Many people visit the Dali/Gala castle at Púbol but do not realise that only a couple kilometres off the road there is a charming church hamlet to visit without any tourists, Sant Andreu de Pedrinyà.

The MNAC (Museu National d'Art de Catalunya) sits in a priviledged position at the top of Montjüic with views over Barcelona. The building itself is massive and impressive but is currently under scaffolding for renovation but the collections it houses are the most spectacular part.
There are permanent collections that range from what could be salvaged from the Romanesque through the Gothic, Baroque to the Modern period. All have their own wing in this light and airy building as well as space for a concert hall, several restaurants and bookshops.
This is a must for all visitors who want to get a feel for the cultural richness of Catalonia as well as some of the best views of Barcelona and enjoying strolling through the tranquil and cool gardens all around.

Getting off the paved roads in the mountains above Camprodon and Ripoll is not generally recommended in winter with snow on the ground but if you have the right vehicle (a Land Rover in this case) and good maps it can be the perfect way to discover some hidden gems. As well as seeming to step back into a time when people lived in close proximity to their animals and the way of life revolves around these very animals, weather, seasons and church which is what is so different and appealing about this area.
The churches that are found in some of these remote places are some of the best preserved, at least from the outside, in the whole Pyrenees. It was really in the 12th Century that the existing churches were built at a time when there was peace and prosperity in these parts on top of older more basic structures that date back to the 10th Century and earlier.
Near the tiny village of Ogassa (pop 46 alt 1,200m) we find two particularly fine examples in Sant Marti Surroca and Sant Marti d'Ogassa. The first gets its name from the massive outcrop above it as it means under the rock in Catalan. These mountains later became famous for their mines, especially coal and lead in the 18th and 19th Centuries.Now the mountain scenery is the main attraction and in summer it is a great place to escape the crowds and heat of the coast.