Figueres

Figueres has become synonymous with Salvador Dalí and it’s home to his fantastic(al) Theatre Museum. As a result, it’s a pretty good place to change trains when heading around Spain. However, there is an elephant in the room - or rather a Villafant in the town.

High speed trains stop at Figueres-Villafant - a station built as far away from all other train and bus connections as possible. Madness or genius? Let’s take a surreal stroll across town.

Interactive Map

Figueres-Villafant to Figueres station - a walk through the surreal (3K red route)

The first part of this walk goes through the rather non-descript western suburbs where the weekly highlight is a clothes and bric-a-brac market (every Thursday).

Either walk around two sides of the park (walk along Passeig Nou then turn left and walk to the top of the park) or walk diagonally through it.

The Dali Theatre Museum is filled with his creating works and gets a million visitors a year. However, it’s worth taking time to look at the outside. It’s covered in loaves of bread and topped with eggs. Dali had a thing for things that were hard on the outside and soft in the middle - how he saw himself. There’s more about the outside of the museum in this video: Dali Museum Figueres - what’s on the outside?

When walking around the building, you’ll go past Sant Pere Cathedral which dutifully ding dongs 8 times an hour. Why? this video may help Figueres - the bells!

Walk through the square making sure to tip your hat to Fransesc Pujols and on to the square with a big blob in the middle of the fountain. That’s hydrogen, apparently.

And while here, be sure to pay your respects to Ernest Meissonier - all three statues of him.

Let’s walk down the steps, past the humanoid statue with the ball (Issac Newton?) on a thread and at the bottom turn right on to Carrer de la Jonquera.

Walk down the street and into the town hall square - Plaça Ajuntament. Here there is a sobering sign. The small brass memorial plaque (stolperstein) is a reminder of Vicens Gené who was deported to Mauthousen. Cross over the square and head for the opposite corner. Here is the Patisseria Serra Lacasa with its fab Xuixos - go on - you deserve it… Xuixo in hand, head down Carrer Portella.

As the street emerges into La Rambla, there’s a toy museum on your right which contains Salvador Dali’s favourite teddy.

You need to go left, but before you do, go into the square and have a nosey at the monument to the remarkable Narcis Monturiol, who I wrote a bit about here: How do you solve a problem like Monturiol?

Then take the left-hand road (Carrer Narcis Monturiol). A little way down this road you’ll come across the Casa natal d’en Salvador Dalí on your right. This is the house that Salvador Dali was born in. Salvador died as an infant and when his parents had another son they also named him Salvador, who went on to become the world famous (and traumatised) artist.

The street broadens out into another square (Plaça de la Palmera). Turn right and walk past the house Salvador’s parents subsequently moved into while he was still young (top floor of what is now a bank). He used to look over this square and draw.

A little way along the square, turn right on to Carrer Sant Cristòfol and follow it down to the Placa del Gra - a scary sea monster awaits you. It’s also where there are two covered markets selling all sorts of great produce - it’s the mushrooms that stick in my mind from the last time I was there.

At the far end of the second covered area, turn right onto Carrer Méndez Núñez and then first left on to Carrer Pompeu Fabra. This leads to a small park which has the train station at the end and the bus station on the right.

Castle battlements walk (5K orange)

Figueres has the largest bastion fortress in Europe, Castell de Sant Ferran and we can see why when we walk around its 3km walls, which we can do even when the gates are closed. This walk is about 5km from the Dalí Theatre museum, which makes it a sizable detour - still it’s got great views…

The road to it (Pujada del Castell) runs past the the Dali Theatre museum, so starting at the Galatea tower (where the Figueres welcome sign is), walk up the road, and just keep on walking to the top. Just before reaching a pair of white pillars, there’s an information board on the right with a description of the view. Just before you get to the white pillars take the footpath running to the right (yellow signposted) and walk around the ramparts.

The mountain chain dividing Spain from France is the Albera Massif. The gap in the chain provides the main route to France and is the reason for needing this huge fortress.

Another fortified building here is Puig de les Basses, a prison designed to do the complete opposite. At least it’s conveniently situated next to the E-15 motorway to France.

Building the motorway meant crossing a Roman aquaduct, Aqüeducte dels Arcs. So it was decided to modify it to fit the motorway. Well who could tell the difference?

As you come around the other side, you can see the high speed train line and the station, Figueres-Villafant.

Keep walking round until you come to the road way and then you’ve completed the loop and can schlep down the slope and back into town.