What to See in Catalonia, Spain

Catalonia is a region in northeastern Spain, shaped by a distinctive history, language and cultural life. From Barcelona and Mediterranean ports to Pyrenean landscapes and historic towns, its varied geography makes it a rewarding destination to explore. This Catalonia travel guide introduces the region’s heritage, landscapes and the best towns to visit in Catalonia. Neywo offers free audio guides for 16 cities in Catalonia, with 566 narrated places in total.

What to see and do in Catalonia

Explore Barcelona

Barcelona is Catalonia’s capital and largest city, as well as Spain’s second-most populous municipality. Its history is closely connected to the region’s political and commercial development: the city and the Catalan counties helped drive Mediterranean trade and expansion within the Crown of Aragon.

Neywo’s Barcelona audio guide includes 163 narrated places, among them the Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia, Catedral de Santa Eulalia de Barcelona, basílica de Santa María del Mar and Palacio Güell.

Discover Girona’s historic heritage

Girona is one of Catalonia’s major historic cities. Its Neywo guide covers 80 narrated places, including Girona Cathedral, the Arab Baths of Girona, the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia (Girona) and Castell de Sant Miquel (Gironès).

The city is also a useful starting point for understanding the region’s layers of history, from religious and civic buildings to archaeological remains.

Visit Tarragona and its surroundings

Tarragona has 77 narrated places on Neywo. The guide includes Les Ferreres Aqueduct, Sant Cosme i Sant Damià de Monnars, Castell de Ferran and Castell de Tamarit.

The city belongs to a part of Catalonia where historic settlements, coastal landscapes and inland sites come together. It can be combined with nearby Reus, whose guide includes 38 narrated places such as Bòbila del Sugranyes, Casa Laguna and the Museo de Arte e Historia de Reus.

See the landscapes around Montserrat

Monistrol De Montserrat is associated with Monestir de Montserrat, Sant Benet Hermitage, Sant Jeroni and the Museum of Montserrat. Neywo’s guide includes 16 narrated places.

The area illustrates Catalonia’s geographic contrasts: the region extends from the Mediterranean coast to the Pyrenees, with the Pre-Pyrenees, the Transversal Range and the Central Depression between them.

Walk through Catalan medieval towns

Several smaller destinations offer a more compact way to experience Catalonia’s historic character.

In Besalú, Neywo covers 10 narrated places, including Iglesia de Santa María, Besalú, Castell de Besalú, Museu de Miniatures i Microminiatures de Besalú and Sant Julià de Besalú.

The coastal town of Cadaqués has 11 narrated places. Its highlights include the Salvador Dalí House Museum, Galería Cadaqués, Museu de Cadaqués and Castell de Sant Jaume.

In Tossa de Mar, 12 narrated places include Far de Tossa, Museo Municipal de Tossa de Mar, Vila Vella (Tossa de Mar) and Torre des Moros.

Experience Catalonia’s coastal towns

Catalonia’s Mediterranean coast extends for about 580 kilometres. Coastal areas in the provinces of Tarragona, Barcelona and Girona have a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, while the coastline itself includes both established towns and smaller settlements.

Neywo’s guide to Sitges includes 20 narrated places, such as Maricel Museum, Can Llopis Romanticism Museum, Cau Ferrat Museum and Fundació Stämpfli.

In Lloret de Mar, the 15 narrated places include Can Saragossa, Museo del Mar (Lloret de Mar), Castell d’en Plaja and Castell de Sant Joan de Lloret.

Further south, Cambrils has nine narrated places, including Molí de les Tres Eres, Museu Agrícola de Cambrils, Castell de Vilafortuny and Parc Samà. Salou has six, including Casa Bonet, Museu de l’esmalt contemporani, Sant Ramon Nonat and Santa Maria del Mar de Salou. L’Ametlla de Mar has two narrated places: Castell de Sant Jordi d’Alfama and La Candelera de l’Ametlla de Mar.

Learn about Catalonia’s culture and identity

Catalonia’s history has been shaped by the preservation of its own institutions, language and political life. In 1137, the County of Barcelona and the Kingdom of Aragon formed a dynastic union. Within the resulting Crown of Aragon, the Principality of Catalonia had its own Courts, Generalitat and Constitutions.

That system changed after Barcelona capitulated in 1714 during the War of the Spanish Succession. Philip V imposed a unifying administration across Spain, and Catalonia’s institutions and legal system were suppressed. Catalan was also eclipsed by Spanish in government and literature. The nineteenth century brought industrialisation and a cultural renaissance, while self-government was restored and later abolished again during the twentieth century before returning after Spain’s transition to democracy.

Language remains central to Catalan identity. Catalan, Spanish and the Aranese dialect of Occitan are official languages in Catalonia, and Catalan Sign Language has been recognised since 2010. Catalan is described in the Statute of Autonomy as Catalonia’s own language. The oldest surviving literary use of Catalan is thought to be the Homilies d’Organyà, a religious text written around the turn of the twelfth century.

Popular traditions are equally distinctive. Castells are human towers built by competing teams known as colles castelleres. The sardana is regarded as the characteristic Catalan folk dance, performed with instruments including the tamborí, tible and tenora. Catalonia is also associated with painters Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró and Antoni Tàpies.

Visit Lleida and Manresa

Catalonia’s inland cities provide another perspective on the region beyond the coast and Barcelona.

Lleida has 59 narrated places, including Church of Sant Llorenç, Hospital de Santa Maria de Lleida, Casa Misericòrdia and Centre d’Art la Panera.

Manresa has 36 narrated places. Its highlights include Manresa Technical Museum, Museu Comarcal de Manresa, Museu de Geologia Valentí Masachs and Pou de Llum.

These cities sit within a region of changing altitude, soils, climates, distance from the sea and direction of slope. Catalonia’s waterways flow either through the Ebro basin or through its internal basins, all reaching the Mediterranean.

Understand modern Catalonia

Catalonia is a highly industrialised and populated autonomous community of Spain, divided into four provinces, eight vegueries, comarques and municipalities. Its system of self-government is the Generalitat of Catalonia, organised through the Statute of Autonomy and confirmed by the Parliament.

Barcelona remains the region’s main transport and economic centre. Roads and railways generally radiate from the city, and Catalonia’s first railway connected Barcelona and Mataró in 1848. The port of Barcelona continues to be an industrial, commercial and tourist port of worldwide importance.

The region had just over eight million residents in 2024, including many people without Spanish citizenship. This diverse population, together with Catalonia’s historic institutions, industry and international connections, helps explain its continuing dynamism within Spain.

Explore Catalonia with Neywo

Neywo has free audio guides for 16 cities in Catalonia, with 33 walking tours and 566 narrated places in total. Narration is available in 11 languages.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace. There is no group and no schedule: simply walk through the city and listen when you arrive at each narrated stop.