{"id":56109,"date":"2015-07-17T16:55:46","date_gmt":"2015-07-17T14:55:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/?p=56109"},"modified":"2021-03-26T12:12:23","modified_gmt":"2021-03-26T11:12:23","slug":"besalu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/besalu\/","title":{"rendered":"Besal\u00fa &#8211; The Ideal Day Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img class=\"alignleft wp-image-56113 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_1100-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Monastery of Sant Pere\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Just under two hours outside of Barcelona, you will find one of the most precious\u00a0medieval\u00a0villages\u00a0tucked away in the countryside: the <strong>ancient<\/strong>\u00a0town of <strong>Besal\u00fa<\/strong>. If you are in search of\u00a0a breath of fresh air from the cosmopolitan Barcelona, or just a little getaway, search\u00a0no more. This little town is constructed\u00a0of narrow streets made of cobblestone, medieval stone houses and churches, and a picturesque landscape accompanied by a small river. <strong>Besal\u00fa<\/strong> is one of the most charming and quaint towns in the province of Girona, and although it is possible to see the whole town in an afternoon, it is the ideal day trip\u00a0\u00a0or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/getaway-near-barcelona-palamos\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">weekend getaway<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/besalu\/#4_Main_Points_of_Interest\" title=\"4 Main Points of Interest\">4 Main Points of Interest<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/besalu\/#What_to_Bring_Back\" title=\"What to Bring Back\">What to Bring Back<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/besalu\/#Where_to_Stay_and_How_to_Get_There\" title=\"Where to Stay and How to Get There\">Where to Stay and How to Get There<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Main_Points_of_Interest\"><\/span><strong>4 Main Points of Interest<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">After asking multiple locals, it came out to be a general consensus that the main point of attraction is the 11<sup>th<\/sup> Century Romanesque Bridge over the Fluvi\u00e1 River. This bridge grants you access and entry into the historic <strong>medieval<\/strong>\u00a0village, and is the ultimate spot for picture taking because you can see the whole town and countryside from this viewpoint.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">After the bridge, the town is most famous for the Jewish baths and synagogue called the Miqve. Although both were closed on Sunday when I went, you can get a walking tour of the baths through the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.besalu.cat\/la-vila-2\/turisme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">tourism<\/a> office.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The third point of interest is the Monestir de Sant Pere, or the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/a-day-trip-from-barcelona-monastery-of-poblet-catalonia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Monastery<\/a> of Saint Pierre. This <strong>church<\/strong> was built in 977 by Bishop, and was restored in the early 11<sup>th<\/sup> century. This is the main church of the town, and is connected to an incredible and spacious plaza where you can find delicious Catalan cuisine on the terraces at any of the plaza restaurants. Also tucked away in the plaza, you will find a curious little museum that has fame throughout the town: The museum of miniatures, <strong>Micromundi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/login\/?next=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpages%2Fmuseu-miniatures-i-microminiatures-besalu%2F174149092615768\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Micromundi<\/a> is a museum that requires you to look through a magnifying glass in order to see the miniature works of art. It is unique, interesting, and very cheap to take a tour of (3,90 for students!). Their current exhibition requires you to look through the eye of a needle given upon entry, and see how 12 camels pass through it.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_Bring_Back\"><\/span><strong>What to Bring Back<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><img class=\"alignright wp-image-56114 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_1057-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"10 del Pont Cafe\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/>For all the tea fanatics out there, there is the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.restaurantpontvell.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">10 del Pont<\/a>, which serves homemade teas, coffees herbal remedies, honey, chocolates and kitchenware. Underneath of this pleasant <strong>teashop<\/strong> is where I stopped to have my afternoon tea on their terrace, completely undisturbed by tourists, sitting tranquilly listening to the sound of the river, and looking at the bridge. One of the owners, Ramon, was kind enough to tell me about his teas, give me directions to the <span class=\"removed_link\" title=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/national-art-museum-of-catalonia\/\">Museum<\/span> and Plaza, and even tell me about Ratafia, the homemade liquor made with aromatic herbs that <strong>Besal\u00fa<\/strong> is famous for.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">You can take walks through the local\u2019s gardens to discover which spices and herbs they use to flavor their homemade <strong>Ratafia<\/strong>. There are a few shops that specify in this delicacy where you can buy a bottle to bring home (try El Sac de Besal\u00fa). If you decide to indulge a in this distinct\u00a0liquor, there is the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.lamartana.com\/en\/#\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Martana Hotel<\/a> to accommodate you for the night.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_Stay_and_How_to_Get_There\"><\/span><strong>Where to Stay and How to Get There<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The keeper of the <strong>Martana Hotel<\/strong>, Kisku, was kind enough to give me a tour of the idyllic hotel. The price for a room suitable for two is 85 per night, and includes a traditional, homemade Catalan breakfast, which you can enjoy on the terrace or in the gardens, accompanied by incredible views of the countryside.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"alignleft wp-image-56115 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/IMG_1162-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Terrace of the Martana Hotel\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u00a0On the second floor is where I fell in love with the hotel: the terrace and the library. The enchanting library has beautiful hand-carved wooden shelves, filled with classics, complete with a fireplace and leather couches. On top of a wonderful place to stay, the service provided by Kisku and Anna, the owner, will make you feel like you\u2019re right at home.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although it is not the easiest place to get to, there are two options for transportation to <strong>Besal\u00fa<\/strong> from Barcelona:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">By car: take the AP7\/E15 and arrive in 1:45.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">By bus: take the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.teisa-bus.com\/ca\/bus-urba\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\">Teisa<\/a>\u00a0(C\/ Pau Claris 117is where the Teisa office is located)<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: none;\"\n    class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-valign-bottom kksr-align-left \"\n    data-id=\"56109\"\n    data-slug=\"\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 0px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 25px; height: 25px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n    <div class=\"kksr-legend\">\n            <span class=\"kksr-muted\">Rate us!<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just under two hours outside of Barcelona, you will find one of the most precious\u00a0medieval\u00a0villages\u00a0tucked away in the countryside: the ancient\u00a0town of Besal\u00fa. If you are in search of\u00a0a breath of fresh air from the cosmopolitan Barcelona, or just a little getaway, search\u00a0no more. This little town is constructed\u00a0of narrow streets made of cobblestone, medieval [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":56112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4346],"tags":[2578,4791,2577,6034],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56109"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/42"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56109"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105665,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56109\/revisions\/105665"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shbarcelona.com\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}