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Catalonia’s most famous wine region is the cava -producing area of the Penedès. The cava brands of Cordoníu and Freixenet have become household names worldwide. Many of the area’s wineries and bodegas are open to the public. One of the most spectacular is the Cordoníu bodega, housed in a Modernista building designed by Puig i Cadafalch, with a phenomenal 26 km (16 miles) of cellars on five floors.

A balloon journey over the volcanic area of Osona is an unbeatable way to get a bird’s-eye view of Catalonia.

The elegant hilltop town of Begur, with its ruined 14th-century castle, looks down on the nature reserve of Aiguamolla and some of the prettiest coves on the Costa Brava. The town’s population quadruples in summer as visitors make this their base for exploring nearby beaches and small, isolated coves. Many of the area’s beaches stage jazz concerts throughout the summer. This is perhaps the best stretch of coastline in Catalonia.

Take a picturesque cruise from Calella and Blanes to Tossa de Mar, stopping at the old town and the castle of Tossa de Mar.

Girona’s oldest restaurant is also one of its most popular. Wild mushrooms used in traditional Catalan meat dishes add a magical touch.

Foodies come to Boix (in Cadí-Moixeró natural park) for country cooking including crabs’ legs, lobster and many meat dishes..

As the Pyrenees tumble into the Mediterranean, they create a rocky headland, which juts out 10 km (6.25 miles). It forms Catalonia’s most easterly point and offers spectacular views of the craggy coastline.

Dating from around 1040, this cathedral is one of the most elegant in Catalonia.

This cathedral is remarkable for possessing the widest Gothic nave anywhere in Europe and the second widest of any type after the Basilica in the Vatican.