Theater Museum Salvador Dalí (Figueres)

The Theater

Salvador Dalí (1904 - 1989) was born an dead in Figueres, and after living in Madrid, Paris and New York came back to work in his theatre museum, the building of the former Municipal Theater, built in the nineteenth century and destroyed at the end of the Civil War. The building itself is a work of art.

The Museum

The Museum  houses the largest collection of Dalí works, mainly from the artist's estate to the Spanish state, including a set of works created by the artist expressly for the Theater-Museum, like the room Mae West, the room Palau del Vent, the Monument to Francesc Pujols, and the Cadillac plujós.

In the basement of the Museum there is the tomb of Dalí, in a small crypt.

It is recommended to visit the museum first thing in the morning, to avoid the queues in the entry and crowds in the expose. 

There is an on-line service for purchasing tickets:  https://www.salvador-dali.org/serveis/en_entrades.html

 

Dalí Joies

When, after the visit of the Theater Museum, you are guided to the exit door, don't forget to walk a few meters to entry, just through a little door on the corner, the jewel exposition (named Dalí-joies).

The visit takes a short time and is really worth it to contemplate the originals designs besides the sumptuous jewels.

Traveling to Figueres

By car: highway AP-7, the trip lasts 1,5 hours

By train: conventional train (select destination Figueres/Figueres) in a two hour trip, which can be reduced to 53 minutes booking a TGV train (select destination Figueres/Vilafant) 

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Spanish wines and cellars

Spain is the country with the largest area of vineyard cultivated in the world. It is very usual drink wine in social events or in bars, accompanying tapas.

In your visit wherever in the country sure you will have the chance to taste spanish wine or cava, but it can also be a great experience if you do it in the cellar where it's created.

We have had the opportunity to enjoy a guided tour and taste in three cellars, each one integrated in a different D.O. (Denominación de Origen = Designation of Origin), and with a different size and management.

D.O. Rioja: Laguardia

Laguardia is a precious fortified village built the s.X in the top of a hill to defend the Kingdom of Navarra.

On the façade of the old town hall you can see the  imperial coat of arms of Charles V, and in the new town hall there is a chime clock that sounds every day at 12.00, 14.00, 17.00 and 20.00 from October to May, and at 12.00, 13.00, 14.00, 17.00, 20.00 and 22.00 from June to September.

The subsoil of Laguardia is tunnelled along with wine cellars excavated eight metres down from the streets and houses (that's why the traffic is forbidden in the old town). Most of the cellars have moved to industrial parks in the surroundings to improve logistics, but it is still possible to find in-town cellars in use to visit, like Carlos Sampedro's.




The cave down Sampedro's house is been used as a cellar for the last 250 years, and it was built 600 years ago. The temperature (13 degrees Celsius all the year), the humidity (85%) and the dark and silence make the ideal conditions for the "crianza", the breeding of the wine.

Guided tours are available in English, check the timetable not to miss them.
Carlos Sampedro's in person will explain the origins of the cellar and the development of the wine since vintage to bottling, while walking through the wet and cool tunnels, and there you will have the opportunity to enjoy a wine tasting.

The ticket price is between 4 and 9 € for adults and is free for children under 18 years old.

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D.O. Somontano: Bodegas Meller

In Barbastro (Aragón) is born a new project led by the three sisters Meller: Bodegas Meller.

Ms. Meller explains with passion the type of grape, the characteristics of the soil where it is planted, the collection of the grape and the wine making process in rather scientific and rigorous terms.

If you are a curious person and you like making questions, a tour in a cellar like this one will allow you to solve all your doubts. In the fabulous wine tasting served at the end of the tour, the owner presents every wine and, due to the small size of the groups, an interesting chat probably will arise around the table.

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D.O. Penedès: Bodegas Torres

In Vilafranca del Penedès is located the winery and Visitor's Centre of Torres, known also for his Brandies.

This proposal is very different from the previous ones, we could say it is an "industrial tour", with professional guides, a film in a real cinema and a little train that carries visitors around the cellar.

The tour lasts an hour and costs 6,60 € for adults and 3,80 € for children. It is opened from 9h15 to 16h45 from Monday to Saturday and from 9h15 to 13h00 on Sundays and holidays.

It is also possible to extend the taste with different wines or brandies, or to order a Catalan Appetizer or a Brunch combined with one or two wines specially chosen.

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The Hydroelectric Power Station of Tavascan

Tavascan is the northernmost village of the Cardo's Valley, located at the end of the route L-504, in the middle of the Natural Park of the High Pyrenees. The village has just over a hundred inhabitants, but at his 1116 meters high, is provided with hotel, restaurant and campsite, that will allow travellers to enjoy their mountain vacation, either trekking, relaxing, skiing or trout fishing.  

The Hydroelectric Power Station

The tour starts with a video about the construction and operation of the Hidroelectric Power Station at the Centre d'Interpretació de l'Aigua de Tavascan. 

After a short walk, equipped with a helmet, we are ready to walk 500 meters inside the mountain named Pic de Gueron, to The Cave of Tavascan. 

The complex

In the Cave there are two power stations: Tavascan Superior and Tavascan Inferior, and the original control centre (now the operation is from Lleida). 

Tavascan Superior picks water from the lake Certescan (the bigger lake of the Pyrenees, with 100m depth) and Romedo de Baix through a 1.400 m long pipe  and a drop heigh of 900 meters until the arrival in the Cave of Tavascan, where two pelton turbines receives 7 m3/s at 85 kg/cm2. 

Tavascan Inferior takes water from the reservoir of Graus, through a 800 m long pipe and a drop heigh of 246 m, and arrives at a lower level from Tavascan Superior, in the same Cave. The turbine in this case is a Francis, and works with a flow of 14 m3/s and a pressure of 25 kg/cm2.

The complex also has the reversible power station of Montamara, that pumps water from Graus to Romedo at nights to store part of the excess of energy produced by nuclear and thermal plants.

This special visit is possible everyday at 17 hours, all the year, although you should book previously. It takes 1,5 hours and costs 7 €. It is not suitable for children under 6 years old.

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