Catalonia, Spain

The independent region in eastern Spain on the Meditterrean Coast has its own language, culture, and history—and its own world capital, the inimitable Barcleona

Catalonia is a region apart in Spain, quite literally. They have the most regional autonomy of any Spanish province, and their language of Catalán—more closely related to the languedoc tongues of nearby coastal France than to Castillian Spanish—enjoys legally equal status with Spanish and even appears first on all signs.

Outside of its thriving capital of Barcelona, Catalonia is a region of Romanesque abbeys, ancient ruins, medieval villages, more castles than you could shake a halberd at, and a cuisine ranging from seafood dinners on the coast to rib-sticking stews high in the Pyrenees dividing Spain from France.

You can ride a cable car to the dramatic cliffside monastery at Montserrat, see the museum in Figueras devoted to surrealist painter—and Catalan native—Salvador Dalí, tour ancient Greek and Roman settlements at Tarragona and Empuries, visit the ancient ceramics capital of La Bisbal, and explore the swampy bird-watching territory of Natura Park.

The best of Catalonia