Reus

Population: 104,835

Reus is one of the undiscovered gems of Catalonia, which given that it’s such a large town with its own airport is a little surprising. Most people just pass through on their way to the Costa Daurada, I suppose, but they really are making a big mistake. Reus has a gentle provincial quality all of its own, and with a thousand years of history behind it, it’s an ideal base for discovering the whole of the province.

Its strategic position between the mountains and the sea makes Reus a great place from which to discover outstanding natural areas such as the Montsant massif, the Prades mountains or the Ebro delta. Reus also provides a starting point for fascinating tourist and cultural routes such as the Cistercian trail, including visits to the monasteries of Poblet and Santes Creus and the convent of Vallbona de les Monges, or to Roman Tàrraco. Reus is also just a stone's throw away from the Costa Daurada and its delights (sic). Sailing enthusiasts can find a host of marinas at their disposal and golfers have four courses within easy reach. After a hard day’s serious tourism, you can come back to Reus to relax and stroll around the streets of the historic town centre and admire its fine Modernist heritage.

The origins of Reus lie in the mediaeval period, specifically in the 12th century, though it was not until the 18th century that the town's population grew so rapidly that it became the second most important town in Catalonia thanks to the liquor trade. The famous phrase “Reus, Paris, London” survives here as a reminder of this period of growth, recalling the fact that these were the three places where international liquor prices were set. Soon afterwards, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the fine Modernist buildings, which can still be seen today, were built.

Reus is famous for Gaudí, who was born in nearby Riudoms on 25th June 1852 into a family of coppersmiths, but spent his childhood and youth in the Reus. When he left for Barcelona at the age of 16, he never forgot the skills he learnt from the craftsmen in his hometown, and as some of his closest associates also came from Reus, including the architects Joan Rubió i Bellver, Domènech Sugranyes and Francesc Berenguer, Reus can claim its own highly influential school of art and architecture.

The arrival of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, the other great architect of the day, marked the beginning of the brilliant flowering of Modernisme in Reus. The year was 1898, and Domènech's first project was the Pere Mata psychiatric institute, which is considered one of the jewels of Catalan Art Nouveau. Lluís Domènech i Montaner's architectural style influenced other Modernist buildings, which went up around the town. His mark is clear in the work of the Reus architects Pere Caselles, Joan Rubió i Bellver and Pere Domènech Roura, the latter being Domènech i Montaner's own son. Due to the importance and distinctiveness of its Modernist heritage, Reus is part of the Art Nouveau Network, a European project made up of 14 towns and cities in 12 countries, the aim of which is to make the richness of their shared Art Nouveau heritage available to all.

Alongside Modernisme, Reus also has other important witnesses to its history. The 15th-century priory church of St. Peter, with its distinctive bell tower, is the most outstanding vestige of the old Reus and a symbol of the town. During the 18th and 19th centuries the town passed through a period of dramatic economic growth, which left its architectural mark in the form of three outstanding buildings: the Palau Bofarull (1770), the Centre de Lectura (1859) and the Teatre Fortuny (1882), one of Catalonia's leading theatres. Another essential part of getting to know the town is a stroll through the Plaça del Mercadal, the former market square, and the Plaça de Prim, veritable nerve centres of Reus life.

The celebrations in honour of Sant Pere, the town's patron saint, from 24th to 29th June, and for Misericòrdia (Our Lady of Mercy) from 21st to 25th September are excellent chances to discover the town's most deeply-rooted traditions and festivities. The Sant Jaume fair, one of the oldest in Catalonia, offers the chance to experience all the atmosphere of an evening fair in Reus.

On the menus of Reus restaurants, dishes originating in traditional cooking rub shoulders with those adapted from international cuisine. All of them are made using the finest Mediterranean ingredients such as Siurana extra virgin olive oil, a fruity, very mild oil, and the nuts which are so typical of the area, washed down with the wide range of excellent wines from the region's wine denominations: Priorat, Montsant, Terra Alta, Conca de Barberà and Tarragona. Without forgetting the famous vermouth of Reus.

In the Institut Municipal de Museus, Museu d'Arqueologia Salvador Vilaseca, the Museu d'Art i Història, the Centre de la Imatge Mas Iglesias and the Centre d'Art

Cal Massó, Reus has got some great museums. The town is also home to Andreu Buenafuente and his band of brilliant comedians, El Terrat, so you’d better learn some Catalan to find out if the locals are taking the mickey or not.

Ajuntament de Reus, Plaça del Mercadal 1 Tel. 977 010 010