If you are in Catalonia and want to visit more than Barcelona, you will probably hear about Reus. It’s a city about 100 kilometers from Barcelona and less well-known than neighboring Tarragona, but also worth a visit. In this post, I will try to convince you to visit it, and not at all because there is an airport in Reus. It is just a really beautiful city.
Reus is called the city of Gaudi because this famous Catalan architect was born there. However, he left the city when he was 16 years old and ended up not designing or building anything in his hometown. Nevertheless, Reus is a city that is famous for its amazing architecture. Buildings are designed by architects such as Lluis Domenech and Montaner, among others.
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Attractions of Reus
As I mentioned, Reus is a city of stunning architecture. Worth seeing buildings from the modernist period are marked by plaques that are located in front of the houses. You will find dozens, if not hundreds, of these places there. The most famous places are Casa Navà s, Pere Mata Institute, Casa Rull, and Casa Gasull. The atmosphere of the city is unmistakable The town is well-kept, all the elements are refined, and the architecture is impressive.
Casa Navas can be visited inside during the designated hours, with the understanding that there is an afternoon siesta (not only for this place but the museums are also closed at this time). That’s not all – so I have one tip for you when visiting the city. We most wanted to visit Casa Navà s (in my opinion, it’s the most beautiful building in the city). We waited until the siesta was over and after a few hours, we found out that the tour would be in Catalan! Only the next one, in another hour, will be possible in Spanish/English, so you’d better be prepared for that.
Of the attractions in Reus, there are a couple more museums. The main one is where you can see a collection divided into three main areas: ethnology, history, and art. There are quite a few museums in the city, the next one would be the Archaeological Museum of Salvador Vilaseca. We didn’t have time to visit it, so I won’t comment on whether it’s worth it, but it would be a shame not to mention another interesting place in the city.
The largest square in Reus is Plaza de la Llibertat. It is there that the Casa Navas is located. When we toured the city preparations for Carnival were underway (we had already spent Carnival in Tarragona). And while we’re on the subject of celebrations, we can see murals commemorating the fiesta in the streets.
However, the most photogenic square in my opinion is Plaza Prim. This plaza is not particularly large, but if you like to take photos, be sure to go to it. As for photography and photogenicity, we didn’t manage to photograph all the places as we would have liked. First, some streets are narrow and this makes it hard to show their beauty in a photograph. Secondly, you can’t fly a drone in Reus (and we adhere to such rules). Nevertheless, I think the photos managed to show that Reus is a really beautiful city – let us know in the comments!
Reus in the footsteps of Gaudi
If you want to explore the city in the architect’s footsteps, be sure to visit the Gaudi Center. This place dedicated to the history and art of Antoni Gaudi contains the essentials: the artist’s designs. The museum is interactive and helps you understand the creator’s intentions.
However, this is not the only place associated with Gaudi. In Reus, we can see where the artist lived and in which church he was baptized (St. Peter’s Church).
Reus – where to sleep?
Traveling in Catalonia for a month we lived on the coast (Costa Dorada), so I will not say much about hotels in Reus. Nevertheless, the accommodation base in the area is rather extensive, and if you plan to visit the city for more than a day, see what hotels are there:
Booking.comWhat to snack on in Reus?
Reus is admittedly famous for its vermouth, so if you are in town, be sure to try it. They sell it at practically every turn, in every pub. ?
We went for afternoon coffee and sweets. It was Fat Thursday, celebrated differently in Spain than in Poland, but we managed to find small doughnuts (and I don’t mean donuts packed with the Periodic Table). We drank coffee, ate croissants besides and paid 5 euros for everything. This place is Tradicionarius (Raval de Jesus, 48 – 43201 Reus), although you’ll find these pastry shops in other cities as well.
Reus: the city tour
We explored Reus for one day, mostly lazily strolling around the city and taking photos. However, it’s a city worth exploring for much longer, full of secrets, not just architectural ones. The city has an underground, or more precisely, a shelter from the Spanish Civil War. It was built to protect the population from air raids. Sound interesting? In my opinion, yes, so go to Reus and discover even more than I did!
More places in this region of Spain:
13 Best Things to Do in Barcelona
Malaga – Best Things to Do & Top Places to Visit
Tossa de Mar – Discover the Extraordinary Beauty of the Costa Brava
Hospitalet del Infante – Here You Spend a Beautiful Vacation
Discover Costa Daurada – Attractions and Beautiful Places
