Figueres

Figueres has become synonymous with Salvador Dalí and it’s home to his (literally) fantastic 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 specially built for them on the west side of town. Meanwhile all other trains use Figueres which is nicely located on the east side of town. You could travel between the two by bus or taxi, but if you are travelling reasonably light, why not walk and see some top-notch sights on the way? - Not all of them are about Dalí…

Interactive Map

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

You could say this is a walk of two halves. The first part goes through the western suburbs and is a rather non-descript, unless low-rise blocks of flats and recycling bins are your thing. The second half is pretty much all sights and no trudge…

Leave Villafant station and walk down the (only) road. When you get to a little roundabout go left (Carrer de les Pederes) and go straight on at the next roundabout which takes you on to Carrer d’Avinyonet. Continue along this road for about 1km (2⁄3 mile).

When you reach the municipal park on our left, the footpath broadens out, which is handy as there’s a clothes and bric-a-brac market every Thursday here. This is the Passeig Nou.

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 (in blue on map). You need to end up at the top far end.

Once you have got beyond the park turn on to Ronda Jacint Verdaguer.

As you walk along it, you’ll see a glass dome. This is the Dali Theatre Museum.

There is also a nice little ‘Figueres’ sign in front, just so you know where you are.

Turn right and walk down the hill (Puja del Castell) by the side of the museum and follow the building round to the left.

In front of you is Sant Pere Cathedral which dutifully ding dongs every 15 minutes. If you want to know why, this video might help.

Then turn left and you are at the entrance of the Dali Theatre Museum, which is well worth a visit, even just to meet Mae West. The museum actually starts outdoors as art-expert Anna explained to me in the video below, so you may just want to check out the outdoor sculptures if you’re short of time.

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 on a thread (counting the number of toes - the video explains more), and at the bottom turn right on to Carrer de la Jonquera.

Walk down the street and into the town hall square - Plaça Ajuntament. Look down and you should see a small brass memorial plaque (stolperstein) to Vicens Gené who was deported to Mauthousen. Cross over the square and head for the opposite corner, going past Patisseria Serra Lacasa with its fab Xuixos and down Carrer Portella.

As the street emerges into La Rambla, note the toy museum on your right. It 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.

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. Unfortunately Salvador died as an infant, but when his parents had another son they also named him Salvador and he 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.

Figueres Cemetery with Dali family vault(1K green)

Anyone wanting to walk in the footsteps of morbidity-obsessed Salvador may want to pay a visit (and their respects) to the Dali family vault.

Come out of the train station and turn right along Carrer Rubau Donadeu. At the end turn right and over the train tracks (why is that slightly exciting?), then take the second left and go down the hilariously-named Carrer Progress (you’ll see when you get there). At the end turn left down Passeig del Cemetiri to, you’ve guessed it, the cemetery.

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 3K walls, which we can do even when the gates are closed. This walk is about 5km from the Dalí Theatre museum, which makes it about 6 1⁄2 km from from either Figueres or Vilafant stations.

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.