Population: 16,100

Population: 10,711

La Seu is up close to the border with Andorra, and provides an excellent base from which to explore the region if you don’t want to go into Andorra itself. Once again, it’s a town with a long history, and is named after its imposing cathedral on Carrer Major.

Population: 8,845

Situated high up in the Pyrenean comarca of the Cerdanya, Puigcerdà has a distinctly French feel. In fact, it is the capital of a comarca which once stretched well into France, much of which is now called Cerdagne and was lost to Catalonia after the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659.

Population: 125,677

Lleida is the capital city of Segrià region and of the province that takes its name. Located on the River Segre in one of the most fertile areas in Spain, it is the most important population and economic inland centre in Catalonia and its strategic position means that if you’re coming to Catalonia from Southern Spain by road or rail, you’re almost certainly going to pass through Lleida. The city is particularly proud of the fact that it is linked to Madrid and Seville by the high-speed AVE train, which has only recently reached Barcelona.

Population: 22,096

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.

Population: 17,173

Despite being one of the major resorts of the northern Costa Brava, Roses has a great deal going for it. During the high season it suffers from a predictable population explosion and it can be hard to find a space on the beach, but with 139 restaurants it’s surprisingly well-equipped to deal with the mass of tourists, and is sufficiently large and historical for you to be able to find quiet spaces away from the madding crowds.

Population: 10,832

What has always struck me about Ripoll is, despite its historical importance, its humble matter of fact atmosphere. It really comes across as nothing special, but this impression is totally false, and it’s the town that can stake the strongest claim to being the ‘Cradle of Catalonia’.

Population: 1,500

Population: 31,932

As capital of the volcanic Garrotxa region, Olot boasts an undeniable charm. Fertile, impressive, creative, obsessive; there’s a lot to Olot. The town itself is lovely, with its calm pedestrianised streets, excellent shops and lovely bars but it is Olot’s setting that makes it so special. In the centre of the Garrotxa nature reserve, the town is an ideal base from which to visit this region of fortunately now extinct volcanoes.

Population: 34,047

If it weren’t for the fact that my wife’s family are all scattered around the Alt Empordà, meaning lunches and overnight stays that are difficult to get out of, I know exactly how I’d go about getting to know the northern Costa Brava – I’d get off the train from Barcelona at Figueres, find a cheap hotel and use the town as my base for exploring the region.

Population: 2,623

Population: 40,000

Vic, it has to be said, is amongst my favourite places in Catalonia. It manages to mix oodles of history with upbeat modernity, and a cosmopolitan atmosphere with a strong sense of tradition. It’s also one of a number of towns that stakes a strong claim to being the cradle of Catalonia.

Population: 23.590

Internationally, Sitges is probable best-known as being the gay capital of Spain and host to the International Cinema Festival of Catalonia, the theme of which is fantasy and science fiction – and Sitges given its history and liberalism is not at all a bad place to hold it.

Population: 200,905

Population: 59.047

I have said to a couple of my friends that if I was writing fiction I would be accused of  exaggerating  and over writing the plot...... this is a short entry because this is real life and the pain is still too raw.  My beloved draathaar William and young Spanish mastin Oscar are both dead, from poisoned food they found somewhere in the campo by here. William made it home to finally die at the vets , Oscar didnt. 

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