Famed as the birthplace of Salvador Dali and the submarine inventor Narcís Monturiol, Figueres is a centuries-old town in the Catalan province of Girona. It was heavily bombed during the Spanish Civil War and began its recovery in the 1950s, with outstanding museums and a monumental fortress among its attractions today.
Things to do in Figueres
Perched atop a hill overlooking Figueres is Sant Ferran Castle, an 18th-century bastioned fortress that is the largest of its kind in Europe. Join a guided tour to explore its garrison buildings and central parade ground to learn how the complex is able to support around 6,000 troops. The castle’s most impressive feature is its navigable water tanks, which could hold up to nine million litres of water.
One of Figueres’ most popular attractions is the Dali Theatre and Museum, which is dedicated to Salvador Dali and was designed by the artist himself. It centres around the theatre that Dali loved as a child and boasts the largest collection of his works in the world. In addition to paintings, it features mechanical devices and curiosities imagined by Dali, plus a 3D anamorphic living-room installation.
Adjacent to the Dali Theatre and Museum is the Church of Saint Peter where Dali was baptised and received his first communion. Built on the site of a 10th-century monastery, the current Gothic structure features an austere interior with a single bull’s-eye window on its facade.
Getting around Figueres
Figueres is 40 minutes’ drive from Girona and Girona–Costa Brava Airport, which has seasonal flights to destinations across Europe. The much larger Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport is 1.5 hours away. Regular trains connect to the Figueres railway station and buses travel throughout the town. The centre of Figueres can easily be explored on foot.