Barcelona Tours

Great news! GIC 2010 in cooperation with Foreverbarcelona is now offering Barcelona Tours. Marta, the owner of the tour company, is a rebirther that has just completed her training with Bob Mandel and Maria Luisa Becerra.

She is also a professional local tourguide with over 10 years experience.

Marta has created three different itineraries to choose from:

On July 2nd she's giving a bus tour covering the four most important areas in town: the Gothic Quarter (including admission to the Cathedral), the Port, the Montjuic Hill and some Gaudí works (including entrance to the famous Sagrada Família church!).

On July 11th there will be two different tours: a morning walking tour around the city center (Old Town and Passeig de Gràcia), and an afternoon bus tour covering the Montjuic Hill, the Port, the 1888 world fair, the Park Güell and the famous Sagrada Família Church (admission included). It will be possible to take both tours on the same day, in order to get the best experience of all the Barcelona sites.

Tourism and leisure

The strategic emplacement of Cardona makes it at equal distance from Barcelona, Girona and the coast line of Costa Brava, Tarragona and Lleida, within a range of 100 kms and a few kms more to the French Border.

In addition to the attractive international city of Barcelona, this area also has an impressive coast line from sand beaches of the Costa del Maresme in Barcelona to the spectacular beaches and coves of the unique Costa Brava in Girona.

Closer to us, Cardona and the surrounding villages are of cultural interest, such as monuments and folklore. You will enjoy for example a visit to the Monastery Sant Benet de Bages, old abbey recently restored or to the medieval castle in Cardona itself.

In the region of Bages itself or in the neighbourhoods of Solsones and Berguedá, you will find numerous Romanic churches, almost ninety only Solsona.

For quiet spaces and peacefulness of you mind, you can visit the mountain and the monastery of Monserrat, spectacular site in the heights of Barcelona. It is said that angels gave this shape to the mountains to make a palace for the Virgen.

Other sites to visit in the surroundings

Mountains of Salt Gema

A geological curiosity. Natural monument due to its tectonic position, plasticity and erosion, situated in the Valle Salado. Depending on the light, you will see a mass of red mixed with white, mixed substances, holes, stalactites, needles, potassium and magnesium salts.

Salt Museum

The original and most complete collection can be found in Solsona. In addition, you can visit a private collection from a local artisan José Arnau, where you find from one part sediments, geologic rocs and crystallizations designed by nature itself, and on another part, manmade sculptures made from the salt rocs. Some of the pieces even contain inside them water drops.

Solsona

30 minutes by car from Cardona, direction a Seo. At the foot of mount Castellvell.

Romanic historical center. Its cathedral-from XIIth century with the Virgen de la Madre de Deu del Claustre, en black stone. The Episcopal Palace with its museum, containing important collection of millenary art.

Close to the village is the Santuario del Miracle. A priest is guarding its history.

Manresa

Capital of the region of Bages and Central Catalonia. Has history since the Neolític period. More recently San Ignacio de Loyola lived here ten months while going from Monserrat to the Tierra Santa, between 1522 and 1523. Several temples were build in memory of his journey.

Hiking

For those who like to hike, you will be delighted by the area around Solsona. From the village of La Coma to the forest of Serra del Verd and Cap de Verd o to Sierra de Port del Comte in the Pre-Pyrenees.

Recently the city hall of Cardona created 8 itineraries in the surroundings to do by foot, bike or even by horse with guidebook that you can purchase in the hotel.

Shopping

Typical shopping in the area of Cardona includes sculptures of salt (natural or sculpted by hand), art and ceramic.

For more information