Getty Images/Moment RM

Figueres

Fourteen kilometres inland from Catalonia's glistening Golf de Roses lies Figueres, birthplace of Salvador Dalí and now home to the artist’s flamboyant theatre-museum. Although Dalí’s career took him to Madrid, Barcelona, Paris and the USA, Figueres remained close to his heart. In the 1960s and '70s he created the extraordinary Teatre-Museu Dalí – a monument to surrealism and a legacy that outshines any other Spanish artist, in terms of both popularity and sheer flamboyance. Whatever your feelings about this complex, egocentric man, this museum is worth every euro and minute you can spare.

Attractions

Must-see attractions for your itinerary

Teatre-Museu Dalí
Figueres
The first name that pops into your head when you lay eyes on this red castle-like building, topped with giant eggs and stylised Oscar-like statues and…
Centre de Reproducció de Tortugues de l'Albera
Figueres
This long-running little wildlife sanctuary is a haven for Hermann's tortoises, and a force for educating people about these threatened little armoured…
Museu de l’Empordà
Figueres
Extending over four floors, the local museum time travels from ancient amphorae to 7th-century sculptures to rotating installations of contemporary art…
Castell de Sant Ferran
Figueres
Figueres' sturdy 18th-century fortress commands the surrounding plains from a low hill 1km northwest of the centre. The complex is a wonder of military…
Museu del Joguet
Figueres
This museum has more than 5000 toys from throughout the ages – from the earliest board games involving coloured stones, to intricate dolls’ houses, to…
Canònica de Santa Maria de Vilabertran
Figueres
In Vilabertran, 2.5km northeast of central Figueres, you'll find a serene 11th-century Romanesque church with three naves, a Lombard bell tower, and an…