Travel

Traveling to and from Barcelona

Students must have a valid passport and are advised to apply for their passports well in advance of their scheduled departure.

On both the departure and return trips, students are accompanied by an experienced Columbia University resident adviser. Detailed information will be provided upon admission.

Day Trips

Two Fridays in Spain are devoted to program-related travel, geared to expanding upon and enriching course content. Trips are supervised by the site director and include guest lecturers. Attendance is mandatory. Transportation and food are provided at no additional charge.

Tarragona
Students travel to the city of Tarragona, some 60 miles south of Barcelona, which houses extensive vestiges of the Romans’ presence during their conquest of the peninsula, beginning in the 3rd century BC. Tarragona is the site of a Roman amphitheater, tower, ramparts, and aqueduct, as well as the National Archeological Museum and numerous medieval structures. The archeologist and historian Professor Philip Banks accompanies the group on this excursion, providing fascinating, in-depth historical insight and knowledge.

Figueres
A second trip takes the group to the city of Figueres, approximately 70 miles north of Barcelona, a city rich in history. It is perhaps best known as home of the artist Salvador Dalí, and the site of his theater-museum. En route the group visits other interesting sites, such as Pubol and the beach at Rosas. Professor Zaida Muxí accompanies the students and places artistic and urban developments into cultural context.