Figueres (Spain) is a rather beautiful old town, which probably would have been unknown to anyone if not for Salvador Dali. It was here that the great Surrealist painter was born, spent most of his life, and died.
Figueres, located in the northeastern part of Catalonia, is one of the largest cities in the province of Girona: it covers an area of almost 19 km2, and its population is about 40,000 people. From the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona, Figueres is 140 km away, and the border between Spain and France is just a stone’s throw away.
Usually, the majority of tourists come to this town from Barcelona with a day trip. This is very convenient, given the short distance between the cities, and the fact that in Figaras all the sights in one day can be easily seen.
Salvador Dali Theater and Museum
The Theater-Museum of Salvador Dali, the most prominent surrealist of the twentieth century, is the hallmark of Figueres and the most visited museum in Spain.
The Dali Museum is the largest surreal object in the world and one of the largest projects of the genius hoaxer. It is often even said that the main exhibit of the museum is the museum itself.
This center was founded by Salvador Dali during his lifetime. The official opening of the attraction took place in September 1974-the year of the artist’s 70th anniversary.
By the way, why the museum-theater? First of all, earlier, when this building had not yet turned into ruins, it was the city’s municipal theater. And secondly, many of the expositions presented here can be compared with a small theatrical performance.
Architectural solution
Sketches for the project that was used to restore the dilapidated building were made by Dali himself. And the implementation of these ideas was carried out by a group of professional architects.
The result is a medieval castle that looks like a birthday cake. The bright terracotta walls are decorated with golden bumps – this decor is nothing more than Dali’s favorite Catalan buns. Giant balancing eggs are placed around the perimeter of the roof and on top of the towers, along with golden Humpty Dumpty dummies. One of the most notable features of the building is the transparent dome that crowns it, designed by architect Emilio Perez Pinero.
The space inside the museum creates the illusion of being in a completely different world. There are dead-end corridors, completely opaque glass walls, and rooms made in a three-dimensional version of Dali’s creations.
Expositions
The museum’s collection includes 1,500 of the most diverse exhibits.
Here, even the walls are unique: they are painted by Salvador Dali or decorated with reproductions of his works. And the “Hall of the Wind” got its name from the name of the painting depicted on the ceiling and showing the feet of Salvador and Gala.
The Figueres Museum houses the largest selection of Dali’s paintings, based on his personal collection. “Galatea with spheres”, “The Phantom of Sexual Attraction”, “Galarina”, “Atomic Leda”, “Poetry of America”, “Mysterious Elements in the Landscape”, “Portrait of Gala with lamb ribs balancing on her shoulder” – these are just some of the world-famous paintings by Dali placed in the walls of the theater. Visitors are very interested in the painting-the illusion of “Naked Gala watching the Sea” – it is worth looking at it from a longer distance, as a portrait of Abraham Lincoln emerges from broken lines and color spots.
The museum has paintings by other artists from Dali’s personal collection. These are paintings by El Greco, William Bouguereau, Marcel Duchamp, Evariste Valles, Anthony Pichot.
There are other attractions in the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres: sculptures, installations, three-dimensional collages created by the great master of surrealism. At the entrance, tourists are greeted by a completely unusual attraction: the “Rainy Taxi” and the “Great Esther” standing on it, created by sculptor Ernst Fuchs. Esther holds Trajan’s column made of tires, on which a copy of Michelangelo’s sculpture “Slave” is installed. And completes this unusual composition supported by crutches boat Gala.
Another unusual creation of the surrealist genius is the room-face of Hollywood star Mae West. The portrait of the actress is made of interior items: lips-sofa, eyes-paintings, nose-fireplace with burning wood in the nostrils. You can see the portrait room through a special lens with a wig suspended between the camel’s legs.
In 2001, an exhibition of jewelry designed by Dali was opened in a separate hall of the museum. The collection includes 39 jewelry masterpieces made of gold and precious stones, as well as 30 drawings and design sketches of the great Surrealist.
Crypt
In the hall under the glass dome there is one unique example: a tombstone made of white marble embedded in the floor with the inscription ” Salvador Dali i Domenech. Marques de Dali de Pubol. 1904-1989». Under this slab is a crypt, and in it – the embalmed body of Salvador Dali.
Practical information
The address of the main attraction of Figueres: Plaça Gala-Salvador Dalí, 5, 17600 Figueres, Girona, Spain.
The Dali Theater Museum in Figueres operates on the following schedule::
- January-February, November-December: from 10: 30 to 18: 00;
- March and October: from 9: 30 to 18: 00;
- April-July and September: from 9: 00 to 20: 00;
- August: from 9: 00 to 20: 00 and from 22: 00 to 01: 00.
In summer, the Dali Museum welcomes visitors daily, while the rest of the time it is closed on Mondays. Before visiting, it is still advisable to check the current schedule on the official website: https://www.salvador-dali.org/en/museums/dali-theatre-museum-in-figueres/.
Cost of visiting the attraction:
- full ticket at the museum ticket office – 15 €, if purchased online on the official website-14 €;
- for students and pensioners – 11 €;
- overnight visit in August – 18 €;
- night visit + show – 23 €;
- children under the age of 8 are allowed free admission.
Tickets show a specific time (9:00, 9:30, 10:00 and so on), and they remain relevant for 20 minutes (from 9: 30 to 9: 50, from 10: 00 to 10: 20, and so on). When buying online, you can choose any time. The ticket office sells tickets for the nearest future.
What museum visitors need to know
- It is better to plan a visit to the museum in the morning. Already by 11: 00, a lot of people are going to gather, you will have to stand in line at the ticket offices and at the museum itself.
