Discover and learn

The rich historical, archaeological and cultural heritage forged over thousands of years by the different civilisations and cultures that have settled in Girona and the Costa Brava is displayed in a broad range of museums.

Ethnology, history, archaeology, art…, but also fishing, crafts and industrial legacy are featured in museums in the towns up and down the coast. For example, L’Escala houses the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia-Empúries, on the archaeological site of a Greco-Roman city.

Nearby, in Palamós, the Fishing Museum offers a tour through the history of this activity which is such an intrinsic part of the Costa Brava’s village life. The Cork Museum, in Palafrugell, and the Farinera Flour Mill and Ecomuseum, in Castelló d’Empúries, are two magnificent examples of museums that focus on industrial heritage.

But if it’s modern art that interests you, then the Dalí Museum in Figueres will take you on a tour of the Empordà genius Salvador Dalí’s surrealism, while the temporary exhibitions of works from the Carmen Thyssen private collection in Sant Feliu de Guíxols are another attractive artistic option.

Neither is the magical world of toys neglected by the Costa Brava’s museums, as you’ll be able to see for yourself if you visit the Catalan Toy Museum, in Figueres. 

Romanesque itineraries

Romanesque churches, convents, cloisters and monasteries are dotted all over the geography of the Costa Brava & Girona Pyrenees and the arches and carved stones featured by this style of architecture bear witness to the region’s history which dates back thousands of years.

The Benedictine monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes affords breathtaking views of Cap de Creus and its majestic bell tower crowning the church and its cloister make it a superb example of Romanesque architecture, as are the monastery of Sant Quirze de Colera, in the heart of the Albera mountains, and the collegiate church of Santa Maria de Vilabertran. Further inland, visits not to miss include Beget and the monasteries of Santa Maria de Ripoll and Sant Joan de les Abadesses.