Be part
of our
history

Blanes is the gateway of the Costa Brava. It is an amazing city with more than 1,000 years of history. Let yourselves be seduced by the past still present in the most historic buildings, gardens and monuments. It is easy to get carried away by some historic routes that will bring you back to the past. But to understand the city around us, our famous ancestors will also be remembered.

A
journey through
history

Blanes is a dynamic modern city that has the ability to adapt to the modern times in order to make our visitors feel like at home, but without forgetting its roots.

The first thing that you should do is to go for a walk to the centre of the city. You will find there modern streets and shops together with an excellent legacy from the time when the city was a group of small white fishermen’s houses. This is the best way to discover amazing 19th-century houses and examples of gothic Catalan style.

But if you want to enjoy a spectacular view of the city, you need to climb the mountain of Sant Joan where there are still remains of the castle and hermitage from the 11th and 15th centuries. This is an amazing overlook point of Blanes and the Costa Brava and the inspiration place of several artists.

MONUMENTS

The Convent

This building is set in an environment that blends perfectly with Punta de Santa Anna, being open to the sea. The Convent of Blanes was built in 1583. Since historical times, it has been considered one of the most privileged places on the Costa Brava.

Casa Saladrigas

This house was built between 1926 and 1931 by a disciple of Antoni Gaudí

Town Hall

The Casa de la Vila of Blanes is a historic building that has been included in the Inventory of Architectural Heritage of Catalonian.

El Frare (The friar)

This monument, inaugurated in 1958, was built to commemorate Joaquim Ruyra (1858-1939). The writer and poet found inspiration to create his literary works in his village house of Blanes.

Casa Tordera

Casa Tordera, a modernist house built in 1908, reminds us of the time when the Indians emigrated to America in the 19th century to make their fortune, coming back home being rich.

Hermitages of Blanes

The rich religious heritage of the city allows to create routes through small hermitages located both in urban and in natural landscapes of an extraordinary beauty.

The Gothic Fountain

This is a magnificient fountain in the gothic style of civil architecture that has been considered as a unique example of the Catalan heritage and a symbol of the city.

Sant Joan Castle

It is the distinctive symbol in the city of Blanes. The building was built in the 13th century, although other fortifications from a time before were known.

Palau Vescomtal s. XIV-XV – Parish church

The old Palau dels Vescomtes de Cabrera was only a building with a parish church. But when a parish was built in Blanes, both of them were divided in 1319.

ROUTES

HERITAGE

Routes to discover Blanes however you want.
Mediterranean and lively city with emblematic streets that allow you to discover it however you want. The city has grown but it still keeps its maritime origins and some interesting places that can be visited by walking.

HERMITAGES ROUTE

Hermitages routes

Besides the monumental value of the hermitages in Blanes, they are really appreciated and their walls are an example of our ancestor’s popular devotion.

AMERICAN LEGACY IN BLANES

Having made more or less fortune, the Indians who returned from America to Blanes contributed to develop their own architecture that nowadays is still visible in some neighborhoods.

VISCOUNTS OF CABRERA ROUTE

The history of Blanes is closely linked to the Viscounty of Cabrera, one of the most important feudal dinasties in Catalonia for over 900 years, from the 11th to the 19th century.

LITERARY ROUTE

Only a few cities can boast of being a source of inspiration for some of the most brilliant writers who have been in Blanes with their own notebooks and pens. But like the writer Montserrat Roig said ‘Blanes is a city full of history and literature’.

BOLAÑO’S ROUTE

This thematic route covers the places where the Chilean poet and novelist Roberto Bolaño lived. He arrived in Blanes in 1985. He was living there until this death in 2003

JOAQUIM RUYRA’S ROUTE

This literary route serves as an introduction, inviting visitors to explore Joaquim Ruyra’s complete works if they have not already done so.

MEDITERRANEAN CULTURE

Blanes is an active and lively city all year round, having a wide variety of cultural, leisure, food and sports activities for all ages: local celebrations, concerts, exhibitions, courses, fairs, Festa Major, fireworks… Blanes is Mediterranean culture at its purest.

The variety of celebrations is an example of our people’s personality. Carnival, Corpus, Co-patrons celebration, Christmas, Three Kings, Holy Week are celebrated our own way but always having the help of associations and institutions.

Celebrations all year round

El Concurs Internacional de Focs d’Artifici de la Costa Brava

With more than a century of tradition with fireworks, one of the most amazing and essential events in Blanes is this festival of lights, colours and smoke that every year attracts thousands of visitors to our beaches in July.

ALL YEAR ROUND

Three Kings Parade

The Three Kings should get to the city by sea, isn’t? For this reason, they come into Blanes from the Mediterranean. Each year, the parade begins with the arrival of a magic boat at the port. Many children that choose Blanes to live this special moment look forward on the ground.

Christmas

Christmas time is celebrated with intensity. It is recommended to visit the city because during these special days the city is transformed thanks to the lights, the street decoration, the fair, the manger…

Holy Week

Holy Week traditions are still important in Blanes. One of the most famous processions is the Àngel. It takes place on Easter Sunday and it consists of two groups of people that come out of the church of Santa Maria in silence to meet at the Plaça dels Dies Feiners where the Cant de L’àngel is sung.

Festa Major

At the end of July, people in Blanes is ready to celebrate the Festa Major in honor of Santa Anna, the patron saint of the city.

Co-patrons celebration

Although this is the Festa Menor, does not mean that there is not an interesting schedule for everybody.

Carnival

The Carnival is an extraordinary opportunity to have fun with family and friends. Many activities are designed to enjoy a different Carnival. They are located in different places of the city to facilitate the participation of people in one of the funniest celebrations of the year.

Corpus flower carpets

Blanes comes alive with intensity during this celebration held in spring. Come and see how the streets of the historic centre are decorated with flower tapestries. Those are created with original motives as its botanical gardens, its shield, its landscapes.

The International Fireworks Competition on the Costa Brava

FAIRS

A lot of famous street markets and fairs are held in our city, such Sant Tomás Fair, Sabors Catalans Fair and several craft fairs. They are the perfect moment to discover our traditions and products that you will take home.
Check out the schedule of fairs and markets in our calendar.

YOU CAN CONSULT THE PROGRAM OF FAIRS AND MARKETS TO OUR AGENDA

INSPIRATION OF ARTISTS

Blanes and its landscapes have been an inspiration for artists, poets and writers. The city has welcomed them and preserved their legacy. The general interest in culture is reflected in our exhibition rooms, such as Casa Oms, Casa Saladrigas and Garcia-Tornel. Those easily accessible rooms are located in the centre of the city as well as the library of Blanes.
Check out the schedule of exhibitions in our calendar.

YOU CAN CONSULT THE PROGRAM OF FAIRS AND MARKETS TO OUR AGENDA

Music festivals

With more than 25 years of success, the Cycle of Concerts Música a l’Esperança offers a wide variety of spring activities in a special place, the hermitage Mare de Déu de l’Esperança.

After this festival, another one called Les Nits de Marimurtratakes place. Those open-air concerts are held in one of the most spectacular places of the Costa Brava.

With more than 12th editions, this festival has become a reference in the south of the Costa Brava thanks to its cultural, musical and leisure activities.

Visitors like small concerts with no more than 200 people in a natural and friendly atmosphere.

Check out the schedule of festivals in our calendar

Theatre

The Theatre of Blanes is located in the centre of the city. It includes a seating capacity of 400 people and a high-quality programming with relevant actors. It also plays an important role in the cultural education of citizens. This theatre together with the one in Lloret de Mar constitute the Teatre Costa Brava Sud. Both offer a programming for all ages.

See programming