- The building is entered through 2 adjacent doors: groups enter the left one, and independent visitors enter the right one.
- There is no audio guide, but in the lobby you can get a brochure-guide to museum halls in English. You can also use the services of a English-speaking guide.
- At the entrance there is a storage room, where you must hand over large bags, strollers, umbrellas.
- The jewelry exhibition is located separately from the main museum, the entrance is to the right of the main one, around the corner. Tickets are re-checked at the entrance, so you should not rush to throw them away after leaving the museum (you do not need to buy a separate ticket).
- It is allowed to take photos in the halls, but without a flash: the lighting is already good, photos are obtained even at night. Some of the exhibits are forbidden to be photographed at all – special signs are installed next to them.
- Many art objects are functional and require paid inspection, so it is advisable to have change coins of 1 euro, 50 and 20 cents with you. The most expensive attraction of this kind – “Rainy Taxi” – will work for 1 €.
- At the exit of the museum there is a gift shop, but the prices are high: mugs from 10.5€, jewelry 100 € and more. It is better to buy souvenirs in city stores, where they are 2 times cheaper.
What else to see in Figueres
Figueres has a lot to see in addition to the Dali Museum, because it is a city with a fairly long history.
Old town streets
During the Middle Ages, Figueres was surrounded by a huge wall. All that remains of it now is the Gorgot Tower, which has become part of the Dali Theater-Museum. There are also other elements of the Middle Ages, such as the Town Hall Square, the old Jewish quarter and its central Marge Street.
And the heart of Figueres is La Rambla, built in 1828. For reasons of hygiene, then they filled up the bed of a small river Galligans and built along it picturesque buildings with architectural features of neoclassicism, Baroque, eclecticism and Art Nouveau. It is on La Rambla that such attractions of Figueres as the Toy Museum, the Historical and Art Museum are located. There is also a sculpture of Narcissus Monturiola, created by Enric Casanova.
Potato Square
Plaça de les Patates got its name as a consequence of the fact that up to the middle of the XX century it sold potatoes and various vegetables. Now trade is closed here – it is a beautifully equipped modern pedestrian zone, where citizens and tourists like to relax.
At the same time, Plaça de les Patates is also an architectural landmark, because it is surrounded by houses of the XVII – XVIII centuries with beautiful facades in the style from Baroque to classicism.
St. Peter’s Church
Right next to the Dali Museum, on the Plaça de Sant Pere, there is another city landmark: St. Peter’s Church.
It was built in the XIV-XV century on the site of an ancient Roman temple. At the foot of the tower on the north side of the church there are remains of an ancient Roman structure dating from the X-XI centuries.
St. Peter’s Church is designed in a traditional Gothic style.
It was in this church that Salvador Dali was baptized.
Hotels in Figueres
Website booking.com It offers about 30 different hotels and apartments in Figueres. As in any other city in Spain, prices for accommodation are determined by the number of “stars” and the quality of service in the hotel, the remoteness of housing from the city center.
The average cost of a night’s stay in a double room in 3* hotels is about 70€, and the price range is quite large: from 52€ and up to 100€.
As for the apartments, their price ranges from 65 € to 110€.
How to get to Figueres from Barcelona
There are several ways to get from Barcelona to Figueres on your own.
By rail
When planning how to get to Figueres from Barcelona by train, it is important to know that you can leave from several railway stations: Barcelona-Sants, Passei de Gracia or El Clot Arrago. But the best option is from Barcelona Sants station (it is convenient to get to it by metro on the green, blue, red line).
There are 3 classes of trains running in this direction:
- Media Distancia (MD) is an average speed and comfort train. The journey takes 1 hour and 40 minutes, and the ticket costs €16.
- Regional (R) – slow train, less comfortable than MD. The journey takes just over 2 hours, and tickets in Class II start at €12.
- AVE, AVANT – comfortable high-speed trains. The trip lasts only 55 minutes, the ticket price is 21-45 €.
Tickets are sold at vending machines and ticket offices of the railway station, as well as online on the Spanish Railway website: http://www.renfe.com/. You can also view the schedule on the same site. Trains run frequently: from 05: 56 to 21: 46 with a frequency of 20-40 minutes.
Bus ride
Barcelona has 3 bus stations with connections to Figueres:
- Estació d’Autobusos de Fabra i Puig;
- Estació del Nord;
- Rda. de St. Pere 21-23.
The most convenient and best organized is the Estació del Nord Bus Station.
Figueres has 8 flights a day, the first at 08: 30, the last at 23: 10. A detailed schedule is available on the station’s website: https://www.barcelonanord.cat/en/destinations-and-timetables/journeys/.
In Spain, buses do not accept stowaways for cash. You must buy a ticket at the ticket office or on the Sagales carrier’s website: https://www.sagales.com/. The price of the trip is 20 €. Travel time is approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Taxi
Another way to get from Barcelona to Figueres is to take a taxi. This is an expensive way to get around Spain, and a round trip on this route will cost about 300 €.
It is convenient to take a taxi for a company of 4 people, and it is better to order a car in advance. On the kiwitaxi website, you can book any car: economy, comfort or business class for 4, 6 or even 16 people.
When is the best time to visit Figueres?
The historical, architectural and cultural attractions of Figueres in Spain are open to tourists throughout the year.
The best time to explore the city of Figueres (Spain) is considered the period from April to October, when it is most comfortable to spend time on the street. In spring and early autumn, the daytime air temperature here is kept at +20°C, and in summer it rarely rises above +25°C.
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