The Dalí Trail

Spain's Surrealist City

On the Dalí Trail

BY: TOM JAMES

Surreal has become a devalued word, used to describe everything from a slightly unusual coffee to a reality TV show. In the art world though, it still carries a certain weight, a reminder that surrealism was one of the most original and influential art movements of the 20th century. In any mention of surrealism, it's inevitable that the first name that comes to mind is that of Salvador Dalí.

Born in Figueres in Catalunya, Spain, Dalí was an artistic prodigy, giving his first exhibition in his home city at the age of 14. Skilled in conventional techniques, his originality emerged in his bizarre and challenging surrealist creations. His showmanship, eccentricity, and sense of fun made him a global celebrity artist in an era where no such thing had existed.

Bringing it all back home to Figueres, Dalí dominates this attractive Catalan city in northeastern Spain, putting it firmly on the tourist trail. Every gift shop is awash with melting clocks and twirly mustache T-shirts, and even the cafes will offer a Salvador cup for a cafe amb llet.

For Dalí aficionados or the casual visitor, the Dalí museum, the Museu Dalí is a must-see, arguably one of the major modern art museums of Europe and a close third to the Prado and Bilbao Guggenheim for gallery visitor numbers in Spain.

Like the artist himself, the gallery is unique, playful, provocative, and endlessly entertaining. Give or take the occasional example of graphic nudity in the name of art, it's also a great place to take kids, who will love the ingenious contraptions, the colors, and the air of mischief that permeates so many of the exhibits.

Booking tickets is essential, with visitors assigned a time slot. Even waiting outside isn't allowed to be dull, with the spectacle of the building itself offering glistening metallic domes and strange luminous egg decorations. Inside, the exhibits range from Dalí's large-scale sculptures expressing his fascination with kitsch Americana, to delicate and beautiful miniatures.

If the museum is the inevitable focus of Figueres, the rest of the city has a laidback Catalan charm. The highlight for sightseers with historical interests is the 18th-century castle on the north side of the city. Originally built as a bulwark against French invaders, it later became a prison. Walking around the ramparts gives a sense of its scale.

In the center of Figueres, the main avenue, the rambla, is the focus, as in any Catalan city, with vibrant pavement cafes, upmarket small galleries, and restaurants dominating the atmospheric side streets and squares.

In culinary terms, Figueres has not completely surrendered to high-end minimalist modern cuisine, still offering plenty of unpretentious dining options providing hearty Catalan traditional dishes such as bacalao con samfaina, a dried cod and vegetable combination, or suquet de peix, a rich fish stew.

Suitably refreshed, the visitor may want to resume the Dalí trail with an excursion to the coast. Bus Route 12 makes the journey to Portlligat on the Cap de Creus on the Costa Brava. This scenic promontory is where the artist made his home.

Dalí's house is a characteristically eccentric edifice made up of interlinked fishermen's shacks. The Casa-Museu Salvador Dalí offers a fascinating insight into the home life of the artist and his wife, with tours taking in the studio, model's room, striking oval sitting-room, and the somewhat suggestively-shaped swimming pool. Anyone hoping to see the den of a 1960s bohemian probably won't be entirely disappointed.

Near Cadaqués is a sedate Costa Brava resort that is less obvious about its Dalí connections, preferring to present itself as a wholesome family beach escape. The promenades along the Mediterranean offer attractive, albeit windswept, strolls, and there are plenty of simple fish restaurants and ice-cream parlors to visit and enjoy the vistas.

Although the costa resorts further south suffered some of the most insensitive development anywhere in Spain, there are stretches of coastline in this area that retain the beauty that inspired the artist. The work of Dalí invariably came back to the sea, to the shapes and colors of the Mediterranean shores, and with a vivid summer sunset as the backdrop, it's easy for the visitor to dip into the world of Dalí, maybe while enjoying a surreal coffee or brandy.