TORROElLA DE MONTGRI

This delightful town of Gothic palaces, courtyards and narrow streets comes alive each Monday as the weekly market spills out in all directions from the porticoed main square, Plaga de la Vila. Stalls are piled high with local cheeses and sausages in this spot, where the sardana, the modern Catalan folk dance, was danced for the first time. The nearby Can Quintana cultural centre, housed in a historic mansion, contains the Museu de la Mediterrania, with interesting displays on local history, geology, wildlife and traditional music, as well as temporary art exhibitions. Recent archaeological excavations have revealed the presence of elephants, bears and rhinoceroses here in palaeolithic times. A steep climb from the town centre leads to the Castell del Montgri, built in 1294 and recently restored, standing guard over the town on the limestone Montgri massif.