Barcelona guide

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districts - Sitges

Sitges is one of the most representative towns of Costa de Garraf, Barcelona's southern littoral. Beaches with pristine waters, some of which have been awarded the blue flag eco-label and the proximity of the mountains make of Sitges a privileged destination.

The urban centre is also worth a visit. It has beautiful religious buildings such as the churches of Sant Bartomeu and Santa Tecla. Casa de la Vila, a nineteenth-century Gothic revival building and Palau Maricel, with Renaissance, Baroque and medieval elements, are other interesting places to visit in the city. The Modernist aesthetics from the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century left in Sitges beautiful buildings like Cau Ferrat, the house-studio of writer and painter Santiago Rusiñol. This artist moved to Sitges in 1891 and turned it into a meeting point for artists and intellectuals, giving it the bohemian air that it still preserves.

Art and Culture:  Sitges' cultural calendar includes important events such as the International Vintage Car Rally (of National Tourist Interest), Catalonia International Film Festival and the celebration of Corpus Christi. In addition, the traveller has three different museums to visit, in order to become acquainted with the area's cultural life. The house-studio of Rusiñol exhibits his works next to paintings by El Greco, Zuloaga and Picasso, among others. At the Maricel Museum they have Romanesque, Gothic and Modern art collections. To delve more deeply into nineteenth-century Catalan society, you must visit the Romantic Museum.

All around, there are innumerable restaurants where to try the local cuisine —in the historic quarter, the harbour and along the beaches. One of the main dishes is "xató", made with curly endive, cod, tuna, anchovies and olives, with a Romescu dressing (made with roasted chilli peppers, toasted almonds, garlic and olive oil).  

Marinas:  More than four kilometres of fine, white beaches stretch along the coast of this town near Barcelona. Equipped with all kinds of service facilities, these beaches are the perfect leisure retreat. The best known of these are well connected and their shallow waters do not have a lot of swell. Others are located in remote spots and others are nudist. The marinas have a number of nautical activities available and many leisure companies have adventure programmes that include climbing, potholing and hiking.

YouTube Video: Transformation of Sitges between 1900 and 2008 (!)
Length: 4:41 min.

Sitges Location on the map

By plane.
The Barcelona International Airport is 20 – 30 km from the Garraf towns. Flights diarly to the rest of cities of Spain and Europe, as well as to those of other continents.
 
Information on bus connections from the airport to the area:    Mon-bus www.monbus.org
 
By train.
From Barcelona: From Passeig de Gràcia or Sants railway stations, line C-2, take the train for Sant Vicenç de Calders.

From Tarragona:
•    C-1 Tortosa - Tarragona - Vilanova i la Geltrú
•    C-3 Riba-roja d´Ebre - Reus - Tarragona - Vilanova i la Geltrú

From Lleida: C-3 Lleida - Reus - Valls - Vilanova i la Geltrú

For more information on routes, timetables and fares consult www.renfe.es

By car.
From Barcelona or Girona
•    Take the C-32 motorway (the former A-16)
•    Take the C-31 road (Carretera de les Costes de Garraf)
•    Take the AP-7 motorway until Vilafranca del Penedès (exit 29) continuing along the C-15 road.

From Tarragona
•    Take the C-32 motorway (the former A-16)
•    Take the C-31 and N-430 roads

From Lleida
Take the A-2 motorway and then the AP-7 (the former A-7) until Vilafranca del Penedès and then the C-15.

By bus.
Scheduled Tarragona-Barcelona service: Mon-bus.
For more information on routes, timetables and fares consult www.monbus.org or call (+34) 938 937 060

Scheduled Vilafranca-Barcelona service
Plana, S.L. For more information on routes, timetables and fares consult www.autocarsplana.com or call (+34) 938 145 848

Accommodation in the area