Barcelona, Costa Brava & Pyrenees

Begin your trip with complimentary airport lounge access before your flight to Barcelona, make your way to your city-centre hotel. You might want to relax in the heart of the city, or get out and explore, perhaps sampling some of the famed Catalonian cuisine, with spiced sausages and seafood salads among the highlights. The next day, explore the Catalan capital. While its great Gothic cathedral, extravagantly Baroque National Palace and medieval mansions that house Picasso’s masterpieces impress, it’s Gaudí’s icons that most excite. From the Sagrada Família’s twisted verticality to the Park Güell’s wild collection of colours and curves, these are the sites that inspired entire art movements.

Stay: Derby Claris Hotel & Spa, Barcelona (Deluxe)

This morning collect your car rental, and leave Barcelona behind to follow the Costa Brava's golden curves north, and then to your accommodation set inland among sprawling countryside, just 10 minutes from Girona’s cobblestone maze, there are even 20 Michelin-starred restaurants within a 530 mile radius. And, after hiking or cycling the nearby trails and visiting the nearby volcanic and botanic parks, you’ll want to spend some time in in Girona. This provincial capital is flooded with history, with everyone from the Moors to the Romans and Visigoths having left their mark on its twisting laneways. It’s a destination that’s inspired the likes of Salvador Dalí whose great works are memorialised in the region’s Dalí Triangle, a trio of sites that remember the great artist’s life and works.

Parador Vic-Sau, which sits next to the Guillerías mountains and overlooks the tranquil Sau lake. The rocky terrain provides the perfect opportunity to do some hiking. The village of Vic is home to the 9th century castle Montcada, the Romanesque bell tower of the cathedral, and the Roman-built Queralt bridge. A must-see is the beautiful monastery of San Pere de Casserres, one of the most important monuments of Catalan Romanesque architecture, which was declared a monument of historic and artistic interest in 1931.

Stay: Parador Vic-Sau (Superior)

In the Catalan Pyrenees is La Seu d'Urgell where you will stay the next two nights at the luxurious Parador La Seu d'Urgell. Overlooked by the spectacular Sierra de Cadi mountains, the town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Valira and Segre in the province of Lleida.

La Seu d'Urgell is home to the nearly one thousand-year-old Church of Sant Miquel, as well as the Diocesan museum, which contains exceptional examples of medieval painting and sculpture. The nearby Natural Park of Cadi-Moixero has spectacular mountains and a variety of well marked hiking paths.

Stay: Parador Seu Urgell (Superior)

The next night is spent at the Parador Cardona, a former medieval castle and fortress with exceptional panoramic views of the town of Cardona and the lush surrounding landscape. The hotel grounds encompass the Church of Sant Vicenc, an impressive example of the Romanesque architecture of Catalonia. Not to be missed nearby is the incredible formation known as Salt Mountain, which sits on the area salt basin and contains spectacular stalactites and stalagmites as well as various salt seams of sodium, potassium and magnesium.

Stay: Parador Cardona (Superior)

Dropping your car off at Barcelona, you’ll fly back to the UK.