When was tarragona founded

You can wander freely around the majority of this 2nd-century structure on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, where you can stand in the grounds and imagine how it once accommodated 12, eager spectators. The large entrances leading inside Tarragona Amphitheatre. Get up close to the Roman ruins of the Amphitheatre. Historically layered itself, the amphitheatre was built upon during the 6 th and 7 th centuries, when the Church built a basilica in memory of the martyrs who perished during the days of Christian persecution.

Various temples and other structures were built over the top, including a prison and holiday apartments, before it was finally uncovered for its original foundations as a Roman city to be laid bare. You can climb to the top for a view of the city, and parts of the lower spectator archways remain. Approaching the Roman Circus and Praetorian Tower.

The sweeping view of Tarragona city from the top of the Roman Circus. Ariel View of the ruins of the Roman Circus in Tarragona, blending with modern city structures. The Tarragona of today was built on top of what was once the racing circuit, and if you look closely enough at the shop fronts and some structural detail, you may see the archway resemblance where stores have been built on top on roman vaults. A walk around the town centre unveils the narrow alleyways and historic streets of the medieval days, but not without the Roman keeping gaze.

While sampling some vermouth in the specialist store, Bodega Enric, we only had to walk out into the open square to find a chunk of the old Roman city walls of Tarraco dominating the open square. Remains of Roman Ruins in the streets of Tarragona. Shops found within Roman archways in Tarragona. The old Roman city walls still visible in Tarragona, Spain.

Some Roman ruins in Tarragona city are fenced off for protection, but still visible. A stone Roman Column in the middle of a pedestrian street in Tarragona. Close by, the modern-day architectural examples by Catalan artist, Josep Maria Jujol can be found. Modern design and art on show at Theatre Metropole — in juxtaposition to the Roman ruins.

Saving one of the best until last, we found ourselves back in the very heart of the old city, looking up at the Cathedral that dominates the centre of town that stands on the former Roman temple site. The Cathedral on the site of the former Roman temple in Tarragona. We climbed the spiral staircases for a panoramic view of the city from the bell tower, before climbing back down and peering down into the remains of the old Roman temple wall that is now an integrated foundation to this more modern structure.

Ideal if you are travelling with carnivores! The restaurant is deservedly popular and if you are visiting Tarragona at the weekend and plan to eat here you should reserve in advance. The journey from Barcelona to Tarragona by car takes approximately an hour and twenty minutes via the C There are frequent trains from Barcelona Sants to Tarragona train station. There are also.

The train follows the coast for most of the journey and affords good views of rocky coves and sandy beaches. Check timetables here. Tarragona train station is a ten minute walk from the city centre. AVE high-speed trains are not a good choice when travelling from Barcelona to Tarragona since instead of stopping at Tarragona train station they stop at Camp de Tarragona which is 16km from the city.

The journey takes between one and a half hours and one hour forty-five minutes. Busplana runs 14 buses per day from Barcelona airport terminals T1 and T2 to Tarragona.

High speed AVE trains take 2 hours between Madrid and Camp de Tarragona station which is 16km outside the city and connected by bus and Taxi.

Ryanair and other low-cost carriers offer cheap flights from the UK to Reus airport which is just 7km from Tarragona.

Hispano Igualadina runs direct buses from the airport to Tarragona. Another alternative is to catch the local L50 bus to Reus and travel from there to Tarragona. Tickets for the sites can be purchased individually or grouped together in discount passes which can be purchased at the ticket desk of each of the participating attractions. Small group excursion 11 hrs from Barcelona to Tarragona and Sitges including the Devils Bridge aqueduct. Half-day excursion 5 hrs to Tarragona from Barcelona.

Dear Richard, We are here in Torredambarra for a week, looking to retire here late this year. We were a bit worried about finding people who speak English. Is that a problem here? Is it possible in Tarragona to find English speaking people?

Would love to know what you think. Thanks so much. Firstly, congratulations on making such a good choice. The city receives quite a lot of tourists and other foreign visitors so people working in shops and restaurants will be used to speaking English. Both of those could be good ways of getting to know English speakers while you are still in the early stages of learning Spanish.

Language exchange is a great way of getting fluent quickly while meeting local people and most language schools encourage students to take part. In fact, somewhat ironically, language schools are good places to meet English speakers! International House is one of the largest language schools in Spain and has a very good reputation. Although it was quite a long time ago now, I studied at one of their schools here in Barcelona and was very happy with both the school and its teachers website.

Excellent report; thank you for developing and posting it. My family 3 of us plan to visit Tarragona on a Thursday Oct 17, Thanks for the tip about Camp Tarragona Train Station. We would like to visit a winery Terra Alta DO can you offer some suggestions and importantly how we would travel from center of town to the site.

Also, in France, Monday is not as particularly good day to visit a French City — most private shops are closed. Do we have to be concerned about a particular day the Tarragona shops are mostly closed.

If so then you could combine a visit to one of the wineries with Miravet or the Ebro Delta as a day trip from Tarragona. In Tarragona and most towns in Spain shops and markets are closed all day on Sundays. The only exceptions being bakeries and small convenience stores. One thing that you should bear in mind is that, outside the summer season, most museums close on Mondays. Lots and lots of thanks for the help I will come next week to see all the beauty of Barcelona and Tarragna.

Good night. Once the human buildings have been dismantled, the cuisine keeps people entertained. Its mild, dry winters make it an ideal growing zone all year long. Try the Mediterranean cuisine, featuring traditional components like romesco , and, above all, fresh seafood and rice dishes.

These culinary experiences must be paired with the local liquid specialties—namely olive oil and wine. In summer, Tarragona's Roman heritage comes alive through a series of historical reconstructions that show how the inhabitants of Tarraco once lived. You can also relive the gladiatorial battles in the Amphitheatre, which, enhanced with the latest technology, guarantees a unique and exciting experience. Tarragona's visitors experience the city's Roman past with historical re-enactments.

Relive the gladiatorial battles in the Amphitheatre through the use of the latest technology. Beyond the land-based experiences, Tarragona's coast offers visitors 15 kilometres of beaches and a front-row seat for the ecosystems and natural beauty that remains virtually unaltered. The fine, white-sand beaches slope gently into the water, making them safe and fun for families.

Another major draw for visitors to Tarragona is the city's kilometre coastline, dotted with beaches and coves with crystalline waters. Pictured here is Jovera Cove with its Romanesque and Gothic castle.

And there's no shortage of high-quality family-friendly accommodations. The city has a wide range of hotels for all tastes and budgets as well as beachfront campgrounds—some of which are ranked as the leaders in Europe for exceptional quality.

If arriving by plane , the region is accessed through two airports. Reus, is 7 kilometres away. Barcelona, is 82 kilometres away. By train , the city also has direct rail links to all major Spanish and European capitals.