From the Romanic to the Guggenheim

We will travel through the time discovering the creations of the Visigoths, Muslim and Mudejar Art. Also the magnificent monuments, build by the Christians mixed with Mozarab elements. In Zaragoza, the “Churrigueresco” will take our attention with his extremely rich ornaments. In Spain you can discover the work of worldwide-recognized architects as Oriol Bohigas, Ricardo Bofill, Rafael Moneo and Santiago Calatrava. The exceptional creativity of Antonio Gaudi’s works is also something you
will not forget after this tour.

Back to Spain Menu

1st Day: BARCELONA
Arrival at Barcelona airport. Welcome of the group and transfer to the hotel. Free time. In the evening all guests are invited to a Welcome cocktail where there will be a meeting with the tour director and a short briefing about the route. All participants will receive a welcome pack with detailed information about the programme. Dinner. An optional evening walk downtown. Accommodation.

2nd Day: BARCELONA - MONASTERIES OF THE CISTER ORDER - BARCELONA (116 KM)
Breakfast. Today we leave for a full day excursion to discover some of the most prominent samples of Catalan Romanesque. The Monastery of Santes Creus, founded in the 12th century by French monks, has an artistic decoration that reflects utterly the identity of the Cister Order. We continue the route to the city of Montblanc: a walled town preserving the atmosphere of the Medieval Era. There we will observe the outstanding beauty of the main square and its Palaces with gothic façades. Lunch. At the Monastery of Poblet, the best preserved of the Cister order, we will see the Saint Jordi Chapel, dated the 15th century, the Cloister, the Chapterhouse and the Church, where we find small apses behind its altar. Return to Barcelona. Arrival at the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

3rd Day: BARCELONA (From GOTHIC to MODERNIST ART)
Breakfast. Sightseeing tour of the old town, which is rich in gothic style buildings, such as Church of Santa Maria del Mar, the best sample of the Catalan Gothic and the Reales Atarazanas, a public building. We will head to the Cathedral, dated 1450 and then to the Santa Creu Hospital, both of extraordinary gothic beauty. Lunch. In the afternoon we approach the modern Barcelona: the most significant example is the unfinished Sagrada Familia Cathedral, a Gaudi masterpiece. Along our tour along the Paseo de Gracia we will be able to appreciate the modernist buildings designed by Antonio Gaudi, with its characteristic shapes and bright colours: Casa Millá, Casa Batlló, and Güell Park, all of them representing an eclectic and highly individual architectural style, which inspires new styles in all art forms. If time allows, we will also visit the magnificent Palau de la Musica a superb contribution of Lluis Domenech I Montaner, the Catalan Art Nouveau architect. Transfer to the hotel for dinner and accommodation.

4th Day: BARCELONA - BARBASTRO - ZARAGOZA (341 km)
Breakfast. We continue our route today by departure to Barbastro, a charming town in the region of Aragon, with a rich 16th century legacy. Visit to the Cathedral and the façade of the San Julian Hospital. After lunch, we will head to Zaragoza, today the capital of Aragon. The city dates back to its foundation as a Roman colony between the years 19 and 15 BC. The layout of the roman city is still intact today in the old town between the Coso and the Ebro, the River the Romans called Iberus, which gave its name to the Iberian Peninsula.
We start the cultural tour at The Seo, the gothic Cathedral and dome, which preserves elements of different styles (Plateresque, Mudejar and Baroque). The Tapestry Museum is also worth a visit: the most beautiful French and Flemish samples dating between the 14th and 18th century are exhibited here. To end the visit of Zaragoza, we will visit the Mudejar remains of the Aljafería, built in the 11th century by Beni-Hud, and later enhanced by the Christian kings. Return to the hotel in Zaragoza, dinner and accommodation.

5th Day: ZARAGOZA- TUDELA - OLITE - PAMPLONA (178 km)
Breakfast. Today the route will take us to the west of Aragon. Our first stop is in Tudela, a rich elegant city that preserves remains of its Arabic past. Visit to its 12th-13th century Cathedral, Gothic Romanesque style.
Free time and Lunch in a restaurant at the famous Fueros Square. Departure for Olite, the Royal residence of the Aragon Kings in the 15th century. We will visit the Castle, divided into two different parts: the Old Palace, today a hotel-parador and the New Palace, ordered by Charles III. In Olite, we will also visit two Romanesque and Gothic churches: San Pedro and Santa Maria Churches. Free time before we head to the city of Pamplona, the first city on the Pilgrims Way. Arrival at the hotel. Dinner and accommodation.

6thDay:PAMPLONA-RIOJA ALAVESA-SAN SEBASTIÁN(256 km)
Breakfast. We walk through the old town of Pamplona to reach the Calle del Carmen, the Pilgrim road that preserves the medieval atmosphere, with narrow streets and walled squares. Its Cathedral built in a Romanesque style was restored with a Gothic decoration a few centuries later.
The route continues with the departure for Laguardia, a town of the Rioja Alavesa. Before having lunch in a famous wine cellar, we will observe the magnificence of the Romanesque façade of the Church of Santa Maria de los Reyes.
We continue to San Sebastian. Visit of the Chillida-Leku Museum, containing many of the works of this worldwide known sculptor: Eduardo Chillida. Arrival to San Sebastian and we walk along the Concha Promenade to get to the Kursaal, a building designed by the Architect Moneo. The walk will take us to Ondarreta Beach, where one of Chillida's most impressive sculptures is situated, called "Peine de los vientos". To end our visit in San Sebastian, we will reach the top of the Monte Igueldo, a unbeatable viewpoint of the town and over the Bay of Biscay. Transfer to the hotel, dinner and Accommodation.

7th Day: SAN SEBASTIÁN - BILBAO (256 km)
Breakfast. Today we travel through the heart of the Basque country. Our first stop is in Zarauz, an historic old town with beautiful beaches, which still preserves some 16th century buildings, such as the Narros Palace, one of the summer residences of the Queen Elizabeth II; the Casa de la Torre de los Zarauz and the Luzea Tower, the best example of gothic design in a civic building. Lunch and we head to Bilbao to visit the Guggenheim Museum by Frank O'Ghery, a spectacular building and an international renowned icon of the city. Afterwards, we will go for a stroll around the old town where the elegant shops, an endless series of taverns and restaurants give the city its special atmosphere and vitality. Transfer to the hotel, dinner and accommodation.

8th Day: BILBAO - DEPARTURE
Breakfast and transfer to the airport. End of the tour.