Barcelona is much more than just a city: it is the main city of Catalunya, such an interesting region full of plans and places to make and go; full of history, good gastronomy and postcard’s landscapes. This is the reason why I would like to show you some of these places in my first post for Food Lovers Company, the best day trips from Barcelona.

All of them are accessible by train from Barcelona, so you will not have any problem in order to get them!

First of all… a little bit of history! Catalunya, a region formed by different counties during The Middle Ages, was divided in Catalunya Vella (Old Catalonia) and Catalunya Nova (New Catalonia). The difference between both Catalunyas was the period of time they were under the Arabic domination. So, whereas Catalunya Vella was the first one in being Catalan, Catalunya Nova was not under Catholic domination until the XIIIrd century.

Nowadays, this difference is still on the environment, on its gastronomy and, especially, on its architecture.

So, do you want to walk with us around our lovely Catalunya in order to know all these elements? 😉

Ripoll, the cradle of Catalunya

If you want to know the medieval and romantic Catalunya origins, you must go to Ripoll, the cradle of Catalunya Vella and, in consequence, the Catalunya’s cradle. There, you will find a big monastery, a foundation of Guifré el Pilós (Guifré the Hairy), one of the firsts Counts of Catalunya, and his political and religious companion Abad Oliba, one of the most important abbots of this won to Muslims new region.

Inside the Monastery, you will find the tomb of Guifré el Pilós and the flavour of history in its walls.

Although the whole of the building is a reinvention from romantic times, always under the idea of nation and recuperation of the birthplace (you will see that most of the parts of the Monastery are reconstructions from the XIXth century, done by Elies Rogent, an important Catalan architect of this period), the cloister is original.

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