Overview

Barcelona rewards the curious, but the Catalonia around it rewards them more — a coast made for sailing, mountains with monasteries, cava country, and a design heritage that runs from Gaudí to the newest kitchens. This week pairs the city with everything just beyond it.

About the region

Catalonia has always felt like its own country — its own language, kitchen and restless creativity. Barcelona is its beating heart, where Gaudí’s imagination meets the Mediterranean, but the region unfolds fast beyond the city: the jagged Costa Brava, the holy mountain of Montserrat, the sparkling-wine cellars of the Penedès, and Dalí’s surreal corner around Figueres. Cosmopolitan yet deeply rooted, it takes design, sea and table equally seriously.

Iconic sites

Gaudí’s Sagrada Família, Park Güell and Casa Batlló. The Gothic Quarter and the Boqueria market. The mountain monastery of Montserrat. The Costa Brava — Cadaqués and Cap de Creus. Girona and Dalí’s Figueres. The Penedès cava country.

What you’ll experience

Gaudí off the beaten path, beyond the queues. Private moments with the city’s great art. A sail along the Costa Brava, coves and all. Montserrat and the cava houses. Rooftops, music and the city from above. The Catalan table, from markets to modern kitchens.

When to go

Late spring and early autumn.

Who it’s for

Lovers of design, food and the sea who want city and coast together.