Figueres, with about 50,000 inhabitants, is the capital of the Alt Empordà district, in the province of Girona, in Catalonia, some twenty kilometres from the French border. It is world-famous as the birthplace of Salvador Dalí, who was born here in 1904 and created his museum here.
The Dalí Theatre-Museum
The Dalí Theatre-Museum, opened in 1974, stands on the ruins of the old municipal theatre, burned in the Civil War, where Dalí had exhibited as a boy. The artist conceived it as his greatest work, a "surrealist object" to walk through: the red façade covered with loaves and topped with giant eggs, the geodesic dome, the Rainy Taxi in the courtyard, the Mae West room, where furniture and paintings form the actress's face, and hundreds of works from every phase of his career. Dalí has been buried in a crypt beneath the dome since 1989. Next door, Dalí Joies displays the jewellery he designed. The museum is among Spain's most visited: book ahead.
What to see
- Sant Ferran castle, built in the 18th century, one of Europe's largest bastioned fortresses, where the Republican Cortes held their last meeting in 1939.
- The Rambla, the tree-lined avenue in the centre, with cafés.
- The Toy Museum of Catalonia, with thousands of historic toys.
- The Museu de l'Empordà, with the region's art and archaeology.
- The church of Sant Pere, where Dalí was baptised, and his birthplace.
- The Thursday market, one of Catalonia's oldest.
The Dalí triangle
Figueres is one corner of the Dalí triangle, with the house at Portlligat in Cadaqués and the castle of Púbol, Dalí's gift to his wife Gala.
Food
The Empordà has a rich cuisine mixing sea and mountains: mar i muntanya, such as chicken with prawns, anchovies from L'Escala, rice dishes and DO Empordà wines.
Getting there
Figueres has two stations: the high-speed Figueres-Vilafant, on the Barcelona-Paris line, and the central station for regional trains. From Barcelona it takes under an hour by AVE. Girona airport is about 50 km away. See also Roses.