Catalonia reveals its diverse culture as tourism to the region hits all time high

The region of Catalonia, located in the north east of Spain, is inviting tourists to discover the rich cultural heritage it has to offer after welcoming 19 million visitors last year.

Whilst Spain’s tourism hot spots are well documented, surrounding areas within the Catalonian region are often overlooked in favour of its historic capital city, Barcelona. To encourage tourism to other areas of the region, Catalonia Tourism Agency has launched a video showcasing the different lesser-known faces of the area for tourists to explore.

According to Xavier Espasa, Director at Catalan Tourist Board: “Catalonia offers a wide range of cultural hot-spots that we hope will entice further visitors to the region. This year, Catalonia is being considered for the European Year of Cultural Heritage title, and so we asked renowned artist Oliver Astrologo to create an innovative video based on Catalonia’s different touristic destinations to show all its diversity and bring them to life.”

Roman Catalonia – Amphitheatre

Engulf yourself in Roman Times without leaving Tarragona. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 2000, Tarragona offers tourists the opportunity to travel back through the Roman history of Catalonia by immersing yourself in historic monuments including its aqueduct, amphitheatre, walls, circus and Roman forum, all built between the first and third centuries AD.

Mediterranean Catalonia – Mirador Mar i Murtra

With 500km of coastline, La Costa Brava and La Costa Dorada share an exquisite array of beaches and bays, including Mirador Mar i Murtra which emulates a feel of Mediterranean culture with its small serene places, angler boats and stunning landscapes

Natural Catalonia: Congost de Mont Rebei

For landscape lovers, both Lleida province and Barcelona offer spectacular options. The Mont Rebei in Lleida offers tourists the opportunity to discover one of the most impressive and natural gorges of Catalonia through a natural path that stretches 20 metres wide. For travellers heading to Barcelona, the Seu de Lleida, located on a hill is the most emblematic monument in the city, and allows you to enjoy magnificent views of the city.

Folkloric Catalonia: Rua de Gegants

Declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010, Oliver Astrologo wanted to highlight a unique Catalan tradition: the Castellers. Building Castells or human towers, dates back to the 18th century. In addition, one of Catalonia’s lesser known traditions, , the “Rua del gegants”, was born in the 15th century as part of theatrical religious representations to explain the bible to those who could not read via performing giants’ are over four metres tall.

For more information on the best places to visit in Catalonia, visit http://www.catalunya.com/