23 charming villages near Barcelona

Barcelona city has many charming places, where to book a romantic table and escape the bustle of concrete and asphalt to celebrate a special night. But sometimes, taking your backpack and really getting away from traffic lights, sidewalks and cars is a much better option for our senses. That’s why we suggest these 16 getaways close to home.

We know that in Barcelona there are wonderful flower shops where you can buy a detail on the occasion of the day, but we propose for these days to put the phone on silent and smell the flowers of these 16 villages of Barcelona that seem taken from a painting.

Tavertet, the middle land in Collsacabra

A scenario where, very plausibly, Sam, Frodo, Aragorn and company could have run around. Tavertet is a real folly, so much so that everything in itself was declared of Cultural Interest: the houses that make up the village were built between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. Tavertet is a wonderful option for a romantic and intimate getaway.

Canet de Mar, the palace worthy of Game of Thrones.

Canet de Mar is one of the small villages located in the Maresme region. This area, has some of the cutest beaches near Barcelona if you don’t want to go as far away as going to the Costa Brava.

The special thing about this town is its medieval castle, which was built on the remains of a Roman villa and merges Gothic and modernism, as it was expanded in the nineteenth century by the Mountaner family.

In addition to having spectacular stained glass windows, the palace of Santa Florentina has been the setting for one of the most famous series for its charming locations: Game of Thrones. Specifically, it was chosen as the location for Raven Hill, the home of House Tarly, the house of Samwell. Although this series is known for its betrayal and love affairs that don’t turn out too well… We’re sure it could be the ideal location for a medieval-style date for two.

Colonia Güell, an escape to modernist Barcelona.

Described as “Gaudí’s best kept treasure”, Colonia Güell is an architectural work that has not been given as much hype as La Pedrera or Casa Milá. This industrial colony located in Santa Coloma de Cervelló transports you to the modernist atmosphere of the nineteenth century in no time, as it was used by the architects of the time to vindicate their art.

Montserrat Monastery, views with a glass of champagne

Maybe escaping to Montserrat on a first date is a bit risky, but I’m sorry to say, the place deserves it. Located on the mountain of Montserrat, it is perfect to be amazed by the views it offers and its interior. There you will find “La Moreneta“, our black-faced virgin. Nearby there are some Codorníu cava cellars ideal to provoke “la risa tonta” and break the ice a little on a first date.

Peratallada, the best-preserved medieval village in Spain

Despite the short hour and a half drive on the AP-7, you’ll think you’ve taken a Delorean and gone five centuries into the past. Peratallada, in the lower Empordà, is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Spain, which will turn your romantic getaway from Barcelona into a real trip to the time of medieval poets and troubadours. Will you dare to sing a sonnet to your partner?

Calella de Parafruguel, a picture-postcard getaway

If you are looking for a beach destination, but without the tourist overcrowding that you can find elsewhere, Callela is an ideal seaside town for it. The best part? It is bathed by the sea by six small coves quite intimate, coarse sand and turquoise water, which are so beautiful that not bathing will not give you so much grief.

This village is a postcard in itself, and strolling through its narrow streets of white houses, a perfect romantic plan.

Ax les thermes, thermal baths in the middle of the mountains.

This small French village is less than three hours from Barcelona and has more than 60 hot springs . Maybe the spas in Barcelona are too much for you and you are looking for a romantic dip in waters fresh from a spring.

In the center of the town we can find a spa to enjoy a weekend of relaxation with therapeutic purposes, since cures are offered for rheumatic and respiratory diseases.

Rupit i Pruït, authentic stone and moss façades

Rupit, Pruït and Medieval should be called, since it is rare to read or hear about this village and that the term medieval does not accompany the comment. On the border of the province of Barcelona, is this little village composed of sloping streets and stone facades. The best thing? The suspension bridge. One like the one Shrek crosses to save Fiona from the dragon.

Alt Penedés, the appellation of origin with the highest production.

Don’t miss this getaway from Barcelona to the land of wine for centuries. The Alt Penedès region is home to wineries, modernist buildings, and monumental ensembles to give and take.

In this sense, the cities of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, considered the capital of cava, and Vilafranca del Penedès, capital of the region, with a museum center specialized in viticulture, are especially noteworthy.

We recommend you to visit the monumental complex of Sant Martí Sarroca and the castell d’Olèrdola to enjoy the views offered by this natural vantage point.

Pals, the town that has it all

Another example of a medieval town located on the Catalan coast. With great importance for trade during the Middle Ages, Pals is a town whose first records date back to the ninth century. Wall, main square, museum, viewpoint… Pals has it all (also a good gastronomy) to become a perfect getaway for a couple.

Mura, in the middle of the Natural Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac

The best thing about Mura is everything that surrounds it. This village in the province of Barcelona is in the middle of the Natural Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac. Its streets are beautiful and, despite its small size and sparse population, there are great attractions such as the Hermitage of Sant Antoni, the caves of Mura or the aviary.

Sant Pol de Mar, the jewel of Maresme

A small fishing village between Calella and Canet de Mar, in the Maresme. It all revolves around the Monastery of San Pablo, the most characteristic monument and the typical postcard of a fishing village that with the arrival of the train was discovered by the Catalan bourgeoisie. Today, thanks to it (or in spite of it) the town maintains some residences and houses in modernist style.

