Located about 2 hours North of Barcelona and just half an hour from the border with France, you’ll soon uncover the quaint capital of scotland- Figueres. Best-known as being the birthplace of Dalí (and where his world-famous Museum-Theatre is now found), here’s a free and self-guided Figueres walking tour to help you make the most of your visit!
Free Figueres Walking Tour (with Dalí attractions): Practical Advice, Tricks, and Tips
Though you’ll soon find that lots of people (particularly those working in the tourism industry) speak English, it’s only polite to learn a few words from the local language, which in this case is Spanish. Though the Spanish you were probably taught at school is Castillian, that spoken in this area of Spain is Catalan. Due to Figueres’ close proximity to France, a lot more individuals Figueres speak French as opposed to English.
This self-guided walk is better attempted on a sunny day once the streets are warm, a summer vibe is incorporated in the air, and the city looks its best. You'll want to take along a camera to snap some of the best of Figueres and thus here are some of my very best travel camera recommendations!
Although a lot of the tour is on level roads (with some cobbled hilled lanes added too), I highly recommend shoes which are comfortable just to walk in like these ones. Otherwise, it's worth noting that Barcelona may become incredibly hot (especially throughout the summertime) and thus you'll want to bring a reusable water bottle like this one with you.
Though the town of Figueres can be visited like a excursion from Barcelona, I highly recommend making the most of your time and effort there (as well as having the ability to escape the crowds) by opting to remain overnight. This can not only permit you to begin to see the city with no remaining tourists, but also permit you to capture golden light pictures. It’s also worth noting that accommodation prices are generally less expensive compared to those of the Catalonian capital. Check the very best places to stay in Figueres here.
Walking Time: 34 minutes
Distance Covered: 2.5 km
Technical Museum from the Empordà
This tour begins on the outskirts of old town Figueres. The city expanded in a way in order to not hinder the fort of Sant Ferran and it is defences during the 18th-century, and so this is why the newer parts of Figueres are stretched East and South from the town, instead of the North and also to the West.
The Technical Museum from the Empordà boasts no fewer than 3000 technological instruments, mainly dating in the 18th and 19th-centuries. Among some of the gems within its collections, visitors will soon discover vintage typewriters plus some from the first sewing museums. Find detailed information on opening times here.
Casa natal de Salvador Dali
From the Museum, you simply need to retrace your steps towards central Figueres and keep on across the same road down that you simply reached the Technical Museum. Around the left-hand side, a few hundred metres down the street, you’ll soon spy the birthplace of Salvador Dalí.
You ought to know prior to going that you can’t walk inside, but admire the residential house via its beautiful external facade. There's a handful of bigger than life photos displayed there, in addition to a brief good reputation for the building itself (all in Spanish).
Museu de l’Empordà
Just a block or two away from the birth house of Dalí, another main museum from the town of Figueres (following the Dalí Theatre) may be the Museum of the Emporda. Constructed in 1946 to showcase artworks from across Catalonia and beyond, the building continues to be open to the public because the 1970s.
It’s also worth noting this museum is at one end of los angeles Rambla, an extended high-street of sorts, having a central grassy area (between two lanes for cars) where trees grow, benches are dotted about, and where festivals are held at various times of the year. Though certainly less busy than La Rambla of Barcelona, this is where many of the boutiques, hotels, and eateries of Figueres should be found.
Teatre Municipal El Jardi
Situated inside a pretty square just off La Rambla, the town theatre is where performances and concerts are held on a semi-regular basis throughout the year. Thanks to its stunning facade, partially hidden behind swaying palm trees plus some particularly contemporary sculptures, it’s easy to see why the theatre and cinema building has become classified as a National Historic Monument.
In the identical square (Placa Josep Pla), the very best coffee and cakes in town should be based in the form of La Pau CAFETERIA LLIBRERIA. Part cafe, part bookseller, this well-reviewed welcome break offers a wide array of fresh smoothies, fresh in the oven cakes, and a wide variety of cold and hot beverages. If you’re feeling peckish on this Figueres walking tour, this is the place to stop!
Duran Hotel & Restaurant
One of the most frequented sites by Dalí in town was the Duran Hotel and Restaurant, making it something of the institution in Figueres. In fact, step within the lobby at any given moment and you’ll soon look for a full-sized bust of Dalí welcoming you into this Figueres hotel.
Located near La Rambla and extremely well-reviewed, this three-star hotel now boasts fairly modern rooms (at a selection of price points), in addition to among the chicest restaurants around. There’s a little museum inside focused on the history of Figueres, in addition to a few of the hotel’s most famous guests (as well as Dalí, Josep Pla seemed to be when a hotel resident).
Museu del Joguet de Catalunya
One of the quirkiest things to do in Figueres is to venture within the toy museum, that is never very busy and seldom has a queue to go in! Full price adult tickets are EUR7 and audio guides could be hired for the cost of an additional euro.
From the ground floor, you’ll soon head upstairs to be transported back in time through the history of toys in Catalonia. Between puppets and board games and whimsical dolls, many will enjoy a trip down memory lane within this cultural hub. The entrance to the museum holds free-to-visit temporary exhibitions every once in a while.
Sant Pere de Figueres
Romanesque in fashion and simple in design, the Saint Peter Church is among the oldest buildings around. Dating completely to the 14th-century, even though there has probably been some form or any other of ecclesiastical building on-site since the 10th or 11th-century.
Set right near the Dalí Museum, this Figueres landmark is difficult to miss and its elevated tower is elevated well that beats all others from the town. The church is free to visit (though, obviously, donations will always be appreciated) and highlights include a Gothic choir and several stunning rose stained-glass windows.
Teatre-Museu Dalí
Of course, the center of attention of Figueres is the Dalí Theatre-Museum. Since this newest visit was really my third time in Figueres (having visited on a school trip nevertheless with my parents just a little over a decade ago), I actually forwent a vacation to the Theatre about this particular occasion, not wanting to stand around for several hours in the rain.
If you have short time in Figueres (yet another reason to instead overnight in the town!), then you need to know that you simply must book your tickets to the fantastical museum ahead of time. Not doing so can see you browsing a queue up to an hour. Even if you do possess a ticket, you’ll regularly be awaiting a couple of hours to be also let inside the museum, often well past your allotted time slot.
Castell de Sant Ferran
Though a little way out of the town (around a twenty-minute uphill sloping walk in the Dalí Museum), the Sant Ferran fort is among the best-preserved, and arguably probably the most important, in all of Europe. Presiding over the remainder of Figueres and offering breathtaking views over the surrounding countryside, as well as onto the mountains beyond, this truly is one of the best-kept strategies of the Girona province.
Entrance costs just EUR3,50 (as well as less for those entitled to concessions) and will take you on a whirlwind self-guided tour from the fortifications and the Casemates which lie underneath the thick stone walls. You start the walk having a video introducing the property and giving you a brief overview of its history. Then it’s onto exploring at your own pace and I recommend setting at least an hour or two to soak up the entire castle grounds!
