and fishing villages of Costa Barcelona. The journey will end in Barcelona.
Throughout the stages that make up each section, travellers will encounter outstanding experiences that will immerse them in the identity of the area through its cultural and natural heritage, with suggestions for active and nature-based activities, as well as experiences around food and wine. These experiences will be complemented by others that will showcase the diversity of the territory and the activities to enjoy. In addition, within each section, the Learn+ section expands the information on some attractions from the section, discussing traditions, tourist facilities or some other experience, as well as suggesting activities linked to this section and others. This range of suggestions provides the route with great versatility: each visitor can experience a different journey while following the same path.
It is important to highlight that the Grand Tour of Catalonia is a tour designed on the basis of the sustainable tourism model that drives the CTB: diversified and high-quality tourism distributed in a balanced way throughout the territory, allowing the destination to be discovered in all seasons. It aims to foster knowledge and respect for the territory, its customs and culture, and to do so in an inclusive way. It seeks to enhance the discovery of local life and local products, and to encourage respect for the environment.
To sum up, the Grand Tour of Catalonia is an itinerary for exploring, discovering, living, experiencing and enjoying Catalonia by car. It is one trip that includes many trips, so that each traveller can organise it to their liking, travel at their pace, at any time of the year, and choose from a great range of diverse experiences. This new route is inspired by the journeys taken by young English aristocrats from the mid-seventeenth century onwards, known as ‘Grand Tours’. These were not leisure trips but educational ones, and for this reason everything was meticulously planned by their parents before departure. These tours allowed them to discover sacred sites of classical culture and also to come into contact with European high society.
The Grand Tour of Catalonia means travel is much more than just travelling.
Coroporate channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/catalunyaexperience
Route Planner: On the website, there is a planner so that the traveller can adapt the route to their needs and preferences. View planner
Route Tracks: You can download the tracks for each section on the website of the Grand Tour of Catalonia View Tracks
Road Trip Soundtrack View Spotify
Map The only printed material is the map with the route, markings for sections and stages. The back part includes information about the Grand Tour of Catalonia and other related projects. It has 4 versions in 8 languages. View map
Grand Tour website: https://grandtour.catalunya.com/
Here, you will find more information as well: https://act.gencat.cat/brand-program/grand-tour-of-catalonia/?lang=en
Latest news!
New initiatives to position Catalonia as a food and wine reference
Thanks to the distinction of being the World Region of Gastronomy, several initiatives will be promoted to position Catalonia as a global food and wine reference.
One of these initiatives is Savour The Grand Tour of Catalonia
Savour The Grand Tour of Catalonia
Savour the Grand Tour of Catalonia is an initiative that, via a route, will allow travellers to discover Catalonia through the palate, following the itinerary of the Grand Tour of Catalonia. It is a 15-day journey to explore Catalonia, discovering the rich cultural and human heritage associated with Catalan cuisine. The itinerary offers travellers direct interaction with producers and the chance to take part in a wide range of food and wine activities for all ages, sampling fresh, local produce along the way. For more information, visit the website: Savour The Grand Tour of Catalonia.
Learn more about Catalonia, the European mosaic of gastronomy: CatalunyaGastronomyRegion