Granera, the little big charm

It is small, but what it lacks in size it has in charm. It is also very curious its distribution, because it is divided into two very marked areas: one is the one that surrounds the Castle of the tenth century and the other is erected around the Parish Church of San Martin.

Golf de Roses, a direct escape to classical Greece.

Wild beaches, natural parks and even Roman ruins. In conclusion, one of the most complete getaways. All this is what you can find in Golf de Roses , located on the coast of Alt Empordà in the north of the Costa Brava.

An ideal place to escape from the brutalism of the city, where you can only hear the birds of the protected parks and the ruins of Empúries will make you travel to classical Greece and the Roman Empire.

Aiguaviva, the red village of Tarragona

In the interior of the province of Tarragona, Aiguaviva (Montmell) is a small town. Its main attraction is the color given to the town by the famous red vineyards: it is a very small place (barely 600 inhabitants) and totally conditioned and photographed by the pigmentation. Almost like a small corner of La Rioja in the Lower Penedés.

Hotel of the castle of Cardona, to sleep feeling like medieval princes.

Cardona is a fascinating place. A town that, as in the Middle Ages, is crowned by an imposing castle that is pure history of Catalonia. The castle was the last one that resisted in Catalonia during the War of Succession and when you approach Cardona on the road and see the castle dominating the esplanade and looking at you intimidating you understand why.

What many do not know is that this castle is now a Parador Nacional, a luxury hotel where you can spend a night (or two) feeling like a real medieval knight. Its rooms are obviously renovated, but have windows and stately dimensions, and go out for breakfast strolling through a courtyard, or looking out the window to the plain waiting for our prince blue (or sharing breakfast with her or him).

Horta de Sant Joan, Picasso’s favorite village.

Imagine arriving at a medieval village through a field of flowers, because this is the way that takes you to Horta de Sant Joan, a village in Terra Alta that was considered a Cultural Asset of National Interest in 1997. Among its steeply sloping stone streets we can find Renaissance palaces, a Gothic church and even a museum with more than 200 works of Pablo Picasso, since this village fell in love with the painter from Malaga and made two stays throughout his life.

Castellfollit de la Roca, a village on the heights.

This village in the Garrotxa is built on a 50-meter cliff. If you have vertigo, we do not recommend you to go, but if not, it is well worth it. Its old town is of medieval origin and you can stroll through more than a kilometer of houses built on top of this giant rock. It is one of the smallest villages in Spain and the second smallest in Catalonia.

Hostalric

Hostalric is a medieval village located about 65 kilometers from Barcelona, which is located in the region of La Selva.When we visited it, we made a route through the medieval village visiting all its points of interest such as the Torre dels Frares, Plaça dels Bous, its main street and the wall that surrounds the village.

Afterwards we stopped to recharge our batteries at the Parrufu bar, a place of really good classic food, to finish the visit by visiting the castle that is located in the fortress of Hostalric.

Roses and Cala Montjoi

Maybe at first Roses doesn’t sound like a great plan. One of the tourist capitals of the Empordà is just that, a somewhat overcrowded tourist center. But it has its attractions. For starters, its particular position in the Gulf of Roses, facing inland, makes it the only point in the country from where you can see the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenean mountains in the background.

And beyond that, Roses is an excellent base for visiting the area. From the ruins of Empuriabrava, a 20-minute drive away, to the Parc Natural del Cap de Creus, to which Roses acts as a gateway, and from where you can take the beautiful road that links the town with Cala Montjoi or Cala Jóncols, a road that is worthwhile in itself and which is now also crowned by the museum of elBulli, which was once the best restaurant in the world.

Castells de la Segarra, the Castile of Catalonia

The region of La Segarra is an unknown Castile in the heart of Catalonia. A flat area where castles rise like mushrooms, reminiscent of the Spanish plateau, due to the imposing appearance of these fortifications that stand alone on the plains, with no other protection than their walls to defend themselves from enemies.

The fortresses, erected in the 11th-12th centuries, were built in this valley to mark the border between the Christian Catalan counties and the Arab Al-Andalus, and once the fighting was over, the castles became manor houses, most of which are still standing today. To get there you only have to go, for example, to Plans de Sió (a long hour’s drive), where the Castell de Ratera is already located. The castles can be visited by car or walking routes, and all the info is on their website.

Camprodon, cookies and rivers

Arriving at Camprodon is to arrive at the gates of the Pyrenees and begin to peek at the magic of its mountains. From here you decide, you can embark on a mountain crossing or you can stay enjoying the narrow streets of Camprodon, a fairytale village crossed by a small river (crossed by a wonderful Romanesque bridge) that reminds, sometimes, a miniature Girona. In addition, a mythical cookie factory to kill your hunger while you let the afternoon pass in this pleasant mountain village.

Besalú

A classic weekend getaway in Catalonia , one of the most beautiful villages in Catalonia and undoubtedly the most famous bridge in Catalonia. In the heart of Garrotxa, few photos are more recognizable than the impressive Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià river, its cobbled streets and its rich Jewish history.

A perfect place for a getaway (although, yes, from Barcelona there is only the bus, no train) and to enjoy its volcanic gastronomy, typical of La Garrotxa. If you want the full experience you can eat at the buffet of the Castell de Besalú and sit on the terrace with unbeatable views over the bridge.