For several decades now, Barcelona has been
one of the most popular destinations for school
trips to Spain.
While the capital, Madrid, gives it a good run for its money, the unofficial
capital of Catalonia gains the advantage due to the sheer volume of culture-related
things to see and do, which make this city any history or art teacher’s dream.
However, to limit a visit to Catalonia to
just its main city would not only be unfair to the rest of the region, it would
be a mistake. There is so much to discover beyond Barcelona, and so many
different activities awaiting students that groups on school trips to Spain will find their time spent exploring further
afield to be of great advantage. In the lines below, we detail some of the many
places to visit and activities to engage in when visiting this wonderful region
of Spain.
Culture
Central
As much as the purpose of this article is
to go beyond Barcelona, however, it would be unthinkable not to start a guide
on exploring Catalonia in its most famous city. The touristic reputation of
Barcelona is not only well-known, but also well-earned; with its unbelievable
number of monuments and cultural sights to take in, this town could very well
be the culture capital of, if not the world, at least Europe.
This vast cultural and educational offer
does, however, have a drawback. Teachers leading their students on school trips to Spain and visiting this
city can easily be tempted into booking too many visits in too short a period
of time. This, in turn, can lead to students becoming worn out and distracted,
thus working against the educational purposes of the trip.
Even still, certain sights in Barcelona
cannot be overlooked or passed over. Chief among them is the Sagrada Familia,
the imposing city cathedral. Literally centuries in the making, the
architecture for which will no doubt provide hours of material for art teachers,
this monument is nothing short of spectacular.
Further
Afield
Still, as noted, Catalonia is about more
than just Barcelona, and school groups willing to explore further afield will
discover the smaller towns surrounding the large urban centre to have something
to offer in their own right.
Art teachers, for example, can use the
Cathedral at Lleida as a comparison to the Sagrada Familia, and will appreciate
the chance to talk about Impressionism after a visit to the Dali museum, at Figueres.
Mataró is another interesting location for architecture, with several of its
buildings having been designed by a ‘hometown hero’, Josep Puig I Cadafalch.
Tarragona will similarly interest both art and history groups, as it retains
heavy Roman influence in its layout and architecture.
And after all the exploration is done, why
not relax at one of the area’s many seaside resorts? Alternatively, teachers
can take their students rock-climbing at Reus or hang out in Santa Susanna.
It is clear, then, that students and
teachers on school trips to Spain should
resist the temptation to limit their tour of Catalonia to Barcelona. The rest
of the area has plenty to offer, and no group is likely to be disappointed by the
result of their explorations.
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