Figueres: Dalí, museums and city history

Figueres brings together a strong Dalí influence, museums, medieval city history and distinctive buildings. When planning your stay, you can focus on different aspects: art collections, a historic city centre, Castell de Sant Ferran and special visit experiences each offer something different. Rail connections and the fruit and vegetable market also provide useful reference points for a stay in the city.

Dalí and the city's museums

The Dalí Theatre-Museum is housed in the former Municipal Theatre of Figueres. It is home to the artist's largest collection, with more than 1,500 works in a range of styles and formats. Casa Natal Salvador Dalí offers a different experience: its guided route combines holograms, talking windows, mapping and visual effects, giant kaleidoscopes and immersive landscapes. These are two distinct ways to explore the Dalí theme: an extensive collection of works in the theatre-museum and a guided tour featuring a variety of visual elements.

The Museu de l'Empordà brings together significant works from the Catalan and Empordà art scenes. Its collections also include archaeology, medieval art and Baroque painting. The museum's history dates back to 1885, when the first collections from the Museu del Prado arrived. Art and archaeology are therefore among Figueres' cultural offerings, alongside the works and experiences associated with Dalí.

Historic centre and cityscape

The Església de Sant Pere de Figueres has been documented since 1020. It forms the historic core around which the city's medieval centre developed. The church is predominantly Gothic. A comprehensive reconstruction in the 14th century shaped the single-nave building, with its rib vaults, which remains standing today. Visitors interested in architecture will find here a tangible link between a building and the development of the medieval city centre.

The historic centre route also takes visitors to eleven emblematic sites. They are associated with Figueres' identity and with important events and figures in the city's history. The route therefore offers a perspective on the city's history across several locations, while the Església de Sant Pere illustrates its historic core.

Castell de Sant Ferran: fortress and visit options

Castell de Sant Ferran is the largest 18th-century fortress in Europe. A self-guided visit is available with a booklet, audio files and a map featuring 14 stops. Alternatively, the “The Cathedral of Water” experience takes visitors by jeep through the moats, by inflatable boat into an underground cistern and through underground tunnels. This gives visitors a choice between a route of stops for independent exploration and an experience involving several different ways of getting around. Information on how visits are presented, booked and conducted may change; check the latest visitor information if you are planning one of these visits.

Toys and technology as other themes

The Museu del Joguet de Catalunya displays games and toys from around the world across three floors. Its collections also include industrial games and toys dating from the late 19th century to the present day. The Museu de l'Electricitat de Figueres focuses on a different subject: hundreds of objects and documents of cultural and historical value illustrate the arrival and development of electricity in the region. Together, these collections broaden the city's cultural offering to include the history of toys and technology.

Getting there, the market and the cycling route

If travelling by train, it is worth distinguishing between the two stations. Figueres' conventional railway station is in the city centre and is served by regional trains connecting to much of Catalonia. The high-speed station connects the city with Barcelona, Madrid, Paris and several French cities; a shuttle bus provides a link to the city centre. Train services and shuttle arrangements may change, so check the latest timetable information before travelling.

The Figueres fruit and vegetable market takes place on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Check the market days before your trip. The Figueres–Roses cycling route is part of the network of cycle paths connecting Figueres with Alt Empordà and beyond. If you plan to use this route, check current route conditions as well.

Discover more destinations: Forallac, Llívia, Sant Pau De Seguries, Les Preses, Vilajuiga, Mieres, Amer, Ultramort.

For the overall travel overview: Girona.