BY RAIL
BARCELONA, LA RIOJA AND BILBAO BY RAIL
8 nights / 9 days From £ 1,860 per person
Rioja vineyards
LA RIOJA • BILBAO • BARCELONA
Holiday by train to Spain and stay in the cultural city of Barcelona, the vineyards of La Rioja, and the Basque city of Bilbao. Enjoy scenic journeys as you travel through Spain, passing forested hills and picturesque towns as you travel from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean.
DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY
DAY ONE London to Barcelona Start your luxury rail holiday to Spain by leaving London St Pancras about 8am and travelling on the Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord. Take a taxi to Paris Lyon station to catch the daytime train to Barcelona, where you arrive just before 9pm. Spend three nights in the centre of Barcelona.
DAYS TWO AND THREE In Barcelona Spend two days exploring this vibrant and attractive city. Discover the modernista architecture of Gaudi and his contemporaries by visiting the Parc Güell in the Zona Alta with its fluid mosaics and bright colours, the more reserved Palau Güell in El Raval, and, of course, the iconic Sagrada Familia church which scores the Barcelonan skyline in the Eixample. Its fairy-tale exterior gives way to a cavernous and captivating interior built in the shape of a traditional Latin cross. Walk along the famous La Rambla to enjoy the quirky shops and street entertainment, as well as to sample the Catalan cuisine. Spend a few hours one morning exploring the maze-like mediaeval Gothic quarter, seeking out the enchanting squares, the palaces, and the excellent shops that punctuate the winding pathways. Perhaps visit the museums of La Ribera, which were once the palaces of merchants, or the Romanesque monastery of Sant Pau in El
Raval. Pass the modernista architecture that lines the Passeig de Gràcia on your way to the Sagrada Familia or take in the sombre elegance of the Montjuic Castle. The Montjuic quarter is also home to the minimalist Fundació Joan Miró, and the recently established Museu Nacional d’ Art de Catalunya. In the evenings, enjoy the best seafood in Barcelona in one of the chic restaurants that line the promenades on any one of the 6 Blue Flag beaches..
DAY FOUR Barcelona to Logrono in La Rioja by train In Barcelona, board a train at about 2pm, which will take you north-west across northern Spain, passing Lleida and Zaragoza in the Ebro valley on the way to Logrono, where you will arrive just before 6pm. On arrival in the capital of La Rioja, collect a hire-car and continue to the Marques de Riscal, a strikingly modern hotel which forms part of a long-established winery, or the Hotel Viura, another striking hotel with a geometric, chaotic façade to contrast the fluid metallic lines of the Marques. You spend three nights in La Rioja.
DAYS FIVE AND SIX In La Rioja You have two full days to spend in La Rioja. In the small village of Elciego, the main cultural attraction, aside from the vineyards, may be the Parish Church of Elciego. Though it is unassuming from the outside, the inside is given a charming golden glow by the Retablo Mayor. The Plaza Mayor in Elciego is a mysterious square far removed from the hustle and bustle of the larger nearby towns, with a highly affecting feeling of peace and quiet. You are perfectly placed to visit the Yuso and Suso Monasteries, which are atmospheric terracotta coloured building amidst the rolling green hills and valleys of a wine region famous since Roman times. For a taste of the more lively nearby towns, Logrono makes a very fulfilling day out. We recommend visiting the Concatedral de Santa Maria de la Redonda, whose main façade was designed to resemble an altarpiece. The two front towers, known as Las Gemelas, or‘ the twins,’ were built in the Baroque style, and inside, there is a painting of the crucifixion by Michelangelo. This three night stay in Elciego or Villabuena de Alava offers an insight into a pocket of culture that forms and maintains one of Spain’ s most famous industries. The dynamic, contemporary design of both hotels and the large windows that open each room out onto the vineyards ensure the utmost comfort after you have dined in either the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Marques de Riscal or in the indulgent restaurant at Hotel Viura.
DAY SEVEN Logrono in La Rioja to Bilbao Return your hire car to Logrono station before catching a mid-morning train northwards to Bilbao, a journey of around two and a half hours. Stay at the
66 To speak to our specialist rail holidays team telephone 01392 441250 or see www. expressionsholidays. co. uk