Spain’s Wild Coast to Host Concerts, Exhibitions, Races, Golf Tourney

Costa Brava, Spain, April 2, 2009 – One of Spain’s most picturesque costas is celebrating a birthday.  The “wild coast” on Spain’s Mediterranean has been a haven for painters, poets and celebrities since Ferran Agulló, a local journalist, first named it in 1909. The area runs some 1,240 miles from the River Tordera north to the Spanish border with France, encompassing towns such as Tossa del Mar, Palamos, Begur and Cadaqués where Dalí once lived.  Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Man Ray, Luis Buñuel, Paul Eluard and Federico García Lorca all visited and worked here.

This year and through September 2010, the Costa Brava will host a series of art and photographic exhibitions, concerts and sporting events to celebrate the 100th anniversary.  A new ruta showcasing the area’s art, culture and scenic beauty is being developed and restaurants along the coast – long renowned for stellar eateries – will offer a menu showcasing the local dishes and delicacies.

Three photographic exhibitions opened last week that will run through September 15 traveling through the area:

- Produced by the Roses Town Council, “The Costa Brava Before the Costa Brava” features 105 photographs between 1915 and 1936 by La Casa de La Postal, directed by photographer Lucien Roisin.
- “Two Views of the Territory: Memories of the Costa Brava,” presents 60 photographs taken by Catalan photographer Francesc Català-Roca and Zavier Miserachs Ribalta in the 1950s and 1960s.
- “Moments” by Julián Guisado features 20 color photographs taken in the past four years.

On April 24 to 26, runners can opt for the 200-kilometer Brave Coast Xtrem or the 100-kilometer Brave Coast Challenge following the coastal footpaths from Blanes to Portbou.  From April 30 to May 3, 150 professional golfers will compete for a $2.6-million purse at the 36-hole PGA Golf Catalunya at Caldes de Malavella, named one of Europe’s top 10 courses by a leading golf publication.  Part of the PGA’s European Tour, the event is designed to raise visibility for the area’s 10 golf courses.

For Saint John’s Eve on June 23, a concert will be held at the Roses Citadel site.  The Costa Brava’s four major music festivals: Cap Roig, Peralada, Sant Feliu de Guixols and Torroella de Montgrí will all dedicate concerts to the Centenary.  The Lloret de Mar Casino Auditorium will host the closing ceremony on September 12, 2010.

On July 24, “Costa Brava 21st Century” will open at the Caixa Girona Culture Centre in Girona.  Contemporary artists from Barcelona and other parts of Catalonia were invited to create works looking at the Costa Brava through 21st century eyes.  Included in the show are: Eugènia Balcells, Jordi Bernadó, Mireya Masó, Pere Noguera, Ester Partegàs, Perejaume, Tere Recarens, Mireia Sentís, Montserrat Soto, Eulàlia Valldosera and Mayte Vieta.
The area’s cuisine is justly famous – boasting eight Michelin-star restaurants – and renowned chefs such as Ferran Adrià of ElBulli, Joan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca and Jaume Subirós of the restaurant at Hotel Empordà have been selected to create the Centenary Menu.  Regional dishes of the Costa Brava from the last 100 years will be featured in restaurants all along the coast.

For information about the 100th year anniversary of the Costa Brava, go to web Costa Brava 

For further information about Spain, contact your travel provider or the Tourist Office of Spain in New York (212-265-8822); Miami (305-358-1992); Chicago (312-642-1992) or Los Angeles (323-658-7195) or go to www.spain.info/us