Hi,
I am intrigued by medieval villages done through tours and would love love to explore something like this. Can this be done independently by renting a car or would be better through a tour? Can somebody help me with an itinerary to explores these villages like Rupit?
Thanks in advance.
I think one is totally able to do a tour of these medieval villages independently. (I am assuming this is your trip in November you were posting about a few days ago?) It may be a bit chilly then (hovering around 10°C), but the weather itself shouldn’t interfere in your sightseeing experience.
I have not taken a tour, but I would suspect that there are pros and cons for doing it on your own. Without a guide, it may be a bit difficult to gain a good sense of the history and context of these villages and ask questions, if I recall there are not many information plaques around these villages, one will have to mange with a guidebook. On the other hand, going independently will allow you to go at your own pace and visit the villages you specifically want to see.
Another concern will be parking, however most of these villages have some form of larger parking area just outside or around the village, so it will probably not be much of a worry in November.
Staring in Barcelona, I would do something like this:
Rupit: (my favorite) for a nice lunch, stop here at Restaurant Albert for a view of the village below and hardy Catalan mountain cuisine.
Sant Pere de Casserres: a clifftop 11th-century Benedictine monastery overlooking the Ter river. The monastery also has a small exhibit depicting medieval monastic life.
Return to Barcelona
Closer to the Costa Brava there is another smaller medieval village that may be worth checking out too called Pals, but it is a bit far away from the other ones, which is why I left it off my proposed itinerary.
GD, a couple of years ago, I took a 1-day guided tour of Besalú, Rupit and Tavertet, by bus, and enjoyed it very much. The guide was local to the area, and his commentary, family stories and personality was a highlight of the day. I imagine that you could do something similar with your own car, especially if you start out from Girona. Riding on the bus, I found the traffic in and out of Barcelona to be very heavy. An excellent map or reliable GPS would also be important. I know that before leaving Besalú, I bought a small book about the village. On your own, it would be good to get something like that when you arrive, so you can be informed as you poke around. I don’t know if the other villages would have something similar. I can’t remember the name, but we had a good lunch at a nice local restaurant in Rupit, sounds like the one Carlos mentioned, as it was up a few flights of outside wooden steps from the street, looking over the town from there. In the area, there are also several nature sites, lakes, mountains, gorges, etc. so do some research as you plan your route. If your trip is in November, I don’t know just what shops, restaurants or tourist offices would be open or closed. Enjoy!
There's a tourist office in Besalu at the far end of the medieval bridge (away from the small historic center). I took a public bus from Girona, but I think there was parking at the tourist office. I'm not 100% certain, and I don't know what sort of time limits there might be. If you check online you can probably find a map and hours of operation for the tourist office.
Actually, I'd look for online maps of each of the towns/villages you plan to visit. They may help locate parking as well as assist in navigating on foot to what you want to see. That will be your insurance in case the tourist office isn't open. I find it easy to walk around in circles in medieval districts, however tiny. I know I did that in Besalu.
There's a lot of information on the Wikipedia page for Besalu. I didn't plan well enough to take it with me, alas, but it would have been helpful. I haven't checked for the others.
I loved little Besalu, in fact, acraven's hints when I posted my questions about travel to Besalu were very helpful. We took the bus as did acraven. I did notice a rather large parking lot by the tourist office. I think there was a lot of on street parking on the "main drag" thru town, as well. (the road the bus came on) I, however, I was there in December. You could email the tourist office. I did, with questions about a tour that they do occasionally and got a fairly timely response. They would be of help with parking. We were pretty entranced by Besalu and spent the good part of a day there.
Thank you everyone for responding.
Can Girona, Besalu and Rupit be done in one day?
Do you suggest we take a train to Girona and hire a car to see the medieval villages, drop off car in Girona and train back to Barcelona OR we hire a car from Barcelona and go about these places?
Thank you!
Personally, I do not think it is possible to go from Barcelona see Girona, Besalú, and Rupit and then return to Barcelona, in only one day; even if one rushes through all the sites. Girona is one of the major cities in Catalonia and by itself would require at least one day. Girona has museums, galleries, Gothic churches, a winding medieval center, even an Arabic bath complex from the time of the Moors.
I would say if you had only one day trip, I would choose either medieval villages or Girona (my pick would be Girona). If you have more than one day available for day-trips, maybe you can do Girona on your own via train one day and do the medieval villages group tour another day? Just to simplify things logistically.
I think Girona needs at least a day and a half. Could you take a train to Girona and stay for a few days and then rent a car to visit some of the little villages from there?
I agree. Girona and a string of small villages is more than a one-day trip. I know some folks have combined Girona with the Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres, making a single day-trip form Barcelona. That would also be too much for me, but at least that's just Girona and one other place.
Girona does make a really good base if you want to visit Figueres, Cadaques, Besalu, etc., via public transportation or with your own car. It saves multiple trips back and forth between Barcelona and Girona, and lodging may be a bit less expensive in Girona. I do not know whether there's a bus tour to the medieval villages that originates in Girona. There may well not be enough demand for that.
