Hostal Bartis is in Figueres

Dalí pays tribute to the genius of the Alt Empordà. It is because Figueres is the capital of the Tramuntana, the strong north wind that brings forth ingenuity. A medium-sized city situated in the Empordà plain, it has been a capital since modern times.

Capital of the region of Alt Empordà, Figueres is the largest city in Catalonia near the French border (which is about 15 kms), with a total population of 45,000 people. Due to this strategic location the city has become a major communication node of tourists coming in and out Spain.

Access ways to Figueres are many, and all of good quality. By road it is accessed easily by motorway A-7 (exit number 3). Also the N-II and N-260 are routes that pass through Figueres. If arriving by train, you must know that Figueres station is in the center of town and that is a stop of the line connecting Barcelona with Portbou (last village before arriving to France). Currently the AVE (High Speed Train) joins Figueres with Paris.

The city’s array of museums whets an appetite for discovery. The Toy Museum contains an interesting collection of toys from every era. The Empordà Museum brings visitors on a journey through the artistic legacy of this land enhanced with a centre for the most contemporary art. The Museum of Technology exhibits objects that have made life easier for us.

Undoubtedly, one of the main attractions of Figueres is Dali Museum, the place where the great genius wanted to create the most emblematic of his work. Opened in 1974, the Theatre-Museum (as it was originally the city's municipal theater) is one of the most visited museums in Catalonia. It was designed to offer the visitor a complete overview of the work of painter Salvador Dali (1904-1989), and actually manages to offer a unique image about the artist's work to the captivated visitors. The Theatre-Museum features a collection which includes a car inside which there is a constant torrent of rain, impossible holograms, a sofa shaped like a woman’s lips and so on, up to 1,500 pieces.

But, although the visit to this extraordinary museum in Figueres justify your presence, the cultural offer does not stop there. Sant Ferran Castle (San Fernando Castle) is a military fortification built in the XVIIIth century by military engineers. Its dimensions are impressive (the largest by the time), with a perimeter of 3.120 meters and an area of 32 hectares. The Sant Ferran Castle was able to accommodate up to 6,000 men. Since 1997 the fortified castle can be visited, so walking through it (visiting warehouses, stables and other rooms) is strongly recommended. A visit to the cistern, with a capacity for 40 million litres of water, is an experience worthy of the great travellers’ tales.

Already in the middle of the city visit the Rambla, the main road. It is an emblematic urban space, the true commercial hub of Figueres. Around it are concentrated the most beautiful buildings in the city, in various styles: baroque, classical, neoclassical, modernist, art nouveau, noucentists ... La Rambla is crowned by a sculpture dedicated to another of the illustrious sons of the village: Narcís Monturiol, who invented the first submarine, the Ictíneo.

A city with a republican tradition grew up around the Rambla, a city promenade lined with historic cafés such as the old Hotel París and Modernista and Noucentista style buildings (El Jardí theatre is particularly noteworthy).

Visitors can eat well in Figueres thanks to both renowned and new-generation chefs. The region’s natural produce is available at the market on the covered square.