Mediterranean Cities

Get to know a variety of cities which have been influenced by different cultures throughout the years. The Mediterranean Sea linked the Iberian Peninsula with the other civilizations whose legacy still remains. We will be witnesses of the artistic evolution from the Phoenicians until the new tendencies.

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1st Day: VALENCIA
Arrival to Valencia airport. Welcome of the group and transfer by bus to the hotel. Free time. In the evening all guests are invited to a Welcome cocktail where there will be a meeting with the group leader and a presentation of the tour. All participants will receive a welcome pack with detailed information about the programme. Dinner will be served in the hotel. Accommodation.

2nd Day: VALENCIA
Breakfast and today we visit one of the country's most important cities. Sightseeing of the historical centre with 15th century buildings showing its prosperity in that period. The tour starts at the old city walls where we will see the Serrano's Towers, built in the 14th century to safeguard the city.
Walking along the Serrano's Street, we will pass the façade of the Palau de la Generalitat, a 15th century Gothic Palace and reach the Lonja de la Seda, originally built by the silk merchants for their trades, with an impressive dome located in the contract room. Next to it, the Central Market, considered one of the best samples of Modern architecture in the city. Finally, we will visit the National Museum of Ceramics, located in a magnificent Baroque Palace and where we can see elements from the prehistoric times to some modern works of Picasso. Lunch. In the afternoon, we will visit the Cathedral, starting at the emblematic Miguelete tower, a Gothic octagonal bell tower of the 15th century. Next stop is the temple, built on the foundations of a mosque between the 14th and 15th centuries. The most impressive piece in the Cathedral is the Capilla del Santo Cáliz, with its elegant dome and where rumours say that it contains the Holy Grail. Free time. Arrival at the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

3rd Day: VALENCIA - PEÑÍSCOLA - TARRAGONA (273 km)
Breakfast. We will start visiting the City of Arts and Sciences, the biggest challenge of the city of Valence of a modern architecture, which is also a cultural and amusement complex. Inside, we visit the Planetarium and the largest interactive museum in Europe. Departure to Peñíscola, a walled village situated on a rocky peninsula, with a Templar castle on the top. After Lunch we walk through its steep and narrow streets to reach the fortress, where we can have a superb view of the town. Free time and departure to Tarragona. Arrival at the hotel. Free time. Dinner and accommodation.

4th Day: TARRAGONA - POBLET - BARCELONA (168 km)
Breakfast and visit to the Roman Tarragona. We will start at the Archeological National Museum, with its magnificent mosaics collection and the archaeological ensemble: the Pretoria and the Roman Circus, linked to each other with domed tunnels. The last stop is at the Amphitheatre, by the seashore. Continuation of the journey to Poblet. Lunch. In the afternoon we visit Monastery of Santa María de Poblet , a 12th century Abbey located in a quiet valley. We will focus our attention to the Sant Jordi Chapel, with a magnificent star-shaped dome, a cloister and the chapter house. Finally, we enter the main Church to see the Royal Pantheon, with alabaster sarcophagus and a Renaissance marbled altarpiece. Departure to Barcelona. Arrival at the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

5th Day: BARCELONA
Breakfast and sightseeing tour of the Gothic Quarter: The church of Santa María del Mar church, one of the best expressions of the Catalan Gothic style, and the Atarazanas, a civil building. We continue to the Cathedral, a beautiful building completed in 1450, and to the Santa Creu hospital, with a magnificent courtyard. Lunch. Free time in the afternoon for other interesting visits: don't miss the Ramblas, the Olympic Villa, the Port Vell, a great shopping centre or the Maremágnum. Return to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

6thDay:BARCELONA-GIRONA-FIGUERES-BARCELONA(276 km)
Breakfast and departure to Girona, a nice quiet city where we can stroll through the old town, starting at the Call, the ancient Jewish quarter located at both sides of the Força street and over 600 years old. From the banks of the Onyar River, we will see the typical colorful houses, a spectacular sight of Girona. We enter the Gothic Cathedral, with the widest Gothic nave in the world, to admire a fine collection of medieval golden and silver jewels, the commentary of the Apocalypse by Beatus of Liebana and the renowned Tapestry of the Creation, a 15th century masterpiece. We will continue to the Arab Baths, built at the end of the 12th century, which preserve the four original rooms. Free time. Departure to Figueres, the birthplace of Salvador Dalí. Arrival and lunch. Visit to this charming town with its pleasant squares and narrow streets and to the Teatre Museu Dalí, where he is now buried. Free time. Return to the hotel in Barcelona. Dinner and accommodation.

7th Day: BARCELONA
Breakfast and we start the visit at the Modernist Barcelona. The main features of the Modernism style are the decorative forms in ironwork, ceramics and stained glass that can be seen in many buildings in Barcelona. The evolution of this technique takes place between 1890 and 1920, and can be considered the Catalan version of the French Art Nouveau. We will start the visit at the Casa Milá, by Gaudí, with curves on the façade that remind the sea-waves and represent a typical bourgeois familiar dwelling. Sightseeing of more Modernist buildings along the Paseo de Gracia, and all gathered in the Manzana de la Discordia: the Casa Lleó Morera by Doménech, the Casa Amatller by Puig i Cadafalch and the Casa Battló by Gaudí, whose façade and roof are a colorful mosaic. Continuation to the Church of the Holy Family, the symbol of the city and Gaudí's last project before his sudden death. From the East tower we have a magnificent view over the city. Next to this building, we find the San Pau Hospital, a masterpiece of the architect Doménech i Montaner. In the Güell Park Gaudí combines architecture with nature creating a unique atmosphere. To end the visit we go to the Palau de la Música, a masterpiece by Doménech and to the Park. Lunch. Free time in the afternoon. Transfer to the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

8th Day: BARCELONA - DEPARTURE
Breakfast and departure to Barcelona airport. Arrival at the airport and end of the trip.