Tarragona's Roman treasures

Tarragona is a city in the south of Catalonia, with a history stretching back thousands of years. It was a major city of the Roman Empire, and its streets bear witness to this ancient civilization's great heritage. Its sites, statues, stones and buildings have been declared a World Heritage Site. A walk through this welcoming Mediterranean city is a way of rediscovering the past.

Tarragona lies only 90 kilometres south of Barcelona. Its many artistic and cultural treasures make it a huge open-air museum, notable above all for its Roman remains. The ancient city of Tarraco was founded in 218 B.C., but it golden age begun in the year 26 B.C., when the Emperor Augustus moved there. Hundreds of years after this period of splendour, you can still feel the importance which Tarraco had in Roman Spain. Just take a walk in this quiet Catalan city on the Mediterranean coast, and take in the rich heritage of its Roman past, which can be seen throughout the old city centre.

We suggest a walk along the impressive walls of the Archeological Walk, the first major construction in Tarragona, to the theatre, which served for centuries as a place of entertainment; and step into the arena of the amphitheatre, the scene of combats with gladiators and wild animals; imagine the chariot races in the circus; walk among the walls and buildings of the Forum the nerve centre of the Roman city, with its columns, squares and enclosed areas transporting us back to imperial times; discover most important early Christian necropolis in

Western Europe, with its mausoleums and sarcophagi; or admire the spectacular Puente del Diablo (Devil's Bridge) aqueduct, proudly bridging a valley in the outskirts.

These are just some of the many possibilities to be enjoyed by the visitor to Tarragona. If your curiosity has still not been satisfied, what better than to end your visit in the National Archaeological Museum, which contains treasures of incalculable value. All this is Tarragona, a city of history and culture, art, and great monuments. But it is also a city of leisure, sports, beaches and entertainment. The Costa Dorada offers you all this and more. Its unique situation on the Catalonian coast, its mild climate all year round, its first-class sailing facilities and infrastructures have made this area a popular tourist destination in Spain.