Friday 15 February 2008

Dalí Museums


At least two days are needed to enjoy the visits to the three Dalí Museums properly. The distance between the three Dali Museums means that you have to allow for journeys of at least 40 kilometres if you want to go from Figueres to Portlligat (Cadaqués) and another 40 kilometres from Figueres to Púbol (near La Bisbal d'Empordà, heading in the Girona direction).


Theater-Museum Dalí in Figueres

The Dalí Theatre-Museum, the largest surrealistic object in the world, occupies the building of the former Municipal Theatre, a 19th century construction which was destroyed at the end of the Spanish Civil War. On its ruins, Dalí decided to create his museum.The Dalí Theatre-Museum of Figueres offers a unique experience of being able to observe, live and enjoy the work and thought of a genius. As Dalí himself explained: “It’s obvious that other worlds exist, that’s certain; but, as I’ve already said on many other occasions, these other worlds are inside ours, they reside in the earth and precisely at the centre of the dome of the Dalí Museum, which contains the new, unsuspected and hallucinatory world of Surrealism.”


House-Museum Dalí in Portlligat

The present Portlligat House-museum was Salvador Dalí’s only fixed abode from 1930, the place in which he normally lived and worked up till 1982 when, upon Gala’s death, he took up residence at Púbol Castle.


House-Museum Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol

The Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol, open to the public since 1996, allows visitors to discover a medieval building in which Salvador Dalí lent material form to an exuberant creative effort with his mind set on one person, Gala.
How to reach Figueres and the Dali Museum

By car, take the E-15 / A-7 motorway (Barcelona-France), exit at Figueres Nord or Figueres Sud and follow signs to the city center/ museum. About 1.5 hours from Barcelona.

Trains from Barcelona to Figueres (Barcelona-Portbou RENFE line) leave hourly from Barcelona Sants and Passeig de Gracia. The Dali museum is about a 10 minute walk from the train station; follow the posted signs. About 2 hours from Barcelona.

The SARFA bus company also runs routes to Figueres.

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