Nice Nature

When we travel, we want to see things that differ from our normal surroundings and experiences of the world and for many of us, that means escaping the hustle and bustle of the modern towns, suburbs, and cities in which we live to explore beautiful places steeped in heritage that make us feel as though we have somehow stepped back through history. A famous destination that fits this particular criteria to a tee is the city of Girona, in Catalonia. Utterly picturesque and maintaining a storybook historical appearance, this charming city is a must-see for those who have found a vacation rental in Catalonia and who are looking to discover a world and time beyond our own.

There is a reason why lots of different production companies have chosen to shoot in Girona, with “The Monk,” and, “Game of Thrones,” both having filmed various scenes in the city, among other films and television shows. The largest city in northern Catalonia, Girona is characterised by Roman origins, medieval walls, winding little streets to get delightfully lost in snaking about the city, one of the best-preserved Jewish Quarters in Europe, and distinctive historic palaces picked out in bright colours lining (and reflecting prettily in) the riverside. A decadent feast for the eyes, it is the type of town that greatly rewards idle wandering around without a purpose but also boasts plenty of specific attractions to pencil into an itinerary too.

Salvador Dalí was one of the most famous artists of the 20th century and a beloved son of Catalonia. He is remembered for his bizarre, wonderful and, sometimes, frightening surrealist paintings and sculptures, his beautiful jewellery and his larger than life personality.

An eccentric dresser and an attention-seeking character fond of stunts that attracted public notice, his life was just as colourful as his work. In fact, even his death was dramatic, as he was laid to rest in a crypt below a stage in a theatre and museum that is dedicated to him in home town of Figueres, in Catalonia, Spain.

The museum in question, Figueres' Dalí Museum, was the town's historic theatre that he knew growing up and where one of the first public exhibitions of young Dalí's art was shown. It was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and rebuilt in the 1960s as a museum dedicated to the city's most famous son. It was then reopened as a museum in the 70s and expanded in the 80s.